Coated stencil with reduced surface tension

An apparatus for printing of solder paste, the apparatus comprising:

• a printed wiring board comprising a plurality of conductive contact pads, the conductive contact pads positioned in a pattern on a surface of the printed wiring board and having surfaces suitable for adhesion of solder paste to provide physical and electrical couplings between the printed wiring board and one or more electronic components;
• and
• a stencil having a board side and a fill side, the stencil including interior surfaces that define a plurality of apertures extending from the board side to the fill side, the cross-section of the apertures at the board side having profiles that fit within the profiles of the surfaces of the contact pads when the board side of the stencil is placed in contact with the contact pads, the interior surfaces of the stencil that define the apertures being coated with a material selected from parylene and its homologues.

A coated stencil comprising:

• a stencil including interior surfaces that define a plurality of apertures;
• and
• a coating selected from parylene and its homologues on the interior surfaces of the stencil.