Compaq Computer Corporation, Inc.

John F Haarde

Mark Adrian Smith

John Hua

Andrew A Alibocus

Troy W Beacleay

Glue dots are deposited on a substrate side of a partially completed printed circuit board, between pairs of component mounting pads disposed on the substrate and having quantities of solder paste thereon, using a resilient stencil plate having a spaced series of glue discharge openings extending transversely therethrough, and a spaced series of side recesses. The recess side of stencil plate is positioned in a spaced, parallel and opposing relationship with the mounting pad side of the substrate with the plate recesses being aligned with the substrate mounting pads, and the glue discharge openings being aligned with glue leveling pads disposed on the substrate side between adjacent mounting pad pairs. Glue is deposited on the outer stencil plate side and a squeegee blade is moved along the outer stencil plate side to deflect it toward the substrate and force glue through the discharge openings to deposit glue dots thereon when the stencil plate is permitted to return to its undeflected position. As the plate is deflected, its depressions receive and provide clearance for the mounting pads so as not to disturb the solder paste quantities thereon. Electrical components are then pressed against pairs of mounting pads, and the glue dots therebetween, before being subjected to a final soldering process. In this manner the use of a needle type dispensing machine to deposit the glue dots is advantageously avoided.

Solder paste and glue dot-based methods of securing components to a

A printed wiring board is disclosed which has one or more solder pads of special configuration which receive and contain excess solder which might otherwise bridge adjacent downstream leads of a component having closely spaced leads when the component is mounted to the printed circuit board in a wave-soldering process. The special solder pad configuration may be viewed as an extra solder pad (a 'robber pad') at the downstream end of a linear array of solder pads which is connected to the adjacent upstream solder pad by a solder-wettable bridge.

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The Woodlands, TX, United States of America

John F Haarde