Hughes Aircraft Company

John L Tocher

Jacques F Linder

An improved method for soldering a thermoelectric cooler between an electronic device and a heatsink. Thermoelectric coolers are assembled by soldering parts together using a first solder. The bottom surface of the thermoelectric cooler is first soldered to the heatsink using a second solder and then the top surface is soldered to the electronic device using a third solder preferably having the same melting point as the second solder, or having approximately the same melting point as the second solder. Reverse powering of the thermoelectric cooler assists the soldering of the top surface to the electronic device by heating the top surface to a temperature sufficient to melt the third solder while cooling the bottom surface of the thermoelectric cooler to a temperature lower than the melting point of the second solder. Since the second solder has a melting point chosen to be lower than the melting point of the first solder used to assemble the cooler and the third solder has preferably the same, or approximately the same melting point as the second solder, rather than a much lower melting point, the assembled electronic device may be operated at a higher temperature and tested at a higher thermal cycle.

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Hawthorne, CA, United States of America

John L Tocher