Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Nancy M Mar

Giles Humpston

Gary Richard Trott

Yoshikatsu Ichimura

Michael James Nystrom

Daniel J Miller

Heidi Linch Reynolds

A solder joint or seal attaching components having dissimilar coefficients of thermal expansion is made thin (e.g., less than 20 &#x3bc;m and preferably about 5 &#x3bc;m) and of a solder such as an indium-based solder that has a tendency to creep. The solder is toroidal or otherwise shaped to avoid tensile stress in the solder. Axial shearing stress in the solder causes reversible creep without causing failure of the joint or seal. In one embodiment, a toroidal solder seal has a diameter, a footprint, and a thickness in approximate proportions of 5000:200:1.

Compliant and hermetic solder seal

Fluxless soldering processes use pressure variations and vented cavities within large-area solder joints to reduce void volumes and improve the properties of the large-area solder joints. The vents can be sealed after soldering if closed cavities are desired. A cavity can also improve hermeticity of a solder joint by providing an additional solder fillet around the cavity in addition to the solder fillet around the perimeter of the solder joint.

Vented cavity, hermetic solder seal

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Nancy M Mar