Abstract: A stretchable battery and the method of manufacturing the same. The stretchable battery can be manufactured by using a printing process. The construction of the stretchable battery can comprise a first layer of an elastomer film, a first current collector layer, a layer of cathode, a separating layer, a layer of anode, and a second current collector layer. Metal traces can be used to couple with the first and/or the second current collector layers.

Abstract: A carrier assembly configured to facilitate manufacture of a printed circuit board assembly includes a bottom frame defining a generally rectangular configuration and having a length and a width. The bottom frame is adjustable to vary at least one of the length or the width thereof. The assembly further includes a core releasably positionable on the bottom frame and configured to support a circuit board thereon. A carrier assembly system includes the bottom frame and a plurality of cores. Methods of manufacturing printed circuit board assemblies utilizing carrier assemblies are also provided.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a part includes printing a layer of 3D printable material, positioning a layer of interlay material on the layer of 3D printable material, and printing another layer of 3D printable material on the layer of interlay material. A manufactured part includes a base layer of 3D printable material and a plurality of pairs of alternating layers disposed on the base layer of 3D printable material. Each pair of the plurality of pairs includes a layer of interlay material and another layer of 3D printable material printed on the layer of interlay material. The layers of interlay material provide at least one property to the manufactured part not provided by the layers of 3D printable material.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board assembly includes providing a circuit board, positioning a plurality of components including at least one thermally-sensitive component having a maximum temperature threshold on the circuit board, positioning a customized protective heat shield on the thermally-sensitive component, exposing the circuit board (having the thermally-sensitive component disposed thereon and the customized protective heat shield disposed on the thermally-sensitive component) to a high-temperature environment wherein temperatures exceed the maximum temperature threshold of the thermally-sensitive component, and removing the customized protective heat shield from the thermally-sensitive component. Customized protective heat shields are also provided.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a pallet for use during manufacture of a printed circuit board assembly includes determining optimal solder flow for establishing connections between lead pins of a plurality of pin-through-hole components arranged on a circuit board, designing a pallet to include geometries configured to provide the optimal solder flow when the pallet, supporting the circuit board thereon, is passed through a wave solder machine, and creating the pallet based on the design. Pallets configured for optimal solder flow and methods of manufacturing printed circuit board assemblies using such pallet are also provided.

Abstract: An electronics assembly includes one or more electronic components coupled to a fabric. Each electronic component includes one or more electrical connection points, such as a bond pad or solder bump. The electronics assembly also includes one or more electrically conductive wire cloths, one electrically conductive wire cloth coupled to one electrical connection point on an electronic component. The electrically conductive wire cloth is stitched to the fabric by an electrically conductive wire, thereby providing an electrical connection between the electronic component and the electrically conductive wire via the electrically conductive wire cloth.

Abstract: An electronics assembly includes multiple electronic components coupled to a fabric. Each of the multiple electronic components includes one or more electrical connection points, such as a bond pad or solder bump. The electronics assembly also includes one or more electrically conductive wire braids, one electrically conductive wire braid coupled to one electrical connection point on an electronic component. One of the electrically conductive wire braids interconnects two electronic components, thereby providing an electrical connection between the two electronic components. The electrically conductive wire braid can be attached to the fabric by an adhesive, a stitched thread, which can be either electrically insulated or electrically conductive, or both adhesive and stitched thread. The fabric can be a wearable fabric, such as a shirt or pants, or other form to be worn by a user, such as an armband, waistband, hat or shoes.

Abstract: A compliant interconnect with a cylindrical bellows structure is configured to reduce a stress between a substrate and a PCB board. The stress can be caused by a CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) mismatch, a physical movement, or a combination thereof. The compliant interconnect can be solder to and/or immobilized on one or more coupling structure. Alternatively, the compliant interconnect can include an instant swapping structure (such as a socket) that makes the upgrade of the electronic components easier.

Abstract: An electronics assembly includes one or more electronic components coupled to a fabric. Each electronic component includes one or more electrical connection points, such as a bond pad or solder bump. The electronics assembly also includes one or more electrically conductive wire braids, one electrically conductive wire braid coupled to one electrical connection point on an electronic component. The electrically conductive wire braid is stitched to the fabric by an electrically conductive wire, thereby providing an electrical connection between the electronic component and the electrically conductive wire via the electrically conductive wire braid.

Abstract: A method of and device for making a three dimensional electronic circuit. The method comprises coupling one or more magnet wires with a substrate along a surface contour of the substrate, immobilizing the one or more magnet wires on the substrate, and forming the electronic circuit by electrically coupling the one or more magnet wires with an integrated circuit chip.

Abstract: A printed circuit board is formed from a plurality of thinner PCBs stacked on top of each other with an intermediate metal interconnect material selectively positioned between adjacent PCBs. The metal interconnect material is selectively positioned on surface contact points of correspondingly aligned plated through holes on the adjacent printed circuit boards. The stacked printed circuit boards and intermediate metal interconnect material are laminated, thereby sintering the metal interconnect material and the surface contact points of the plated through holes to form electrical interconnects between plated through holes on adjacent printed circuit boards. The metal interconnect material is preferably the same as the plating material used to plate the through holes, such as copper.

Abstract: An RFID device assembly is fabricated by positioning an electrically conductive wire onto a fabric as a pattern that forms an antenna, and securing the wire to the fabric by stitching a non-electrically conductive thread over the wire and to the fabric. The two ends of the electrically conductive wire are positioned for coupling to antenna contact pads on an RFID device. The RFID device is attached to the fabric either before or after the electrically conductive wire is secured to the fabric by the stitched non-electrically conductive thread.

Abstract: An electrical interconnect includes a copper pillar and solder cap. The copper pillar and solder cap are formed onto a contact pad or an under bump metallurgy (UBM). In some applications, the contact pad or UBM is part of an electronic component, such as a semiconductor chip. In other cases, the contact pad is part of laminated substrate, such as a printed circuit board (PCB), or a ceramic substrate. The copper pillar and the solder cap are printed using an ink printer, such as an aerosol ink jet printer. A post heat treatment solidifies the interconnection between the contact pad or UBM, the copper pillar and the solder cap.

Abstract: An electronics assembly includes one or more electronic components coupled to a fabric. Each electronic component includes one or more electrical connection points, such as a bond pad or solder bump. The electronics assembly also includes one or more metal foils, one metal foil coupled to one electrical connection point on an electronic component. The metal foil is stitched to the fabric by an electrically conductive wire, thereby providing an electrical connection between the electronic component and the electrically conductive wire via the metal foil.

Abstract: A stretchable wire assembly includes a metal wire coupled between two elastic substrates. The two elastic substrates are selectively coupled together, and the metal wire is attached to one or both elastic substrates at select locations. The form of the metal wire is such that when the elastic substrates are in a relaxed, or non-stretched, state the metal wire forms a tortuous path, such as a waveform, along the coupled elastic substrates. The tortuous path of the metal wire provides slack such that as the elastic substrates are stretched the slack is taken up. Once released, the elastic substrates move from the stretched position to the relaxed, non-stretched position, and slack is reintroduced into the metal wire in the form of the original tortuous path.

Abstract: Methods of and Devices for quality control that can be used with automated optical inspection (AOI), solder paste inspection (SPI), and automated x-ray inspection (AXI) are disclosed. Plurality of threshold settings are entered in a testing process. Multiple testing results are obtained from the testing process. A graphic presentation is generated showing the numerical relationship among the data points, such that a quality control person is able to fine-tune the testing process to have a predetermined ratio of Defect Escaped % to False Call ppm.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to nano-copper pillar interconnects. Nano-copper material is a mixture of nano-copper particles and one or more organic fluxes. In some embodiments, the one or more organic fluxes include organic solvents that help bind the nano-copper particles together and allow the nano-copper material to be printable. The nano-copper material is applied onto bond pads on a printed circuit board (PCB) via a printing process, a dipping process or the like, to form nano-copper covered PCB bond pads. A component can thereafter be coupled with the PCB at the nano-copper covered PCB bond pads. What is left when the solvents evaporate are nano-copper pillar interconnects that form, coupling the component with the PCB bond pads. The nano-copper pillar interconnects are of pure copper.

Abstract: A formed graphite sheet is shaped and sized as a protective shield positioned over an electronic component coupled to a PCB. The formed graphite sheet is used to protect a body of the electronic component from heat applied during the assembly of the electronic component to the PCB, such as the heating steps used in SMT and through-hole technology. The formed graphite sheet is shaped to selective direct impinging heat. The heat can be directly away from the entire electronic component. Alternatively, the heat can be selectively directed away from some portions of the electronic component and toward other portions of the electronic component.

Abstract: Two substrates are mechanically and electrically coupled together using a combination of a fast cure electrically non-conductive epoxy for mechanical attachment and a slow cure electrically conductive epoxy for electrical interconnects. The two epoxies are selectively applied between the two substrates as a stack, and the stack is subjected to a temperature that is sufficient to cure the fast cure electrically non-conductive epoxy in a short period of time but does not damage the substrates or components coupled thereto. In some applications, the temperature is less than 100 degrees Celsius and the time period is less than 5 seconds. The stack is removed from the heat and the slow cure electrically conductive epoxy continues to cure over a longer second period of time, such as a few hours to a day.

Abstract: A stretchable interconnect includes a plurality of electrically conductive traces formed as a complex pattern on an elastic substrate. The form of the electrically conductive traces is such that when the elastic substrate is in a relaxed, or non-stretched, state each of the electrically conductive traces forms a tortuous path, such as a waveform, along the elastic substrate. The tortuous path of the electrically conductive traces provides slack such that as the elastic substrate is stretched the slack is taken up. Once released, the elastic substrate moves from the stretched position to the relaxed, non-stretched position, and slack is reintroduced into the electrically conductive traces in the form of the original tortuous path.