Abstract: There is provided electrical contact for circuit boards. Each leg of the pin section has a deformable segment that can expand or contract along the direction of the leg to alleviate stress created by relative movement of printed circuit boards and/or off-board components interconnected thereby. The deformable segments have members that project in opposing directions relative to the direction of the leg, so that the segments are symmetrical. In one embodiment, each leg has a deformable segment having a outwardly curved shape. In another embodiment, each leg has a deformable segment in the shape of a rectangular frame. The deformable segments define at least one opening where the two legs of the pin section are not overlapping, which breaks the capillary flow of solder between the legs. The amount of solder that flows into the electrical contact is selectively controlled by the selected placement of the deformable segments.

Abstract: An inter-substrate conductive mount for a surface mountable circuit board, a method of manufacturing the circuit board and a surface mountable power magnetic device. In one embodiment, the circuit board includes: (1) a substrate, (2) an inter-substrate conductive mount composed of a material having a melting point above a solder reflow temperature and including a compliant solder joint at an interface of the substrate and (3) a solder located proximate the conductive mount, the conductive mount of a sufficiently low weight such that a surface tension of a liquid state of the solder is sufficient to maintain the conductive mount in contact with the substrate as the solder is brought to the reflow temperature, the conductive mount being capable of mounting the substrate to an adjacent substrate and providing a conductive path therebetween.

Abstract: An improved circuit board apparatus configured for mounting electronic components in a circuit arrangement. The apparatus comprises a metal substrate having a first side and a second side, a first-side laminar structure and a second-side laminar structure. The first-side laminar structure includes at least one first-side conductive stratum alternated with at least one first-side dielectric stratum affixed at the first side The second-side laminar structure includes at least one second-side conductive stratum alternated with at least one second-side dielectric stratum affixed at the second side of the metal substrate. The apparatus further comprises a plurality of electrically conductive interside courses intermediate selected first-side strata of the at least one first-side conductive stratum and selected second-side strata of the at least one second-side conductive stratum.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for soldering components to a printed wiring board. In one embodiment, the method comprises applying a substantially lead-free solder to the printed wiring board, placing an electronic component having lead-free terminals on the solder, and heating the printed wiring board in a substantially oxygen-free atmosphere to a temperature sufficient to reflow the solder. In an alternative embodiment, the method may further comprise applying a tin-based solder. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the method includes applying a solder alloy of tin and a metal selected from the group consisting of: silver, antimony, copper, and gold.

Abstract: A surface mountable power supply and a method of manufacturing the power supply.