Apparatus for cleaning an electronic circuit board

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902006-B2
Application number	US-201414340984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2014
Priority date	Jul 25, 2014
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

Apparatus for cleaning an electronic circuit board is disclosed. The electronic circuit board is provided with a substrate layer and a copper layer. A solder mask is applied to the electronic circuit board and a channel is formed in the solder mask. The channel includes an inlet and an outlet. A component is affixed to the electronic circuit board over the channel and cleaning fluid is passed through the channel to remove residual solder flux from between the component and the electronic circuit board.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic circuit board, comprising:
a base substrate layer;
a copper layer over the base substrate layer;
copper pads formed on the copper layer;
a solder mask formed over the copper layer;
a component affixed to the copper pads and disposed over a channel formed in the solder mask, the channel including:
a main channel portion formed in the solder mask, wherein walls of the main channel portion are formed by interior edges of the copper pads and the main channel portion has a selected width;
an inlet formed in the solder mask extending beyond the component at one end of the main channel portion, wherein the inlet is in a shape of an equilateral triangle having one side corresponding to the width of the main channel portion and two sides converging to a point, wherein a depth of the inlet is substantially negligible at the point and increases linearly to the depth of the main channel portion; and
an outlet formed in the solder mask extending beyond the component at another end of the main channel portion opposite the inlet, wherein the outlet is in a shape of an equilateral triangle having one side corresponding to the width of the main channel portion and two sides converging to a point, wherein a depth of the inlet is substantially negligible at the point and increases linearly to the depth of the main channel portion.

2. The electronic circuit board of claim 1 , wherein the channel has a clearance of at least 2 mils (50.8 micrometers) between a bottom of the main channel portion and a component.

3. The electronic circuit board of claim 1 , wherein the inlet and the outlet each have at least one edge that is the same length as a width of the main channel portion.

4. The electronic circuit board of claim 1 , wherein the shape of the inlet allows for turbulent flow in the channel.

5. The electronic circuit board of claim 1 , wherein the main channel portion is formed between a first solder pad and a second solder pad of the electronic circuit board.

6. The electronic circuit board of claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional component affixed to the copper layer, wherein the at least one additional component is disposed above the main channel portion and the inlet and the outlet extend underneath the component and beyond the at least one additional component.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Vuono William R
• Beair William D

Classifications

• H05K2203/0445

  Removing excess solder on pads; removing solder bridges, e.g. for repairing or reworking · CPC title

• H05K2203/041

  Solder preforms in the shape of solder balls · CPC title

• H05K3/3452

  Solder masks · CPC title

• H05K3/288

  Removal of non-metallic coatings, e.g. for repairing · CPC title

• H05K3/26

  Cleaning or polishing of the conductive pattern · CPC title