Patent ID: 8049324

Claim:
An integrated circuit package, comprising: (1) a plurality of package attachment terminals; and (2) a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate having a side edge, wherein the PCB substrate is non-conductive, comprising: (a) a plurality of electrically-conductive paths, wherein each one of the plurality of electrically-conductive paths comprises: (i) an electroplated bond pad; (ii) a trace, wherein the trace electrically couples the bond pad to a respective one of the plurality of package attachment terminals, wherein the electroplated bond pad is electroplated with a layer of gold, and wherein the trace is not plated with gold; and (iii) a stub trace, wherein the stub trace extends from the trace toward the side edge of the substrate, and wherein the stub trace is detached from a tie bar and terminates at a distance away from the side edge of the substrate; and (b) a plurality of isolated stub trace segments, wherein each of the plurality of isolated stub trace segments corresponds to one of the stub traces and is substantially collinear with at least a portion of the corresponding trace, and wherein each of the plurality of isolated stub trace segments terminates at a distance away from the side edge of the substrate.