Patent ID: 7368324

Claim:
A method of manufacturing an electrical component having a contact structure, the component comprising: at least one electrical contact surface and multiple side surfaces generally oriented at right angles to the contact surface and of dimensions corresponding to a height of the component; and at least one contacting structure for electrically contacting the contact surface, the method comprising: providing a support having a first surface along which a recess is formed therein, the recess having a depth approximately corresponding to the height of the component; positioning the component in the recess of the support with the sides extending into the recess so that the contact surface is at a level at or below that of the first surface; attaching at least one contiguous isolating layer of electrically isolating material to the component and to the support such that the contact surface remains at least partly free of isolating material, the isolating layer extending directly from the contact surface to the first surface instead of extending in a path along the contact surface and then along one of the side surfaces in order to extend along the first surface; manufacturing the contacting structure by applying a conducting layer of electrically conductive material onto the isolating layer and the contact surface such that the conducting layer does not extend along the sides of the component; and detaching the contacting structure, including the isolating layer, from the support, wherein: (i) applying the conducting layer includes arranging at least two component part conductive layers having different electrically conductive materials one above the other, and (ii) after detaching the contacting structure the conducting layer extends outward from the contacting surface and beyond at least one of the sides.