Patent ID: 8772647

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side of the substrate is opposite to the second side of the substrate; and a via-in-pad structure integrated with the substrate, wherein the via-in-pad structure includes a via formed within a hole that extends from the first side of the substrate to the second side of the substrate, wherein the via has i) a first end located at the first side of the substrate and ii) a second end opposite to the first end located at the second side of the substrate, and wherein the via comprises a plug material formed within the hole, and a cap comprising a first conductive material, wherein the first conductive material is disposed on the second end of the via subsequent to formation of the plug material within the hole, wherein the cap is configured to provide a conductive pad that is directly on the second end of the via, wherein the first end of the via is without a corresponding cap comprised of the first conductive material, wherein the hole is defined by one or more substrate walls, wherein the via comprises a second conductive material plated on the one or more substrate walls, wherein the substrate comprises a core that includes i) a first side corresponding to the first side of the substrate and ii) a second side that corresponds to the second side of the substrate, wherein the apparatus further comprises a trace pattern on the first side of the core, and wherein the trace pattern comprises each of the second conductive material and a third conductive material.