Patent ID: 7451699

Claim:
A method for applying soldermask, according to a soldermask pattern, to a printed circuit board having elevated pads defining pad edges and conductors, the method comprising: in one pass covering at least a first part of said printed circuit board with soldermask drops, while maintaining at least a predetermined clearance distance from said elevated pads; and thereafter allowing said soldermask drops to flood said at least a first part of said printed circuit board with said soldermask such that said soldermask advances to said pad edges and is stopped thereby and thereat, without climbing onto the elevated pads; and in another pass, covering at least a second part of said printed circuit board including at least some of said conductors with said soldermask drops, while maintaining at least a predetermined clearance distance from said elevated pads; and thereafter freezing said soldermask drops overlying said at least some of said conductors thereby preventing said soldermask from flowing off of said at least some of said conductors.