Patent ID: 7709744

Claim:
A surface mount electric circuit board for mounting an electronic component comprising a plurality of connection leads and a housing having a planar metallic bottom surface, comprising; a base layer having a top surface; a network of metallic conductor paths formed on said top surface of said base layer, said connection leads contacting said conductor paths and said conductor paths arranged for conducting electronic signals to or from said connection leads in contact therewith; a mounting pad formed on said top surface of said base layer between said top surface of said base layer and a bottom surface of said component housing, said mounting pad having a planar metallic top surface disposed substantially coplanar with said planar metallic bottom surface of said component housing to form an interface plane; an electrically conductive liquid to solid material disposed in said interface plane configured to solidify therein and to affix said component housing to said mounting pad; wherein said mounting pad comprises a vent communicating between said upper surface of said mounting pad and the outside atmosphere to facilitate the escape of gas from said interface plane as said electrically conductive material is applied thereto; wherein said metallic bottom surface of said component housing and said metallic top surface of said mounting pad are solder compatible and said electrically conductive liquid to solid material is a solder, and said solder is applied in a heated liquid state and solidifies by cooling, and wherein said vent comprises a hole drilled through said mounting pad and said circuit board to connect said interface plane to the outside atmosphere.