A printed circuit board (PCB) (4) including an upper surface having one or more electrical terminals (9) thereon, said terminal adapted for connection to corresponding terminal of one or more electrical components, and further including one or more platforms (10) fabricated thereon, said platforms being located adjacent to corresponding component terminals, said platforms being adapted to support an electrical component thereupon, such that a portion of the component overhangs said platform above said corresponding PCB terminal.

A method for manufacturing a circuit board including the following steps: providing a flexible double-sided metal-clad laminate including a first metal foil, a flexible dielectric layer, and a second metal foil. A carrier is attached to the second metal foil. A first wiring layer including a first wiring region and a second wiring region is formed by the first metal foil. The first wiring region includes a first connecting pad, and the second wiring region includes a connecting pad. A plurality of rigid dielectric blocks surrounded to form an interval and a first groove exposing the first connecting pad is pressed on the flexible dielectric layer to form a rigid dielectric layer. An electronic component is fixed the first groove. The carrier is removed. The intermediate structure is bent along the interval and pressed. A second wiring layer is formed by the second metal foil.

A method for manufacturing a circuit board including the following steps: providing a flexible double-sided metal-clad laminate including a first metal foil, a flexible dielectric layer, and a second metal foil. A carrier is attached to the second metal foil. A first wiring layer including a first wiring region and a second wiring region is formed by the first metal foil. The first wiring region includes a first connecting pad, and the second wiring region includes a connecting pad. A plurality of rigid dielectric blocks surrounded to form an interval and a first groove exposing the first connecting pad is pressed on the flexible dielectric layer to form a rigid dielectric layer. An electronic component is fixed the first groove. The carrier is removed. The intermediate structure is bent along the interval and pressed. A second wiring layer is formed by the second metal foil.

An anisotropic conductive film, capable of connecting a terminal formed on a substrate having a wavy surface such as a ceramic module substrate with conduction characteristics stably maintained, includes an insulating adhesive layer, and conductive particles regularly arranged in the insulating adhesive layer as viewed in a plan view. The conductive particle diameter is 10 μm or more, and the thickness of the film is 1 or more times and 3.5 or less times the conductive particle diameter. The variation range of the conductive particles in the film thickness direction is less than 10% of the conductive particle diameter.

A biocompatible electrical connection includes: a substrate; a ferrule having a concentric flange at a first end of the ferrule; a first adhesive; and a second adhesive. The substrate includes a hole having a diameter that is a specified amount larger than an outside diameter of the ferrule forming an annular space between the hole and the ferrule, the first adhesive adheres a first surface of the concentric flange of the ferrule to a first surface of the substrate, and the second adhesive fills the annular space between the hole and the ferrule.

Systems for reducing leakage at a pressure barrier in a gas meter, are provided including first and second gaskets; a flexible circuit having variable thicknesses, such that a thicker portion of the flexible circuit is provided between the first and second gaskets; and a mounting plate on the flexible circuit, the mounting plate compressing the flexible circuit between the first and second gaskets on a non-pressurized side of the pressure barrier of the gas meter. Related flexible circuits and gas meters are also provided.

A sensor module includes a housing, a board unit, an external connector, and a joining member. The housing includes a first case, and a second case that is welded to the first case. The board unit includes a sensor element, and is arranged in the housing. The external connector is provided to the second case, and includes an elastically deformable terminal that is electrically connected to the board unit. The joining member is mounted on the board unit and welded to the housing.

A substrate is manufactured by drilling a chip containing groove in a composite inner layer circuit structure, having a component connecting end of a circuit layer protruding from a mounting side wall in the chip containing groove, mounting a chip component in the chip containing groove, and connecting the surface bonding pad to the component connecting end. The chip component in the present invention penetrates at least two circuit layers, and the surface bonding pad is bonded to the component connecting end of the circuit layer directly, reducing the occupied area of the chip component in each one of the circuit layers, and increasing the area for circuit disposing and the possible amount of chip components that may be mounted in the substrate.

A circuit board structure includes a rigid circuit board, a flexible circuit board, a plurality of conductive bumps, and a plurality of spacers. The rigid and flexible circuit boards are stacked one above the other. The conductive bumps are formed between the rigid and flexible circuit boards. The spacers are formed between the rigid and flexible circuit boards and spaced apart from the conductive bumps.

A semiconductor-based capacitor can include a substrate including a semiconductor material, an oxide layer formed on a surface of the substrate, a conductive layer formed over at least a portion of the oxide layer, a plurality of distinct coplanar upper terminals, and at least one lower terminal formed. Each of the upper terminals and the at least one lower terminal can be exposed along the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate, respectively, for embedding the capacitor in a substrate such as a circuit board. The semiconductor-based capacitor can be sufficiently miniaturized to be embeddable within a circuit board while providing superior capacitance values. For example, a ratio of the length to the width of the substrate can be in a range from about 3:1 to about 1:3 and an area of the substrate can be less than about 3 mm.sup.2.