Circuit board secured to battery cell using a circuit board through hole and methods for welding the circuit board

An electronic device having a circuit board and a battery is disclosed. The circuit board may include a through hole and an electrical pad surrounding the through hole. In order to electrically couple the circuit board to the battery, and in particular, an electrode of the battery, a tab (or plaque) is placed between the electrical pad and the electrode. The tab electrically couples with the electrical pad by a soldering operation. To couple (electrically and mechanically) the tab with the electrode, a welding operation is used. The welding operation may include a laser weld providing thermal energy through a laser beam. In this regard, the laser beam passes through the through hole, thereby (partially) melting the tab and forming a weld between the tab and the electrode. Accordingly, the tab covers the through hole such that the tab is positioned to receive the laser beam.