Integrated circuit tester with high bandwidth probe assembly
Granted: November 1, 2001
Application Number:
20010035800
Described herein is a probe card assembly providing signal paths for conveying high frequency signals between bond pads of an integrated circuit (IC) and an IC tester. The frequency response of the probe card assembly is optimized by appropriately distributing, adjusting and impedance matching resistive, capacitive and inductive impedance values along the signal paths so that the interconnect system behaves as an appropriately tuned Butterworth or Chebyshev filter.
Electrical contact structures formed by configuring a flexible wire to have a springable shape and overcoating the wire with at least one layer of a resilient conductive material, methods of mounting the contact structures to electronic components, and applications for employing the contact structures
Granted: September 13, 2001
Application Number:
20010020545
Contact structures exhibiting resilience or compliance for a variety of electronic components are formed by bonding a free end of a wire to a substrate, configuring the wire into a wire stem having a springable shape, severing the wire stem, and overcoating the wire stem with at least one layer of a material chosen primarily for its structural (resiliency, compliance) characteristics.
Electrical contact structures formed by configuring a flexible wire to have a springable shape and overcoating the wire with at least one layer of a resilient conductive material, methods of mounting the contact structures to electronic components, and applications for employing the contact structures
Granted: September 13, 2001
Application Number:
20010020546
Contact structures exhibiting resilience or compliance for a variety of electronic components are formed by bonding a free end of a wire to a substrate, configuring the wire into a wire stem having a springable shape, severing the wire stem, and overcoating the wire stem with at least one layer of a material chosen primarily for its structural (resiliency, compliance) characteristics.
Special contact points for accessing internal circuitry of an integrated circuit
Granted: September 13, 2001
Application Number:
20010020743
One embodiment of the present invention concerns an integrated circuit that includes bond pads and special contact pads or points. The bond pads are for interfacing the integrated circuit as a whole with an external circuit, and are to be bonded to a package or circuit board. The bond pads are disposed on the die in a predetermined alignment such as a peripheral, grid, or lead-on-center alignment. The special contact pads are used to provide external test patterns to internal circuits…
Special contact points for accessing internal circuitry of an integrated circuit
Granted: September 13, 2001
Application Number:
20010020747
One embodiment of the present invention concerns an integrated circuit that includes bond pads and special contact pads or points. The bond pads are for interfacing the integrated circuit as a whole with an external circuit, and are to be bonded to a package or circuit board. The bond pads are disposed on the die in a predetermined alignment such as a peripheral, grid, or lead-on-center alignment. The special contact pads are used to provide external test patterns to internal circuits…
Probe card assembly and kit, and methods of making same
Granted: August 23, 2001
Application Number:
20010015652
A probe card assembly includes a probe card, a space transformer having resilient contact structures (probe elements) mounted directly to (i.e., without the need for additional connecting wires or the like) and extending from terminals on a surface thereof, and an interposer disposed between the space transformer and the probe card. The space transformer and interposer are “stacked up” so that the orientation of the space transformer, hence the orientation of the tips of the…
Special contact points for accessing internal circuitry of an integrated circuit
Granted: August 23, 2001
Application Number:
20010015773
One embodiment of the present invention concerns an integrated circuit that includes bond pads and special contact pads or points. The bond pads are for interfacing the integrated circuit as a whole with an external circuit, and are to be bonded to a package or circuit board. The bond pads are disposed on the die in a predetermined alignment such as a peripheral, grid, or lead-on-center alignment. The special contact pads are used to provide external test patterns to internal circuits…
Microelectronic contact structure, and method of making same.
Granted: May 31, 2001
Application Number:
20010002340
Spring contact elements are fabricated by depositing at least one layer of metallic material into openings defined on a sacrificial substrate. The openings may be within the surface of the substrate, or in one or more layers deposited on the surface of the sacrificial substrate. Each spring contact element has a base end portion, a contact end portion, and a central body portion. The contact end portion is offset in the z-axis (at a different height) than the central body portion. The…
Microelectronic contact structure, and method of making same
Granted: May 31, 2001
Application Number:
20010002341
Spring contact elements are fabricated by depositing at least one layer of metallic material into openings defined on a sacrificial substrate. The openings may be within the surface of the substrate, or in one or more layers deposited on the surface of the sacrificial substrate. Each spring contact element has a base end portion, a contact end portion, and a central body portion. The contact end portion is offset in the z-axis (at a different height) than the central body portion. The…
