Probes that define retroreflectors, probe systems that include the probes, and methods of utilizing the probes
Granted: March 12, 2024
Patent Number:
11927603
Probes that define retroreflectors, probe systems that include the probes, and methods of utilizing the probes. The probes include the retroreflector, which is defined by a retroreflector body. The retroreflector body includes a first side, an opposed second side, a tapered region that extends from the first side, and a light-receiving region that is defined on the second side. The probes also include a probe tip, which is configured to provide a test signal to a device under test (DUT)…
Probe systems including imaging devices with objective lens isolators, and related methods
Granted: January 16, 2024
Patent Number:
11874301
Probe systems including imaging devices with objective lens isolators and related methods are disclosed herein. A probe system includes an enclosure with an enclosure volume for enclosing a substrate that includes one or more devices under test (DUTs), a testing assembly, and an imaging device. The imaging device includes an imaging device objective lens, an imaging device body, and an objective lens isolator. In examples, the probe system includes an electrical grounding assembly…
Methods of producing augmented probe system images and associated probe systems
Granted: November 21, 2023
Patent Number:
11821912
Methods of producing augmented probe system images and associated probe systems. A method of producing an augmented probe system image includes recording a base probe system image, generating the augmented probe system image at least partially based on the base probe system image, and presenting the augmented probe system image. The augmented probe system image includes a representation of at least a portion of the probe system that is obscured in the base probe system image. In some…
3D electrical integration using component carrier edge connections to a 2D contact array
Granted: April 11, 2023
Patent Number:
11626357
3D electrical integration is provided by connecting several component carriers to a single substrate using contacts at the edges of the component carriers making contact to a 2D contact array (e.g., a ball grid array or the like) on the substrate. The resulting integration of components on the component carriers is 3D, thereby providing much higher integration density than in 2D approaches.
Probe systems configured to test a device under test and methods of operating the probe systems
Granted: March 7, 2023
Patent Number:
11598789
Probe systems configured to test a device under test and methods of operating the probe systems are disclosed herein. The probe systems include an electromagnetically shielded enclosure, which defines an enclosed volume, and a temperature-controlled chuck, which defines a support surface configured to support a substrate that includes the DUT. The probe systems also include a probe assembly and an optical microscope. The probe systems further include an electromagnet and an…
Multi-conductor transmission line probe
Granted: November 1, 2022
Patent Number:
11486898
Vertical transmission line probes having alternating capacitive and inductive sections are provided. These alternating sections can be designed to provide a desired transmission line impedance (e.g., between 10 and 100 Ohms, preferably 50 Ohms). Probe flexure in operation is mainly in the inductive sections, advantageously reducing flexure stresses on the dielectrics in the capacitive sections.
Direct metalized guide plate
Granted: October 4, 2022
Patent Number:
11460485
Improved electrically conductive guide plates for vertical probe arrays are provided by patterning a thin metal layer disposed on an insulating substrate. Holes passing through the guide plate for guiding probes can be electrically connected or isolated from each other in any pattern according to the deposition of the metal. Such structures can include several distinct ground and/or voltage planes. Furthermore, passive electrical components can be included in the guide plate, by…
Microscopes with objective assembly crash detection and methods of utiliizing the same
Granted: September 27, 2022
Patent Number:
11454799
Microscopes with objective assembly crash detection and methods of utilizing the same are disclosed herein. For example, a microscope comprises a microscope body, an objective assembly comprising an objective lens, an objective assembly mount configured to separably attach the objective assembly to the microscope body, and an orientation detection circuit configured to indicate when a relative orientation between the microscope body and the objective assembly differs from a predetermined…
Probe systems and methods for characterizing optical coupling between an optical probe of a probe system and a calibration structure
Granted: April 26, 2022
Patent Number:
11313936
Probe systems and methods of characterizing optical coupling between an optical probe of a probe system and a calibration structure. The probe systems include a probe assembly that includes an optical probe, a support surface configured to support a substrate, and a signal generation and analysis assembly configured to generate an optical signal and to provide the optical signal to the optical device via the optical probe. The probe systems also include an electrically actuated…
Probe on carrier architecture for vertical probe arrays
Granted: April 5, 2022
Patent Number:
11293947
A probe-on-carrier architecture is provided, where several vertical probes are disposed on each probe carrier and the probe carriers are affixed to the space transformer. Each vertical probe has two flexible members. The first flexible member makes electrical contact to the space transformer. The second flexible member makes temporary electrical contact to the device under test. A mechanical stiffener can be used to deal with the possible lack of flatness and thermal expansion of the…
Methods for maintaining gap spacing between an optical probe of a probe system and an optical device of a device under test, and probe systems that perform the methods
Granted: December 21, 2021
Patent Number:
11204383
Methods for maintaining gap spacing between an optical probe of a probe system and an optical device of a device under test and probe systems that perform the methods. The methods include determining a desired relative orientation between the optical probe and the DUT and optically testing the optical device with the optical probe. The methods also include maintaining the desired relative orientation during the optically testing. The maintaining includes repeatedly and sequentially…
Probe systems and methods including electric contact detection
Granted: November 23, 2021
Patent Number:
11181550
Probe systems and methods including electric contact detection. The probe systems include a probe assembly and a chuck. The probe systems also include a translation structure configured to operatively translate the probe assembly and/or the chuck and an instrumentation package configured to detect contact between the probe system and a device under test (DUT) and to test operation of the DUT. The instrumentation package includes a continuity detection circuit, a test circuit, and a…
MEMS probe card assembly having decoupled electrical and mechanical probe connections
Granted: October 26, 2021
Patent Number:
11156640
Probes are connected to the space transformer via multiple carrier plates. Electrical contacts from the probes to the space transformer are by way of spring tail features on the probes that connect to the space transformer and not to the carrier plates. In other words, the carrier plates are purely mechanical in function. This configuration can significantly reduce probe array fabrication time relative to sequential placement of individual probes on the space transformer. Multiple probe…
Electrical test probes having decoupled electrical and mechanical design
Granted: October 26, 2021
Patent Number:
11156637
Probes for testing electrical circuits having decoupled electrical and mechanical design are provided. For example, a mechanically resilient core can be surrounded by an electrically conductive shell. In this way, electrical parameters of the probes are determined by the shells and mechanical parameters of the probes are determined by the cores. An important application of this approach is to provide impedance matched transmission line probes.
Probe systems for optically probing a device under test and methods of operating the probe systems
Granted: September 28, 2021
Patent Number:
11131709
Probe systems for optically probing a device under test (DUT) and methods of operating the probe systems. The probe systems include a probing assembly that includes an optical probe that defines a probe tip and a distance sensor. The probe systems also include a support surface configured to support a substrate, which defines a substrate surface and includes an optical device positioned below the substrate surface. The probe systems further include a positioning assembly configured to…
Probe tip with embedded skate
Granted: July 6, 2021
Patent Number:
11054443
A skate on a tip of a probe for testing electrical devices is a reduced thickness probe tip contact. Such a skate can advantageously increase contact pressure, but it can also undesirably reduce probe lifetime due to rapid mechanical wear of the skate. Here multilayer skate probes are provided where the overall shape of the probe tip is a smooth curved surface, as opposed to the conventional fin-like skate configuration. The skate layer is the most mechanically wear-resistant layer in…
Probe systems and methods
Granted: June 29, 2021
Patent Number:
11047879
Probe systems and methods are disclosed herein. The methods include directly measuring a distance between a first manipulated assembly and a second manipulated assembly, contacting first and second probes with first and second contact locations, providing a test signal to an electrical structure, and receiving a resultant signal from the electrical structure. The methods further include characterizing at least one of a probe system and the electrical structure based upon the distance. In…
Calibration chucks for optical probe systems, optical probe systems including the calibration chucks, and methods of utilizing the optical probe systems
Granted: June 29, 2021
Patent Number:
11047795
Calibration chucks for optical probe systems, optical probe systems including the calibration chucks, and methods of utilizing the optical probe systems. The calibration chucks include a calibration chuck body that defines a calibration chuck support surface. The calibration chucks also include at least one optical calibration structure that is supported by the calibration chuck body. The at least one optical calibration structure includes a horizontal viewing structure. The horizontal…
Methods of controlling the operation of probe stations and probe stations that perform the methods, the methods including generating and executing a test routine that directs the probe station to electrically test a test subset of a plurality of DUTs and to pre-test a pre-test subset of a plurality of DUTs, which is a subset of the test subset, with a pre-test
Granted: May 25, 2021
Patent Number:
11016121
Methods of controlling the operation of probe stations and probe stations that perform the methods. The methods including generating a test routine by constructing a substrate map, receiving a test subset input from a user, and updating the substrate map to incorporate information regarding which devices under test (DUTS) of a plurality of DUTs are in a test subset of a plurality of DUTs. The methods also include receiving a pre-test subset input from the user, wherein the pre-test…
Probes with fiducial targets, probe systems including the same, and associated methods
Granted: December 29, 2020
Patent Number:
10877070
Probes with fiducial targets, probe systems including the same, and associated methods. The probes include a probe body, a probe beam, a probe tip configured to contact a device under test (DUT), and a fiducial target affixed to the probe beam. The fiducial target is configured to be visible to an optical system to determine a position of the probe tip relative to the DUT. The methods include methods of utilizing and/or manufacturing the probes.
