Electronic device testing using a probe tip having multiple contact features
Granted: April 20, 2010
Patent Number:
7701243
An electronic device is moved into a first position such that terminals of the electronic device are adjacent probes for making electrical contact with the terminals. The electronic device is then moved horizontally or diagonally such that the terminals contact the probes. Test data are then communicated to and from the electronic device through the probes.
High density planar electrical interface
Granted: April 20, 2010
Patent Number:
7699616
An apparatus including a substrate having a plurality of through holes and a plurality of cables, including wires and/or coaxial cables, extending through respective ones of the plurality of through holes of the substrate. Each of the cables comprises a conductor and terminates about a surface of the substrate such that the conductors of respective ones of plurality of cables are planarly aligned and available for electrical contact. A system including a cable interface extending through…
Sawing tile corners on probe card substrates
Granted: April 6, 2010
Patent Number:
7692433
A composite substrate for testing semiconductor devices is formed by selecting a plurality of substantially identical individual substrates, cutting a corner from at least some of the individual substrates in accordance with their position in a final array configuration, and then assembling the individual substrates into the final array configuration. The final array configuration of substrates with corners cut or sawed away conforms more closely to the surface area of a wafer being…
Test method for yielding a known good die
Granted: April 6, 2010
Patent Number:
7694246
A semiconductor wafer is cut to singulate integrated circuit dice formed on the wafer. A die pick machine then positions and orients the singulated dice on a carrier base such that signal, power and ground pads formed on the surface of each die reside at predetermined positions relative to landmarks on the carrier base the die pick machine optically identifies. With the dice temporarily held in place on the carrier base, they are subjected to a series of testing and other processing…
Apparatus and method for adjusting thermally induced movement of electro-mechanical assemblies
Granted: March 30, 2010
Patent Number:
7688063
A thermal adjustment apparatus for adjusting one or more thermally induced movements of an electro-mechanical assembly includes: a compensating element expanding at a first rate different from a second rate at which the electro-mechanical assembly expands for generating a counteracting force in response to changes in temperature; and a coupling mechanism coupling the compensating element to the electro-mechanical assembly, and being adjustable to control an amount of the counteracting…
Contactor having a global spring structure and methods of making and using the contactor
Granted: March 30, 2010
Patent Number:
7688085
In some embodiments of the invention, a probing apparatus can comprise a substrate, a spring structure attached to the substrate, and a plurality of resilient probes attached to the spring structure. Each probe can comprise a contact portion disposed to contact a device. The spring structure can provide a first source of compliance for each of the probes in response to forces on the contact portions of the probes, and each of the probes can individually provide second sources of…
Wafer-level burn-in and test
Granted: March 30, 2010
Patent Number:
7688090
Techniques for performing wafer-level burn-in and test of semiconductor devices include a test substrate having active electronic components such as ASICs mounted to an interconnection substrate or incorporated therein, metallic spring contact elements effecting interconnections between the ASICs and a plurality of devices-under-test (DUTs) on a wafer-under-test (WUT), all disposed in a vacuum vessel so that the ASICs can be operated at temperatures independent from and significantly…
Method for interconnecting an integrated circuit multiple die assembly
Granted: March 23, 2010
Patent Number:
7681309
A method is disclosed that can be used to interconnect an integrated circuit (IC) multiple die assembly to conductors on a substrate such that signals can be conveyed between the dies and the conductors on the substrate. The multiple die assembly can include a first IC die and at least one secondary IC die, which can be mounted on a surface of the first IC die. Signal paths can be provided between the first IC die and the secondary IC die. The method can include providing conductive…
Adjustable delay transmission line
Granted: March 23, 2010
Patent Number:
7683738
A transmission line includes a signal conductor and at least one varactor diode capacitively coupled to the signal conductor. The transmission line's signal path delay is a function of its shunt capacitance, and the varactor's capacitance forms a part of the transmission line's shunt capacitance. The transmission line's signal path delay is adjusted by adjusting a control voltage across the varactor diode thereby to adjust the varactor diode's capacitance.
Method and apparatus for making a determination relating to resistance of probes
Granted: March 9, 2010
Patent Number:
7675299
According to some embodiments, a method of determining a resistance of probes on a contactor device is disclosed. The contactor device can include a plurality of probes disposed to contact an electronic device to be tested. The method can include electrically connecting a pair of the probes to each other, and then forcing one of a voltage onto or a current through the pair of the probes. At a location on the contactor device, the other of a voltage across or a current through the pair of…
Wireless test system
Granted: March 9, 2010
Patent Number:
7675311
One or more testers wirelessly communicate with one or more test stations. The wireless communication may include transmission of test commands and/or test vectors to a test station, resulting in testing of one or more electronic devices at the test station. The wireless communication may also include transmission of test results to a tester. Messages may also be wirelessly exchanged.
Electronic components with plurality of contoured microelectronic spring contacts
Granted: March 9, 2010
Patent Number:
7675301
An electronic component is disclosed, having a plurality of microelectronic spring contacts mounted to a planar face of the component. Each of the microelectronic spring contacts has a contoured beam, which may be formed of an integral layer of resilient material deposited over a contoured sacrificial substrate, and comprises a base mounted to the planar face of the component, a beam connected to the base at a first end of the beam, and a tip positioned at a free end of the beam opposite…
Resilient contact element and methods of fabrication
Granted: March 9, 2010
Patent Number:
7674112
Embodiments of resilient contact elements and methods for fabricating same are provided herein. In one embodiment, a resilient contact element for use in a probe card includes a lithographically formed resilient beam having a first end and an opposing second end; and a tip disposed proximate the first end of the beam and configured to break through an oxide layer of a surface of a device to be tested to establish a reliable electrical connection therewith; wherein at least a central…
Apparatus and method for adjusting an orientation of probes
Granted: March 2, 2010
Patent Number:
7671614
Probes of a probe card assembly can be adjusted with respect to an element of the probe card assembly, which can be an element of the probe card assembly that facilitates mounting of the probe card assembly to a test apparatus. The probe card assembly can then be mounted in a test apparatus, and an orientation of the probe card assembly can be adjusted with respect to the test apparatus, such as a structural part of the test apparatus or a structural element attached to the test…
Three dimensional microstructures and methods for making three dimensional microstructures
Granted: February 9, 2010
Patent Number:
7658831
Systems and methods for depositing a plurality of droplets in a three-dimensional array are disclosed. The array can comprise a first type of droplets disposed to form a support structure and a second type of droplets forming a conductive seed layer on the support structure. A structure material can be electrodeposited onto the seed layer to create a three-dimensional structure.
Mechanically reconfigurable vertical tester interface for IC probing
Granted: February 9, 2010
Patent Number:
7659736
A wafer test assembly includes multiple probe head substrates arranged like tiles with connectors attached to one side and probes supported on the opposing side. In one embodiment, flexible cable connectors directly connect the connectors on the probe head tile to a test head, while in another embodiment the flexible cables connect the probe head tile to a PCB providing horizontal routing to test head connectors. In one embodiment, leveling pins provide a simplified support structure…
Method and apparatus for switching tester resources
Granted: January 19, 2010
Patent Number:
7649366
A contactor device comprising a plurality of probes disposed to contact ones of the electronic devices can be electrically connected to a source of test signals. A switch can be activated electrically connecting a connection to the source of test signals to a selected one of a first group of electrically connected ones of the probes disposed to contact a first set of a plurality of the electronic devices or a second group of electrically connected ones of the probes disposed to contact a…
Wafer level interposer
Granted: January 19, 2010
Patent Number:
7649368
Double-sided interposer assemblies and methods for forming and using them. In one example of the invention, an interposer comprises a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite of said first surface, a first plurality of contact elements disposed on said first side of said substrate, and a second plurality of contact elements disposed on said second surface of said substrate, wherein said interposer connects electronic devices via said first and said second plurality…
Method and system for compensating thermally induced motion of probe cards
Granted: January 5, 2010
Patent Number:
7642794
The present invention discloses a method and system compensating for thermally induced motion of probe cards used in testing die on a wafer. A probe card incorporating temperature control devices to maintain a uniform temperature throughout the thickness of the probe card is disclosed. A probe card incorporating bi-material stiffening elements which respond to changes in temperature in such a way as to counteract thermally induced motion of the probe card is disclosed including rolling…
Method of assembling and testing an electronics module
Granted: December 22, 2009
Patent Number:
7634849
An electronics module is assembled by demountably attaching integrated circuits to a module substrate. The module is then tested at a particular operating speed. If the module fails to operate correctly at the tested speed, the integrated circuit or circuits that caused the failure are removed and replaced with new integrated circuits, and the module is retested. Once it is determined that the module operates correctly at the tested speed, the module may be rated to operate at the tested…
