Socket for mating with electronic component, particularly semiconductor device with spring packaging, for fixturing, testing, burning-in or operating such a component
Granted: April 10, 2007
Patent Number:
7202677
Products and assemblies are provided for socketably receiving elongate interconnection elements, such as spring contact elements, extending from electronic components, such as semiconductor devices. Socket substrates are provided with capture pads for receiving ends of elongate interconnection elements extending from electronic components. Various capture pad configurations are disclosed. Connections to external devices are provided via conductive traces adjacent the surface of the…
Composite motion probing
Granted: April 10, 2007
Patent Number:
7202682
An electronic device is moved into a first position with respect to probes for making electrical contact with the device. The electronic device is then moved into a second position in which the electronic device is pressed against the probes, compressing the probes. The movement into the second position includes two components. One component of the movement tends to press the electronic device against the probes, compressing the probes and inducing a stress in the probes. The second…
Systems and methods for wireless semiconductor device testing
Granted: April 10, 2007
Patent Number:
7202687
A base controller disposed in a test cassette receives test data for testing a plurality of electronic devices. The base controller wirelessly transmits the test data to a plurality of wireless test control chips, which write the test data to each of the electronic devices. The wireless test control chips then read response data generated by the electronic devices, and the wireless test control chips wirelessly transmit the response data to the base controller.
Probe for semiconductor devices
Granted: April 10, 2007
Patent Number:
7200930
An interconnection contact structure assembly including an electronic component having a surface and a conductive contact carried by the electronic component and accessible at the surface. The contact structure includes an internal flexible elongate member having first and second ends and with the first end forming a first intimate bond to the surface of said conductive contact terminal without the use of a separate bonding material. An electrically conductive shell is provided and is…
Electrical contactor, especially wafer level contactor, using fluid pressure
Granted: March 27, 2007
Patent Number:
7195503
An electrical interconnect assembly and methods for making an electrical interconnect assembly. In one embodiment, an interconnect assembly includes a flexible wiring layer having a plurality of first contact elements and a fluid containing structure which is coupled to the flexible wiring layer. The fluid, when contained in the fluid containing structure, presses the flexible wiring layer towards a device under test to form electrical interconnections between the first contact elements…
Method of manufacturing a probe card
Granted: March 27, 2007
Patent Number:
7196531
A method of designing and manufacturing a probe card assembly includes prefabricating one or more elements of the probe card assembly to one or more predefined designs. Thereafter, design data regarding a newly designed semiconductor device is received along with data describing the tester and testing algorithms to be used to test the semiconductor device. Using the received data, one or more of the prefabricated elements is selected. Again using the received data, one or more of the…
Lithographic type microelectronic spring structures with improved contours
Granted: March 13, 2007
Patent Number:
7189077
Improved lithographic type microelectronic spring structures and methods are disclosed, for providing improved tip height over a substrate, an improved elastic range, increased strength and reliability, and increased spring rates. The improved structures are suitable for being formed from a single integrated layer (or series of layers) deposited over a molded sacrificial substrate, thus avoiding multiple stepped lithographic layers and reducing manufacturing costs. In particular,…
Semiconductor fuse covering
Granted: February 20, 2007
Patent Number:
7179662
A method and system for sealing or covering exposed fuses on a semiconductor device are disclosed. A semiconductor device prober incorporating a spray device for applying a sealing compound to individual fuses on a semiconductor device subsequent to testing the semiconductor device is disclosed. A method and system for sealing exposed fuses on a semiconductor device is disclosed which allows the sealing step to be performed either prior to or following singulation of the semiconductor…
Interconnect assemblies and methods
Granted: January 30, 2007
Patent Number:
7169646
Interconnect assemblies and methods for forming and using them. In one example of the invention, an interconnect assembly comprises a substrate, a resilient contact element and a stop structure. The resilient contact element is disposed on the substrate and has at least a portion thereof which is capable of moving to a first position, which is defined by the stop structure, in which the resilient contact element is in mechanical and electrical contact with another contact element. In…
Method of manufacturing a probe card
Granted: January 30, 2007
Patent Number:
7168162
A method of designing and manufacturing a probe card assembly includes prefabricating one or more elements of the probe card assembly to one or more predefined designs. Thereafter, design data regarding a newly designed semiconductor device is received along with data describing the tester and testing algorithms to be used to test the semiconductor device. Using the received data, one or more of the prefabricated elements is selected. Again using the received data, one or more of the…
Method for mounting and heating a plurality of microelectronic components
Granted: January 30, 2007
Patent Number:
7168160
A method for heat-treating a plurality of microelectronic structures attached to a non-metallic substrate is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: (a) placing the non-metallic substrate and the plurality of microelectronic structures in an oscillating electromagnetic field, whereby the plurality of microelectronic structures are heated by the oscillating electromagnetic field and the non-metallic substrate is essentially not heated by the oscillating electromagnetic field; (b)…
Isolation buffers with controlled equal time delays
Granted: December 26, 2006
Patent Number:
7154259
A system is provided for controlling the delay in an isolation buffer. Multiple such isolation buffers are used to connect a single signal channel to multiple lines and controlled to provide an equal delay. Isolation buffer delay is controlled to be uniform by varying either power supply voltage or current. A single delay control circuit forming a delay-lock loop supplies the delay control signal to each buffer to assure the uniform delay. Since controlling delay can also vary the output…
Contact carriers (tiles) for populating larger substrates with spring contacts
Granted: November 28, 2006
Patent Number:
7140883
An interconnection apparatus and a method of forming an interconnection apparatus. Contact structures are attached to or formed on a first substrate. The first substrate is attached to a second substrate, which is larger than the first substrate. Multiple such first substrates may be attached to the second substrate in order to create an array of contact structures. Each contact structure may be elongate and resilient and may comprise a core that is over coated with a material that…
Mounting spring elements on semiconductor devices, and wafer-level testing methodology
Granted: November 28, 2006
Patent Number:
7142000
Resilient contact structures are mounted directly to bond pads on semiconductor dies, prior to the dies being singulated (separated) from a semiconductor wafer. This enables the semiconductor dies to be exercised (e.g., tested and/or burned-in) by connecting to the semiconductor dies with a circuit board or the like having a plurality of terminals disposed on a surface thereof. Subsequently, the semiconductor dies may be singulated from the semiconductor wafer, whereupon the same…
Helical microelectronic contact and method for fabricating same
Granted: November 7, 2006
Patent Number:
7131848
A microelectronic spring contact for making electrical contact between a device and a mating substrate and method of making the same are disclosed. The spring contact has a compliant pad adhered to a substrate of the device and spaced apart from a terminal of the device. The compliant pad has a base adhered to the substrate, and side surfaces extending away from the substrate and tapering to a smaller end area distal from the substrate. A trace extends from the terminal of the device in…
Methods of fabricating and using shaped springs
Granted: October 31, 2006
Patent Number:
7127811
A method of fabricating and using an interconnection element that includes a first element material adapted to be coupled to a substrate and a second element material comprising a material having a transformable property such that upon transformation, a shape of the interconnection is deformed. An example is a material that has a transformable property such that a volume of the first and/or second element material may undergo a thermal transformation from one volume to a different volume…
Probe card covering system and method
Granted: October 31, 2006
Patent Number:
7128587
The present invention discloses a cover over electrical contacts of a probe card used in testing die on a wafer. A testing machine is disclosed as having the covered probe card therein. Various mechanisms for uncovering the electrical contacts while it is located in the tester machine are disclosed.
Using electric discharge machining to manufacture probes
Granted: October 17, 2006
Patent Number:
7122760
A method of forming a probe array includes forming a layer of tip material over a block of probe material. A first electron discharge machine (EDM) electrode is positioned over the layer of tip material, the EDM electrode having a plurality of openings corresponding to a plurality of probes to be formed. Excess material from the layer of tip material and the block of probe material is removed to form the plurality of probes. A substrate having a plurality of through holes corresponding…
Method and system for compensating thermally induced motion of probe cards
Granted: October 10, 2006
Patent Number:
7119564
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…
Probe card with coplanar daughter card
Granted: October 3, 2006
Patent Number:
7116119
A probe card assembly includes a printed circuit board with tester contacts for making electrical connections to a semiconductor tester. The probe card assembly also includes a probe head assembly with probes for contacting a semiconductor device under test. One or more daughter cards is mounted to the printed circuit board such that they are substantially coplanar with the printed circuit board. The daughter cards may contain a circuit for processing test data, including test signals to…
