Method of wirebonding that utilizes a gas flow within a capillary from which a wire is played out
Granted: July 16, 2013
Patent Number:
8485418
Contact structures exhibiting resilience or compliance for a variety of electronic components are formed. A variety of materials for the wire stem (which serves as a falsework) and for the overcoat (which serves as a superstructure over the falsework) are disclosed. Various techniques are described for mounting the contact structures to a variety of electronic components (e.g., semiconductor wafers and dies, semiconductor packages, interposers, interconnect substrates, etc.), and various…
Wiring substrate with customization layers
Granted: July 2, 2013
Patent Number:
8476538
One or more customization layers can be added to a wiring substrate. The customization layers can provide customized electrical connections from electrical contacts of the base wiring substrate to electrical contacts at an outer surface of the customization layers, which can allow the contacts at the outer surface of the customization layers can be in a different pattern than the contacts at the surface of the base wiring substrate. The customization layers can comprise electrically…
Probe element having a substantially zero stiffness and applications thereof
Granted: April 23, 2013
Patent Number:
8427186
A microelectronic probe element can include a base, a tip, and a spring assembly coupled between the tip and the base. The spring assembly can include a first spring and a second spring, wherein the first spring has a negative stiffness over a predefined displacement range and the second spring has a positive stiffness over the predefined displacement range. The first spring and second spring can be coupled so that the negative stiffness and positive stiffness substantially cancel to…
Probe card assembly having an actuator for bending the probe substrate
Granted: April 23, 2013
Patent Number:
8427183
A planarizer for a probe card assembly. A planarizer includes a first control member extending from a substrate in a probe card assembly. The first control member extends through at least one substrate in the probe card assembly and is accessible from an exposed side of an exterior substrate in the probe card assembly. Actuating the first control member causes a deflection of the substrate connected to the first control member.
Wafer level contactor
Granted: March 19, 2013
Patent Number:
8400176
A probe card assembly can include a plurality of probes disposed on a substrate and arranged to contact terminals of a semiconductor wafer. Switches can be disposed on the probe card assembly and provide for selective connection and disconnection of the probes from electrical interconnections on the probe card assembly.
Method and apparatus for thermally conditioning probe cards
Granted: March 19, 2013
Patent Number:
8400173
Embodiments of probe cards and methods for fabricating and using same are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for testing a device (DUT) may include a probe card configured for testing a DUT; a thermal management apparatus disposed on the probe card to heat and/or cool the probe card; a sensor disposed on the probe card and coupled to the thermal management apparatus to provide data to the thermal management apparatus corresponding to a temperature of a location of the…
Method to build robust mechanical structures on substrate surfaces
Granted: February 26, 2013
Patent Number:
8383958
A robust mechanical structure is provided to prevent small foundation structures formed on a substrate from detaching from the substrate surface. The strengthened structure is formed by plating a foundation metal layer on a seed layer and then embedding the plated foundation structure in an adhesive polymer material, such as epoxy. Components, such as spring probes, can then be constructed on the plated foundation. The adhesive polymer material better assures the adhesion of the metal…
Probe card assembly and kit, and methods of making same
Granted: February 12, 2013
Patent Number:
8373428
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 probe…
Carbon nanotube columns and methods of making and using carbon nanotube columns as probes
Granted: January 15, 2013
Patent Number:
8354855
Carbon nanotube columns each comprising carbon nanotubes can be utilized as electrically conductive contact probes. The columns can be grown, and parameters of a process for growing the columns can be varied while the columns grow to vary mechanical characteristics of the columns along the growth length of the columns. Metal can then be deposited inside and/or on the outside of the columns, which can enhance the electrical conductivity of the columns. The metalized columns can be coupled…
Probe card thermal conditioning system
Granted: January 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8350191
Embodiments of apparatus for thermally conditioning probe cards prior to use in a testing system are provided herein. In some embodiments, a probe card thermal conditioning system may include an enclosure configured to support a probe card and a heat transfer element disposed proximate a bottom of the enclosure for thermally conditioning the probe card prior to installation in a prober. The heat transfer element may be a heating and/or cooling element. A controller may be provided for…
Thin wafer chuck
Granted: December 25, 2012
Patent Number:
8336188
Methods and systems, in one embodiment, are described related to a chuck with a plurality of vacuum grooves on a surface. Each single vacuum groove of the plurality of vacuum grooves has a single port connected with a single vacuum line coupled to a vacuum source. The single vacuum line is not shared with another groove and a restriction is applied to the single vacuum line in order to isolate each single vacuum groove.
Increasing thermal isolation of a probe card assembly
Granted: December 4, 2012
Patent Number:
8324915
A probe card assembly can include an electrical interface to a test system for testing electronic devices such as semiconductor dies. The probe card assembly can also include probes located at a first side of the probe card assembly. The probes, which can be electrically connected to the electrical interface, can be configured to contact terminals of the electronic devices in the test system while the probe card assembly is attached to the test system. The probe card assembly can be…
Stacked die module
Granted: December 4, 2012
Patent Number:
8324725
Semiconductor dies are stacked offset from one another so that terminals located along two edges of each die are exposed. The two edges of the dies having terminals may be oriented in the same direction. Electrical connections may connect terminals on one die with terminals on another die, and the stack may be disposed on a wiring substrate to which the terminals of the dies may be electrically connected.
Methods and apparatuses for dynamic probe adjustment
Granted: November 13, 2012
Patent Number:
8311758
An improved method and apparatus for automatically aligning probe pins to the test or bond pads of semiconductor devices under changing conditions. In at least one embodiment, a dynamic model is used to predict an impact of changing conditions to wafer probing process. This reduces the need for frequent measurements and calibrations during probing and testing, thereby increasing the number of dice that can be probed and tested in a given period of time and increasing the accuracy of…
Method for improving motion times of a stage
Granted: November 13, 2012
Patent Number:
8310195
Methods and systems for, in one embodiment, accelerating a stage through a clearance height in a first direction and decelerating the stage in the first direction while accelerating in a second direction are shown. The stage is moved in a third direction and a determination is made whether the stage movement in the second direction is below a threshold value before continuing to move the stage further in the third direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction…
Anchoring carbon nanotube columns
Granted: September 25, 2012
Patent Number:
8272124
A technique for anchoring carbon nanotube columns to a substrate can include use of a filler material placed onto the surface of the substrate into area between the columns and surrounding a base portion of each of the columns.
Method and apparatus for multilayer support substrate
Granted: September 18, 2012
Patent Number:
8269514
Embodiments of the present invention can relate to probe card assemblies, multilayer support substrates for use therein, and methods of designing multilayer support substrates for use in probe card assemblies. In some embodiments, a probe card assembly may include a multilayer support substrate engineered to substantially match thermal expansion of a reference material over a desired temperature range; and a probe substrate coupled to the multilayer support substrate. In some…
Probing apparatus with guarded signal traces
Granted: June 19, 2012
Patent Number:
8203351
A probing apparatus can comprise a substrate, conductive signal traces, probes, and electromagnetic shielding. The substrate can have a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and the electrically conductive first signal traces can be disposed on the first surface of the first substrate. The probes can be attached to the first signal traces, and the electromagnetic shielding structures can be disposed about the signal traces.
Single support structure probe group with staggered mounting pattern
Granted: June 19, 2012
Patent Number:
8203352
A probe group can include multiple probes for testing devices having contact pads. The probes can comprise beams, contact tip structures, and mounting portions. The beams can provide for controlled deflection of the probes. The contact tip structures can be connected to the beams and can include contact portions for contacting with the devices. The mounting portions of the beams can be attached to support structures, which can be arranged in a staggered pattern. The beams located in a…
Self-referencing voltage regulator
Granted: April 10, 2012
Patent Number:
8154315
A voltage regulator includes an input terminal for receiving a power input having a first voltage level, and an output terminal for generating a power output. A reference signal having a second voltage level is derived from the first voltage level adjusted with a predetermined offset value for controlling the power output to be at a third voltage level proportional to the second voltage level.
