Probe card

• US 10,459,007 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Original Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Kung, Chen-Yueh, Chang, Wen-Yuan, Chen, Wei-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Neel D
• Application Number:
  US16/221,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20190120875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07314 the body of the probe being perpendicular to test object, e.g. bed of nails or probe with bump contacts on a rigid support on an elastic support, e.g. a film, G01R1/0735
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07378 using an intermediate adapter, e.g. space transformers G01R1/07371 takes precedence

Abstract

A probe card including a circuit board, a transformer, a probe head, and a reinforcement structure is provided. The transformer including a body, a plurality of solder balls, and a plurality of first contact points are disposed on the substrate. The body has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is located between the circuit board and the second surface. The solder balls are disposed on the first surface, and the first contact points are disposed on the second surface. The probe head is disposed on the second surface. The probe head is electrically connected to the circuit board by the first solder balls. The reinforcement structure is disposed between the probe head and the circuit board.

Claims

1. A probe card, comprising:

a circuit board;

a transformer disposed on the circuit board, and including;

a body having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is located between the circuit board and the second surface;

a plurality of first solder balls disposed on the first surface; and

a plurality of first contact points disposed on the second surface;

a probe head disposed on the second surface, wherein the probe head is electrically connected to the first contact points, and is electrically connected to the circuit board through the first solder balls;

a reinforcement structure disposed between the probe head and the circuit board, wherein the first solder balls are connected between the first surface and the circuit board, the reinforcement structure includes an encapsulant disposed on the first surface and the encapsulant only covers the first solder balls, a thickness of the encapsulant measured from the first surface is greater than half of a height of each of the first solder balls measured from the first surface, and the thickness of the encapsulant measured from the first surface is less than the height of each of the first solder balls measured from the first surface, and wherein the first contact points are a plurality of bumps protruding from the second surface, the body has a plurality of openings, a trace of the transformer is disposed in each of the plurality of openings, and each of the first contact points fills in the corresponding opening and is connected to the corresponding trace,

wherein the reinforcement structure includes;

an interposer disposed between the transformer and the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board, wherein the interposer has a third surface and a fourth surface that are opposite to each other, the third surface is located between the circuit board and the fourth surface, the first solder balls are connected between the first surface and the fourth surface, and the probe head is electrically connected to the interposer through the first solder balls; and

a plurality of second solder balls disposed on the third surface and connected between the third surface and the circuit board, wherein the interposer is electrically connected to the circuit board through the second solder balls.

2. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement structure further includes:

an encapsulant disposed on the fourth surface and covering the body and the first solder balls.

3. A probe card, comprising:

a circuit board;

a transformer disposed on the circuit board, and including;

a body having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is disposed between the circuit board and the second surface;

a plurality of solder balls disposed on the first surface, and a plurality of bumps disposed on the second surface and protruding from the second surface;

a probe head disposed on the second surface, wherein the probe head is electrically connected to the bumps, and is electrically connected to the circuit board through the solder balls;

further comprising;

a reinforcement structure disposed between the probe head and the circuit board, and including;

an interposer disposed between the transformer and the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board, wherein the interposer has a third surface and a fourth surface that are opposite to each other, the third surface is located between the circuit board and the fourth surface, the first solder balls are connected between the first surface and the fourth surface, and the probe head is connected to the interposer through the first solder balls; and

a plurality of second solder balls disposed on the third surface and connected between the third surface and the circuit board, wherein the interposer is connected to the circuit board through the second solder balls;

wherein the reinforcement structure further including;

an encapsulant disposed on the fourth surface and covering the body and the first solder balls.

4. A probe card, comprising:

a circuit board having a plurality of first external contact points, disposed on a surface of the circuit board;

a transformer disposed on the circuit board, wherein the first external contact points are located on the side of the transformer, and the transformer includes;

a body having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is located between the circuit board and the second surface;

a plurality of first solder balls disposed on the first surface;

a plurality of first contact points disposed on the second surface; and

a plurality of second external contact points disposed on the second surface and located on the side of the first contact points;

a probe head disposed on the second surface, wherein the probe head is electrically connected to the first contact points, and is electrically connected to the circuit board through the first solder balls;

at least a flexible circuit board connected between the first external contact points and the second external contact points; and

a reinforcement structure disposed between the probe head and the circuit board, and the reinforcement structure includes;

an interposer disposed between the transformer and the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board, wherein the interposer has a third surface and a fourth surface that are opposite to each other, the third surface is located between the circuit board and the fourth surface, the first solder balls are connected between the first surface and the fourth surface, and the probe head is connected to the interposer through the first solder balls; and

a plurality of second solder balls disposed on the third surface and connected between the third surface and the circuit board, wherein the interposer is connected to the circuit board through the second solder balls.

5. The probe card according to claim 4, wherein the reinforcement structure further includes:

an encapsulant disposed on the fourth surface and covering the body and the first solder balls.