Microprobe tips and methods for making

• US 20060112550A1
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microfabrica Incorporated (Technoprobe S.P.A.)
• Original Assignee: Microfabrica Incorporated (Technoprobe S.P.A.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Gang, Cohen, Adam L., Lockard, Michael S., Chen, Richard, Arat, Vacit, Kim, Kieun, Bang, Christopher A., Kruglick, Ezekiel J. J., Kumar, Ananda H., Larsen, Willa M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,273,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/884
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 1/003 3D structures, e.g. superposed patterned layers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 3/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of measuring instruments , e.g. of probe tips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49222 forming array of contacts or terminals

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the formation of microprobe tips elements having a variety of configurations. In some embodiments tips are formed from the same building material as the probes themselves, while in other embodiments the tips may be formed from a different material and/or may include a coating material. In some embodiments, the tips are formed before the main portions of the probes and the tips are formed in proximity to or in contact with a temporary substrate. Probe tip patterning may occur in a variety of different ways, including, for example, via molding in patterned holes that have been isotropically or anisotropically etched silicon, via molding in voids formed in exposed photoresist, via molding in voids in a sacrificial material that have formed as a result of the sacrificial material mushrooming over carefully sized and located regions of dielectric material, via isotropic etching of the tip material around carefully sized and placed etching shields, via hot pressing, and the like.

Claims

1. A method for creating a contact structure, comprising:

forming a contact tip having a desired configuration; and

forming compliant probe structure electrochemically, wherein the compliant probe structure is formed on the contact tip.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part from the mushrooming of an electrodeposited sacrificial material over a dielectric material.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part from a pattern etched in silicon.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part via molding contact tip material in voids formed in patterned photoresist.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part via etching of a patterned tip material.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part via isotropic etching of a tip material around etching shields.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part via hot pressing.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip comprises a different material than the compliant probe structure.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip comprises the same material as the probe structure.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip comprises a coating material.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip comprises a coating material and the probe structure comprises a coating material.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the coating material on the tip is different from the coating material on the probe structure.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the coating material on the tip is the same as the coating material on the probe structure.

14. A method for creating a contact structure, comprising:

forming a contact tip having a desired configuration; and

forming compliant probe structure from a plurality of adhered layers of deposited conductive material, wherein the compliant probe structure is formed on the contact tip.