High Performance Probe System
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A probe system for providing signal paths between an integrated circuit (IC) tester and input/output, power and ground pads on the surfaces of ICs to be tested includes a probe board assembly, a flex cable and a set of probes arranged to contact the IC'"'"'s I/O pads. The probe board assembly includes one or more rigid substrate layers with traces and vias formed on or within the substrate layers providing relatively low bandwidth signal paths linking the tester to probes accessing some of the IC'"'"'s pads. The flex cable provides relatively high bandwidth signal paths linking the tester to probes accessing others of the IC'"'"'s pads.
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Citations
77 Claims
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1-71. -71. (canceled)
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72. A probe card assembly for testing integrated circuits (ICs) with an IC tester, the probe card assembly comprising:
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a support substrate having a plurality of contact pads thereon;
a plurality of probes for electrically connecting to pads on the IC, each of the plurality of probes mounted to respective contact pads on the support substrate and having a tip end; and
a flexible cable conductively linked to at least a portion of the plurality of probes at a point on a respective probe between the contact pad and the tip end, the flexible cable capable of carrying a plurality of electronic signals from the IC tester to the respective probes. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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Specification