HIGH DENSITY CANTILEVERED PROBE FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20080088332A1
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brian Beaman, Da-Yuan Shih, Keith Fogel, Maurice Norcott, Paul Lauro
• Original Assignee: Brian Beaman, Da-Yuan Shih, Keith Fogel, Maurice Norcott, Paul Lauro
• Inventors: Shih, Da-Yuan, Fogel, Keith, Norcott, Maurice, Lauro, Paul, Beaman, Brian
• Application Number:
  US11/870,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20080088332A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/762
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06711 Probe needles; Cantilever beams; "Bump" contacts; Replaceable probe pins
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06727 Cantilever beams
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07307 with individual probe elements, e.g. needles, cantilever beams or bump contacts, fixed in relation to each other, e.g. bed of nails fixture or probe card
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07342 the body of the probe being at an angle other than perpendicular to test object, e.g. probe card
• 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: G01R 31/2886 Features relating to contacting the IC under test, e.g. probe heads; chucks G01R31/2865 takes precedence, test connections, e.g. test sockets, or probes per se, G01R1/04 or G01R1/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05571 the external layer being disposed in a recess of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05573 Single external layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/1134 Stud bumping, i.e. using a wire-bonding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00013 Fully indexed content
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/118 specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09081 Tongue or tail integrated in planar structure, e.g. obtained by cutting from the planar structure
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/049 Wire bonding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/326 the printed circuit having integral resilient or deformable parts, e.g. tabs or parts of flexible circuits H05K3/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/328 by welding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4015 using auxiliary conductive elements, e.g. pieces of metal foil, metallic spheres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 : On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49144 : by metal fusion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49147 : Assembling terminal to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49149 : by metal fusion bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 : Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 : Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 : by assembling plural parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49218 : with deforming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49222 : forming array of contacts or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49815 : Disassembling

Abstract

Probes for electronic devices are described. The probe is formed by ball bonding a plurality of wires to contact locations on a fan out substrate surface. The wires are cut off leaving stubs. A patterned polymer sheet having electrical conductor patterns therein is disposed over the stubs which extend through holes in the sheet. The ends of the wires are flattened to remit the polymer sheet in place. The wire is connected to an electrical conductor on the polymer sheet which is converted to a contact pad on the polymer sheet. A second wire is ball bonded to the pad on the polymer sheet and cut to leave a second stub. The polymer sheet is laser cut so that each second stub is free to move independently of the other second studs. The ends of the second stubs are disposed against contact locations of an electronic device, such as an FC chip, to test the electronic device.

Claims

1-53. -53. (canceled)

54. A structure for making electrical contact with a plurality of contacts on an electronic component comprising:

a first substrate having a first surface;

said first surface having a plurality of contact locations;

a plurality of first electrical conductors extending outward from said contact locations, away from said first surface on said first fan out substrate;

a plurality of flexible electrically conductive beams each having an electrical interconnection location for electrically connection to said plurality of said first electrical conductors;

said flexible electrically conductive beam forms a structure which cantilevers from said electrical interconnection location terminating in a cantilevered end for making electrical contact with said plurality of contacts on said electronic device;

said flexible electrical conductive beam has a bottom surface at least a portion of which is disposed facing and spaced apart from said substrate.

57. A structure according to claim 54, wherein a raised probe tip is formed at said cantilevered end of said flexible electrically conductive beam, said raised probe tip extends outward from said cantilevered end, away from said first surface of said substrate.

58. A structure according to claim 54, wherein each of said plurality of flexible electrically conductive beams are completely separate from adjacent flexible electrically conductive beams.

59. A structure according to claim 57, wherein the action of mating the plurality of contacts on the electronic device causes said raised contact tip to wipe against said contacts on said electronic device.

60. A structure according to claim 57, wherein said substrate is selected from the group consisting of:

a multilayer ceramic substrate with thick film wiring,

a multilayer ceramic substrate with thin firm wiring,

a metallized ceramic substrate with thin film wiring,

an epoxy glass laminate substrates with copper wiring and a silicon substrate with thin film wiring.

61. A structure according to claim 57, wherein a layer of elastomer material is added between said first surface of the substrate and the plurality of flexible electrically conductive beams, said layer of elastomeric material is patterned to be beneath said plurality of flexible electrically conductive beams.

62. A structure according to claim 57, wherein a plated bump is added to at least one of said of flexible electrically conductive beams at said cantilevered end thereof.

63. A method according to claim 57, wherein said raised probe tips are plated pumps.

64. A method according to claim 54, wherein said structures is an electrical connector.

65. A method according to claim 54, wherein said structures is a probe.

66. A structure according to claim 54, wherein a layer of elastomer material is added between said first surface of the substrate and the plurality of flexible electrically conductive beams, said layer of elastomeric material is patterned to be beneath said plurality of flexible electrically conductive beams.

67. A structure according to claim 54, wherein a plated bump is added to at least one of said of flexible electrically conductive beams at said cantilevered end thereof.

68. A method according to claim 57, wherein said raised probe tips are plated pumps.

69. A method according to claim 54, wherein said structures is an electrical connector.

55-56. -56. (canceled)