PRINTING OF REDISTRIBUTION TRACES ON ELECTRONIC COMPONENT

• US 20100109688A1
• Filed: 11/04/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Inventors: Hatsukano, Yoshikazu, Mathieu, Gaetan L., Eldridge, Benjamin N., Khandros, Igor Y.
• Granted Patent: US 7,880,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/755.10
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06716 Elastic
• 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: H05K 3/1241 by ink-jet printing or drawing by dispensing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4664 Adding a circuit layer by thick film methods, e.g. printing techniques or by other techniques for making conductive patterns by using pastes, inks or powders H05K3/4647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49126 Assembling bases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49147 Assembling terminal to base

Abstract

A probe substrate for use in testing semiconductor devices can include a base substrate that can have first electrical terminals at a first pitch. One or more redistribution layers on the base substrate can include droplets of a conductive material that form redistribution traces extending from the first terminals to second electrical terminals at a second pitch different from the first pitch.

Claims

1. :

A probe substrate for use in testing semiconductor devices comprising;

a base substrate comprising first electrical terminals at a first pitch; and

one or more redistribution layers comprising a plurality of droplets of a conductive material forming a plurality of redistribution traces extending from the first terminals to second electrical terminals at a second pitch different from the first pitch.

2. :

The probe substrate of claim 1 further comprising electrically conductive connectors attached to the first terminals, wherein the redistribution traces extend from the conductive connectors to the second terminals.

3. :

The probe substrate of claim 1 further comprising electrical spring probes at the second terminals, the spring probes suitable for effecting reliable pressure connections for testing semiconductor devices.

4. :

The probe substrate of claim 3 further comprising an adhesive that adheres the spring probes to the second terminals.

5. :

The probe substrate of claim 3, wherein the spring probes comprise additional droplets of conductive material deposited on the second terminals.

6. :

The probe substrate of claim 1 further comprising a tile assembly comprising;

a second substrate comprising third terminals disposed on a first surface of the second substrate and interconnected through the substrate to fourth terminals disposed on a second surface of the second substrate; and

spring probes attached to the third terminals,

wherein the fourth terminals are attached to the second terminals.

7. :

The probe substrate of claim 1, wherein the base substrate comprises ceramic.

8. :

The probe substrate of claim 1, wherein the redistribution layers further comprise a first layer of non-conductive droplets disposed between the surface of the base substrate and the redistribution traces.

9. :

The probe substrate of claim 8, wherein the redistribution layers further comprise a second layer of non-conductive droplets disposed to cover at least partially the redistribution traces.

10. :

The probe substrate of claim 1, wherein the redistribution layers further comprise;

a first layer of non-conductive droplets disposed between the surface of the base substrate and first parts of ones of the redistribution traces; and

a second layer of non-conductive droplets disposed between the first parts of ones of the redistribution traces and second parts of the ones of the redistribution traces,

wherein the first parts of the ones of the redistribution traces and the second parts of the ones of the redistribution traces are electrically connected by electrical connections that pass through the second layer of non-conductive droplets, the electrical connections comprising electrically conductive droplets.

11. :

The probe substrate of claim 1 further comprising an electronic component within the redistribution traces.

12. :

The probe substrate of claim 11, wherein the electronic component comprises a resistor, a capacitor, an inductor, a diode, or a transistor.

13. :

The probe substrate of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of electronic components within the redistribution traces, the electronic components interconnected to form an electric circuit.

14. :

A probe card assembly for testing semiconductor devices, comprising;

a wiring substrate comprising a signal interface to a tester for testing semiconductor devices;

a probe substrate comprising first electrical terminals at a first pitch on a surface of the probe substrate;

one or more redistribution layers disposed on the surface of the probe substrate, the redistribution layers comprising a plurality of droplets of a conductive material forming a plurality of redistribution traces extending from the first terminals to second electrical terminals at a second pitch different from the first pitch on the surface of the probe substrate;

a plurality of electrically conductive spring probes attached to the second terminals, the spring probes comprising tips disposed in a pattern that corresponds to input and/or output terminals of the semiconductor devices to be tested; and

electrical connections connecting the signal interface to the first terminals.

15. :

The probe card assembly of claim 14, wherein the probe substrate comprises ceramic.

16. :

The probe card assembly of claim 14, wherein;

the probe substrate comprises third electrically conductive terminals disposed on a second surface of the probe substrate, the second surface opposite the surface on which the first terminals are disposed, the probe substrate further comprising electrically conductive paths through the probe substrate electrically connecting the first terminals and the third terminals; and

electrical connectors connecting electrical paths from the signal interface through the wiring substrate to the third terminals on the probe substrate.

17. :

The probe card assembly of claim 14, wherein the redistribution layers further comprise a first layer of non-conductive droplets disposed between the surface of the probe substrate and redistribution traces.

18. :

The probe card assembly of claim 14, wherein the redistribution layers further comprise;

a first layer of non-conductive droplets disposed between the surface of the probe substrate and first parts of ones of the redistribution traces; and

a second layer of non-conductive droplets disposed between the first parts of ones of the redistribution traces and second parts of the ones of the redistribution traces;

wherein the first parts of the ones of the redistribution traces and the second parts of the ones of the redistribution traces are electrically connected by electrical connections comprising conductive droplets that pass through the second layer of non-conductive droplets.

19. :

A method of making a probe substrate comprising;

providing a base substrate as a premanufactured component, the base substrate comprising a pattern of first electrical terminals on a surface of the substrate;

thereafter receiving information regarding semiconductor devices to be tested, the information including a pattern of input and/or output terminals of the semiconductor devices;

depositing a plurality of droplets of one or more materials onto the substrate, the droplets including electrically conductive droplets that form a plurality of redistribution traces extending from the first terminals to second electrical terminals in a second pattern on the surface of the substrate, wherein the second pattern is different than the first pattern;

attaching electrically conductive spring probes to the second terminals, wherein the second pattern corresponds to the pattern of input and/or output terminals of the semiconductor devices such that a pattern of contact tips of the conductive spring probes is substantially the same as the pattern of input and/or output terminals of the semiconductor devices; and

combining the base substrate with at least one other component to form the probe card assembly.

20. :

The method of claim 19, further comprising providing the base substrate as a ceramic.

21. :

The method of claim 19, wherein;

the at least one other component includes an electrical interface to a tester for controlling testing of the semiconductor devices, and

the combining comprises electrically connecting the first terminals to the electrical interface.

22. :

The method of claim 19, wherein the depositing comprises;

depositing a first layer of non-conductive droplets on the substrate; and

depositing electrically conductive droplets forming the redistribution traces on the first layer of non-conductive droplets.

23. :

The method of claim 19, wherein the depositing comprises;

depositing a first layer of non-conductive droplets on the substrate; and

depositing electrically conductive droplets forming first parts of ones of the redistribution traces on the first layer of non-conductive droplets;

depositing a second layer of non-conductive droplets on the first parts of the ones of the redistribution traces; and

depositing electrically conductive droplets forming second parts of ones of the redistribution traces on the first layer of non-conductive droplets and within openings in the second layer of non-conductive droplets to the first parts of the ones of the redistribution traces.

24. :

The method of claim 19, wherein the depositing comprises depositing the droplets using a spray head.

25. :

The method of claim 24, wherein the spray head is an ink jet print head.

26. :

The method of claim 24, wherein the depositing further comprises a processor executing instructions stored in a memory that controls the depositing of the droplets from the spray head.

27. :

The method of claim 26, wherein the processor executing instructions further controls positioning of a chuck on which the base substrate is disposed.

28. :

The method of claim 19, wherein the attaching electrically conductive spring probes comprises, for each of the spring probes;

positioning with a pick-and-place machine a base of the spring probe at one of the second terminals, and

attaching the base to the one of the second terminals.

29. :

The method of claim 19, wherein the attaching electrically conductive spring probes comprises;

positioning a sacrificial substrate to which the spring probes are attached such that bases of the spring probes are at the second terminals; and

attaching the bases to the second terminals.

30. -59. (canceled)