Transferable Probe Tips

• US 20120279287A1
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Andry, Paul S., Dang, Bing, Wright, Steven L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,200,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/105
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/12 STM or AFM microtips
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0194 the layer being structured
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 3/001 Bonding of two components
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/28 for measuring roughness or irregularity of surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 40/02 Calibration standards and methods of fabrication thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 70/14 Particular materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 70/16 Probe manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/067 Measuring probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06738 related to tip portion
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07378 using an intermediate adapter, e.g. space transformers G01R1/07371 takes precedence
• 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: G03F 7/00 Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor using photoresist structures for special production processes, see the relevant places, e.g. B44C, H01L, e.g. H01L21/00, H05K

Abstract

Transferable probe tips including a metallic probe, a delamination layer covering a portion of the metallic probe, and a bonding alloy, wherein the bonding alloy contacts the metallic probe at a portion of the probe that is not covered by the delamination layer are provided herein. Also, techniques for creating a transferable probe tip are provided, including etching a handler substrate to form one or more via arrays, depositing a delamination layer in each via array, depositing one or more metals in each via array to form a probe tip structure, and depositing a bonding alloy on a portion of the probe tip structure that is not covered by the delamination layer. Additionally, techniques for transferring transferable probe tips are provided, including removing a handler substrate from a probe tip structure, and transferring the probe tip structure via flip-chip joining the probe tip structure to a target probe head substrate.

Claims

1. A transferable probe tip, wherein the transferable probe tip comprises:

a metallic probe;

a delamination layer, wherein the delamination layer covers a portion of the metallic probe; and

a bonding alloy, wherein the bonding alloy contacts the metallic probe at a portion of the probe that is not covered by the delamination layer.

2. The transferable probe tip of claim 1, wherein the delamination layer comprises a low-adhesion layer.

3. The transferable probe tip of claim 1, wherein the delamination layer comprises a sacrificial layer.

4. The transferable probe tip of claim 1, wherein the metallic probe comprises at least one of Ni, Cu, W, Co, Ti, Fe, Ta, TaN, Pt, Pd, Au, Mo, Re, Be, and Ag.

5. The transferable probe tip of claim 1, wherein the delamination layer comprises at least one of low-temperature SiO₂, sputtered Cu, sputtered Au, sputtered Al, and spin-on polycarbonate.

6. The transferable probe tip of claim 1, wherein the bonding alloy comprises at least one of Sn, AuSn, SnAg, SnAgCu, In, and SnPb.

7. The transferable probe tip of claim 1, further comprising a solder pad.

8. The transferable probe tip of claim 7, wherein the solder pad is implemented on a bottom portion of the probe.

9. The transferable probe tip of claim 1, wherein the tip is attached to a separately-fabricated silicon probe head substrate containing through-silicon vias and one or more wiring redistribution layers.

10. The transferable probe tip of claim 1, wherein the tip is attached to a separately-fabricated silicon probe head substrate containing through-silicon vias, one or more wiring redistribution layers and one or more field-effect transistor devices.

11. A method for creating a transferable probe tip, comprising the steps of:

etching a handler substrate to form one or more via arrays;

depositing a delamination layer in each via array;

(a low-adhesion or sacrificial layer)

depositing one or more metals in each via array to form a probe tip structure; and

depositing a bonding alloy on a portion of the probe tip structure that is not covered by the delamination layer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the delamination layer comprises a low-adhesion layer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the delamination layer comprises a sacrificial layer.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the handler substrate comprises a silicon (Si) substrate.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the handler substrate comprises a temporary handler substrate.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming a pattern on the substrate with a hard mask.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising isolating each inverted probe tip.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein etching a handler substrate to form one or more via arrays comprises anisotropic etching.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein anisotropic etching comprises using tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH).

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising implementing one or more solder pads on a bottom portion of each transferable probe tip.

21. A method for transferring one or more transferable probe tips created according to the method of claim 11, comprising:

removing a handler substrate from a probe tip structure; and

transferring the probe tip structure via flip-chip joining the probe tip structure to a target probe head substrate.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein removing a handler substrate from a probe tip structure comprises integrating a delamination layer to the probe tip structure.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein removing a handler substrate from a probe tip structure comprises tuning surface adhesion of the probe tip structure.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising transferring the probe tip structure to a Si probe head chip containing one or more through-silicon vias (TSVs).

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the Si probe head chip contains one or more through-silicon vias (TSVs) and one or more active circuits.