Solid state multiprobe testing apparatus

• US 4,585,991 A
• Filed: 03/13/1985
• Issued: 04/29/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Reid, Lee R., Cody, Tommy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Stewart J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baker, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US06/710,959
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 174/68.5, 361/406, 324/158 P, 324/158 F, 324/73 PC, 156/647
• US Class Current: 324/754.07
• 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 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

Abstract

A high density multiprobe including a multiprobe on a semiconductor substrate with contact pads selectively positioned in relation to the contacts of a device to be tested. Each of the selectively positioned contacts on the multiprobe semiconductor substrate include an elevated conductive surface that makes physical and electrical contact with the contacts of the device to be tested. In addition, the elevated conductive surfaces on the multiprobe are conductively connected to interface terminals on the semiconductor substrate to allow test signals to be input and output from the multiprobe device during testing. The multiprobe semiconductor substrate is also capable of containing onboard circuitry including buffers and logic circuitry for processing the test signals to be sent to and received from the device under test. A multiprobe testing device is also disclosed that includes the multiprobe semiconductor substrate with elevated contacts to allow for the testing of a semiconductor device.

Claims

1. A testing socket for electrical testing of devices, each having a substantially planar surface with an array of conductive pads disposed thereon comprising:

(a) a holder for holding a said device in a fixed position;

(b) a probe for contacting said device pads, said probe including a substantially planar semiconductor substrate with electrically conductive semiconductor projections integral with said substrate and disposed in an array corresponding to a mirror image of said array of pads; and

(c) circuit means connected to said projections for testing of said device when said probe projections contact said pads.

2. The testing socket of claim 1, wherein:

(a) said substrate is substantially single crystal silicon and said projections are characterized as formed of said crystal at least in part by orientation dependent etching.

3. The testing socket of claim 1, wherein:

(a) said circuit is at least partially formed on said substrate.

4. The testing socket of claim 1, wherein:

(a) at least one of said projections is insulated from the remainder of said substrate except for connection to said circuit.

5. The testing socket of claim 1, wherein:

(a) said projections are formed in said substrate at flexible portions of said substrate.

6. The testing socket of claim 5, wherein:

(a) said flexible portions are characterized by connection to the remainder of said substrate by bridges formed in said substrate.

7. The testing socket of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) a vibrator for said probe, said vibrator characterized by vibration of said probe when in contact with said device pads for improved electrical contact.

8. The testing socket of claim 1, wherein:

(a) said circuit includes test signal evaluators.

9. The testing socket of claim 8, wherein:

(a) said circuit includes a display for the output of said test signal evaluators.

10. The testing socket of claim 1, wherein:

(a) said circuit includes programmable test signal generators.

11. The testing socket of claim 1, wherein:

(a) said projections include a wear-resistant conductive coating.

14. The testing socket of claim 1 wherein said projections are of pyramidal shape.

15. The testing socket of claim 2 wherein said projections are of pyramidal shape.

16. The testing socket of claim 5 wherein said projections are of pyramidal shape.

17. The testing socket of claim 6 wherein said projections are of pyramidal shape.

31. The probe of claim 15 further including an electrically conductive wear resistive layer over said projections.

12. A probe for electrical contact to an array of pads comprising:

(a) a substantially planar semiconductor substrate; and

(b) electrically conductive semiconductor projections integral with said substrate and disposed on a surface of said substrate, said projections being arrayed in correspondence with said array of pads.

13. The probe of claim 12, wherein:

(a) said substrate is substantially single crystal silicon and said projections are characterized by orientation dependent etching of said substrate.

18. The testing socket of claim 12 wherein said projections are of pyramidal shape.

19. The testing socket of claim 13 wherein said projections are of pyramidal shape.

20. The probe of claim 12, wherein:

(a) said projections are formed in said substrate at flexible portions of said substrate.

21. The probe of claim 20, wherein:

(a) said flexible portions are characterized by connection to the remainder of said substrate by bridges formed in said substrate.

22. The probe of claim 18, wherein:

(a) said projections are formed in said substrate at flexible portions of said substrate.

23. The probe of claim 22, wherein:

(a) said flexible portions are characterized by connection to the remainder of said substrate by bridges formed in said substrate.

24. The probe of claim 19, wherein:

(a) said projections are formed in said substrate at flexible portions of said substrate.

25. The probe of claim 24, wherein:

(a) said flexible portions are characterized by connection to the remainder of said substrate by bridges formed in said substrate.

26. The probe of claim 12 further including an electrically conductive wear resistive layer over said projections.

27. The probe of claim 13 further including an electrically conductive wear resistive layer over said projections.

28. The probe of claim 20 further including an electrically conductive wear resistive layer over said projections.

29. The probe of claim 21 further including an electrically conductive wear resistive layer over said projections.

30. The probe of claim 23 further including an electrically conductive wear resistive layer over said projections.

32. The probe of claim 12 further including:

(a) a vibrator for said probe, said vibrator characterized by vibration of said probe when in contact with said device pads for improved electrical contact therewith.

33. The probe of claim 13 further including:

(a) a vibrator for said probe, said vibrator characterized by vibration of said probe when in contact with said device pads for improved electrical contact therewith.

34. The probe of claim 20 further including:

(a) a vibrator for said probe, said vibrator characterized by vibration of said probe when in contact with said device pads for improved electrical contact therewith.

35. The probe of claim 21 further including:

(a) a vibrator for said probe, said vibrator characterized by vibration of said probe when in contact with said device pads for improved electrical contact therewith.

36. The probe of claim 26 further including:

(a) a vibrator for said probe, said vibrator characterized by vibration of said probe when in contact with said device pads for improved electrical contact therewith.

37. The probe of claim 27 further including:

(a) a vibrator for said probe, said vibrator characterized by vibration of said probe when in contact with said device pads for improved electrical contact therewith.

38. The probe of claim 28 further including:

(a) a vibrator for said probe, said vibrator characterized by vibration of said probe when in contact with said device pads for improved electrical contact therewith.

39. The probe of claim 29 further including:

(a) a vibrator for said probe, said vibrator characterized by vibration of said probe when in contact with said device pads for improved electrical contact therewith.