Method of making microelectronic spring contact elements
First Claim
1. A method of fabricating spring contact elements on a substrate, comprising:
- applying at least one layer of masking material on a surface of a substrate and patterning the masking layer to have openings extending from areas on the substrate to positions which are above the surface of the substrate and which also are laterally and/or transversely offset from the areas;
depositing a first conductive material, the conductive material comprising a metallic material into the openings, delimiting defined areas of the first conductive material, selectively depositing a second conductive material substantially over the defined areas of the first conductive material, depositing the second conductive material in sufficient thickness to impart useful resilience to a free standing contact element, and removing the masking material so that the remaining second conductive material and the first conductive material forms free-standing contact elements extending from the surface of the substrate, each contact element having a base end which is secured to a one of the areas of the substrate and having a free-standing end and delimiting the defined areas so that for each free-standing contact element, the base end has a larger cross-section than the free-standing end of the contact element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Spring contact elements are fabricated by depositing at least one layer of metallic material into openings defined in masking layers deposited on a surface of a substrate which may be an electronic component such as an active semiconductor device. Each spring contact element has a base end, a contact end, and a central body portion. The contact end is offset in the z-axis (at a different height) and in at least one of the x and y directions from the base end. In this manner, a plurality of spring contact elements are fabricated in a prescribed spatial relationship with one another on the substrate. The spring contact elements make temporary (i.e., pressure) or permanent (e.g., joined by soldering or brazing or with a conductive adhesive) connections with terminals of another electronic component to effect electrical connections therebetween. In an exemplary application, the spring contact elements are disposed on a semiconductor devices resident on a semiconductor wafer so that temporary connections can be made with the semiconductor devices to burn-in and/or test the semiconductor devices.
371 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of fabricating spring contact elements on a substrate, comprising:
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applying at least one layer of masking material on a surface of a substrate and patterning the masking layer to have openings extending from areas on the substrate to positions which are above the surface of the substrate and which also are laterally and/or transversely offset from the areas;
depositing a first conductive material, the conductive material comprising a metallic material into the openings, delimiting defined areas of the first conductive material, selectively depositing a second conductive material substantially over the defined areas of the first conductive material, depositing the second conductive material in sufficient thickness to impart useful resilience to a free standing contact element, and removing the masking material so that the remaining second conductive material and the first conductive material forms free-standing contact elements extending from the surface of the substrate, each contact element having a base end which is secured to a one of the areas of the substrate and having a free-standing end and delimiting the defined areas so that for each free-standing contact element, the base end has a larger cross-section than the free-standing end of the contact element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
the substrate is an electronic component.
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3. Method, according to claim 1, wherein:
the substrate is a semiconductor device.
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4. Method, according to claim 1, wherein:
the substrate is a semiconductor wafer.
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5. A method of making a resilient contact structure, the method comprising
providing an electronic component with a surface and a terminal near the surface, depositing a first masking layer on the electronic component with an opening near the terminal, depositing a first conductive layer of conductive material (a) over at least a portion of the terminal to form a first region of the first conductive layer and (b) over at least a portion of the first masking layer to form a second region of the first conductive layer, connecting the first region and second region with a third region of the first conductive layer, depositing a second masking layer with an opening in the second masking layer that overlaps at least in part the opening in the first masking layer, delimiting a defined area of the first conductive layer, the defined area including at least a portion of the opening near the terminal, and later selectively depositing a second conductive material substantially over the defined area of the first conductive layer, depositing the second conductive material in sufficient thickness to impart useful resilience to a resilient contact element, to form a resilient contact structure electrically connected to the terminal.
Specification