Interconnector and method of connecting probes to a die for functional analysis

• US 6,605,951 B1
• Filed: 12/11/2000
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cowan, Joseph W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLLINGTON, JERMELE M
• Application Number:
  US09/735,085
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 324/754, 324/755, 324/757, 324/761, 324/537, 324/760, 324/765
• US Class Current: 324/754.08
• 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

Abstract

Interconnectors are placed on a die containing a semiconductor device or integrated circuit which is to be tested or analyzed. The interconnector includes a bump contact for contacting a bond pad of the die, and a probe pad at a position spaced from the bump contact. An interconnector connects the bump contact and the probe pad. The interconnector is attached to the die with the bump contact in electrical contact with the bond pad and with the probe pad extending beyond an exterior peripheral edge of the die. Probes apply signals or power to the probe pad, and those signals and power are applied to the semiconductor device or integrated circuit to establish functionality for the test or analysis.

Claims

1. A method of performing at least one of testing or failure analysis on a die having a front side and a back side and an integrated circuit and at least one bond pad connected to the front side of the die, by using an interconnector;

the interconnector comprising a piece of electrically insulating material, an electrically conductive bump contact extending from one side of the insulating material, a probe pad connected to the insulating material and extending from the one side of the insulating material at a spaced apart location from the bump contact, and an electrical connector extending between the bump contact and the probe pad;

said method comprising;

positioning the front side of the die for optical observation with a microscope;

observing the front side of the die through the microscope;

electrically contacting the bump contact to the bond pad while observing the front side of the die through the microscope;

adhesively connecting the interconnector to the die to maintain the electrical contact between the bump contact;

positioning the interconnector relative to the die to locate the probe pad beyond an exterior peripheral edge of the die while observing the front side of the die through the microscope;

inverting the die and the adhesively connected interconnector;

observing the back side of the die and the probe pad through the microscope after inverting the die and the adhesively connected interconnector;

connecting a probe to the probe pad while the die and the adhesively connected interconnector are inverted and while observing the probe pad through the microscope;

supplying at least one of an electrical signal or electrical power through the probe to induce functional responsiveness in the integrated circuit; and

performing the testing or failure analysis while integrated circuit functionally responds to the one of the signal or power.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the bump contact in contact with the bond pad by adhesively connecting the bump contact to the bond pad.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the bump contact in contact with the bond pad by adhesively connecting the interconnector to the die.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

optically examining the back side of the die through the microscope while the die functionally responds to the one of the signal or power and while the die and the adhesively connected interconnector are inverted.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, performed by using a plurality of interconnectors;

wherein each interconnector has a form of an elongated strip with the bump contact located at one end of the elongated strip and the probe pad located at the other end of the strip, and wherein the die has a plurality of bond pads;

said method further comprising;

attaching each elongated strip to a different selected bond pad of the die by electrically contacting the bump contact to the selected bond pad, by adhesively connecting the elongated strip to the die and by positioning the elongated strip relative to the die to locate each probe pad beyond an exterior peripheral edge of the die; and

inverting the die after each of the plurality of elongated strips have been attached to the die.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the elongated strip is formed in multiple laminated layers with a conductive layer between two insulated layers and the conductive layer is electrically connected to the bump contact and to the probe pad;

and said method further comprises;

connecting the probe to the probe pad by contacting the probe to the conductive layer.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the die has a plurality of bond pads located at predetermined positions, and the interconnector is formed as a rectangularly shaped structure having a plurality of the bump contacts located at a generally interior position of the structure and at positions corresponding to the predetermined positions of the bond pads on the die, the rectangular structure further having a plurality of the probe pads located at a generally exterior positions adjacent to peripheral edges of the structure;

said method further comprising;

attaching the rectangular structure to the die by electrically contacting each of the plurality of bump contacts to the correspondingly positioned bond pads, by adhesively connecting the rectangular structure to the die and by positioning the rectangular structure relative to the die to locate the probe pads beyond an exterior peripheral edge of the die; and

inverting the die after the rectangular structure has been attached to the die.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the rectangular structure is formed in multiple laminated layers with a plurality of conductive layers separated by insulated layers and each one conductive layer is electrically connected to at least one bump contact and to at least one probe pad;

and said method further comprises;

connecting the probe to the probe pad by contacting the probe to the conductive layer.