Segmented contactor

• US 6,640,415 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2002
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Inventors: Eslamy, Mohammad, Cobb, Harry D., Pedersen, David V
• Primary Examiner(s): Deb, Anjan K.
• Application Number:
  US10/202,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20030057975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 324/754, 324/755, 324/757, 324/761, 324/765, 324/758, 438/15, 438/17, 438/18, 298/25, 298/54, 298/74, 295/93, 298/31
• US Class Current: 29/593
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49147 Assembling terminal to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49149 by metal fusion bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49171 with encapsulating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49178 by shrinking of cover
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4921 with bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49211 of fused material

Abstract

A method of fabricating a large area, multi-element contactor. A segmented contactor is provided for testing semiconductor devices on a wafer that comprises a plurality of contactor units mounted to a substrate. The contactor units are formed, tested, and assembled to a backing substrate. The contactor units may include leads extending laterally for connection to an external instrument such as a burn-in board. The contactor units include conductive areas such as pads that are placed into contact with conductive terminals on devices under test.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a segmented contactor comprising:

forming a contactor unit having electrically conductive areas to contact conductive areas of a device on a wafer to enable testing the device;

testing electrically said contactor unit; and

assembling said contactor input which passed said testing with a substrate tat supports another contactor unit to form said segmented contactor, wherein the step of assembling comprises;

providing an assembly fixture including a plate defining a contactor position;

placing said contactor unit having a first side and a second side into said contactor position with said first side facing said plate; and

attaching the second side of said contactor unit to said substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising retesting said contactor unit after said assembling.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a plurality of contactor units having electrically conductive areas to contact conductive areas of devices on a wafer to enable testing the devices, testing electrically each of said plurality of contactor units, and assembling said tested contactor units which have passed said testing with said substrate to form said segmented contactor usable to test devices on a wafer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said contactor unit has a first side and a second side, wherein said electrically conductive areas are provided on said fast side.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising testing the device on the wafer with said segmented contactor, wherein said testing of the device includes electrically connecting each of said plurality of electrically conductive areas on the first side of said contactor unit with a corresponding one of plurality of electrically conductive terminals on said device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein each of said electrically conductive terminals includes a resilient contact element.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein each of said conductive areas includes a resilient contact element.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of assembling further comprises:

applying an adhesive on said second side of said contactor unit; and

pressing said substrate onto said adhesive to attach said contactor unit to said substrate.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said plate defines grooves and the method further comprising inserting guide blocks into said grooves to define said contactor position between said guide blocks.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said first side of said contactor unit includes a plurality of conductive areas.

11. A method of fabricating a segmented contactor comprising:

forming a plurality of contactor units on a single contactor substrate, the contactor units having electrically conductive areas to contact conductive areas of devices on a wafer to enable testing the devices;

testing electrically each of said contactor units;

separating each of said contactor units from said single contactor substrate; and

assembling said contactor units which have passed said testing to form said segmented contactor, wherein the step of assembling comprises;

providing an assembly fixture including a plate defining contactor positions;

placing one of said contactor units having a first side and a second side into a corresponding one of said contactor positions with said first side facing said plate; and

attaching a backing substrate to the second side of said contactor unit.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said single contactor substrate is monolithic.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said testing of the contactor units is performed before said separating.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said testing of the contactor units is performed after said separating.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising retesting said contactor units after said assembling.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said testing of the contactor units is performed after said assembling.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said assembling includes connecting one of said contactor units with another one of said contactor units.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising testing the devices on the wafer with said segmented contactor.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said devices are integrated circuits.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein each of said contactor units has a first side and a second side.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the electrically conductive areas comprise resilient contact elements attached to said side of at least one of said contactor units.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the electrically conductive areas for contacting the devices of the wafer are provided on said first side of each of said contactor units, and additional electrically conductive areas are provided on said second side of the contactor units.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said electrically conductive areas on said first side of a respective contactor unit are electrically connected through said respective contactor unit to selected ones of said electrically conductive areas on said second side of said respective contactor unit.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said contactor unit is an interposer.

25. The method of fabricating a segmented contactor comprising:

forming a plurality of contactor units on a single contactor substrate, wherein the contactor units have electrically conductive areas to contact conductive areas of devices on a wafer to enable testing the devices;

attaching a plurality of electrically conductive leads to one of said plurality of contactor units, wherein said plurality of electrically conductive leads extend horizontally beyond an edge of said one of said plurality of contactor units to enable connecting the leads to an external testing device;

testing each of said contactor units;

separating each of said contactor units from said single contactor substrate; and

assembling said contactor units which have passed said testing to form said segmented contactor, wherein said step of assembling comprises;

providing an assembly fixture including a plate defining contactor positions;

placing one of said contactor units having a first side and a second side into a corresponding one of said contactor positions with said first side facing said plate; and

attaching a backing substrate to the second side of the contactor unit.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said single contactor substrate is monolithic.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said testing of said contactor units is performed before said separating.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein said testing of said contactor units is performed after said separating.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising retesting said contactor units after said assembling.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein said assembling includes connecting one of said contactor units with another one of said contactor units.

31. The method of claim 25 further comprising testing the devices on the wafer with said segmented contactor.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said devices are integrated circuits.

33. The method of claim 25 wherein each of said contactor units has a first side and a second side.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the conductive areas comprise resilient contact elements attached to said first side of at least one of said plurality of contactor units.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the electrically conductive areas are provided on each of said first sides of each of the said contactor units.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising providing a plurality of electrically conductive areas on each of said second sides of each of said contactor units and wherein said electrically conductive areas on said first side of a respective contactor unit are electrically connected through said respective contactor unit to selected ones of said electrically conductive areas on said second side of said respective contactor unit.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said contactor unit is an interposer.

38. The method of claim 25 wherein said assembling step further comprises:

applying adhesive on said second side of said contactor unit; and

pressing the backing substrate onto said adhesive to attach said contactor unit to said backing substrate.

39. The method of claim 25 wherein said plate defines grooves and the method further comprising inserting guide blocks into said grooves to define said contactor positions between said guide blocks.

40. The method of claim 25 wherein said first side of said contactor unit includes the conductive areas.