Electrical interconnect assemblies and methods

• US 6,705,876 B2
• Filed: 07/13/1998
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Inventors: Eldridge, Benjamin N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US09/114,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20010012704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,073 Days
• Field of Search: 439/66, 439/81, 439/948, 324/761, 324/754
• US Class Current: 439/66
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0466 concerning contact pieces or mechanical details, e.g. hinges or cams; Shielding
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06711 Probe needles; Cantilever beams; "Bump" contacts; Replaceable probe pins
• 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 1/07342 the body of the probe being at an angle other than perpendicular to test object, e.g. probe card
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07378 using an intermediate adapter, e.g. space transformers G01R1/07371 takes precedence
• 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: H01L 21/67005 Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere processes per se H01L21/30, H01L21/46, H01L23/00; simple temporary support means, e.g. using adhesives, electric or magnetic means H01L21/68, H01L21/302
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05001 Internal layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05008 Bonding area integrally formed with a redistribution layer on the semiconductor or solid-state body, e.g.
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05024 the internal layer being disposed on a redistribution layer on the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05026 the internal layer being disposed in a recess of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0508 being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/051 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron [B], silicon [Si], germanium [Ge], arsenic [As], antimony [Sb], tellurium [Te] and polonium [Po], and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05568 the whole external layer protruding from the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05569 the external layer being disposed on a redistribution layer on the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/056 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron [B], silicon [Si], germanium [Ge], arsenic [As], antimony [Sb], tellurium [Te] and polonium [Po], and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/03 Manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/05 of an individual bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/10 : Bump connectors bumps on insulating substrates, e.g. chip carriers, H01L23/49816; Manufacturing methods related thereto
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/13 : of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 : Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 : the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 : Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 : Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01019 : Potassium [K]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01023 : Vanadium [V]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 : Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01051 : Antimony [Sb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01074 : Tungsten [W]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01078 : Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 : Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/57 : surface mounting terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/714 : with contacts abutting directly the printed circuit; Button contacts therefore provided on the printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/853 : Fluid activated
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2407 : characterized by the resilient means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10568 : Integral adaptations of a component or an auxiliary PCB for mounting, e.g. integral spacer element
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/2036 : Permanent spacer or stand-off in a printed circuit or printed circuit assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/303 : Surface mounted components, e.g. affixing before soldering, aligning means, spacing means H05K3/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/325 : by abutting or pinching, i.e. without alloying process; mechanical auxiliary parts therefor adaptations of leads inserted in holes for press-fit connections H05K3/308
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4092 : Integral conductive tabs, i.e. conductive parts partly detached from the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/948 : Contact or connector with insertion depth limiter

Abstract

Interconnect assemblies and methods for forming and using them. In one example of the invention, an interconnect assembly comprises a substrate, a resilient contact element and a stop structure with an embedded circuit element. The resilient contact element is disposed on the substrate and has at least a portion thereof which is capable of moving to a first position, which is defined by the stop structure, in which the resilient contact element is in mechanical and electrical contact with another contact element. In another example of the invention, a stop structure is disposed on a first substrate with a first contact element, and this stop structure defines a first position of a resilient contact element, disposed on a second substrate, in which the resilient contact element is in mechanical and electrical contact with the first contact element. Other aspects of the invention include methods of forming the stop structure and using the structure to perform testing of integrated circuits, including for example a semiconductor wafer of integrated circuits.

Claims

1. An interconnect assembly comprising:

a first substrate having a first plurality of contact elements disposed on a surface thereof;

a second substrate having a second plurality of contact elements disposed on a surface thereof;

a plurality of elongate resilient contact structures electrically interconnecting said first plurality of contact elements and said second plurality of contact elements;

a stop structure disposed on said first substrate and extending away from said surface of said first substrate to define a minimum separation between said first substrate and said second substrate, wherein said stop structure does not enclose said elongate resilient contact structures; and

a first circuit element embedded within said stop structure and electrically connected to a second circuit element associated with said first substrate.

2. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 wherein said plurality of elongate resilient contact elements are attached to said first plurality of contact elements on said first substrate.

3. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 wherein said resilient contact elements comprise spring structures.

4. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 wherein said stop structure comprises an adhesive layer.

5. An interconnect assembly as in claim 4 wherein said adhesive layer bonds said stop structure to said first substrate.

6. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 wherein said first substrate and said second substrate are formed toward each other by a vacuum generated between said first substrate and said second substrate.

7. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 wherein said first substrate and said second substrate are formed toward each other by one of a pressurized bladder or a bellows and wherein a fluid in said bladder or said bellows is capable of controlling a temperature of at least one of said first substrate and said second substrate.

8. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 wherein said first substrate is part of a probe card assembly, and said second substrate is a semiconductor wafer.

9. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 wherein said first substrate is part of a wafer-level test assembly, and said second substrate is a semiconductor wafer.

10. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 wherein said stop structure is formed lithographically.

11. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 wherein said stop structure is formed from one of (a) a photoresist material;

(b) an epoxy material;

(c) a metal coated with an electrophoretic epoxy or (d) a polymeric material.

12. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 wherein said plurality of elongate resilient contact structures are attached to said second contact elements on said second substrate.

13. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 wherein said second substrate is part of a probe card assembly, and said first substrate is a semiconductor wafer.

14. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 wherein said second substrate is part of a wafer-level test assembly, and said first substrate is a semiconductor wafer.

15. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1, wherein said first circuit element comprises a capacitor.

16. An interconnect assembly as in claim 15, wherein said capacitor comprises a plurality of layers of material including metal layers and at least one dielectric layer, said layers of material composing said stop structure.

17. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 wherein said stop structure further comprises a shield plane.

18. An interconnect assembly as in claim 17, wherein said shield plane is grounded.

19. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of circuit elements embedded within said stop structure.

20. An interconnect assembly as in claim 1, wherein said first circuit element embedded within said stop structure is electrically connected to said second circuit element through traces embedded within said first substrate.