Electric test of the interconnection of electric conductors on a substrate

• US 6,859,052 B1
• Filed: 11/23/2000
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Christophe Vaucher
• Original Assignee: Christophe Vaucher
• Inventors: Vaucher, Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): Zarneke, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLLINGTON, JERMELE M
• Application Number:
  US10/130,545
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 324751-753, 324/73.1, 324/158.1, 324/96, 356/364, 356/369, 356/400, 250310-311
• US Class Current: 324/750.14
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/305 using electron beams investigating or analysing materials by measuring photoelectric effect G01N23/227

Abstract

To measure the resistance from one end of a conductor (4) to the other or between conductors, for the purpose of testing them, by establishing an electric current in the conductor, without any mechanical contact therewith, this method includes providing opposite and proximate to the conductor (4)a plate (2) that has a plurality of conductive zones (8, 10) capable of being individually taken to any adjustable electric potentials, applying a beam of particles (7) to a first point (C) of the conductor (4) to extract electrons from it, and injecting electrons at a second point (B) of the conductor (4).

Claims

1. A method for establishing an electric current in a conductor between a first point of the conductor and a second point of the conductor that is different from the first point, the method comprising:

providing, proximate to the conductor, a plate that has a plurality of conductive zones capable of being individually adjusted to any electric potential, and such the at least one conductive zone is located opposite to the conductor,

applying a beam of particles to the first point of the conductor to extract electrons from it, without any physical contact with the conductor, the extracted electrons being received by said conductive zone located opposite to the conductor, and

at the same time, injecting electrons at the second point of the conductor, producing a circulation of electric current in the conductor between the first point and the second point.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said beam of particles is a beam of light emitted by an ultraviolet light source, having sufficient energy to extract electrons from the conductor.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

taking the conductor to a first potential,

taking a first conductive zone of the plate, located near the first point of the conductor, to a second predefined potential that is higher than the first potential, and

taking conductive zones that are near the first conductive zone to a third potential that is lower than the second potential, so that the electrons extracted from the conductor by the beam of particles are channeled towards the first conductive zone by these neighboring conductive zones.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the injection of electrons at the second point of the conductor includes taking a third conductive zone of the plate, located near said second point, and zones that are near the third conductive zone, to a potential that is close to the first potential, then applying a beam of particles to the third conductive zone.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the injection of electrons at the second point of the conductor is performed using the plate without any physical contact with the conductor, the method comprising the step of applying a beam of particles to one of said conductive zones including a metal layer having a thickness such that electrons are emitted when a beam of particles is received, the conductive zone being located opposite to the second point of the conductor such that the conductive zone emits electrons towards the second point of the conductor.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the injection of electrons at the second point of the conductor is performed using sets of microtips, arranged opposite said second point of the conductor, and using a conductive grid and applying a potential to the grid that is higher than a predetermined potential applied to the microtips.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the sets of microtips are arranged in a matrix network on the plate, each set being individually controllable to emit electrons towards one of a plurality of conductors on a substrate.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the injection of electrons at the second point of the conductor is performed using a network of conductive pads arranged in pixels, each conductive pad being capable of being individually adjusted to any potential, and an anisotropic conduction elastomer sheet comprising conductive particles that are embedded in the elastomer sheet, such that the conductive particles touch each other and conduct in a direction that is perpendicular to the plane of the conductor when the elastomer sheet is pressed against the network of conductive pads.

9. An electric test method of a plurality of conductors arranged on an insulating substrate, comprising an initial step of arranging, opposite at least one side of the substrate, a plate that has, near each conductor of the substrate, conductive zones capable of being individually adjusted to any electric potential, the method further comprising:

a continuity test step of the conductors of the substrate including, for each conductor of the substrate, establishing a current in the conductor between a first point of the conductor and a second point of the conductor that is different from the first point by providing, proximate to the conductor, a plate that has a plurality of conductive zones capable of being individually adjusted to any electric potential, and such that at least one conductive zone is located opposite to the conductor, applying a beam of particles to the first point of the conductor to extract electrons from it without any physical contact with the conductor, the extracted electrons being received by said conductive zone located opposite to the conductor, and at the same time, injecting electrons at the second point of the conductor, producing a circulation of electric current in the conductor between the first point and the second point and measuring the cat thus established.

10. The test jest method according to claim 9, further including the step of determining the resistance of the conductor between the first and the second point of the conductor, and comparing the resistance thus determined with a predefined threshold, a defect being detected if the resistance is above said threshold.

11. The test method according to claim 9, further including an insulation test step of the conductors of the substrate, including:

taking all the conductors of the substrate to a predefined potential, and

for each conductor of the substrate, establishing a flow of electrons from the first point of the conductor towards a fist conductive zone of the plate, located near the point of the conductor, to take the conductor to a first predetermined potential, the flow being established by apply the first potential to the first conductive zone, and a second predefined potential lower than the fist potential to conductive zone, near the first zone, and by applying a beam of particles to the first point of the conductor, and measuring the charging current of the conductor that tends towards zero at the end of a predetermined time if the conductor is insulated.

12. The test method according to claim 11, wherein, if an insulation defect is detected on a conductor during the insulation test step, a secondary insulation test step of measuring the resistance between the defective conductor and all the other conductors of the substrate is performed.

13. An electric test device of conductors arranged on an insulating substrate, comprising:

at least one source of particles, to emit a beam of particles towards a first point of a selected conductor, so as to t electrons from said selected conductor therefore increase the electric potential of said selected conductor,

at least one plate, arranged opposite to one respective side of the insulating substrate, and comprising fit conductive zones, said first conductive zones being capable of being individually adjusted to any electric potential so that a selected one of the first conductive zones located opposite the first point of the selected conductor can receive the extracted electrons without any physical contact between the plate and the selected conductor,

means for injecting electrons at any determined second point of the selected conductor on the insulating substrate simultaneous to the electron extraction from said selected conductor, the second point being different from the first point, and

a control and measuring station to individually adjust the conductive zones to any electric potential and to measure currents and voltages between a selected two conductive zones.

14. The electric test device Wise according to claim 13, wherein the source of particles is a source of ultraviolet light.

15. The electric test device according to claim 13, wherein the plate further includes second conductive zones, and further including means for

taking the selected conductor to a first potential,

taking the selected one of the first conductive zones of the plate to a second predefined potential that is greater than the fist potential, and

taking a selected plurality of the second conductive zones that are near to the selected one of the first conductive zones to a third potential lower than the second potential, so that the electrons from the conductor by the beam of particles are channeled towards the first conductive zone by the selected plurality of the second conductive zone.

16. The electric test device according to claim 13, wherein the means for injecting electrons comprise the conductive zones arranged on said plate and wherein the conductive zones comprise a thickness of metal such that electrons are emitted when a beam of particles is received.

17. The electric test device according to claim 13, wherein the source of particles comprises a plurality of laser micro-sources arranged over the surface of the plate.

18. The electric test device Bee according to claim 17, wherein each laser micro-source is arranged at a distance from the plate and emits a light beam, the angle of which is adjustable around a 90°

angle in relation to the plane of the plate.

19. The electric test devices according to claim 13, wherein the means for injecting elects comprises a matrix network of sets of microtips individually controlled to emit electrons.

20. The electric test device according to claim 13, wherein the means for injecting electrons comprises a network of conductive pads arranged in pixels, and an anisotropic conduction elastomer sheet in a perpendicular direction to said surface, said elastomer sheet being applied against the conductor, each conductive pad being capable of being individually taken to any adjustable potential.

21. The electric test device according to claim 13, wherein the means for injecting electrons comprise a plurality of sources of electrons arranged to a matrix network and individually controllable by line/column addressing.

22. The electric test device according to claim 13, wherein the control and measuring station comprises addressing means to select the conductive zones of the plates, to take to a determined potential, and from which the current or the voltage is measured.

23. The electric test device according to claim 13, further comprising a partial vacuum chamber in which the insulating substrate and each plate are arranged.