Electrical contacts with dielectric cores

• US 7,094,117 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Watkins, Charles M., Farnworth, Warren M., Hiatt, William M.
• Primary Examiner(s): HYEON, HAE M
• Application Number:
  US10/788,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20050191913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 439/886, 438/127
• US Class Current: 439/886
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/02 Contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2414 conductive elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/20 for testing or measuring purposes

Abstract

An electrical contact for use with a semiconductor device, a carrier, a probe card, or another substrate includes a dielectric core and a conductive coating on at least a portion thereof. Alternatively, an electrical contact may include a plurality of adjacent, mutually adhered regions comprising conductive material. The electrical contact may be rigid or flexible and resilient. Protective structures for use with flexible resilient contacts prevent deformation of such contacts beyond their elastic limits.

Claims

1. A contact for a semiconductor device component, comprising:

a core comprising a polymer and configured to protrude from the semiconductor device component in a generally transverse orientation relative to a plane of the semiconductor device component; and

a conductive coating on at least a portion of the core.

2. The contact of claim 1, wherein the core is flexible and resilient.

3. The contact of claim 1, wherein the core is substantially rigid.

4. The contact of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a plurality of adjacent, mutually adhered regions of the polymer.

5. The contact of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises a photoimagable polymer.

6. The contact of claim 1, wherein the core includes a base, an intermediate section, and a contact tip.

7. The contact of claim 6, wherein the intermediate section is flexible and resilient.

8. The contact of claim 6, wherein the base is configured to be secured to the semiconductor device component.

9. The contact of claim 6, wherein the conductive coating covers at least a portion of the contact tip and at least a portion of the intermediate section.

10. The contact of claim 9, wherein the conductive coating substantially covers the contact tip.

11. The contact of claim 9, wherein the contact tip is configured to electrically communicate with another contact of another semiconductor device component.

12. The contact of claim 9, wherein the conductive coating also covers at least a portion of the base.

13. The contact of claim 12, wherein a portion of the conductive coating on the base is configured to electrically communicate with a corresponding conductive element of the semiconductor device component.

14. The contact of claim 9, wherein the portion of the conductive coating on the intermediate section is configured to electrically communicate with a corresponding conductive element of the semiconductor device component.

15. The contact of claim 6, wherein the contact tip is enlarged relative to the intermediate section.

16. The contact of claim 1, wherein the conductive coating substantially covers the core.

17. The contact of claim 1, wherein the conductive coating comprises a plurality of layers of conductive material.

18. The contact of claim 1, wherein the core protrudes from a contact pad of the semiconductor device component.

19. The contact of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a filament.

20. A contact for a semiconductor device component, comprising:

a core comprising a filament comprising dielectric material and configured to protrude from the semiconductor device component in a generally transverse orientation relative to a plane of the semiconductor device component; and

a conductive coating on at least a portion of the core.

21. The contact of claim 20, wherein the core is flexible and resilient.

22. The contact of claim 20, wherein the core is substantially rigid.

23. The contact of claim 20, wherein the core comprises a plurality of adjacent, mutually adhered regions comprising the dielectric material.

24. The contact of claim 23, wherein the plurality of adjacent, mutually adhered regions comprises a plurality of at least partially superimposed, contiguous, mutually adhered layers.

25. The contact of claim 20, wherein the dielectric material comprises a polymer.

26. The contact of claim 25, wherein the polymer comprises a photoimagable polymer.

27. The contact of claim 20, wherein the core includes a base, an intermediate section, and a contact tip.

28. The contact of claim 27, wherein the intermediate section is flexible and resilient.

29. The contact of claim 27, wherein the base is configured to be secured to the semiconductor device component.

30. The contact of claim 27, wherein the conductive coating covers at least a portion of the contact tip and at least a portion of the intermediate section.

31. The contact of claim 30, wherein the conductive coating substantially covers the contact tip.

32. The contact of claim 31, wherein the contact tip is configured to electrically communicate with a contact of another semiconductor device component.

33. The contact of claim 30, wherein the conductive coating also covers at least a portion of the base.

34. The contact of claim 33, wherein a portion of the conductive coating on the base is configured to electrically communicate with a corresponding conductive element of the semiconductor device component.

35. The contact of claim 30, wherein the portion of the conductive coating on the intermediate section is configured to electrically communicate with a corresponding conductive element of the semiconductor device component.

36. The contact of claim 27, wherein the contact tip is enlarged relative to the intermediate section.

37. The contact of claim 20, wherein the conductive coating substantially covers the core.

38. The contact of claim 20, wherein the conductive coating comprises a plurality of contiguous regions of conductive material.

39. The contact of claim 38, wherein the plurality of contiguous regions comprises a plurality of layers.

40. The contact of claim 20, wherein the core is configured to protrude from a contact pad of the semiconductor device component.

41. A contact for a semiconductor device component, comprising:

a core comprising a dielectric material configured to be secured to and protrude from a contact pad of the semiconductor device component; and

a conductive coating on at least a portion of the core.

42. The contact of claim 41, wherein the core is flexible and resilient.

43. The contact of claim 41, wherein the core is substantially rigid.

44. The contact of claim 41, wherein the core comprises a plurality of adjacent, mutually adhered regions comprising the dielectric material.

45. The contact of claim 44, wherein the plurality of adjacent, mutually adhered regions comprises a plurality of at least partially superimposed, contiguous, mutually adhered layers.

46. The contact of claim 41, wherein the dielectric material comprises a polymer.

47. The contact of claim 46, wherein the polymer comprises a photoimagable polymer.

48. The contact of claim 41, wherein the core includes a base, an intermediate section, and a contact tip.

49. The contact of claim 48, wherein the intermediate section is flexible and resilient.

50. The contact of claim 48, wherein the base is configured to be secured to the semiconductor device component.

51. The contact of claim 48, wherein the conductive coating covers at least a portion of the contact tip and at least a portion of the intermediate section.

52. The contact of claim 51, wherein the conductive coating substantially covers the contact tip.

53. The contact of claim 52, wherein the contact tip is configured to electrically communicate with a contact of another semiconductor device component.

54. The contact of claim 51, wherein the conductive coating also covers at least a portion of the base.

55. The contact of claim 54, wherein a portion of the conductive coating on the base is configured to electrically communicate with a corresponding conductive element of the semiconductor device component.

56. The contact of claim 51, wherein the portion of the conductive coating on the intermediate section is configured to electrically communicate with a corresponding conductive element of the semiconductor device component.

57. The contact of claim 48, wherein the contact tip is enlarged relative to the intermediate section.

58. The contact of claim 41, wherein the conductive coating substantially covers the core.

59. The contact of claim 41, wherein the conductive coating comprises a plurality of contiguous regions of conductive material.

60. The contact of claim 59, wherein the plurality of contiguous regions comprises a plurality of layers.