Probe station thermal chuck with shielding for capacitive current

• US 7,292,057 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Beaverton, Inc. (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cascade Microtech Incorporated (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cowan, Clarence E., Dunklee, John L., Tervo, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Vinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan; Emily Y
• Application Number:
  US11/546,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20070030021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 324/760, 324754-765
• US Class Current: 324/750.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/18 Screening arrangements against electric or magnetic fields, e.g. against earth's field
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2855 Environmental, reliability or burn-in testing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2862 Chambers or ovens; Tanks
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2865 Holding devices, e.g. chucks; Handlers or transport devices having contacts G01R31/2863
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2874 related to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2879 related to electrical aspects, e.g. to voltage or current supply or stimuli or to electrical loads
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/00 Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/17 characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device

Abstract

To reduce noise in measurements obtained by probing a device supported on surface of a thermal chuck in a probe station, a conductive member is arranged to intercept current coupling the thermal unit of the chuck to the surface supporting the device. The conductive member is capacitively coupled to the thermal unit but free of direct electrical connection thereto.

Claims

1. A device for modifying a temperature of a surface of a probe station chuck, said device comprising:

(a) a first conductor conductively connected to a source of an electric current, said electric current producing an increase in a temperature of said first conductor, a difference between said temperature of said first conductor and said temperature of said surface of said probe station chuck modifying said temperature of said surface of said chuck; and

(b) a second conductor capacitively connected to said first conductor when current is flowing in said first conductor and conductively connected to a ground, said surface of said probe station chuck separated from a portion of said first conductor by a portion of said second conductor.

2. The device for modifying a temperature of a surface of a probe station chuck of claim 1 wherein a portion of said second conductor substantially encloses a portion of said first conductor.

3. The device for modifying a temperature of a surface of a probe station chuck of claim 1 wherein said source of electric current comprises a connection to a source ground potential and said connection of said second conductor to a ground comprises a conductive connection to said source ground potential.

4. The device for modifying a temperature of a surface of a probe station chuck of claim 1 further comprising a third conductor surrounding a major length of said first conductor and conductively connected to an enclosure substantially surrounding said surface of said probe station chuck.

5. A device for modifying a temperature of a surface of a probe station chuck, said device comprising:

(a) a first conductor conductively connected to a source of an electric current, said electric current producing one of an increase in a temperature of said first conductor and a decrease in said temperature of said first conductor, a difference between said temperature of said first conductor and said temperature of said surface of said probe station chuck modifying said temperature of said surface of said chuck; and

(b) a second conductor capacitively connected to said first conductor when current is flowing in said first conductor and conductively connected to a ground, said surface of said probe station chuck separated from a portion of said first conductor by a portion of said second conductor.

6. The device for modifying a temperature of a surface of a probe station chuck of claim 5 wherein a portion of said second conductor substantially encloses a portion of said first conductor.

7. The device for modifying a temperature of a surface of a probe station chuck of claim 5 wherein said source of electric current comprises a connection to a source ground potential and said connection of said second conductor to a ground comprises a conductive connection to said source ground potential said source of electric current.

8. The device for modifying a temperature of a surface of a probe station chuck of claim 5 further comprising a third conductor surrounding a major length of said first conductor and connected to an enclosure substantially surrounding said surface of said probe station chuck.