Microprobe tips and methods for making
First Claim
1. A method for creating a contact structure, comprising:
- forming a contact tip having a desired configuration;
forming a compliant probe structure from a plurality of adhered layers of electrochemically deposited material where each layer undergoes a planarization operation prior to formation of a subsequent layer; and
adhering the contact tip to the probe structure to form a contact structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the formation of microprobe tips elements having a variety of configurations. In some embodiments tips are formed from the same building material as the probes themselves, while in other embodiments the tips may be formed from a different material and/or may include a coating material. In some embodiments, the tips are formed before the main portions of the probes and the tips are formed in proximity to or in contact with a temporary substrate. Probe tip patterning may occur in a variety of different ways, including, for example, via molding in patterned holes that have been isotropically or anisotropically etched silicon, via molding in voids formed in over exposed photoresist, via molding in voids in a sacrificial material that have formed as a result of the sacrificial material mushrooming over carefully sized and located regions of dielectric material, via isotropic etching of a the tip material around carefully sized placed etching shields, via hot pressing, and the like.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for creating a contact structure, comprising:
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forming a contact tip having a desired configuration; forming a compliant probe structure from a plurality of adhered layers of electrochemically deposited material where each layer undergoes a planarization operation prior to formation of a subsequent layer; and adhering the contact tip to the probe structure to form a contact structure. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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2. A method for creating a contact structure, comprising:
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forming a contact tip having a desired configuration; forming a compliant probe structure electrochemically; and adhering the contact tip to the probe structure to form a contact structure, wherein the contact tip has a shape that is derived at least in part from the mushrooming of an electrodeposited sacrificial material over a dielectric material.
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14. A method for creating a contact structure, comprising:
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forming a contact tip having a desired configuration; forming compliant probe structure from a plurality of adhered layers of deposited conductive structural material, where each layer comprises a conducitve structural material and a conductive sacrificial material, where each layer undergoes a planarization operation to bring a surface of the conductive structural material and the conductive sacrificial material to a common level, and where conductive sacrificial material is removed from multiple layers after formation of plurality of adhered layers; and
adhering the contact tip to the probe structure to form a contact structure.
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Specification