Probe station having multiple enclosures

• US 7,436,170 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cascade Microtech Incorporated (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cascade Microtech Incorporated (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hawkins, Jeffrey A., Hayden, Leonard A., Dougherty, R. Mark, Peters, Ron A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Ha
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tung X
• Application Number:
  US11/820,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20070247180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 324/760, 324/765, 324/158.1, 324/754, 324761-762, 324/758
• US Class Current: 324/750.27
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/04 Housings; Supporting members; Arrangements of terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/18 Screening arrangements against electric or magnetic fields, e.g. against earth's field
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/002 where the device under test is an electronic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2808 Holding, conveying or contacting devices, e.g. test adapters, edge connectors, extender boards probe, multiprobe, probe manipulator or probe fixture G01R1/067
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/286 External aspects, e.g. related to chambers, contacting devices or handlers
• 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: G01R 31/2889 Interfaces, e.g. between probe and tester G01R31/31905 and G01R1/07364 take precedence

Abstract

A probe station for probing a test device has a chuck element for supporting the test device. An electrically conductive outer shield enclosure at least partially encloses such chuck element to provide EMI shielding therefor. An electrically conductive inner shield enclosure is interposed between and insulated from the outer shield enclosure and the chuck element, and at least partially encloses the chuck element.

Claims

1. A probe station for probing a test device, said probe station comprising:

(a) a chuck having a laterally-extending supporting surface for supporting said test device;

(b) a enclosure generally enclosing said supporting surface, said chuck being laterally movable relative to said enclosure;

(c) said enclosure including a bendable wall interconnected with said chuck, said wall comprising bendably extensible and retractable material enabling said wall to bendably accommodate movement of said chuck in multiple lateral directions angularly disposed relative to each other so as to operably position said test device for probing, at least major portions of said bendable wall being composed of electrically-conductive material.

2. The probe station of claim 1 wherein at least major portions of said bendable wall are composed of electrically conductive material.

3. The probe station of claim 1 wherein at least major portions of said bendable wall are composed of fluid-impervious material.

4. The probe station of claim 1 said bendably extensible and retractable material enabling said wall to bendably accommodate movement of said chuck assembly in multiple lateral directions perpendicular to each other.