Probe station

• US 7,554,322 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Beaverton, Inc. (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cascade Microtech Incorporated (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dunklee, John, Nordgren, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Ha Tran T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tung X
• Application Number:
  US11/083,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20050179427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 324/754, 324755-758, 324/765, 324/158.1, 324/760, 324761-662, 257/48, 269 55- 56, 279/2.19, 279 192- 193
• US Class Current: 324/750.25
• 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 31/2887 involving moving the probe head or the IC under test; docking stations moving single probes G01R1/06705; moving individual probes in multiple probes G01R1/07392
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 279/29 More than one set of gripping means

Abstract

A probe station for testing a wafer.

Claims

1. A probe station for probing an electrical device with at least one probe needle, said probe station comprising:

(a) a chuck having an upper surface capable of supporting an electrical device for probing by contact with the tip of said at least one probe needle;

(b) an auxiliary chuck mounted to said probe station and configured to receive a calibration substrate at a location suitable for probing by contact with the tip of said at least one probe needle so as to calibrate test instrumentation used to test an electrical device supported by said chuck; and

wherein

(c) said chuck is capable of independent rotation relative to said auxiliary chuck.

2. The probe station of claim 1 where said auxiliary chuck has an upper surface substantially parallel with that of said chuck.

3. The probe station of claim 2 where the upper surfaces of said chuck and said auxiliary chuck, respectively, lie in substantially the same plane.

4. The probe station of claim 1 having a plurality of said auxiliary chucks.

5. The probe station of claim 4 where said plurality of auxiliary chucks are positioned around the periphery of said chuck.