Probe station

• US 7,688,062 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cascade Microtech Incorporated (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cascade Microtech Incorporated (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nordgren, Greg, Dunklee, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Ha Tran T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tung X
• Application Number:
  US11/975,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 324/765, 324/158.1, 324/156, 324/157, 324/760, 220/628, 220/265, 438 14- 18
• US Class Current: 324/757.03
• 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. An enclosure for a probe station comprising:

(a) a plurality of at least four side walls, one of said side walls comprising a side plate;

(b) a first plate including a first surface comprising one of a top surface and a bottom surface of an interior of said enclosure;

(c) a second plate including a second surface comprising the other of said top surface and said bottom surface of said enclosure, said second plate affixed to said side plate with a substantially planar surface of said second plate in contact with a substantially planar surface of said side plate, wherein the joint between said second plate and said side plate is substantially free from straight line paths between the interior of said enclosure to the exterior of said enclosure at locations where said second plate and said side plate are in contact with one another.

2. The enclosure of claim 1 wherein said at least one of said side walls is not door a of said enclosure.

3. The enclosure of claim 1 wherein all of said four side wails are side plates and the locations where said second plate and all four side plates are in contact with one another are is substantially free from straight line paths between the interior of said enclosure to the exterior of said enclosure at locations.

4. An enclosure for a probe station comprising:

(a) a plurality of at least four side walls;

at least one of said side walls comprising a side plate including a side surface on an interior of said enclosure;

(b) a first plate including a first surface comprising one of a top surface and a bottom surface of said interior of said enclosure; and

(c) a second plate including a second surface comprising the other of said top surface and said bottom surface of said enclosure, wherein said second plate and said side plate are affixed to each other and one of said side surface and said second surface includes a joint surface portion offset from said surface of said interior toward an exterior of said enclosure and in contact with a substantially planar surface of the other of said side plate and said second plate so that the joint between said second plate and said side plate is substantially free from straight line paths between the interior of said enclosure to the exterior of said enclosure at locations where said second plate and said side plate are on contact with one another.

5. The enclosure of claim 4 wherein said at least one of said side walls is not a door of said enclosure.

6. The enclosure of claim 4 wherein said joint between said second plate at all of said four side walls is substantially free from straight line paths between the interior of said enclosure to the exterior of said enclosure at locations where said second plate and said four sidewalls are in contact with one another.

7. An enclosure for a probe station comprising:

(a) a plurality of side walls, at least one of said side walls comprising a side plate and at least one of said side walls is a door to said enclosure;

(b) a top plate affixed to said side plate with a substantially planar surface in contact with a substantially planar surface of said side plate and

(c) a bottom plate affixed to said side plate with a substantially planar surface in contact with a substantially planar surface of said side plate;

(d) wherein the joints between said top and said bottom plates and said door are substantially free from straight line paths between the interior of said enclosure to the exterior of said enclosure at locations where said top and bottom plates and said door are in contact with one another.

8. The enclosure of claim 7 wherein said joint between said door and two side walls is substantially free from straight line paths between the interior of said enclosure to the exterior of said enclosure at locations where said door and said two side walls are in contact with one another.