Method of assembling a wafer probe

• US 7,761,983 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cascade Microtech Incorporated (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cascade Microtech Incorporated (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Andrews, Mike, Martin, John, Hayden, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THIEM D
• Application Number:
  US11/975,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20080045028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 298/42, 297/05, 298/27, 298/74, 324/158.1, 324/537, 324/754, 324/758, 324/762, 438/708, 438/720, 438/722
• US Class Current: 29/842
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06772 High frequency probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07342 the body of the probe being at an angle other than perpendicular to test object, e.g. probe card
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49121 Beam lead frame or beam lead device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49147 Assembling terminal to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of assembling a probe for testing of integrated circuits or other microelectronic devices.

Claims

1. A method of assembling a probe comprising:

(a) providing a substantially rigid support supporting a plurality of conductive traces;

(b) providing a unitary assembly including a plurality of contact fingers, such that said plurality of contact fingers are maintained in a predetermined alignment and one end of at least one of said contact fingers is free of attachment to another of said contact fingers for a major portion of a length of said contact finger;

(c) heating a portion of said major portion of said contact finger free of attachment to another contact finger to bond said contact finger to a trace on said support.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said contact fingers extend in a radially outward direction from said support.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the arrangement of said contact fingers match the geometry of a contacting pad on a device under test.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said support includes a resistor capacitor network interconnected to said contact fingers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said support is a planar circuit board.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said unitary assembly includes a tab proximate the ends of said plurality of contact fingers that maintains said contact fingers in said predetermined alignment.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said tab is removed prior to probing with said contact fingers.