Probe testing structure

• US 8,069,491 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cascade Microtech Incorporated (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cascade Microtech Incorporated (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lesher, Timothy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smyth; Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/820,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20080218187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 850/19
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06772 High frequency probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/005 Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/007 Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden references"

Abstract

A calibration structure for probing devices.

Claims

1. A calibration substrate for calibrating a probe comprising:

(a) a planar first conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a first signal path of said probe;

(b) a planar second conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a second signal path of said probe;

(c) a planar third conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a ground path of said probe;

(d) a planar fourth conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a first signal path of another probe;

(e) a planar fifth conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a second signal path of said another probe;

(f) a planar sixth conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a ground path of said another probe;

(g) wherein said third conductive member and said sixth conductive member are spaced apart from one another, and a resistive material supported by said substrate at least partially extends between said third conductive member and said sixth conductive member, wherein the S11 characteristic from said first, second, and third conductive members has a loss of less than 0.05 dB between 30 GHz and 50 GHz.

2. The substrate of claim 1 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.05 dB between 20 GHz and 60 GHz.

3. The substrate of claim 1 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.05 dB between 10 GHz and 70 GHz.

4. The substrate of claim 1 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.05 dB between 10 GHz and 100 GHz.

5. The substrate of claim 1 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.025 dB.

6. The substrate of claim 2 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.025 dB.

7. The substrate of claim 3 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.025 dB.

8. The substrate of claim 4 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.025 dB.

9. The substrate of claim 1 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.02 dB.

10. The substrate of claim 2 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.02 dB.

11. The substrate of claim 4 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.02 dB.

12. The substrate of claim 4 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.02 dB.

13. A calibration substrate for calibrating a probe comprising:

(a) a planar first conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a first signal path of said probe;

(b) a planar second conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a second signal path of said probe;

(c) a planar third conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a ground path of said probe;

(d) a planar fourth conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a first signal path of another probe;

(e) a planar fifth conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a second signal path of said another probe;

(f) a planar sixth conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a ground path of said another probe;

(g) wherein said third conductive member and said sixth conductive member are spaced apart from one another, and a resistive material supported by said substrate at least partially extends between said third conductive member and said sixth conductive member, wherein the S11 characteristic from said first, second, and third conductive members has a Q factor of less than 5 between 30 GHz and 50 GHz.

14. The substrate of claim 13 wherein said Q factor is less than 3.

15. The substrate of claim 13 wherein said Q factor is less than 2.

16. The substrate of claim 13 wherein said Q factor is less than 1.2.

17. The substrate of claim 13 wherein said Q factor is less than 5 between 20 GHz and 60 GHz.

18. The substrate of claim 13 wherein said Q factor is less than 5 between 10 GHz and 70 GHz.

19. The substrate of claim 13 wherein said Q factor is less than 5 between 5 GHz and 100 GHz.

20. A calibration substrate for calibrating a probe comprising:

(a) a planar first conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a first signal path of said probe;

(b) a planar second conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a second signal path of said probe;

(c) a planar third conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a ground path of said probe;

(d) a planar fourth conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a first signal path of another probe;

(e) a planar fifth conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a second signal path of said another probe;

(f) a planar sixth conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a ground path of said another probe;

(g) wherein said third conductive member and said sixth conductive member are spaced apart from one another, and a resistive material supported by said substrate at least partially extends between said third conductive member and said sixth conductive member, wherein said resistive material matches within 10 percent the imaginary part of the primary mode conversion between 30 GHz and 50 GHz.

21. The substrate of claim 20 wherein said conversion is between 20 GHz and 60 GHz.

22. The substrate of claim 20 wherein said conversion is between 10 GHz and 70 GHz.

23. The substrate of claim 20 wherein said conversion is between 5 GHz and 100 GHz.

24. A calibration substrate for calibrating a probe comprising:

(a) a planar conducive region including a first conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a first signal path of said probe, a second conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a second signal path of said probe, and a third conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a ground path of said probe;

(b) wherein said conductive region includes an associated resistive material supported by said substrate that includes a resistance that reduces a resonance effect between 10 GHz and 100 GHz that would have otherwise occurred if the resistive material was not included to a level less than 50% of what would have otherwise occurred.

25. The substrate of claim 24 wherein said level is less than 75%.

26. The substrate of claim 25 wherein said level is less than 90%.

27. A calibration substrate for calibrating a probe comprising:

(a) a planar conducive region including a first conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a first signal path of said probe, a second conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a second signal path of said probe, and a third conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a ground path of said probe;

(b) wherein said conductive region includes an associated resistive material supported by said substrate that includes a resistance that is within 25 percent of the reactive part of the primary mode conversion between 10 GHz and 100 GHz that would have otherwise occurred if the resistive material was not included.

28. The substrate of claim 27 wherein said conversion is between 30 GHz and 50 GHz.

29. The substrate of claim 27 wherein said within 10 percent.

30. A calibration substrate for calibrating a probe comprising:

(a) a planar conductive region including a first conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a first signal path of said probe, a second conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a second signal path of said probe, and a third conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a ground path of said probe;

(b) wherein said conductive region includes an associated resistive material supported by said substrate, wherein the S11 characteristic from said first, second, and third conductive members has a loss of less than 0.05 dB between 30 GHz and 50 GHz.

31. The substrate of claim 30 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.05 dB between 20 GHz and 60 GHz.

32. The substrate of claim 30 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.05 dB between 10 GHz and 70 GHz.

33. The substrate of claim 30 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.05 dB between 10 GHz and 100 GHz.

34. The substrate of claim 30 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.025 dB.

35. The substrate of claim 31 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.025 dB.

36. The substrate of claim 32 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.025 dB.

37. The substrate of claim 33 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.025 dB.

38. The substrate of claim 30 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.02 dB.

39. The substrate of claim 31 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.02 dB.

40. The substrate of claim 32 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.02 dB.

41. The substrate of claim 33 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.02 dB.

42. A calibration substrate for calibrating a probe comprising:

(a) a planar conductive region including a first conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a first signal path of said probe, and a second conductive member supported by said substrate suitable to be electrically interconnected with a ground path of said probe;

(b) wherein said conductive region includes an associated resistive material supported by said substrate, wherein the S11 characteristic from said first, and second, conductive members has a loss of less than 0.05 dB between 30 GHz and 50 GHz.

43. The substrate of claim 42 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.05 dB between 20 GHz and 60 GHz.

44. The substrate of claim 42 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.05 dB between 10 GHz and 70 GHz.

45. The substrate of claim 42 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.05 dB between 10 GHz and 100 GHz.

46. The substrate of claim 42 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.025 dB.

47. The substrate of claim 43 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.025 dB.

48. The substrate of claim 44 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.025 dB.

49. The substrate of claim 45 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.025 dB.

50. The substrate of claim 42 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.02 dB.

51. The substrate of claim 43 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.02 dB.

52. The substrate of claim 44 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.02 dB.

53. The substrate of claim 45 wherein said S11 characteristic has a loss of less than 0.02 dB.