Probe card assembly having an actuator for bending the probe substrate

• US 8,427,183 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Inventors: Mathieu, Gaetan L., Eldridge, Benjamin N., Grube, Gary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VINH P
• Application Number:
  US13/092,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20110193583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/750.16
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07307 with individual probe elements, e.g. needles, cantilever beams or bump contacts, fixed in relation to each other, e.g. bed of nails fixture or probe card
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 3/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of measuring instruments , e.g. of probe tips

Abstract

A planarizer for a probe card assembly. A planarizer includes a first control member extending from a substrate in a probe card assembly. The first control member extends through at least one substrate in the probe card assembly and is accessible from an exposed side of an exterior substrate in the probe card assembly. Actuating the first control member causes a deflection of the substrate connected to the first control member.

Claims

1. A fully assembled probe card assembly comprising:

a drive plate;

a probe substrate coupled to said drive plate, said probe substrate comprising a first surface from which a plurality of spring contact structures extend and a second surface opposite said first surface, ones of said spring contact structures comprising contact portions disposed in a pattern that corresponds to terminals of an electronic device to be tested;

a wiring substrate comprising an electrical interface connectable to a tester configured to control testing of said electronic device, wherein ones of said spring contact structures are electrically connected to said electrical interface; and

flexible electrical connections disposed between and electrically connecting said wiring substrate and said probe substrate; and

studs connected to said drive plate and extending toward said probe substrate, each said stud positioned to apply a force to a different region of said second surface of said probe substrate,

wherein a first of said studs positioned to apply a force to a first of said regions comprises an actuator that can be activated to selectively push said first of said regions toward and pull said first of said regions away from said drive plate to bend said probe substrate sufficiently to change a shape of said probe substrate.

2. The probe card assembly of claim 1, wherein said actuator is a push-pull actuator configured to move said first region by selectively pushing said first region away from said drive plate and pulling said first region toward said drive plate while a second one of said studs keeps a second one of said regions of said second surface of said probe substrate stationary with respect to said drive plate.

3. The probe card assembly of claim 2, wherein said actuator comprises a differential screw.

4. The probe card assembly of claim 3, wherein said differential screw comprises a first screw threaded into a second screw.

5. The probe card assembly of claim 2, wherein said second region is a central region of said second surface of said probe substrate.

6. The probe card assembly of claim 5, wherein said first region is disposed away from said central region of said second surface.

7. The probe card assembly of claim 1, wherein said drive plate is stiffer than said wiring substrate.

8. The probe card assembly of claim 1, wherein said flexible electrical connections comprise an interposer.

9. The probe card assembly of claim 1, wherein said spring contact structures are free-standing.

10. The probe card assembly of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said studs each comprise an actuator that can be activated to selectively move a corresponding one of said plurality of regions toward and away from said drive plate to bend said probe substrate.

11. The probe card assembly of claim 10, wherein:

said first region is a central region of said second surface of said probe substrate, and

said plurality of regions are spaced away from and around said first region.

12. The probe card assembly of claim 11, wherein said flexible electrical connections maintain electrical connections between said wiring substrate and said probe substrate as any of said first stud and said plurality of studs bend said probe substrate.

13. The probe card assembly of claim 12, wherein said first stud and said plurality of studs can bend said probe substrate sufficiently to put said contact portions of said spring contact structures into a same plane.

14. The probe card assembly of claim 1, wherein said flexible electrical connections maintain electrical connections between said wiring substrate and said probe substrate as said first stud bends said probe substrate.