Method of replacing an existing contact of a wafer probing assembly

• US 9,429,638 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2013
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cascade Microtech Incorporated (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THIEM D
• Application Number:
  US13/854,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20130220513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 298/76, 294/020.1, 294/020.8, 294/021.1, 298/74, 298/77, 156/64, 156/98, 324/750.24, 324/754.07, 324/755.01, 324/755.09, 324/755.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/10 Removing layers, or parts of layers, mechanically or chemically
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06711 Probe needles; Cantilever beams; "Bump" contacts; Replaceable probe pins
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06772 High frequency probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0735 arranged on a flexible frame or film
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2891 related to sensing or controlling of force, position, temperature G01R31/2874 takes precedence; sensing of force G01L; sensing of position G01B, G01D; sensing of temperature G01K; controlling in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49126 Assembling bases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

The contacts of a probing apparatus are elastically supported on a replaceable coupon and electrically interconnected with conductors on a membrane or a space transformer.

Claims

1. A method of replacing an existing contact of a wafer probing assembly, the method comprising:

separating an existing coupon from a support surface of the wafer probing assembly, wherein the existing coupon includes an existing elastomeric layer and an existing contact, wherein the support surface is defined by a dielectric support and a support conductor, wherein the existing coupon is detachably affixed to the support surface by an existing adhesive bond, and further wherein the separating includes breaking the existing adhesive bond; and

detachably affixing a replacement coupon to the support surface of the wafer probing assembly with a replacement adhesive to form a replacement adhesive bond, wherein the replacement coupon includes a replacement elastomeric layer and a replacement contact, and further wherein the detachably affixing further includes establishing electrical communication between the replacement contact and the support conductor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dielectric support and the support conductor form a portion of a flexible membrane assembly, and further wherein the separating includes separating the existing coupon from the flexible membrane assembly.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dielectric support and the support conductor form a portion of a space transformer, and further wherein the separating includes separating the existing contact from the space transformer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes separating the existing contact from the support surface without separating the dielectric support from the wafer probing assembly.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the separating and the detachably adhering include re-using the dielectric support.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, subsequent to the separating and prior to the detachably adhering, the method further includes aligning the replacement coupon with the support surface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the aligning includes aligning the replacement contact with the support conductor to permit the electrical communication between the replacement contact and the support conductor subsequent to the detachably affixing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes initiating the method responsive to wear of the existing contact.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the existing contact is configured to engage a first selected location of a first device surface that is defined by a first device, wherein the replacement contact is configured to engage a second selected location of a second device surface that is defined by a second device, wherein the first selected location is different from the second selected location, and further wherein the method includes initiating the method subsequent to probing the first device with the wafer probing assembly and prior to probing the second device with the wafer probing assembly.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the replacement contact includes a rigid, elongate contact beam, a contact tip, and a post, wherein the contact tip extends from a first end of the contact beam, wherein the post extends from a second end of the contact beam, and further wherein the detachably affixing includes establishing electrical communication between the post and the support conductor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes testing a device with the wafer probing assembly, wherein the testing includes engaging a contact tip of the replacement coupon with a selected location on a device surface that is defined by the device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the replacement coupon is a first replacement coupon, wherein, subsequent to the testing, the method further includes repeating the separating to separate the first replacement coupon from the support surface, and further wherein, subsequent to the repeating the separating, the method further includes repeating the detachably affixing to detachably affix a second replacement coupon, which includes a second replacement elastomeric layer and a second replacement contact, to the support surface.