Probe head having a membrane suspended probe
First Claim
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1. A probe head comprising:
- (a) an elastic membrane having a first surface and an opposing second surface, said elastic membrane capable of exerting a restoring force when one of said first and said second surfaces is distorted; and
(b) a conductive probe comprising a beam having a first end and a second end, a probe tip for contacting a device under test proximate said first end of said beam, and a beam contact proximate said second end of said beam and exposed from said first surface of said elastic membrane, said beam movable to deform said second surface of said elastic membrane.
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Abstract
A probe head with membrane suspended probes.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A probe head comprising:
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(a) an elastic membrane having a first surface and an opposing second surface, said elastic membrane capable of exerting a restoring force when one of said first and said second surfaces is distorted; and
(b) a conductive probe comprising a beam having a first end and a second end, a probe tip for contacting a device under test proximate said first end of said beam, and a beam contact proximate said second end of said beam and exposed from said first surface of said elastic membrane, said beam movable to deform said second surface of said elastic membrane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A probe head comprising:
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(a) an elastic membrane having a first surface and an opposing second surface, said elastic membrane capable of exerting a restoring force when at least one of said first and said second surfaces is distorted;
(b) a conductive probe comprising a beam having a first end, a second end, and a depth;
a probe tip proximate said first end of said beam and projecting from said beam in a first direction; and
a beam contact proximate said second end of said beam exposed to contact from said first surface of said elastic membrane; and
(c) a first insulating member having a first surface engaging said beam and a second surface engaging said second surface of said elastic member, said first insulating member movable by said beam to deform said second surface of said elastic membrane. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A probing assembly comprising:
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(a) a space transformer including an exposed conductive space transformer contact;
(b) an elastic membrane having a first surface restrainable by said space transformer and an opposing second surface, said elastic membrane capable of exerting a restoring force when said second surface is distorted; and
(c) a conductive probe comprising a beam having a first end and a second end, a probe tip for contacting a device under test proximate said first end of said beam, and a beam contact proximate said second end of said beam and arranged to contact said space transformer contact, said beam movable to deform said second surface of said elastic membrane. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A probing assembly comprising:
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(a) a space transformer having a surface and including a conductive space transformer contact exposed at said surface;
(b) an elastic membrane having a first surface restrainable by said surface of said space transformer and an opposing second surface, said elastic membrane capable of exerting a restoring force when said second surface is distorted;
(c) a conductive probe comprising a beam having a first end, a second end, and a depth, a probe tip proximate said first end of said beam and projecting from said beam in a first direction, and a beam contact proximate said second end of said beam and arranged to contact said space transformer contact; and
(d) a first insulating member having a first surface engaging said beam and a second surface engaging said second surface of said elastic member, said insulating member movable by said beam to deform said second surface of said elastic membrane. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method of reducing an inductance of a needle card probe assembly including a needle card probe head and a space transformer having a space transformer contact arranged to interface with said needle card probe head, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) disengaging said needle card probe head from said space transformer; and
(b) engaging said space transformer with a membrane probe head comprising;
(i) an elastic membrane having a first surface restrainable by said space transformer and an opposing second surface, said elastic membrane capable of exerting a restoring force when second surface is distorted;
(ii) a conductive probe comprising a beam having a first end, a second end, and a depth, a probe tip proximate said first end of said beam and projecting from said beam in a first direction, and a beam contact proximate said second end of said beam and arranged to contact said space transformer contact; and
(iii) a first insulating member having a first surface engaging said beam and a second surface engaging said second surface of said elastic member, said insulating member movable by said beam to deform said second surface of said elastic membrane. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification