Microprobe tips and methods for making

• US 7,241,689 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2005
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microfabrica Incorporated (Technoprobe S.P.A.)
• Original Assignee: Microfabrica Incorporated (Technoprobe S.P.A.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Gang, Cohen, Adam L., Lockard, Michael S., Arat, Vacit, Kim, Kieun, Kruglick, Ezekiel J. J., Chen, Richard T., Kumar, Ananda H., Larsen, Willa M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Everhart; Caridad
• Application Number:
  US11/029,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20050253606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 438/689, 438/670, 438/678, 438/736, 257/E21.159, 257/E21.523, 257/E23.108
• US Class Current: 438/670
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/72 Detachable connecting means consisting of mechanical auxiliary parts connecting the device, e.g. pressure contacts using springs or clips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15747 Copper [Cu] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/187 with spring member in the socket

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the formation of microprobe tips elements having a variety of configurations. In some embodiments tips are formed from the same building material as the probes themselves, while in other embodiments the tips may be formed from a different material and/or may include a coating material. In some embodiments, the tips are formed before the main portions of the probes and the tips are formed in proximity to or in contact with a temporary substrate. Probe tip patterning may occur in a variety of different ways, including, for example, via molding in patterned holes that have been isotropically or anisotropically etched silicon, via molding in voids formed in over exposed photoresist, via molding in voids in a sacrificial material that have formed as a result of the sacrificial material mushrooming over carefully sized and located regions of dielectric material, via isotropic etching of a the tip material around carefully sized placed etching shields, via hot pressing, and the like.

Claims

1. A method for creating a contact structure, comprising a conductive contact tip for contacting a surface to be probed and a conductive compliant probe structure for providing a desired contact force between the contact tip and the surface to be probed, the method comprising:

forming the contact tip having a desired configuration; and

forming the compliant probe structure electrochemically, wherein the compliant probe structure is formed on the contact tip.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part from the mushrooming of an electrodeposited sacrificial material over a dielectric material.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part from a pattern etched in silicon.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part via molding contact tip material in voids formed in patterned photoresist.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part via etching of a patterned tip material.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part via isotropic etching of a tip material around etching shields.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip has a shape wherein the shape is derived at least in part via hot pressing.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip comprises a different material than the compliant probe structure.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip comprises the same material as the probe structure.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip comprises a coating material.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact tip comprises a conductive coating material and the probe structure comprises a conductive coating material.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the coating material on the tip is different from the coating material on the probe structure.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the coating material on the tip is the same as the coating material on the probe structure.

14. A method for creating a contact structure, comprising a conductive contact tip for contacting a surface to be probed and a conductive compliant probe structure for providing a desired contact force between the contact tip and the surface to be probed, comprising:

forming a contact tip having a desired configuration; and

forming compliant probe structure from a plurality of adhered layers of deposited conductive material, wherein the compliant probe structure is formed on the contact tip.