Cantilever microprobes for contacting electronic components and methods for making such probes

• US 7,511,523 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2007
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• 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: Smalley, Dennis R., Bang, Christopher A., Kruglick, Ezekiel J. J., Chen, Richard T., Lembrikov, Pavel B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tang; Minh N
• Application Number:
  US11/695,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20070170943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/755.01
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/02 Electroplating of selected surface areas
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0483 Sockets for un-leaded IC's having matrix type contact fields, e.g. BGA or PGA devices; Sockets for unpackaged, naked chips for IC's with connecting points around the edges only G01R1/0433
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06711 Probe needles; Cantilever beams; "Bump" contacts; Replaceable probe pins
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06716 Elastic
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06727 Cantilever beams
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06738 related to tip portion
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06744 Microprobes, i.e. having dimensions as IC details
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06755 Material aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07342 the body of the probe being at an angle other than perpendicular to test object, e.g. probe card
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07357 with flexible bodies, e.g. buckling beams
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 3/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of measuring instruments , e.g. of probe tips
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2886 Features relating to contacting the IC under test, e.g. probe heads; chucks G01R31/2865 takes precedence, test connections, e.g. test sockets, or probes per se, G01R1/04 or G01R1/06

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to compliant probe structures for making temporary or permanent contact with electronic circuits and the like. In particular, embodiments are directed to various designs of cantilever-like probe structures. Some embodiments are directed to methods for fabricating such cantilever structures. In some embodiments, for example, cantilever probes have extended base structures, slide in mounting structures, multi-beam configurations, offset bonding locations to allow closer positioning of adjacent probes, compliant elements with tensional configurations, improved over travel, improved compliance, improved scrubbing capability, and/or the like.

Claims

1. An elongated cantilever probe for making contact with an electronic circuit element, comprising:

at least one elongated base element which is bonded to a pad on a surface of a substrate via a meltable bonding material;

a support element which extends from a portion of the base element such that a portion of the elongated base element is not covered by the support element;

an elongated cantilever portion which extends in a substantially horizontal direction and which has a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end contacts the support element, and wherein a footprint of the at least one elongated base element underlies at least a portion of the cantilever portion but does not extend beyond the distal end of the cantilever portion; and

a tip portion which is located at or near the distal end of the cantilever portion which is used to make electrical contact with a pad on the electronic circuit element.

2. The cantilever probe of claim 1 wherein the portion of the cantilever portion comprises at least 25% of the cantilever portion.

3. The cantilever probe of claim 2 wherein the at least 25% comprises at least 50%.

4. The cantilever probe of claim 2 wherein the at least 25% comprises at least 75%.

5. The cantilever probe of claim 1 wherein the cantilever portion comprising a plurality of beam elements spaced from one another along a vertical axis.

6. The cantilever probe of claim 1 wherein the cantilever portion narrows with distance from the support element along at least part of the length of the elongated cantilever portion.

7. The cantilever probe of claim 1 wherein the cantilever portion is a first cantilever portion and wherein the tip portion comprises pedestal on which a second cantilever portion extents and on which a contact portion is located, wherein the second cantilever portion has width which is narrower than a width of the first cantilever portion.

8. The cantilever probe of claim 1 wherein the elongated base element, the support element, the cantilever element, and the tip portion are formed by a plurality of deposition operations and are connected to on another upon formation and thereafter the bonding of the base element to the substrate via the bonding material occurs.

9. The cantilever probe of claim 1 wherein the elongated base element contacts is bonded to the substrate via at least two separated regions of bonding material.