International Business Machines Corporation

The Mitre Corporation

The United States of America As Represented by the National Security Agency

Grant W Wagner

David Michael Audette

Pankaj Rohatgi

David Lewis Gardell

Dustin M Fregeau

Dennis R Conti

Angela Marie Schuett

Zhen Liu

Anton Viktorovich Riabov

Pau-Chen Cheng

Marc Douglas Knox

Peter W Neff

Paul Ashley Karger

Kay Schwendimann Anderson

Shai Halevi

Ronald Perez

Trent Ray Jaeger

Michael Steiner

Charles Leon Arvin

Genady Grabarnik

Ramakrishnan Srikant

Nagui Halim

Mark David Feblowitz

Ralf Rantzau

Frederick H Roy, Iii

Jacob Louis Moore

Brian Michael Erwin

Laura Louise Kosbar

Alexandre Valentinovich Evfimievski

Keith C Stevens

Weifeng Chen

S Jay Chey

Eugene R Atwood

Joshua D Guttman

Brian T Sniffen

Amy L Herzog

Peter A Loscocco

Ariel Segall

Doreen D DiMilia

Genady Ya Grabarnik

Sankeerth Rajalingam

Jonathan K Millen

John D Ramsdell

Justin Sheehy

Trenton Ray Jaeger

Angela Schuett Reninger

George S Coker, Ii

Alexandre V Evfunievski

Robert V Meushaw

Mark S Schneider

Donald N Simard

Daniel J Murphy

Melissa Keefe

Marc Lelarge

An IC device test probe has one or more clusters of a plurality of tapered probe tips that taper upon a taper plane that is orthogonal to a seating direction or force vector of the IC device test probe toward the IC device. Each of the plurality of tapered probe tips is seated against one contact of the IC device. In this manner, the IC device test probe is seated against multiple contacts and may therefore apply test signal(s) to these contacts serially, simultaneously, or the like. The IC device test probe allows the seating to small pitch IC devices and associated testing thereof. This allows for electrical characterization of the IC device by the same test signal(s) through the IC device test probe and ultimately through multiple contacts. The forces associated with seating the IC device test probe against the IC device contacts is effectively spread across multiple contacts.

Clustered rigid wafer test probe

Aspects of the invention include a wafer test device with a conformal laminate and rigid probes extending from the laminate to form an electrical connection with a microcircuit under test. The wafer test device also includes a spring plate on a side of the laminate that is opposite a side from which the rigid probes extend. The spring plate includes a conformal inner frame and a rigid outer frame. The laminate is attached to the inner frame of the spring plate.

Compliant wafer probe assembly

A wafer test device includes a test interconnect to interface with a microcircuit of the wafer at a first side and an interposer to interface with the test interconnect at a second side of the test interconnect, opposite the first side. The interposer connects the test interconnect, via a printed circuit board (PCB), to a test apparatus that determines and controls test patterns that are applied to the microcircuit via the test interconnect. A support structure supports the test interconnect and the interposer. The support structure includes an inner bearing to tilt the test interconnect to match a tilt of a surface of the microcircuit. An elastomer between the test interconnect and the interposer reduces deflection of the test interconnect during a process of connecting the test interconnect to the microcircuit.

Wafer probe with elastomer support

A wafer test device and methods of assembling a wafer test device involve a first laminate structure, and a second laminate structure arranged to interface with a microcircuit of the wafer. The wafer test device includes a compliant layer between the first laminate structure and the second laminate structure. The compliant layer includes an elastomer that exhibits compliance within a limited range of movement.

Compliant organic substrate assembly for rigid probes

Aspects of the invention include a method of tuning an interconnect that couples a first structure that is a first integrated circuit or a first laminate structure to a second structure that is a second integrated circuit or a second laminate structure. The method includes obtaining a compression requirement for a spring in a compliant layer of the interconnect. A longer path length of the spring leads to greater compression and mechanical support. Current and signal speed requirements for the interconnect are obtained. A shorter path length of the spring leads to greater current-carrying capacity and greater signal speed. Specifications for the spring are determined based on the compression requirement and the current and signal speed requirements. Determining the specifications includes determining a number of active coils of the spring to be less than two.

Interconnect and tuning thereof

Embodiments herein describe structures of low-force wafer test probes and formation thereof. Structures of low-force wafer test probes and their formation via gray scale etch or electroplating is described. Structures are described that include a lower base structure on top of a substrate and an upper blade structure on top of the lower base structure. In various embodiments, a crown of a C4 bump is accommodated by one or both of: i) a cavity present in the lower base structure; and ii) a height of the upper blade structure. Processes for fabricating probe structures are described that include forming lower base structures upon a substrate and forming upper blade structures on top of the lower base structures. The upper blade structures include at least one blade. Each of the blade(s) include a cutting edge that points toward a center point within the probe structure.

Low-force wafer test probes

A probe card assembly for nondestructive integrated circuit testing is disclosed. The probe card assembly includes an outer gimbal bearing with a tapered bearing surface being mounted on a top surface of a printed circuit board. The probe card assembly further includes an inner gimbal bearing with a spherical bearing surface which contacts the tapered bearing surface of the outer gimbal bearing at a single point of contact about a circumference thereof. The probe card assembly further includes a spring plate mounted to the outer gimbal bearing, providing a downward force to a substrate.

Probe card assembly

A semiconductor die is aligned to a test probe by placing the semiconductor die onto a flat upper surface of a test stage with solder balls of the die facing upward, fluidizing motion of the die with reference to the test stage by pulsing gas between the die and the upper surface of the test stage, and coarse aligning the die with reference to the test stage by moving the die until adjacent edges of the die contact corner guides that are disposed on the test stage. Further, the method includes raising the test stage toward the test probe until an alignment feature of the test probe engages a first solder ball of the die, and fine aligning the die with reference to the test probe by continuing to raise the test stage until a second solder ball of the die fits into a test cup of the test probe.

Fluidized alignment of a semiconductor die to a test probe

A probe includes a pedestal and at least one feature extending from the pedestal to engage a surface of a corresponding contact at a position offset from a central longitudinal axis of the contact. The pedestal includes a cavity and the feature can include one or more blades that extend from a periphery of the cavity to a central longitudinal axis of the pedestal. The three blades are configured to engage the surface of the contact. The three blades can be positioned within the cavity to provide a 120-degree rotational symmetry about the central longitudinal axis of the pedestal.

Low force wafer test probe

An integrated circuit (IC) device tester includes contact probes. A liner is formed upon the contact probes. The liner includes a matrix of metal particles and glass particles. The metal particles of the liner allow the contact probe to pass an electrical current through the liner. The glass particles of the liner prevent C4 material from adhering to the liner.

Integrated circuit tester probe contact liner

A method of treating a material on a probe is provided. The method includes the steps of immersing a probe tip into a first fluid, wherein the probe tip includes one or more oxidized metallic fragments on a surface of the probe tip; polarizing the probe tip, through a counter electrode, with a negative current to reduce the one or more oxidized metallic fragments to one or more substantially unoxidized metallic fragments; removing the probe tip from the first fluid; immersing the probe in a second fluid, wherein the second fluid is a complexer for the one or more substantially unoxidized metallic fragments; and polarizing the probe tip with a positive current, through the counter electrode, wherein the positive current oxidizes the one or more substantially unoxidized metallic fragments.

Electrochemical cleaning of test probes

An integrated circuit (IC) device tester includes contact probes. A liner is formed upon the contact probes. The liner includes a matrix of an electrical conductor and glass. The conductor of the liner provides for the contact probe to be electrically connected to the IC device contact. The glass of the liner prevents IC device contact material adhering thereto. The liner may be formed by applying a conductive glass frit upon a probe card that includes the probe contacts and locally thermally conditioning the conductive glass frit upon contact probes. By locally thermally conditioning the conductive glass frit, the temperature of the probe card may be maintained below a critical temperature that damages the probe card.

A system for testing functionality of die on a wafer including a plurality of contacts includes a support structure and a plurality of probes mounted to the support structure in an array. A configuration of each of the plurality of probes varies based on a position of the probe within the array to maintain uniform engagement between the plurality of probes and a corresponding plurality of contacts across the array.

Low force wafer test probe with variable geometry

A probe includes a pedestal and at least one feature extending from the pedestal to engage a surface of a corresponding contact at a position offset from a central longitudinal axis of the contact.

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Burlington, VT, United States of America

Grant W Wagner