Touchdown Technologies, Inc.

Cisco Technology, Inc.

Nim Tea

Raffi Garabedian

Melvin Khoo

Salleh Ismail

Weilong Tang

Yang Hsu

Steven Wang

Heather Karklin

Tseng-Yang Hsu

Ting Hu

Zhiyong An

Lakshimikanth Namburi

Shaoning Lu

Sudharshan Bhat

Kirk Evans

Keith O'Hara

Richard Yabuki

The present invention relates to A microfabricated tip and post structure comprising a post having a rough top surface that diffuses incident light and a cross-section, and a tip, lithographically plated on the rough top surface of the post, having a smooth reflective surface appropriate for automatic vision recognition, and having a cross-section that is less than the cross-section of the post.

Post and tip design for a probe contact

A novel probe design is presented that increases a probe tolerance to stress fractures. The probe includes a base, a torsion element connected to the base, and a second element connected to the torsion element through a union angle. The union angle includes an interface between the torsion element and the second element, and the edge of the interface is shaped to diffuse stress. What is further-disclosed are three features that increase stress tolerance. These features include a various union angle interface edge shapes, pivot cutouts and buffers.

Probe for testing semiconductor devices with features that increase stress tolerance

A probe card assembly has a probe contactor substrate having a plurality of probe contactor tips thereon and a probe card wiring board with an interposer disposed between the two. Support posts contacting the probe contactor substrate are vertically adjustable until secured by a locking mechanism which is coupled to the probe card wiring board. When the posts are secured in a fixed position, the position is one in which the plane of the plurality of probe contactor substrates is substantially parallel to a predetermined reference plane.

Method of forming probe card assembly

Probe card assembly and method of forming same

The present invention relates to a probe for making electrical connection to a contact pad on a microelectronic device. A foot having a length, a thickness, a width, a proximal end, and a distal end, is connected to a substrate. The length of the foot is greater than its width. A torsion bar having a length, a width, a thickness, a proximal end, and a distal end, is connected to the distal end of the foot at the proximal end of torsion bar. The torsion bar lies in a first plane. A spacer having a length, a width, and a thickness, is connected to the distal end of the torsion bar. An arm having a length, a width, a thickness, a proximal end, and a distal end is connected to said spacer at the arms proximal end. The arm lies in a second plane and the second plane is in a different plane than the first plane. A first post having a top side and a bottom side is connected to the arm near the distal end of the arm. A tip is electrically connected to the top side of the post.

Torsion spring probe contactor design

A hybrid probe design is presented that includes a torsion element and a bending element. These elements allow the probe to store the displacement energy as torsion or as bending. The probe includes a base, a torsion element, a bending element, and a tip. The probe elastically deforms to absorb the displacement energy as the probe tip contacts the DUT contact pad. The bending element absorbs some of the displacement energy through bending. Because the torsion element and the bending element join at an angle, a portion of the displacement energy is transferred to the torsion element causing it to twist (torque). The torsion element can also bend to accommodate the storage of energy through torsion and bending. Adjusting the position of a pivot can alter the probe's energy absorption characteristics. One or more additional angular elements may be added to change the energy absorption characteristics of the probe.

Hybrid probe for testing semiconductor devices

A novel method and structure for counter-balancing a lateral force exerted by a probe card onto a device under test ('DUT') is disclosed. Many DUTs (particularly memory devices) are tested in parallel (i.e., many die at a time) and have unequal numbers of contact pads on top vs. bottom and/or right vs. left sides of the die. The probe card used to test the DUT would necessarily have an uneven distribution of probes that match the contact pads and, as a consequence, may exert a net lateral force on the DUT. By manipulating the individual characteristics of the individual probes, a probe card may be constructed that zeroes the lateral force. Characteristics such as the direction and stiffness of the individual probes can be varied to zero the net lateral force.

Probe card with balanced lateral force

A localized and distributive optical switching control system is separated into three localized systems: a sensor system, a processor system, and a position driver system. The sensor system detects the light transmission efficiency from the input port to the output port, and sends an error signal to the processor system; the processor system processes the error signal and, based upon predefined compensators and control algorithms, generates a control output signal to rectify the error to the sending and/or receiving position driver(s); the position driver(s) receives the control output signal then repositions the sending and/or receiving mirror(s) to the desired position for optimum signal transmission. The amount of communication data and the amount of routing paths between components are reduced, thus decreasing system reaction time and heat generated, allowing controls to be installed on smaller circuits, such as ASIC, and the arrays to be placed closer together.

Distributive optical switching control system

A novel method for providing bump structures that can be formed by conventional stud bump bonding techniques is disclosed. The bumps can be arranged in a buttressed configuration that allows for substantial lateral and vertical contact loads, and substantial heights. A side-by-side configuration may be used to build a stacked bump contact that is substantially taller and stronger than is possible under current techniques. Other arrangements can be selected to optimize the load bearing capacity in any direction or combination of directions.

Stacked contact bump

A probe card assembly has a probe contractor substrate having a plurality of probe contractor tips thereon and a probe card wiring board with an interposer disposed between the two. Support posts contacting the probe contractor substrate are vertically adjustable until secured by a locking mechanism which is coupled to the probe card wiring board. When the posts are secured in a fixed position, the position is one in which the plane of the plurality of probe contractor substrates is substantially parallel to a predetermined reference plane.

Probe card assembly

The present invention relates to a process for forming microstructures on a substrate. A plating surface is applied to a substrate. A first layer of photoresist is applied on top of the plating base. The first layer of photoresist is exposed to radiation in a pattern to render the first layer of photoresist dissolvable in a first pattern. The dissolvable photoresist is removed and a first layer of primary metal is electroplated in the area where the first layer of photoresist was removed. The remainder of the photoresist is then removed and a second layer of photoresist is then applied over the plating base and first layer of primary metal. The second layer of photoresist is then exposed to a second pattern of radiation to render the photoresist dissolvable and the dissolvable photoresist is removed. The second pattern is an area that surrounds the primary structure, but it does not entail the entire substrate. Rather it is an island surrounding the primary metal. The exposed surface of the secondary metal is then machined down to a desired height of the primary metal. The secondary metal is then etched away.

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Orange, CA, United States of America

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