Hughes Aircraft Company

Hughes Electronics Corporation

Robert K Betz

Blake F Woith

William R Crumly

John Pasiecznik, Jr

A flexible membrane (12) of an integrated circuit chip test probe is provided with raised contact features (14) on one side arranged in the pattern of contact pads of the chip to be tested. During manufacture, the membrane, in the area of its raised contact features, is specifically shaped by applying a vacuum to the outside of the membrane and casting a solid resilient elastomer (26) in place on the other side of the membrane to act as a shape retaining solid backup and to provide an anti-drape (226) shaped membrane (212) or to ensure planarity (326) of the ends of the membrane contact features (314). The vacuum may be used to pull the membrane and its contacts against a shape defining mandrel (60, 260, 360) while the elastomer is cast into place.

Cast elastomer/membrane test probe assembly

A flexible membrane (12) of an integrated circuit chip test probe is provided with raised contact features (14) on one side arranged in the pattern of contact pads of the chip to be tested. During manufacture, the membrane, in the area of its raised contact features, is specifically shaped by applying a vacuum to the outside of the membrane and casting a solid resilient elastomer (26) in place on the other side of the membrane to act as a shape retaining solid backup and to provide an anti-drape (226) shaped membrane (212) or to ensure planarity (326) of the ends of the membrane contact features (314). The vacuum may be used to pull the membrane and its contacts against a shape defining mandrel (60,260,360) while the elastomer is cast into place.

Method of making a cast elastomer/membrane test probe assembly

A multi-layered flexible circuit comprises a plurality of electrical traces (52) formed on a rigid substrate (50) and each including a contact pad (56) from which is raised a projecting contact feature (58). The contact pads (56) and features (58) extend along a line or lines of such contact pads and connection features, and both the contact pads and the raised features carried thereby are supported at or above the plane of the circuit traces by a compressed molded elastomeric gasket (44) positioned adjacent and edge (66) of the rigid substrate that underlies the traces. The gasket directly underlies the line of contact pads and raised features and is incorporated during the lamination of the several layers.

Growing community of inventors

Long Beach, CA, United States of America

Robert K Betz