International Business Machines Corporation

Siegfried Tomaschko

Martin Eckert

Roland Dieterle

Quintino Lorenzo Trianni

Gabriele Kuczera

Eberhard Dengler

Otto Andreas Torreiter

Joerg Georg Appinger

Eckhard Kunigkeit

An adjustable load transmitter for adjusting an alignment between a probe card and a bridge beam of a wafer prober, where the probe card is separated from the bridge beam by a gap. The adjustable load transmitter located in the gap, the adjustable load transmitter comprising two rotatable plates adapted for transmitting a load via a load transmission path between the bridge beam and the wafer prober and each comprising two flat, non-parallel contact faces. The adjustable load transmitter removes an angular misalignment between the bridge beam and the set of plates by rotating each of the rotatable plates about a pre-determined adjustment angle such that two angles of inclination are adjusted to zero. The adjustable load transmitter establishes the load transmission path by closing a clearance between the bridge beam and the contact face.

Probe card alignment

The disclosure relates to an adjustable load transmitter for adjusting an alignment between planar members separated from each other by a gap. The load transmitter comprises a set of plates to be received inside the gap, the set comprising two rotatable plates and being adapted for transmitting a load via a load transmission path between the planar members. The load transmission path comprises the rotatable plates. Each of the plates comprises two flat, non-parallel contact faces, and one of the contact faces of the first rotatable plate is in permanent surface contact with one of the contact faces of the second rotatable plate. The rotatable plates are adapted for being rotated relative to each other around one of their respective normal axes.

Adjustable load transmitter

The disclosure relates to an adjustable load transmitter for adjusting an alignment between planar members separated from each other by a gap. The load transmitter comprises a set of plates to be received inside the gap, the set comprising two rotatable plates and being adapted for transmitting a load via a load transmission path between the planar members. The load transmission path comprises the rotatable plates. Each of the plates comprises two flat, non- parallel contact faces, and one of the contact faces of the first rotatable plate is in permanent surface contact with one of the contact faces of the second rotatable plate. The rotatable plates are adapted for being rotated relative to each other around one of their respective normal axes.

A wafer probe alignment system and method for aligning a probe to a chip wafer for testing a chip on the wafer are provided. At least two corners of the probe are adjustable in a same direction in relation to a primary corner of the probe. The alignment approach includes providing a grid of signal pins for corresponding contact pads of the chip under test, determining for each signal pin whether an electrical contact is established to a corresponding contact pad of the chip under contact force, and adjusting a position of each of the at least two corners by a corner individual delta position value with respect to the direction depending on a result of the determining in order to establish an electrical contact between each of the pins and the corresponding contact pads of the chip under test.

Wafer probe alignment

A water probe alignment system and method for aligning a probe to a chip wafer for testing a chip on the wafer are provided. At least two corners of the probe are adjustable in a same direction in relation to a primary corner of the probe. The alignment approach includes providing a grid of signal pins for corresponding contact pads of the chip under test, determining for each signal pin whether an electrical contact is established to a corresponding contact pad of the chip under contact force, and adjusting a position of each of the at least two corners by a corner individual delta position value with respect to the direction depending on a result of the determining in order to establish an electrical contact between each of the pins and the corresponding contact pads of the chip under test.

A test probe aligner for aligning a test probe card with devices under test of a wafer is provided. The test probe aligner includes a backer plate arranged with its bottom side to the test probe card, and a stiffener mounted to the test probe card outside a horizontal dimension of the backer plate. The stiffener and a top side of the backer plate end in a same plane above the test probe card. The alignment further includes a bridge beam locked to a top side of the stiffener. Furthermore, the test probe aligner also includes at least two actuators and at least two corresponding force measurement sensors below a top surface of the bridge beam, arranged such that forces are applicable to the test probe card.

Growing community of inventors

Neustadt, Germany

Siegfried Tomaschko