International Business Machines Corporation

Steven J Duda

Gobinda Das

Paul M Gaschke

William Joseph Murphy

Matthew J Farinelli

Samuel McKnight

Frederic Beaulieu

Adreanne Kelly

John F Vetrero

Frederick L Taber, Jr

Angelo M Giaimo

Techniques for bond pad fabrication are provided. In one aspect, a method of forming a bond pad comprises the following steps. At least one alloying element is selectively introduced to at least a portion of at least one surface of the bond pad. The at least one alloying element is diffused into at least a portion of the bond pad through one or more thermal cycles. The at least one alloying element may be selectively introduced to the bond pad by depositing an alloying element layer comprising the at least one alloying element onto the bond pad and patterning and etching at least a portion of the layer.

Techniques for improving bond pad performance

A nonresilient rigid test probe arrangement which is designed for testing the integrity of silicon semiconductor device wafers or chips, and which eliminates pliant conditions encountered by current text fixtures, which are adverse to the attainment of satisfactory test results with rigid probes. The test system interface assembly includes a rigid ceramic substrate which forms a pedestal over which the rigid probe makes electrical contact. A PC board is located on the opposite side of the ceramic substrate. A clamp ring retains the PC board to a test head system with mating precision reference surfaces formed therebetween. Pogo pin connectors extend between the PC board and the test head system. A stiffening element having a control aperture is bolted through the PC board to the clamp ring, all of which form a rigid test probe arrangement.

Wafer probe interface arrangement with nonresilient probe elements and support structure

A probe system for electrical contact testing of a row of densely spaced wire bonding pads is provided comprising a plurality of probes, with each probe having a tip offset from the probe center axis. The probes may be mounted in a housing having an upper die and a lower die, and the lower die may be offset from the upper die. The probes are pivotally mounted in the holes of the upper die, and the probe bodies are convexly curved and extend down into the holes of the lower die. The bevel tipped probes may be arranged in two staggered and parallel rows of probes, with the tip of each probe oriented along the centerline formed between the two row of probes. The probes may be closely spaced in each row. The tips of the probes in one row are oriented 180 degrees with respect to the probes in the opposite row. The tips of each probe may also comprise a tip located along the center axis or a double bevel surface forming a tip at the apex of the two bevel surfaces.

Off-axis contact tip and dense packing design for a fine pitch probe

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Underhill Center, VT, United States of America

Steven J Duda