The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 27, 2004
Filed:
Jan. 11, 2002
Yu-Ting Liao, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Fu-Sung Liu, Tainan, TW;
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsin Chu, TW;
Abstract
An apparatus and method for testing the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor wafer, including integrated circuit components thereof. An outer layer surrounds an inside needle, such that the outer layer comprises a hard material, which can penetrate through a semiconductor layer to permit subsequent testing of at least one semiconductor integrated circuit component located below the semiconductor layer. The inside needle may be adapted to electrically contact one or more electrical semiconductor circuit components located below the semiconductor layer. The inside needle generally comprises a prober, while the outer layer generally comprises a piercer. The outer layer may be configured from a hard material, such as diamond or carborundum. The inside needle and the outer layer together form a concentric double layer structure prober. The outer layer generally comprises a sheath formed from a hard dielectric material, such that the sheath comprises a piercer.