US 11,112,454 B2 · Antenna-coupled radio frequency (RF) probe with a replaceable tip

Abstract

Described herein are antenna-coupled radio frequency (RF) probes with replaceable tips. In the described embodiments, test signals are coupled onto a probe tip wafer via an on-tip antenna, thus the probe tip is decoupled from the probe body. This allows for separate fabrication of the probe body and the probe tip. As such, the probe tip can be made available as a “commodity” and the user can simply replace a worn-out or damaged probe tip, providing significant savings in per-unit cost and operation cost of the new contact probes. The decoupling of probe tip and probe body allows for manual replacement of probe tip without the need for extremely accurate alignment which is typically required in extremely high frequency probes. Manual replacement of the tips is only possible due to the much less stringent alignment requirements afforded by the antenna coupling from the probe body to the probe tip.

Claims29

Dependent claims

An antenna-coupled radio frequency (RF) probe with a replaceable tip comprising:

a probe tip;
one or more transmission lines connected to the probe tip;
one or more antenna connected to the one or more transmission lines;
and
a probe body, wherein the probe body comprises at least a focusing device, wherein the focusing device focuses signals received by the focusing device such that they are routed to a desired location,
wherein at least one of the one or more antenna comprise one or more direct-current (DC) bias pads, wherein the DC bias pads of the one or more antenna allow for direct current injection bias to be applied to a device under test.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Antenna-coupled radio frequency (RF) probe with a replaceable tip

Life of this patent

Antenna-coupled radio frequency (RF) probe with a replaceable tip

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29