US 11,630,127 B2Granted

Multi-layer, multi-material micro-scale and millimeter-scale devices with enhanced electrical and/or mechanical properties

AssigneeUniversity of Southern California

InventorsMing Ting Wu, Rulon J. Larsen, III, Young Kim, Kieun Kim, Adam L. Cohen, Ananda H. Kumar, Michael S. Lockard, Dennis R. Smalley

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Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention are directed to electrochemical fabrication methods for forming structures or devices (e.g. microprobes for use in die level testing of semiconductor devices) from a core material and a shell or coating material that partially coats the surface of the structure. Other embodiments are directed to electrochemical fabrication methods for producing structures or devices (e.g. microprobes) from a core material and a shell or coating material that completely coats the surface of each layer from which the probe is formed including interlayer regions. Additional embodiments of the invention are directed to electrochemical fabrication methods for forming structures or devices (e.g. microprobes) from a core material and a shell or coating material wherein the coating material is located around each layer of the structure without locating the coating material in inter-layer regions.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A spring probe for use as an electronic contact element, comprising:

a) a first tip;
and
b) a body portion connected to the first tip wherein at least a portion of the body portion provides spring compliance when the first tip contacts an electronic component;
wherein the first tip and the body portion, as a whole, comprise at least two planar layers with a first planar layer joined to a second planar layer, wherein the first planar layer has a first and a second planar boundary separated by a thickness of the first planar layer, wherein the second planar layer has a first and second planar boundary separated by a thickness of the second layer, and wherein each of the first and second boundaries are substantially planar and parallel to one another,
wherein a boundary of one of the at least one first planar layer joins the first boundary of the second planar layer,
wherein the second layer comprises a core structural material and a shell structural material, wherein both the core and shell structural materials are located at the first boundary of the second layer;
wherein the core structural material has side walls and has a planar intermediate surface that is located between, and parallel to, the first and second boundaries of the second layer, wherein the core structural material is bounded by the shell structural material located between the core structural material and the second boundary of the second layer and is also bounded along at least a portion of core structural material sides by the shell structural material,
wherein the shell structural material on the sides of the core structural material is not planarized at a level that is coplanar with the intermediate surface,
wherein the core structural material and the shell structural material are different materials, and
wherein both the core structural material and the shell structural materials comprise metals.

7 more elements

A spring probe for use as an electronic contact element, comprising:

a) a first tip;
and
b) a body portion joined with the first tip wherein at least a portion of the body portion provides spring compliance when the first tip contacts an electronic component;
wherein the first tip and the body portion, as a whole, comprise at least one first planar layer joined to a second planar layer, the first planar layer has a first and a second planar boundary separated by a thickness of the first planar layer, wherein the second planar layer has a first and second planar boundary separated by a thickness of the second layer, and wherein each of the first and second boundaries are substantially planar and parallel to one another,
wherein a boundary of one of the at least one first planar layer joins the first boundary of the second planar layer,
wherein the second layer comprises at least one core structural material and at least one shell structural material wherein, at least one of the at least one core structural material and at least one of the at least one shell structural material are located at the first boundary of the second layer;
wherein at least one of the at least one core structural material has side walls and has a planar intermediate surface that is located between, and parallel to, the first and second boundaries of the second layer, wherein at least one of the at least one core structural material is bounded by at least one of the at least one shell structural material that is located between the core structural material and the second boundary of the second layer and is also bounded along at least a portion of core structural material sides by at least one of the at least one shell structural material,
wherein the at least one shell structural material on the sides of the core structural material is not planarized at a level that is coplanar with the intermediate surface, and
wherein both the core structural material and the shell structural materials comprise metals.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/839,888Filed 3 Apr 2020 · continuation
Priority: 16 Oct 2009
Published: US 2020/0292579 A117 Sep 2020
Granted: 18 Apr 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G01R 1/06761
Material aspects: related to layers
B32B 15/01
Layered products comprising a layer of metal: all layers being exclusively metallic
Y10T 428/12486
All metal or with adjacent metals: laterally noncoextensive components [e.g., embedded, etc.]
G01R
Measuring electric variables

Family

Application61/252,633Us provisional application · filed 16 Oct 2009
Application12/906,970Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Oct 2010
Application14/017,535Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Sep 2013
US 8,613,846 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Dec 2013
Application14/986,500Parent of this division · filed 31 Dec 2015
US 9,671,429 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Jun 2017
Application16/236,221Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Dec 2018
US 10,215,775 B2Parent of this division · filed 26 Feb 2019
US 10,641,792 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 5 May 2020
US 2020/0292579 A1Pre-grant publication · published 17 Sep 2020
Application16/236,221Parent of this division
Application14/986,500Parent of this continuation
US 2011/0132767 A1Published application
US 2014/0134453 A1Published application
US 2016/0231356 A1Published application
US 2018/0080956 A9Published application
US 2019/0212364 A1Published application
US 11,630,127 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.