# US 11,994,555 B2 · Probe card with angled probe and wafer testing method using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,555 B2 - Document ID: US11994555B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/460,205 - Filed: 2021-08-28 - Published: 2021-12-16 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-24 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yuan-Chun Wu; Chang-Chun Xu; Ni Shen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994555B2 ## CPC - G01R 31/2891: {related to sensing or controlling of force, position, temperature (G01R31/2874 takes precedence; sensing of force G01L; sensing of position G01B, G01D; sensing of temperature G01K; controlling in general G05)} - G01R 31/2831: {Testing of materials or semi-finished products, e.g. semiconductor wafers or substrates (G01R31/318511 takes precedence; testing during manufacture H10P74/00)} - G01R 31/2884: {using dedicated test connectors, test elements or test circuits on the IC under test (G01R31/2855 takes precedence)} - H10P 74/277: {Circuits for electrically characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes, e.g. circuits in tested chips or circuits in testing wafers} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A probe card includes a circuit board, a fixing member, and a plurality of probes. The fixing member is fixed on the circuit board and has a through opening therein. The fixing member has opposite first and second sidewalls defining the through opening. Each of the probes includes an arm portion and a tip portion. One end of the arm portion is connected to the circuit board. The tip portion extends from the arm portion. The arm portions of the probes extend in substantially a same direction inclined to a direction perpendicular to the first sidewall of the fixing member in a top view. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A probe card, comprising: a circuit board; a fixing member fixed on the circuit board and having a through opening therein, wherein the fixing member has opposite first and second sidewalls defining the through opening; and a plurality of probes, each of the probes comprising: an arm portion, wherein one end of the arm portion is connected to the circuit board; and a tip portion extending from the arm portion, wherein the arm portions of the probes extend in substantially a same direction inclined to a direction perpendicular to the first sidewall of the fixing member in a top view, the fixing member further has opposite third and fourth sidewalls defining the through opening and connected to the first and second sidewalls, and a length of the first sidewall is greater than a length of the third sidewall in the top view, the arm portions of the probes extend in the same direction further inclined to a direction perpendicular to the third sidewall of the fixing member in the top view. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The probe card of claim 1, wherein the second sidewall of the fixing member is free of probes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The probe card of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the fixing member is higher than a bottom surface of the circuit board. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The probe card of claim 1, wherein the fixing member is in contact with a bottom surface of the circuit board. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The probe card of claim 1, wherein an arrangement of the probes is asymmetric with respect to a central line of the first sidewall of the fixing member in the top view. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The probe card of claim 1, wherein the third sidewall of the fixing member is free of probes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The probe card of claim 1, wherein the third and fourth sidewalls of the fixing member are free of probes. ### Claim 8 A probe card, comprising: a fixing member having opposite first and second sidewalls defining a through opening therebetween; a circuit board laterally surrounding a top portion of the fixing member such that a bottom portion of the fixing member is below a bottom surface of the circuit board; and a plurality of probes connected to the circuit board, wherein each of the probes comprises: an arm portion extending from the circuit board, through the fixing member, to the through opening of the fixing member; and a tip portion connected to the arm portion, wherein extending directions of the tip portions of the probes are substantially the same and are inclined to a direction perpendicular to the first sidewall of the fixing member in a top view. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The probe card of claim 8, wherein a third sidewall of the fixing member extends from a first edge of the first sidewall of the fixing member to a first edge of the second sidewall of the fixing member, the through opening of the fixing member is defined at least partially by the first, second, and third sidewalls of the fixing member, and the third sidewall of the fixing member is free of probes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The probe card of claim 9, wherein a fourth sidewall of the fixing member extends from a second edge of the first sidewall of the fixing member to a second edge of the second sidewall of the fixing member, the through opening of the fixing member is defined at least partially by the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls of the fixing member, and the fourth sidewall of the fixing member is free of probes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The probe card of claim 10, wherein each of the arm portions of the probes is angled away from the fourth sidewall of the fixing member when viewed from above. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The probe card of claim 8, wherein the tip portions of the probes are substantially parallel with each other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The probe card of claim 8, wherein the through opening of the fixing member is substantially rectangular when viewed from above. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The probe card of claim 8, wherein the first sidewall of the fixing member is substantially parallel to the second sidewall of the fixing member. ### Claim 15 A method comprising: placing a wafer on a wafer holder, wherein the wafer has a plurality of testing pads, and the plurality of testing pads of the wafer are arranged along a first direction; moving a probe card toward the wafer, the probe card comprising: a circuit board; a fixing member having a through opening therein, wherein the through opening of the fixing member is defined at least partially by opposite first and second sidewalls; and a plurality of probes, each of the probes comprising: an arm portion, wherein one end of the arm portion is connected to the circuit board; and a tip portion extending from the arm portion; and aligning the tip portions of the probes with the plurality of testing pads such that sidewalls of the plurality of testing pads are substantially parallel to the first sidewall of the fixing member and are oblique to extending directions of the arm portions of the probes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising after aligning the tip portions of the probes with the plurality of testing pads, moving the probes along the extending directions of the arm portions of the probes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein moving the probe card toward the wafer is performed such that each of the tip portions of the probes crosses a central axis of each of the plurality of testing pads. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein an angle between one of the sidewalls of the plurality of testing pads and one of the extending directions of the arm portions of the probes ranges from about 40 degrees to about 55 degrees. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the second sidewall of the fixing member is free of probes. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the through opening of the fixing member is substantially rectangular when viewed from above.