# US 12,111,343 B2 · Coaxial probe > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,111,343 B2 - Document ID: US12111343B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/989,406 - Filed: 2020-08-10 - Published: 2022-02-10 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2020-08-10 - Assignees: Xcerra Corporation - Applicants: Xcerra Corporation - Inventors: Yukang Feng; Jason Mroczkowski; Marty Cavegn - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111343B2 ## CPC - G01R 3/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture {or maintenance} of measuring instruments {, e.g. of probe tips} - G01R 1/06772: {High frequency probes} - G01R 1/07307: {with individual probe elements, e.g. needles, cantilever beams or bump contacts, fixed in relation to each other, e.g. bed of nails fixture or probe card} - G01R 1/07314: {the body of the probe being perpendicular to test object, e.g. bed of nails or probe with bump contacts on a rigid support (on an elastic support, e.g. a film, G01R1/0735)} - G01R 1/07342: {the body of the probe being at an angle other than perpendicular to test object, e.g. probe card} - G01R 31/2889: {Interfaces, e.g. between probe and tester (G01R31/31905 and G01R1/07364 take precedence)} - H10P 74/207: {Electrical properties, e.g. testing or measuring of resistance, deep levels or capacitance-voltage characteristics} - 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 An apparatus and method for the manufacturing and use in a semiconductor test system is disclosed. The apparatus includes a signal probe and a dielectric sleeve surrounding the signal probe. A method includes forming a mold to receive a component of a contactor assembly, inserting the component into the mold, and forming a dielectric sleeve in at least one of the one or more signal probe holes through an injection molding process. The component includes one or more signal probe holes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a radio-frequency signal probe comprising a first contact structure configured to contact a device under test at a first side and a second contact structure configured to contact a test circuit at a second side opposite the first side; and a plurality of dielectric sleeves surrounding the radio-frequency signal probe, wherein the dielectric sleeves are separated from each other along a length of the radio frequency signal probe, the length of the radio frequency signal probe extending between the first and second sides. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the dielectric sleeves comprise a liquid crystal polymer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the dielectric sleeves include two separated sleeves disposed adjacent to the first contact structure and the second contact structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio-frequency signal probe extends through a contactor assembly having no ground probe disposed therein. ### Claim 5 An apparatus comprising: a contactor assembly having a signal probe hole; a radio-frequency signal probe comprising a first contact structure configured to contact a device under test at a first side and a second contact structure configured to contact a test circuit at a second side opposite the first side; and a dielectric sleeve located in the signal probe hole and surrounding the radio frequency signal probe, wherein the contactor assembly has no ground probe disposed therein. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the radio-frequency signal probe is inserted through a plurality of dielectric sleeves, wherein the dielectric sleeves are separated from each other along a length of the radio frequency signal probe, the length of the radio frequency signal probe extending between the first and second sides. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a test circuit coupled to the test circuit contact and a device under test coupled to the device under test contact. ### Claim 8 An apparatus comprising: a contactor assembly having a signal probe hole; a dielectric sleeve located in the signal probe hole; and a radio frequency signal probe inserted into the dielectric sleeve, the radio frequency signal probe having a device under test contact and a test circuit contact, wherein the radio frequency signal probe has a return loss of less than between about minus 10 dB and about minus 30 dB between about 50 gigahertz and about 60 gigahertz. ### Claim 9 An apparatus comprising: a contactor assembly having a signal probe hole; a dielectric sleeve located in the signal probe hole; and a radio frequency signal probe inserted into the dielectric sleeve, the radio frequency signal probe having a device under test contact and a test circuit contact, wherein the radio frequency signal probe includes a plurality of radio frequency signal probes and each of the plurality of radio frequency signal probes exhibits a cross-talk value lower than about 35 dB below about 40 gigahertz and lower than about 25 dB between about 20 and 60 gigahertz. ### Claim 10 An apparatus comprising: a contactor assembly having a signal probe hole; a dielectric sleeve located in the signal probe hole; and a radio frequency signal probe inserted into the dielectric sleeve, the radio frequency signal probe having a device under test contact and a test circuit contact, wherein the radio frequency signal probe has an insertion loss of less than about 1.0 dB between about zero and about 60 GHz. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: forming a contactor having a signal probe hole, the signal probe hole including a plurality of dielectric sleeves located in the signal probe hole; inserting a radio-frequency probe into the dielectric sleeves such that the dielectric sleeves are separated from each other along a length of the radio frequency signal probe; and forming a first contact structure configured to contact a device under test at a first side of the radio-frequency signal probe and a second contact structure configured to contact a test circuit at a second side of the radio-frequency signal probe opposite the first side, the length of the radio frequency signal probe extending between the first and second sides. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein forming the contactor having the signal probe hole comprises forming the dielectric sleeves through a molding process. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein forming the dielectric sleeves through a molding process comprises molding a liquid crystal polymer to form the dielectric sleeves. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising machining the dielectric sleeves. ### Claim 15 A method comprising: forming a contactor having a signal probe hole; forming a radio-frequency signal probe including a plurality of surrounding dielectric sleeves, wherein the dielectric sleeves are separated from each other along a length of the radio frequency signal probe; inserting the radio frequency signal probe into the signal probe hole; and forming a first contact structure configured to contact a device under test at a first side of the radio-frequency signal probe and a second contact structure configured to contact a test circuit at a second side of the radio-frequency signal probe opposite the first side, the length of the radio frequency signal probe extending between the first and second sides. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein forming the contactor having the signal probe hole includes forming a body of the contactor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein forming the contactor having the signal probe hole includes forming a retainer of the contactor. ### Claim 18 A method comprising: forming a mold to receive a component of a contactor assembly, the component including one or more signal probe holes; inserting the component into the mold; and forming a dielectric sleeve in at least one of the one or more signal probe holes through an injection molding process. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein forming the mold to receive the component of the contactor assembly comprises forming a mold including a reservoir to provide molding material to the component including the one or more signal probe holes. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 further comprising machining the dielectric sleeve to provide a particular impedance for a radio-frequency signal probe inserted into the sleeve.