# US 12,181,494 B2 · Probe sheet with contact tip on stacked multi-layer and method of manufacturing the same

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- Number: US 12,181,494 B2
- Document ID: US12181494B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/617,675
- Filed: 2024-03-27
- Published: 2024-07-11
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2022-12-02
- Assignees: Protec Mems Technology Inc
- Applicants: Protec Mems Technology Inc; Yong Ho Cho
- Inventors: Yong Ho Cho; Tae Kyun Kim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181494B2

## CPC

- G01R 1/06761: {related to layers}
- C23C 14/021: {Cleaning or etching treatments}
- C23C 14/185: {by cathodic sputtering}
- C23C 14/58: After-treatment
- C23C 18/00: Chemical coating by decomposition of either liquid compounds or solutions of the coating forming compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating; Contact plating
- C23C 28/023: {only coatings of metal elements only}
- C25D 3/38: of copper
- C25D 7/00: Electroplating characterised by the article coated
- G01R 1/067: Measuring probes
- G01R 1/073: Multiple probes
- G01R 1/07342: {the body of the probe being at an angle other than perpendicular to test object, e.g. probe card}
- G01R 3/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture {or maintenance} of measuring instruments {, e.g. of probe tips}
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR

## Abstract

Disclosed are a probe sheet with a multi-layer contact tip and a method of manufacturing the same capable of improving the design freedom of a contact tip formed on a probe sheet of a probe card for testing a semiconductor device to come in contact with a pad of the semiconductor device. According to the present invention, the design freedom of a contact tip formed on a probe sheet of a probe card for testing a semiconductor device to come in contact with a pad of the semiconductor device can be improved, and since the shape of a contact surface of a contact tip is maintained the same and contact resistance is maintained in an allowable range even when a protective layer coated on the contact tip to increase durability of the contact tip is worn, test reliability of the probe card can be improved.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A probe sheet with a multi-layer contact tip, the probe sheet comprising:
a seed layer formed on an upper portion of a polyimide layer of a base substrate;
a first polyimide layer formed by laminating a polyimide film on an upper portion of the seed layer in a vacuum atmosphere and having a first etching hole formed on a film surface thereof;
a ground line layer formed by forming a titanium/copper (Ti/Cu) layer on the etching hole using high-temperature sputtering and forming a Cu layer with a predetermined thickness thereon using electroplating;
a second polyimide layer formed by laminating a polyimide film on upper portions of the first polyimide layer and the ground line layer in a vacuum atmosphere and having a second etching hole and a connecting hole formed on a film surface thereof;
a circuit line layer formed by forming a Ti/Cu layer on the second etching hole using high-temperature sputtering and forming a Cu layer with a predetermined thickness thereon using electroplating and connected to the ground line layer through the connecting hole;
a third polyimide layer formed by laminating a polyimide film on upper portions of the second polyimide layer and the circuit line layer in a vacuum atmosphere and having a third etching hole and a connecting hole formed on a film surface;
a base bump layer formed by forming a Ti/Cu layer on the third etching hole using high-temperature sputtering and forming a nickel-cobalt (Ni—Co) alloy layer with a predetermined thickness thereon using electroplating and molding processes;
a first contact tip layer formed by forming a Ni—Co alloy layer with a predetermined thickness on an upper portion of the base bump layer;
a second contact tip layer formed by forming a Ni—Co alloy layer with a predetermined thickness on an upper portion of the first contact tip layer; and
a protective layer formed by etching a portion around the second contact tip layer exposed using an etching groove for coating the second contact tip layer and coating an outer surface of the second contact tip layer with rhodium using electroplating.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The probe sheet of claim 1, wherein:
a cross-sectional area of the second contact tip layer is formed smaller than a cross-sectional area of the first contact tip layer; and
the cross-sectional area of the first contact tip layer is formed smaller than a cross-sectional area of the base bump layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The probe sheet of claim 2, wherein the first and second contact tip layers are formed in the shape of a quadrangular column.

### Claim 4

A method of manufacturing a probe sheet with a multi-layer contact tip, the method comprising:
(a) forming a seed layer including a titanium/copper (Ti/Cu) layer and a Cu layer on an upper portion of a polyimide layer of a base substrate;
(b) laminating a polyimide film on an upper portion of the seed layer, which is formed in step (a), in a vacuum atmosphere to form a first polyimide layer and forming an etching hole on a film surface thereof;
(c) forming a ground line layer by a process of forming a Ti/Cu layer on the etching hole using high-temperature sputtering and forming a Cu layer with a predetermined thickness thereon using electroplating;
(d) laminating a polyimide film on upper portions of the first polyimide layer and the ground line layer in a vacuum atmosphere to form a second polyimide layer and forming an etching hole and a connecting hole on a film surface thereof;
(e) forming a circuit line layer by a process of forming a Ti/Cu layer on the etching hole using high-temperature sputtering and forming a Cu layer with a predetermined thickness thereon using electroplating;
(f) laminating a polyimide film on upper portions of the second polyimide layer and the circuit line layer in a vacuum atmosphere to form a third polyimide layer and forming an etching hole and a connecting hole on a film surface thereof;
(g) forming a base bump layer by a process of forming a Ti/Cu layer on the etching hole using high-temperature sputtering and forming a nickel-cobalt (Ni—Co) alloy layer with a predetermined thickness thereon using electroplating and molding processes;
(h) forming a first contact tip layer as a Ni—Co alloy layer with a predetermined thickness on an upper portion of the base bump layer;
(i) forming a second contact tip layer as a Ni—Co alloy layer with a predetermined thickness on an upper portion of the first contact tip layer;
(j) forming a protective layer by etching a portion around the second contact tip layer exposed using an etching groove for coating the second contact tip layer and coating an outer surface of the second contact tip layer with rhodium using electroplating; and
(k) removing the base substrate, the polyimide layer, and the seed layer at the bottom using a laser.