Test insert containing vias for interfacing a device containing contact bumps with a test substrate

An interposer for interfacing an electronic component having a protrusion and a plurality of contact-bumps that extend outwardly from a front face thereof, said interposer comprising:

• a substrate having a primary surface with a plurality of pockets disposed thereacross, said plurality of pockets configured to at least partially receive respective said plurality of contact-bumps of said electronic component, said primary surface further comprising a recess configured to receive with clearance the protrusion of the electronic component when said contact-bumps are at least partially received within associated said plurality of pockets;
• conductive material patterned over the primary surface of said substrate including at least one of said plurality of pockets;
• and
• an electrical terminal disposed on said substrate and electrically coupled to said at least one pocket by a portion of said patterned conductive material.

A method of interfacing an electronic device comprising the steps of:

• providing an electronic device having a plurality of contact-bumps of a ball-grid-array and an encapsulant projection that extend outwardly from a face thereof;
• providing a substrate having a primary surface with a plurality of pockets disposed thereacross corresponding to said plurality of contact-bumps of the ball-grid-array of said electronic device, said primary surface further comrising a recess;
• disposing said electronic device over said substrate;
• contacting at least part of each of said contact-bumps of said electronic device with respective said plurality of pockets of said substrate;
• and
• receiving and clearing said encapsulant projection of said electronic device within said recess of said substrate.

A method of testing an electronic device comprising steps of:

• providing a chip-scale-packaged electronic device, said chip-scale-package having a protrusion and a plurality of outwardly-projecting contact-bumps that extend outwardly from a face thereof;
• providing a substrate having walls that define a plurality of pockets across a surface thereof, at least one of said plurality of pockets configured to at least partially receive respective one of said plurality of contact-bumps of the chip-scale-package, other walls of said substrate defining a recess configured to receive the protrusion of the electronic device;
• coupling said electronic device to said substrate with said at least one contact bumps at least partially contacting associated said plurality of pockets and said protrusion positioned within said recess without contacting the walls defining said recess;
• and
• propagating at least one electrical signal between said substrate and said electronic device.

A method of fabricating an insert for interfacing an electronic device having a plurality of contact-bumps and a protrusion that extend outwardly from a face thereof, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate;
• forming a plurality of pockets in said substrate;
• forming a recess in said substrate having a width and length, the width and length of said recess being greater than the respective widths of any of said pockets;
• forming a layer of insulating material conformably over said substrate, including said plurality of pockets;
• and
• forming conductive material over said insulating material, including at least a portion of said pockets.

A method of fabricating a ball-grid-array socket for an electronic device comprising a chip-scale-package having an array of outwardly-projecting contact-bumps and an encapsulant-projection, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate;
• etching said substrate and forming a trench in said substrate and an array of pits in said substrate disposed on at least two opposite sides of said trench, said array of pits formed to at least partially contact respective said outwardly-projecting contact bumps of said chip-scale-packaged electronic device and said trench formed with a length and a width greater than that of any pit of said plurality to enable receipt with clearance of the encapsulant-protrusion of said chip-scale-packaged electronic device;
• forming an insulating layer conformably over said substrate, incuding said pits;
• forming conductive material in at least some of said pits;
• and
• forming a conductive trace on the substrate in electrical communication with the conductive material of at least one of said pits.

An insert for interfacing an electronic device having a plurality of outwardly-projecting-contacts, said insert comprising:

• a substrate, walls of said substrate defining at least one pocket configured to receive an outwardly-projecting contact of the electronic device, other walls of said substrate defining a via through said substrate;
• conductive material disposed in said via;
• and
• second conductive material disposed in said at least one pocket, and over the conductive material in said via.

A BGA test socket for temporarily engaging a plurality of outwardly-projecting contacts of a BGA of a microelectronic device, said test socket comprising:

• a substrate, first walls of said substrate defining a pocket configured to seat an outwardly-projecting contact of the microelectronic device, and second walls of said substrate defining a passage through said substrate in communication with said pocket;
• first conductive material within at least a portion of said passage;
• and
• second conductive material conformably layered in at least a portion of said pocket and over said first conductive material.

A method of forming a BGA socket for testing a microelectronic device comprisin a chip-scale-package having a plurality of outwardly-projecting-contacts, said method comprising steps of:

• providing a substrate;
• forming a pocket in said substrate configured to at least partially receive an outwardly-projecting-contact of said chip-scale- packaged microelectronic device;
• forming a via through said substrate;
• forming first electrically conductive material in said via;
• and
• depositing second electrically conductive material in at least a portion of said pocket, including a portion over the first electrically conductive material in said via.

A method of testing a microelectronic device, said method comprising:

• providing a microelectronic device having a plurality of outwardly-projecting-contacts of a BGA;
• providing a test insert comprising
• a silicon substrate having walls that define a plurality of pockets configured to at least partially receive respective said plurality of outwardly-projecting-contacts, other walls of said silicon substrate defining a via extending through said silicon substrate,
• first conductive material in said via and at least a portion of at least one of said pockets, and
• a conductive-contact on a side of said silicon substrate opposite said pocket and electrically coupled to said pocket by way of said via;
• fixing said test insert to a support substrate with the conductive-contact of said test insert coupled to a conductive-pad of said support substrate;
• disposing said microelectronic device over said test insert with the plurality of pockets of said test insert removably coupled to respective ones of said plurality of outwardly-projecting-contacts of the microelectronic device;
• and
• propagating an electrical signal between said support substrate and said microelectronic device by way of said test insert.