Probe contract system having planarity adjustment mechanism
AssigneeAdvantest Corporation
InventorsRobert Edward Aldaz, Theodore A. Khoury
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A probe contact system is capable of adjusting distances between tips of the contactors and contact targets with simple and low cost mechanism. The probe contact system includes a contact substrate having a large number of contactors, a probe card for fixedly mounting the contact substrate for establishing electrical communication between the contactors and a test system, a probe card ring attached to a frame of the probe contact system for mechanically coupling the probe card to the frame, and a plurality of connection members for connecting the probe card to the probe card ring at three or more locations in which the connection member is adjustable for changing a gap between the probe card and the probe card ring.
Claims29
A planarity adjustment mechanism for a probe contact system for establishing electrical connection with contact targets, comprising:
- a contact substrate having a large number of contactors mounted on a surface thereof;
- a probe card for mounting the contact substrate for establishing electrical communication between the contactors and a test head of a semiconductor test system;
- means for fixedly mounting the contact substrate on the probe card;
- a probe card ring attached to a frame of the probe contact system for mechanically coupling the probe card to the frame;
- and
- a plurality of connection members for connecting the probe card to the probe card ring at three or more locations on the probe card, the connection member being adjustable for changing a gap between the probe card and the probe card ring.
A planarity adjustment mechanism for a probe contact system for establishing electrical connection with contact targets, comprising:
- a contact substrate having a large number of contactors mounted on a surface thereof;
- a probe card for mounting the contact substrate for establishing electrical communication between the contactors and a test head of a semiconductor test system;
- means for fixedly mounting the contact substrate on the probe card;
- an intermediate ring attached to an outer area of the probe card;
- a probe card ring attached to a frame of the probe contact system for mechanically coupling the probe card to the frame through the intermediate ring;
- and
- a plurality of connection members for connecting the intermediate ring to the probe card ring at three or more locations on the intermediate ring, the connection member being adjustable for changing a gap between the intermediate ring and the probe card ring.
A planarity adjustment mechanism for a probe contact system for establishing electrical connection with contact targets, comprising:
- a contact substrate having a large number of contactors mounted on a surface thereof;
- a probe card for mounting the contact substrate for establishing electrical communication between the contactors and a test head of a semiconductor test system;
- means for fixedly mounting the contact substrate on the probe card;
- a probe card ring attached to a frame of the probe contact system for mechanically coupling the probe card to the frame;
- a plurality of connection members for connecting the probe card to the probe card ring at three or more locations on the probe card, the connection member being adjustable for changing a gap between the probe card and the probe card ring;
- a gap sensor for measuring a gap between the contact substrate and a target substrate at predetermined locations of the contact substrate;
- a controller for generating a control signal based on a detection signal from the gap sensor indicating a size of the gap between the contact substrate and the target substrate;
- and
- a motor for driving the connection member based on the control signal from the controller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.