Low cost area array probe for circuits having solder-ball contacts are manufactured using a wire bonding machine
OwnerJames Allam Forster, Reynaldo M. Rincon +2inventors
InventorsJames Allam Forster, Reynaldo M. Rincon, Richard Amold, Lester Wilson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inexpensive and accurate probe card for testing integrated circuits such as DSPs and the like which have solder ball contact points as manufactured by using a commercially available wire bonding machine. Conductive members or stud bumps are deposited or bonded to conductive pads formed on an insulating substrate. According to one embodiment, three stud bumps are formed on each pad to create an interconnecting nest to receive these solder ball contacts.
Claims25
Apparatus for testing circuitry having an array of solder-ball contacts or connection probes of a selected size, said solder-ball contacts having a contact area and a peripheral area comprising:
- a support substrate having a working surface;
- a multiplicity of conductive pads mounted on said working surface;
- a multiplicity of conductive pathways extending from said multiplicity of conductive paths to test circuitry;
- at least one conductive member formed on each of said multiplicity of conductive pads and extending away from said working surface;
- and
- said conductive members formed on said conductive pads positioned on said support substrate to make an electrical connection with said peripheral area of said solder-ball contacts or connection points of a circuit placed against said apparatus.
Apparatus for testing circuitry having an array of solder-ball contacts of a selected size with a contact area and peripheral area comprising:
- a planar insulating support substrate having a working surface and a back surface;
- a multiplicity of conductive paths forms on said working surface;
- conductive pathways formed on said working surface leading from said multiplicity of conductive pads to testing circuitry;
- at least three conductive lengths of wire extending away from said working surface bonded to selected ones of said multiplicity of conductive pads by a wire bonding machine to form an interconnecting nest;
- and
- said interconnecting nest positioned on said support substrate to receive a solder-ball contact point and making an electrical connection with said peripheral area of said received solder-ball for testing said circuitry.
A method of manufacturing testing apparatus for circuitry having an array of solder-ball contacts of a selected size and having a contact area and peripheral area comprising the steps of:
- providing a support substrate having a working surface and a multiplicity of conductive pads mounted on said working surface;
- extending conductive pathways from said multiplicity of conductive pads to testing circuitry;
- forming at least one conductive member on each one of said multiplicity of conductive pads, said conductive member extending away from said working surface;
- and
- positioning said first multiplicity of conductive paths with said conductive member on said support structure such that said conductive members are aligned so as to make electrical contact with said periphery area of said array of solder-ball contact points of a circuit placed against said testing apparatus.
A method of manufacturing testing apparatus for circuitry having an array of solder-ball contact points of a selected size and a contact area and a peripheral area comprising the steps of:
- providing a support substrate having a working surface and a multiplicity of conductive paths formed on said working surface;
- forming conductive pathways from said multiplicity of conductive paths to testing circuitry;
- depositing at least three stud bumps on said conductive pads with a wire bonding machine to form interconnecting nests for receiving a solder ball contact point;
- and
- positioning said interconnecting nest on said support structure such that said stud bumps are aligned so as to make electrical contact with said array of solder-ball test points of a circuit placed against said testing apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.