Process For Manufacturing Contact Elements For Probe Card Assembles
AssigneeFormFactor, Inc.
InventorsLi Fan, John K. Gritters
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for making contact elements for a probe card assembly includes steps of forming a first continuous trench in a substrate along a first direction, and forming simultaneously a plurality of tip structures adjacent one to another in the first continuous trench in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, each of the tip structures being part of, or adapted to be part of at least one corresponding contact element capable of forming an electrical contact with a terminal of an electronic device.
Claims26
A process for making contact elements for a probe card assembly, comprising:
- forming a first continuous trench in a substrate along a first direction;
- forming simultaneously a plurality of tip structures adjacent one to another in the first continuous trench in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, each of the tip structures being part of, or adapted to be part of at least one corresponding contact element capable of forming an electrical contact with a terminal of an electronic device;
- and
- forming one or more second continuous trenches on a bottom surface of the first continuous trench for increasing a height for each of the tip structures and modifying a tip formation line of the tip structures defined by the first continuous trench.
A process for making contact elements for a probe card assembly, comprising:
- forming a first continuous trench in a substrate along a first direction;
- and
- forming simultaneously a plurality of tip structures adjacent one to another in the first continuous trench in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, each of the tip structures being part of, or adapted to be part of at least one corresponding contact element capable of forming an electrical contact with a terminal of an electronic device, wherein at least one of the tip structures is formed along one side of the first continuous trench without reaching an opposite side thereof in the second direction.
A process for making contact elements for a probe card assembly, comprising:
- forming a first continuous trench in a substrate along a first direction;
- and
- forming simultaneously a plurality of tip structures adjacent one to another in the first continuous trench in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, each of the tip structures being part of, or adapted to be part of at least one corresponding contact element capable of forming an electrical contact with a terminal of an electronic device, wherein at least one of the tip structures is formed along one side of the first continuous trench, reaching but not stretching over an opposite side thereof, in the second direction.
A process for making contact elements for a probe card assembly, comprising:
- forming a first continuous trench in a substrate along a first direction;
- and
- forming simultaneously a plurality of tip structures adjacent one to another in the first continuous trench in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, each of the tip structures being part of, or adapted to be part of at least one corresponding contact element capable of forming an electrical contact with a terminal of an electronic device, wherein each of the beams has a first portion immediately adjacent to its corresponding tip structure and a second portion away from its corresponding tip structure.
The process of clam 8 wherein each of the tip structures is attached to at least two beams extending therefrom in different directions.
A tested die produced by a probe card assembly having contact elements made by a process comprising:
- forming a first continuous trench in a substrate along a first direction;
- forming a photoresist layer over the first continuous trench using a photomask shielding at least one end of the first continuous trench from being exposed to light during the lithographic process;
- and
- depositing conductive materials in openings of the photoresist layer for forming simultaneously a plurality of tip structures adjacent one to another in the first continuous trench in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, each of the tip structures being part of, or adapted to be part of at least one corresponding contact element capable of forming an electrical contact with a terminal of an electronic device.
The tested die of clam 23 wherein each of the tip structures is attached to at least two beams extending therefrom in opposite directions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.