# US 2010/0163518 A1 · Method For Fabricating Probe Tip

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- Number: US 2010/0163518 A1
- Document ID: US20100163518A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/601,608
- Filed: 2008-05-29
- Published: 2010-07-01
- Earliest claimed: 2007-05-30
- Assignees: M2N Inc.
- Inventors: Ki Pil Hong; Jong Hyeon Chae; Hac Ju Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100163518A1

## CPC

- G01R 3/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture {or maintenance} of measuring instruments {, e.g. of probe tips}
- G01R 1/06738: {related to tip portion}
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)

## Abstract

Disclosed is a method for fabricating a probe tip, capable of preventing a rapid increase of a surface size of a front end of the probe tip as the probe tip is worn out by a frequent contact with a wafer chip and, also, capable of improving the precision of the front end of the probe tip. The method for fabricating a probe tip includes forming a front end of the probe tip on a silicon wafer; forming a first protective layer which is patterned to expose a part of the front end of the probe tip; and forming a body of the probe tip in a portion opened by the pattern of the first protective layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for fabricating a probe tip, comprising:
forming a front end of the probe tip on a silicon wafer;
forming a first protective layer which is patterned to expose a part of the front end of the probe tip; and
forming a body of the probe tip in a portion opened by the pattern of the first protective layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the front end includes:
forming a trench in a portion of the silicon wafer; and
forming the front end of the probe tip on other portion than the trench is formed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the step of forming the trench includes:
forming, on the silicon wafer, a second protective layer which is patterned to have an opening corresponding to where the trench is to be formed;
etching the silicon wafer by using the patterned second protective layer as a mask to thereby form the trench; and
removing the second protective layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the step of forming the front end includes:
forming, on the silicon wafer, a third protective layer which is patterned to have an opening corresponding to where the front end of the probe tip is to be formed;
forming the front end of the probe tip in the opening of the patterned third protective layer;
planarizing top surfaces of the third protective layer and the front end of the probe tip; and
removing the third protective layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further including, after the step of forming the trench, forming a seed layer on a top surface of the silicon wafer provided with the trench and on the entire bottom surface of the trench.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the step of forming the body, planarizing top surfaces of the body of the probe tip and the first protective layer, and removing the resultant structure except for the front end and the body of the probe tip.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first protective layer is a photoresist layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the second protective layer is a photoresist layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the third protective layer is a photoresist layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the front end of the probe tip is made of Ni or a Ni alloy.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the front end of the probe tip is made of the same material as a material for the body of the probe tip.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the front end of the probe tip is made of a material different from a material for the body of the probe tip.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the body of the probe tip is formed by growing the front end of the probe tip.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the body of the probe tip is formed by growing the front end of the probe tip.

### Claim 15 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the planarization process is performed by a chemical mechanical polishing process.

### Claim 16 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the planarization process is performed by a chemical mechanical polishing process.

### Claim 17 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the step of forming the trench is performed by a deep silicon reactive ion etching process.

### Claim 18 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the second protective layer is removed by an ashing process or a wet strip process.

### Claim 19 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the third protective layer is removed by an ashing process or a wet strip process.

### Claim 20 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, the first protective layer is removed by an ashing process or a wet strip process.