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US 2012/0146679 A1Published application
Probe card stiffener with decoupling
AssigneeFormFactor, Inc.
InventorsKevin S. Chang, Eric D. Hobbs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A stiffener for a probe card assembly can include decoupling mechanisms disposed within radial arms of the stiffener. The decoupling mechanisms can be compliant in a direction along a radial direction of said radial arm and rigid in a direction perpendicular to said radial arm. The decoupling mechanisms can decouple the stiffener from thermally induced differential radial contraction and expansion of the stiffener relative to the cardholder to which the stiffener is mounted. This can reduce thermally-induced vertical translation of the probe card assembly.
Claims31
A probe card assembly, comprising:
- a wiring substrate comprising a first surface, an opposed second surface, and a plurality of internal electrical traces;
- a tester interface disposed on said first surface of said wiring substrate and electrically connected to said plurality of internal electrical traces;
- a probe head disposed proximate to said second surface of said wiring substrate, said probe head comprising a plurality of probes disposed thereon and arranged to contact an electronic device to be tested, said probe head further comprising a plurality of electrical connections between said plurality of probes and said internal electrical traces;
- a stiffener disposed proximate to said first surface, said stiffener comprising a main body coupled to said probe head and said stiffener comprising a plurality of attachment mechanisms disposed distally from said main body;
- and
- a plurality of decoupling mechanisms disposed radially between said main body and said attachment mechanisms, each decoupling mechanism being compliant in a radial direction and rigid in at least one other direction.
3 more elements
A stiffener for use with a probe card assembly, said stiffener comprising:
- a main body portion;
- a plurality of first attachment mechanisms disposed on said main body portion and positioned for attachment to a probe card substrate;
- a plurality of radial arms disposed within a plane and extending radially outward from said main body portion and each having a second attachment mechanism disposed proximate to an end of said arm distal from said main body portion for attachment to a cardholder of a prober;
- a decoupling mechanism disposed within each of said plurality of arms between said main body portion and said second attachment mechanism, wherein said decoupling mechanism accommodates movement in a radial direction along a radial axis of said arm, and said decoupling mechanism resists movement in a direction perpendicular to said plane.
1 more element
A method of using a probe card assembly comprising:
- obtaining a probe card assembly, wherein the probe card assembly comprises a probe head having resilient probes, a stiffener having a main body coupled to said probe head and a plurality of radial arms extending radially outward from said main body, and wherein each of said radial arms has an attachment mechanism disposed at an end of said radial arm distal from said main body and a decoupling mechanism disposed between said main body and said attachment mechanism.
- installing said probe card assembly into a prober, wherein said installing comprises fixing said attachment mechanisms to a cardholder of said prober;
- varying a temperature of said probe card assembly, wherein said varying causes a thermally-induced dimensional change of said probe card assembly relative to said cardholder, and wherein said decoupling mechanisms respond to said thermally-induced dimensional change to maintain contact ends of said probes substantially in an x-y plane that is substantially stationary in a z direction perpendicular to said x-y plane.
A test apparatus, comprising:
- a probe card assembly comprising:
- a wiring substrate comprising a first surface, an opposed second surface, and a plurality of internal electrical traces, a tester interface disposed on said first surface of said wiring substrate and electrically connected to said plurality of internal electrical traces,
- a probe head disposed proximate to said second surface of said wiring substrate, said probe head comprising a plurality of probes disposed thereon and arranged to contact an electronic device to be tested, said probe head further comprising a plurality of electrical connections between said plurality of probes and said internal electrical traces, and
- a stiffener disposed proximate to said first surface, said stiffener comprising a main body coupled to said probe head and said stiffener comprising a plurality of attachment mechanisms disposed distally from said main body;
- and
- a card holder to which said attachment mechanisms are attached, said probe head being disposed within an opening in said card holder, said card colder comprising a plurality of decoupling mechanisms that are compliant in a direction that is coplanar with contact ends of said probes and rigid in at least one other direction.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.