Probe head assemblies and probe systems for testing integrated circuit devices

A probe head assembly for electrically testing a device under test (DUT), the probe head assembly comprising:

• a contacting structure including a plurality of electrically conductive probes, wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive probes is configured to electrically contact a corresponding contact pad of the DUT;
• a space transformer, including:
• (i) a space transformer body, including a rigid dielectric body including an upper surface and an opposed planar lower surface, a plurality of electrically conductive contact pads on the planar lower surface, a plurality of electrically conductive attachment points supported by the rigid dielectric body, and a plurality of body electrical conductors supported by the rigid dielectric body, wherein each of the plurality of body electrical conductors extends between a selected one of the plurality of electrically conductive attachment points and a corresponding one of the plurality of electrically conductive contact pads;
• and
• (ii) a flex cable assembly including a plurality of ribbon electrical conductors defining a plurality of cable ribbons, wherein each of the plurality of cable ribbons includes a corresponding subset of the plurality of ribbon electrical conductors, wherein the plurality of cable ribbons defines a layered stack of cable ribbons, and further wherein each of the plurality of ribbon electrical conductors includes a body-proximal conductor end, which is operatively attached to a corresponding one of the plurality of electrically conductive attachment points, and a body-distal conductor end;
• wherein the contacting structure is operatively attached to the planar lower surface of the space transformer such that each of the plurality of electrically conductive probes is in electrical communication with a corresponding electrically conductive contact pad of the plurality of electrically conductive contact pads;
• a suspension system, wherein the space transformer assembly is operatively attached to the suspension system, and further wherein the suspension system has a suspension system compliance;
• and
• a flex cable interface electrically connected to the body-distal conductor end of each of the plurality of ribbon electrical conductors, wherein the suspension system is configured to permit motion of the planar lower surface of the space transformer relative to the flex cable interface, and further wherein the flex cable assembly has a flex cable compliance that is at least as large as the suspension system compliance.

A probe head assembly for electrically testing a device under test (DUT), the probe head assembly comprising:

• a contacting structure including a plurality of electrically conductive probes, wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive probes is configured to electrically contact a corresponding contact pad of the DUT;
• a space transformer including an upper space transformer surface, an opposed planar lower space transformer surface, and a plurality of space transformer contact pads on the planar lower space transformer surface;
• and
• a planarization layer including:
• (i) an interposer including an upper interposer surface, an opposed lower interposer surface, a plurality of upper interposer contact pads on the upper interposer surface, a plurality of lower interposer contact pads on the lower interposer surface, and a plurality of interposer electrical conductors extending between the plurality of upper interposer contact pads and the plurality of lower interposer contact pads;
• (ii) a resilient dielectric layer conformally extending across the lower interposer surface and the plurality of lower interposer contact pads;
• (iii) a planarized rigid dielectric layer including a planarized lower surface and an upper surface that extends across, and is conformal with, the resilient dielectric layer;
• (iv) a plurality of holes extending from the planarized lower surface, through the planarized rigid dielectric layer and the resilient dielectric layer, to respective ones of the plurality of lower interposer contact pads;
• and
• (iii) a sintered metal extending within each of the plurality of holes from the planarized lower surface to the respective ones of the plurality of lower interposer contact pads to define a plurality of planarization layer conductors that extends within the plurality of holes;
• wherein the interposer is operatively attached to the lower space transformer surface such that each of the plurality of upper interposer contact pads is in electrical communication with a corresponding one of the plurality of space transformer contact pads;
• and
• wherein the contacting structure is operatively attached to the planarized lower surface of the planarized rigid dielectric layer such that each electrically conductive probe in at least a subset of the plurality of electrically conductive probes is in electrical communication with a corresponding one of the plurality of planarization layer conductors.

A probe head assembly for electrically testing a device under test (DUT), the probe head assembly comprising:

• a contacting structure including a plurality of electrically conductive probes, wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive probes is configured to electrically contact a corresponding contact pad of the DUT, and further wherein the plurality of electrically conductive probes defines an average probe compliance;
• a space transformer including an upper surface and an opposed lower surface, wherein the contacting structure is operatively attached to the lower surface of the space transformer;
• a suspension system, wherein the space transformer is operatively attached to the suspension system, and further wherein the suspension system has a suspension system compliance that is greater than the average probe compliance;
• a platen, wherein the suspension system is operatively attached to the platen such that the suspension system compliance permits relative motion between the space transformer and the platen;
• a printed circuit board that is operatively attached to the platen such that the suspension system compliance permits relative motion between the space transformer and the printed circuit board;
• a first plurality of signal conductors configured to convey a first plurality of signals, external to the space transformer, between a first subset of the plurality of electrically conductive probes and the printed circuit board;
• and
• a second plurality of signal conductors configured to convey a second plurality of signals, via the space transformer, between a second subset of the plurality of electrically conductive probes and the printed circuit board.