Designed asperity contactors, including nanospikes, for semiconductor test, and associated systems and methods

An apparatus for testing semiconductor dies, comprising:

• a translator having a wafer side positioned to face toward a device under test, and an inquiry side facing away from the wafer side;
• a plurality of wafer-side sites carried by the translator at the wafer side of the translator;
• and
• a plurality of nanospikes carried by at least one wafer-side site.

A method for manufacturing a translator having a wafer side configured to face toward a device under test, and an inquiry side facing away from the wafer side, comprising:

• applying a photoresist material over a first surface of a metal carrier;
• patterning the photoresist material to create apertures exposing portions of the first surface of the metal carrier;
• disposing nanospike material in the apertures of the photoresist material to form the nano spikes;
• removing the photoresist material, at least in part, from the first surface of the metal carrier;
• and
• attaching the nanospikes to the wafer side of the translator.