Probe card assembly
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsDavid M. AUDETTE, Dustin FREGEAU, David L. GARDELL, Peter W. NEFF, Frederick H. ROY, III, Grant W. Wagner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A probe card assembly for nondestructive integrated circuit testing is disclosed. The probe card assembly includes an outer gimbal bearing with a tapered bearing surface being mounted on a top surface of a printed circuit board. The probe card assembly further includes an inner gimbal bearing with a spherical bearing surface which contacts the tapered bearing surface of the outer gimbal bearing at a single point of contact about a circumference thereof. The probe card assembly further includes a spring plate mounted to the outer gimbal bearing, providing a downward force to a substrate.
Claims20
A probe card assembly, comprising:
- an outer gimbal bearing with a bearing surface mountable on a top surface of a printed circuit board;
- an inner gimbal bearing with a bearing surface which contacts the bearing surface of the outer gimbal bearing at a single point of contact about a circumference thereof;
- and
- wherein the bearing surface of the inner gimbal bearing and the bearing surface of the outer gimbal bearing have a different profile.
A probe card assembly, comprising:
- an outer gimbal bearing mountable on a top surface of a printed circuit board;
- a compliant interposer positioned within an opening of the outer gimbal bearing and contactable to the top surface of the printed circuit board;
- an inner gimbal bearing positioned within the opening of the outer gimbal bearing;
- and
- a substrate positioned within an opening of the inner gimbal bearing and in electrical contact with the compliant interposer,
- wherein an outer edge surface of the inner gimbal bearing and an inner edge surface of the outer gimbal bearing have a different profile such that the outer edge surface is tangential to the inner edge surface.
A probe card assembly, comprising:
- an outer gimbal bearing mounted on a top surface of a printed circuit board and having an opening with a first profile;
- a compliant interposer positioned within a lower portion of the opening of the outer gimbal bearing;
- an inner gimbal bearing positioned within an upper portion of the opening of the outer gimbal bearing having a second profile;
- a mechanism which prevents rotation of the inner gimbal bearing about a vertical axis;
- and
- a substrate positioned within an opening of the inner gimbal bearing and in electrical contact with the compliant interposer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.