Reconfigurable probe card for cryogenic applications
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsLisa Sommer, Stephan Paredes, Matthias Mergenthaler, Andreas Fuhrer Janett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A probe card includes a printed circuit board configured to transfer electrical signals to test and measurement circuitry, and a plurality of retractable needles mounted on the printed circuit board and configured to transfer the electrical signals from a chip via the printed circuit board. A plurality of actuators are mounted on the printed circuit board, each actuator configured to operate at cryogenic temperatures, engage a corresponding retractable needle of the plurality of retractable needles and to adjust a position of the engaged retractable needle to contact a pad on the chip.
Claims20
A probe card comprising:
- a printed circuit board configured to transfer electrical signals to test and measurement circuitry;
- a plurality of retractable needles mounted on the printed circuit board and configured to transfer the electrical signals from a chip via the printed circuit board;
- and
- a plurality of actuators mounted on the printed circuit board, each actuator configured to operate at cryogenic temperatures, engage a corresponding retractable needle of the plurality of retractable needles and to adjust a position of the engaged retractable needle to contact a pad on the chip.
A method comprising:
- cooling a cryostat to cryogenic temperatures;
- configuring a set of retractable needles of a probe card according to a test plan for a given device during testing in the cryostat at the cryogenic temperatures;
- and
- testing the given device using the set of retractable needles.
A system comprising:
- a chip under test;
- a controller configured to control test activities for the chip under test;
- and
- a probe card comprising:
- a printed circuit board configured to transfer electrical signals to test and measurement circuitry;
- a plurality of retractable needles mounted on the printed circuit board and configured to transfer the electrical signals from the chip via the printed circuit board under a control of the controller;
- and
- a plurality of actuators mounted on the printed circuit board, each actuator configured to operate at cryogenic temperatures, engage a corresponding retractable needle of the plurality of retractable needles and to adjust a position of the engaged retractable needle to contact a pad on the chip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.