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US 4,035,723 AGranted
Probe arm
AssigneeXynetics, Inc.
InventorJoseph Kvaternik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A probe including an arm providing structure for fixedly mounting and preloading a leaf spring. A probe tip is fixed to the leaf spring and extends through a guide means on the probe arm. Provision is made for clearance in the fit between the guide and the probe tip so that a predetermined, controlled amount of bending of the tip is allowed when contact is made with a circuit to be tested. Consequently, the tip may move across the circuit in a first direction upon the initial contact. Continued relative movement will cause the tip to retract through the guide means, thereby forcing it to move across the circuit n the opposite direction.
Claims16
A probe for testing a circuit pad, comprising
- a probe arm,
- a leaf spring,
- means for fixing said leaf spring to said probe arm for flexure of the leaf spring relative to the probe arm,
- means included in the probe arm for preloading a predetermined biasing force in said leaf spring to obtain the flexure of the leaf spring only after the predetermined biasing force on the leaf spring has been exceeded,
- hollow guide means disposed on said probe arm and extending along a predetermined angle relative thereto, and
- probe tip means extending through said guide means in loose relationship to the guide means and fixed to said leaf spring for providing an initial flexure of the probe tip within the guide means as the probe arm is moved toward the circuit pad and for providing movement of the probe tip in a first direction relative to the circuit pad in accordance with such flexure until the predetermined biasing force has been exceeded on the spring by the engagement between the circuit pad and the probe tip means and for then exerting a force on the spring to produce a movement of the spring and the probe tip means relative to the guide means to provide for movement of the probe tip relative to the circuit pad in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
3 more elements
A probe means for testing a circuit pad, comprising
- support means,
- spring means disposed on said support means,
- means disposed on said support means in cooperative relationship with the spring means for providing a particular preload on the spring means and for providing a movement of the spring means in a direction away from the circuit pad upon the imposition of a force against the spring means greater than the particular preload,
- hollow guide means supported by said support means at a particular acute angle to the circuit pad, and
- probe tip means extending through said guide means in loose relationship to said guide means for flexure within said guide means upon the exertion of a force against the probe tip means and for movement of the probe tip in a first direction relative to the circuit pad in accordance with such flexure the probe tip means extending at the particular acute angle to the circuit pad,
- said guide means and said probe tip means so relatively sized as to allow motion therebetween in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which said probe tip means is directed by engagement between the probe tip means and the circuit pad and to provide for movement of the probe tip relative to the circuit pad in a second direction opposite to the first direction in accordance with such perpendicular motion.
3 more elements
A method for testing a microelectronic device comprising
- providing a probe tip positioned losely within guide means attached to a probe arm,
- locating the probe tip above the device to be tested,
- biasing the probe tip relative to the probe arm with a predetermined force against movement in a direction away from the microelectronic device,
- moving the device and the probe arm relative to one another in a direction toward each other to create a contact therebetween and a force on the probe tip,
- initially bending said tip by continuing said step of relatively moving until the probe tip receives the predetermined force from the microelectronic device, thereby
- moving the tip in a first direction across the object, and
- further continuing said step of relatively moving after the predetermined force has been reached, thereby
- moving the tip in a second direction across the object.
5 more elements
In combination for testing a microelectronic circuit on a semiconductor chip,
- a probe arm,
- a leaf spring supported by the probe arm,
- means included in the probe arm for biasing the leaf spring on the probe arm with a particular force,
- a probe tip coupled to the leaf spring in a direction transverse to the probe arm and biased toward the microelectronic circuit by the particular force on the leaf spring,
- guide means supported by the probe arm and enveloping the probe tip in a loose relationship to provide initially for a bending of the probe tip within the guide means for forces between the probe tip and the microelectronic circuit less than the particular value, thereby producing movement of the probe tip in a first direction along the microelectronic circuit, and to provide subsequently for a displacement of the guide means relative to the microelectronic circuit for forces between the probe tip and the microelectronic circuit greater than the particular value, thereby producing movement of the probe tip along the microelectronic circuit in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.