Method of obtaining proper probe alignment in a multiple contact environment

A method of aligning a tool to a plurality of electrically conductive contacts on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of;

• positioning a tool approximately in the area of said contacts on a substrate;
• providing at least a pair of probe clusters fixed with respect to said tool, each being associated with a contact on said substrate and having a plurality of spaced apart probes, each of said probes of a cluster being spaced from at least its adjacent probe a distance less than the width of the associated contact which is to be contacted but greater than one half the width of said contact;
• providing a source of electrical power to one of a selected probe of each of said pair of probe clusters or to their associated contacts,
• contacting said associated contacts with said selected probes,
• sensing whether a shorted condition exists between said selected probe and any other probe of a cluster and moving one of said tool and substrate until a non-shorting condition exists between the selected probe of each probe cluster and the associated contact, thereby indicating that said tool is aligned with said substrate.

A method of aligning a plurality of probes to a plurality of electrically conductive contacts on a substrate, said contacts on the substrate including pad like contacts adjacent to the contacts on the substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

• positioning said plurality of probes approximately in the area of said contacts on said substrate;
• providing at least a pair of probe clusters each being associated with a contact on said substrate and having a plurality of spaced apart probes, each of said probes of a cluster being spaced from at least its adjacent probe a distance less than the width of the associated pad like contact which is to be contacted but greater than one half the width of said pad like contact,
• providing a source of electrical power to a selected probe of each of said pair of probe clusters,
• contacting said associated pad like contacts with the associated selected probes,
• sensing whether a shorted condition exists between said selected probe and any other probe of a cluster,
• and moving one of said plurality of probes and substrate until a non-shorting condition exists between the selected probe of each cluster and the associated contact thereby indicating that said plurality of probes is aligned with said substrate.