Mercury probes
AssigneeMSI Electronics Inc.
InventorCarl Shulman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosed mercury probe has one or more mercury reservoirs and one or more passages extending from the reservoir(s) to an aperture plate for engaging a test wafer. Dross that tends to form at the wafer-contact end of the mercury passage(s) is removed by returning all of the mercury in the passage(s) into the reservoir, where the dross is captured. Means is provided to introduce electrical insulation between the reservoir(s) and the aperture(s) of the aperture plate, for disconnecting the mercury probe segment(s) of the mercury from the reservoir(s) and, where there are plural mercury probe segments, for disconnecting them from each other and from their reservoir(s).
Claims20
Mercury-probe apparatus including a mercury reservoir, an aperture member having a test aperture therein, means for forming a mercury contact to a test wafer placed against said aperture member, and contact-forming means including mercury passage means extending between said test aperture and the mercury in the reservoir, said mercury passage means including a mercury probe segment terminating at said test aperture and said mercury probe segment having a test circuit connection thereto, said mercury contact means also including means for developing a pressure difference between the mercury in the reservoir and the test aperture for causing the mercury to fill said mercury passage means from the reservoir to the test aperture, said mercury probe segment and said reservoir having an electrical connection therebetween at least when said passage means is filled with mercury, and means interposed along said mercury passage means between the reservoir and said mercury probe segment for introducing electrical insulation in place of at least part of said electrical connection.
Mercury-probe apparatus including an aperture member of insulation having plural test apertures therein for mercury to contact a test wafer placed against the aperture member, mercury reservoir means, passage means extending between each of said test apertures and said mercury reservoir means, said passage means including plural mercury probe segments terminating in said test apertures respectively, each of said mercury probe segments having a separate test circuit connection thereto, means for developing a pressure difference between the upper level of the mercury in said reservoir means and each of said test apertures for filling said passage means including each of said mercury probe segments with mercury, said mercury probe segments having electrical connections to said reservoir means at least when said passage means is filled with mercury, and means interposed along said passage means between said reservoir means and each of said mercury probe segments for introducing electrical insulation in place of at least part of each of said electrical connections so as to disconnect each such mercury probe segment from the reservoir means and from the other mercury probe segment or segments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.