Photolithographically patterned spring contact
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsDonald Leonard Smith, Andrew Sebastian Alimonda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A photolithographically patterned spring contact is formed on a substrate and electrically connects contact pads on two devices. The spring contact also compensates for thermal and mechanical variations and other environmental factors. An inherent stress gradient in the spring contact causes a free portion of the spring contact to bend up and away from the substrate. An anchor portion remains fixed to the substrate and is electrically connected to a first contact pad on the substrate. The spring contact is made of an elastic material and the free portion compliantly contacts a second contact pad, thereby electrically interconnecting the two contact pads.
Claims33
A probe card comprising:
- a support;
- electronic circuitry formed in a semiconductor material;
- and a plurality of spring, contacts fixed in place relative to the support and communicating with the electronic circuitry;
- a plurality of spring contacts fixed in place relative to the support and communicating with the electronic circuitry, each of the plurality of spring, contacts comprising:
- an elastic member consisting of a single elastic material and having an anchor portion and a free portion that are both initially fixed in place relative to the support so that an inherent stress gradient is intentionally formed in the elastic member, wherein after the free portion is released, the inherent stress gradient in the elastic member biases the free portion away from the support.
A probe card comprising:
- a support;
- electronic circuitry formed in a semiconductor material;
- and
- a plurality of spring contacts fixed in place relative to the support and communicating with the electronic circuitry, each of the plurality of spring contacts comprising:
- a plurality of layers of a single elastic material, at least on e of the layers having an anchor portion and a free portion that are both initially fixed in place relative to the support, the plurality of layers formed so that an inherent stress gradient is intentionally formed in the layers, and wherein after the free portion is released, the inherent stress gradient in the layers biases the free portion away from the support.
A spring contact, comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- an elastic member formed from a single elastic material having an anchor portion and a free portion, the anchor portion fixed to the substrate;
- wherein the free portion is initially fixed to the substrate to intentionally form an inherent stress gradient in the elastic member, and the free portion is released from the substrate so the inherent stress gradient in the elastic member biases the free portion away from the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.