Circuit probing methods

An integrated circuit probing method comprising:

• providing an integrated circuit on a semiconductor substrate, the integrated circuit having at least one conductive contact pad;
• providing a plurality of circuit probes formed from a semiconductor wafer, the circuit probes comprising a plurality of projecting conductive apexes;
• contacting at least some of the conductive apexes with the at least one contact pad;
• removing the at least some of the apexes and the at least one contact pad from contacting one another;
• and
• after the removing, chemically cleaning the plurality of conductive apexes, the chemical cleaning comprising at least three discrete chemical cleaning steps.

An integrated circuit probing method comprising:

• providing an integrated circuit on a semiconductor substrate, the integrated circuit having at least one conductive contact pad;
• providing a plurality of circuit probes formed from a semiconductor wafer, the circuit probes comprising a plurality of projecting conductive apexes;
• contacting at least some of the conductive apexes with the at least one contact pad;
• removing the at least some of the apexes and the at least one contact pad from contacting one another;
• and
• after the removing, chemically cleaning the plurality of conductive apexes, the chemical cleaning comprising at least two discrete chemical cleaning steps, at least one of the two discrete chemical cleaning steps comprising dry chemical process cleaning.

An integrated circuit probing method comprising:

• providing an integrated circuit on a semiconductor substrate, the integrated circuit having at least one conductive contact pad;
• providing a plurality of circuit probes formed from a semiconductor wafer, the circuit probes comprising a plurality of projecting conductive apexes;
• contacting at least some of the conductive apexes with the at least one contact pad;
• removing the at least some of the apexes and the at least one contact pad from contacting one another;
• and
• after the removing, chemically cleaning the plurality of conductive apexes, the chemical cleaning comprising at least two discrete chemical cleaning steps, at least one of the two discrete chemical cleaning steps comprising wet chemical process cleaning.

An integrated circuit probing method comprising:

• providing an integrated circuit on a semiconductor substrate, the integrated circuit having at least one conductive contact pad;
• providing a plurality of circuit probes formed from a semiconductor wafer, the circuit probes comprising a plurality of projecting conductive apexes;
• contacting at least some of the conductive apexes with the at least one contact pad;
• removing the at least some of the apexes and the at least one contact pad from contacting one another;
• and
• after the removing, chemically cleaning the plurality of conductive apexes, the chemical cleaning comprising at least two discrete chemical cleaning steps, and wherein the chemical cleaning comprises cleaning with an organic solvent.

A circuit probing method, comprising:

• providing a circuit having at least on conductive metal contact pad;
• providing a circuit probe comprising a plurality of projections projecting from a substrate and a plurality of apexes projecting from the projections, the apexes having an outer conductive metal layer formed thereover;
• contacting the metal layer of at least some of the projecting apexes with the at least on metal contact pad;
• sending an electric signal between the contact ay least one metal contact pad and
• after sending the signal, removing the apexes and the at least one contact pad from contacting one another;
• after the removing, wet chemical processing the outer metal layer of the apexes with an organic solvent;
• after the removing, dry etching the outer metal layer of the apexes;
• after the removing, exposing the outer metal layer of the apexes to a metal etching solution and etching only a portion of said outer metal layer with said metal etching solution;
• and
• after the exposing to the metal etching solution, contacting the metal layer of the projecting apexes with at least one other metal contact pad of another circuit, and sending another electric signal therebetween.