Wire probe assembly and forming process for die testing
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsTodd P. Albertson, Michael T. Crocker, David Shia, Lothar R. Kress
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Abstract
A wire probe assembly and forming process is described. In one example, a method includes inserting a plurality of wires through a probe former and a tip retainer to contact a probe head substrate, attaching the wires to a surface of the substrate, pulling the probe former laterally with respect to the substrate surface and the tip retainer to bend the wires into test probes with a resiliency to transverse movement, and removing the tip retainer to form a test probe head.
Claims17
A method of fabricating a test probe head having a plurality of resilient test probes comprising:
- inserting a plurality of wires through a probe former and a tip retainer to contact a probe head substrate, the wires having a length aligned in a longitudinal direction, the probe former and tip retainer extending laterally with respect to the longitudinal direction;
- attaching the wires to a surface of the substrate;
- pulling the probe former laterally with respect to the longitudinal direction to bend the wires into test probes so that the test probes have a resiliency to transverse movement;
- and
- removing the tip retainer to form a test probe head.
An apparatus comprising:
- a probe substrate carrier to hold a probe substrate in a fixed position;
- a probe holder above the carrier to hold a plurality of wires against a probe substrate the wires having a length aligned in a longitudinal direction;
- a probe former above the probe holder;
- a probe tip retainer above the probe former;
- a lift mechanism coupled to the probe tip retainer and the probe former to lift the probe tip retainer and the probe former away from the probe substrate;
- and
- a puller coupled to the probe former to pull the probe holder laterally with respect to the longitudinal direction to bend the wires into test probes when attached to a probe substrate the bending causing the wires to have a transverse resiliency.
A die test system for testing semiconductor dies using a probe head, the system comprising:
- a testing probe head having a substrate and a plurality of test probes coupled to the substrate, the test probes being formed by first attaching a plurality of wires to the substrate, the wires having a length aligned in a longitudinal direction, and then pulling a probe former plate laterally with respect to the longitudinal direction across the substrate to bend the wires into test probes;
- a stiffened board to carry the testing probe head;
- a clamp to hold the testing probe head against the stiffened board;
- and
- automated test equipment to drive a test and measure the results through the test probes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.