| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 324762000 | Cantilever | 37 |
| 20080197869 | ELECTRICAL CONNECTING APPARATUS - To restrain misregistration of tips due to change in temperature, an electrical connecting apparatus is used for connection of a tester, and electrical connection terminals of a device under test to undergo electrical test by the tester. The electrical connecting apparatus comprises a probe board having a plurality of probe lands on its underside; and a plurality of contacts having tip portions to be brought into contact with a base end portion fixed at the respective probe lands and the connection terminals of the device under test. The measure from the tip of each contact and the probe land ranges from 1.1 to 1.3 mm, and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the probe board is greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the device under test within the range from 1 to 2 ppm/° C. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20080204062 | Cantilever probe card - A method and apparatus for a flattened probe element wire is provided. A probe element wire comprises a beam portion and a tip portion. At least a part of the tip portion is flattened. Flattened probe element wires may have greater z-direction height strength, thereby increasing maximum probe element wire z-direction vertical force. Flattened probe element wires may also have decreased variability in the flattened probe element wire tips. A probe card assembly may comprise a substrate and a plurality of at least partially flattened probe element wires supported by the substrate. Such probe card assemblies may have an extended life and maintained within design parameters for a longer period of use. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080211528 | Inspection contact structure and probe card - In the present invention, an inspection contact structure is attached to the lower surface side of a circuit board in a probe card. In the inspection contact structure, elastic sheets with protruding conductive portions are respectively attached to both surfaces of a silicone substrate. The silicone substrate is formed with current-carrying paths passing therethrough in the vertical direction, and the sheet conductive portions are in contact with the current-carrying paths from above and below. The conductive portions on the upper side are in contact with connecting terminals of the circuit board. At the time of inspection of electric properties of a wafer, electrode pads on the wafer are pressed against the conductive portions on the lower side and thereby brought into contact with them. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20080218191 | PROBE ASSEMBLY WITH ROTARY TIP - A probe which is cleaning-free, of which rubbing operation can be precisely controlled, and can be used for narrow-pitch pads, is provided. The probe assembly includes: a Z-deforming portion elastically deformable at least in a vertical direction; a tip contact element which includes a contact portion having a curved section, the tip contact element being connected to and supported on an end of the Z-deforming portion via an arm member, the contact portion being made to contact with an electrode pad and is vertically displaceable and rotatable; and a stopper for restricting movement of the tip contact element. After the tip contact element is rotated, due to pushing force from the electrode pad, for a certain distance in a direction of rotation, the stopper controls the movement of the tip contact element to prevent further rotation and to allow vertical movement. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080238467 | REINFORCED CONTACT ELEMENTS - Embodiments of reinforced resilient elements and methods for fabricating same are provided herein. In one embodiment, a reinforced resilient element includes a resilient element configured to electrically probe an unpackaged semiconductor device to be tested, the resilient element having a first end and an opposing second end; and a reinforcement member having a first end affixed to the resilient element at the first end thereof or at a point disposed between the first and the second ends of the resilient element, an opposing second end disposed in a direction towards the second end of the resilient element, and a resilient portion disposed between the first and second ends, wherein the resilient portion is not affixed to the resilient element. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080246501 | Probe Card With Stacked Substrate - A probe card is provided including a first substrate, a second substrate, and a plurality of conductive wires extending between the first substrate and the second substrate. The conductive wires are fixed (a) at a first end to a contact of the first substrate, and (b) at a second end to a contact of the second substrate. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080252328 | PROBE FOR TESTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - A novel probe design is presented that increases a probe tolerance to stress fractures. Specifically, what is disclosed are three features increase stress tolerance. These features include a various union angle interface edge shapes, pivot cutouts and buffers. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080265927 | TESTER ON A PROBE CARD - A probe card assembly used to test electronic devices in an automated test equipment system. The probe card assembly includes a substrate having a plurality of through-holes contained therein and a plurality of electrical contact elements. Each of the plurality of electrical contact elements has characteristics of both a torsional beam and a cantilever beam design and is configured to scrub a test pad associated with the electronic device in two directions concurrently. The plurality of electrical contacts is configured to be magnetically aligned to the substrate. Each of the plurality of electrical contact elements is further configured to be removably adhered to the substrate thus allowing easy field replacement of individual electrical contact elements. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20080272796 | PROBE ASSEMBLY - The probe assembly according to the present invention comprises a probe board and a plurality of probes. Each probe has an arm portion extending from the probe board at a distance and substantially along the probe board, a tip portion provided in the arm portion and projecting in a direction away from the probe board, and the tips provided in the tip portions are supported on the probe board at their base ends so as to be arranged in a matrix state on an imaginary XY plane along the X-axis and Y-axis. The respective probes are arranged so that the extending directions of said arms are arranged angularly relative to the X-axis and Y-axis and parallel to one another as seen on a plane P parallel to the imaginary plane. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080278188 | PROBE CARD AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE SAME - A probe card for testing semiconductor chips on a semiconductor wafer, includes a circuit board receiving electrical signals from outside, a plurality of unit probe modules contacting the semiconductor chips on the wafer to transfer the electrical signals, a space transformer having the plurality of probe modules seated on the upper portion thereof and electrically connected to the circuit board, wherein the respective probe modules are arranged at intervals from each other on the space transformer and the space transformer has vertical apertures penetrating through it up and down, and at least one vertical conductive medium electrically connecting the respective unit probe modules and the circuit board, wherein the vertical conductive medium is arranged in the vertical apertures provided in the space transformer and the respective unit probe modules are arranged at positions spaced from the vertical conductive medium. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080284458 | Method for Forming Connection Pin, Probe, Connection Pin, Probe Card and Method for Manufacturing Probe Card - A prove which can be easily formed, is not limited in a mounting position and number, and capable of sufficiently securing a space allowing a contact to move is provided. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080290887 | Testing method for semiconductor device having ball-shaped external electrode - Disclosed is a method of testing electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device having a ball-shaped external electrode. The method comprises preparing a plurality of cantilever-type contactors each supported by a support plate at a given position, and formed in such a manner that a tip thereof has a flat surface with an arc-shaped edge in an outer peripheral region thereof, and a cross-sectional diameter in a vicinity of the tip is greater than a radius of the ball-shaped external electrode, and pairing the cantilever-type contactors to provide paired two contactors. The method includes the steps of: pressing either one of the support plate and the semiconductor device toward the other in such a manner that the arc-shaped edges of the paired two contactors are brought into contact with respective ones of two surface regions of the ball-shaped external electrode divided by an axis of the ball-shaped external electrode passing through a middle point between the two positions where the paired two contactors are supported, so as to form Kelvin contacts; and further overly driving either one of the support plate and the semiconductor device relative to the other in such a manner that the arc-shaped edges of the paired two contactors are slidingly moved along respective ones of the two surface regions of the ball-shaped external electrode to perform a wiping operation. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080290888 | PROBE SUBSTRATE FOR TEST AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - A probe substrate includes a probe having a plurality of beams and a contactor formed at one end of the beam, and a support substrate for supporting the probe and having a bending space in which the probe moves upwards and downwards. The beam and the contactor are made of the same metal, and the sidewall of the contactor has a staircase configuration. Therefore, the probe substrate and the manufacturing method thereof repeats the lithographic process and the plating process to form the probe having the beam and the contactor combined, thereby increasing the bending degree and structural stability of the probe. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080309362 | PROBE ASSEMBLY WITH PROBES FOR ELECTRICAL TESTING - Disclosed is a probe assembly for use in electrical testing of an object, a probe, and a method of making the probe assembly. The probe assembly has a probe supporter body elongated in a first direction and comprising a first side surface, a second side surface, a first facing surface and a second facing surface, wherein the first and second facing surfaces are configured to face a testing object, wherein the first and second facing surfaces are substantially nonparallel to each other. The assembly further has a plurality of first slots formed on the first side surface and the first facing surface and a plurality of second slots formed on the second side surface and the second facing surface. Each slot is configured to receive a portion of a probe. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20080309363 | PROBE ASSEMBLY WITH WIRE PROBES - Disclosed is a probe assembly for use in electrical testing of a testing object and a method of the probe assembly. The probe assembly has a probe supporter body having a first side surface and a first facing surface and a plurality of wire probes. One of the plurality of wire probes has a first arm generally extending in a first direction, a second arm electrically and physically connected to the first arm and generally extending in a second direction other than the first direction, a first terminal portion formed at a distal end of the first arm and comprising a first tip, and a second terminal portion formed at a distal end of the second arm and comprising a second tip. The assembly further has a securing film placed over a portion of the second arm and keeping the portion of the second arm from moving. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090021277 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR REPARING A MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEM - A novel device and method for repairing MEMS systems, including probe cards for use in semiconductor testing is disclosed. In one embodiment, a probe card for use with a diagnostic computer for testing semiconductor wafers comprises a substrate, a plurality of operational probes connected to the substrate, wherein the plurality of operational probes are adapted to make an electrical connection with the diagnostic computer and a plurality of replacement probes connected to the substrate, wherein the plurality of operational probes and the plurality of replacement probes are constructed in substantially the same manufacturing process. Also disclosed is a novel probe card that can be repaired. Specifically, a probe card for use with a diagnostic computer for testing semiconductor wafers, the probe card comprises a substrate and a plurality operational of probes connected to the substrate, wherein the plurality of operational probes are adapted to make an electrical connection with the diagnostic computer, and wherein the plurality of operational probes include a sacrificial material that is activated by applying a voltage. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090045831 | CONTACT WITH PLURAL BEAMS - To precisely control behavior of a probe at a portion near a contact, and to provide a probe with small electric capacity which can be used to inspect chips having high-speed and high-capacity signals. A parallel spring probe based on a principle of a link mechanism, the link mechanism including: a vertically extending vertical probe; and a plurality of linear or curved horizontal beams extending in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the beams being fastened to a fixed end at one ends and connected to the vertical probe at the other ends, characterized in that distance between at least a pair of adjacent horizontal beams varies along a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090051382 | PROBE FOR ELECTRICAL TEST AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTING APPARATUS USING IT - A probe includes an arm region extending in the back and forth direction, and a tip region extending downward from the front end portion of the arm region. The tip region has a pedestal portion integrally continuous to a lower edge portion at the front end side of the arm region and having an underside inclined to an imaginary axis extending in the vertical direction; and a contact portion projected from the underside of the pedestal portion and having a tip orthogonal to an imaginary axis. Thus, the position of the tip can be accurately determined. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090072850 | FORKED PROBE FOR TESTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - A novel forked probe design for use in a novel probe card is presented that comprises a forked bending element that more efficiently stores displacement energy. Specifically, the novel probe card comprising a substrate and a forked probe connected to the substrate. The forked probe includes a base that is connected to the substrate and a forked bending element connected to the base, wherein the forked bending element comprises at least a first prong connected to a second prong through a prong connecting structure and a handle connected to the prong connecting structure. Connected to the first prong is the probe tip that is adapted to make contact with the DUT. Refinements to the probe card include that the first and second prongs are adapted to bend such that each prong elastically stores a portion of the displacement energy when the probe tip contacts the DUT. Also, the forked bending element may be manufactured using photolithography and using layered photolithography. Each prong may be comprised of different materials. And the forked bending element may be comprised of a nickel alloy. Also, the first prong may be constructed to be stiffer than the second prong, which may yield a shorter scrub length. The stiffness of the prongs may be manipulated by altering the geometry and/or material of the prongs. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090072851 | Multi-Pivot Probe Card For Testing Semiconductor Devices - A novel probe design is presented that comprises a plurality of pivots. These pivots allow the probe to store the displacement energy more efficiently. The novel probe comprises a substrate, and a probe connected to the substrate. The probe further comprises a base that is connected to the substrate, a bending element connected to the base and a probe tip connected to the bending element. In one embodiment, the plurality of pivots may be connected to the substrate such that a portion of the probe may contact the plurality of pivots while the probe tip contacts the device. In another embodiment, the plurality of pivots is connected to the bending element, such that the plurality of pivots may contact the substrate while the probe tip contacts the device. The bending element may also comprise a forked bending element connected to the base, such as the forked bending structure described in co-pending and related patent application Ser. No. 11/855,094. The forked bending structure may include at least a first prong connected to a second prong through a prong connecting structure and a handle connected to the prong connecting structure. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090079455 | REDUCED SCRUB CONTACT ELEMENT - Embodiments of resilient contact elements and methods for fabricating and using same are provided herein. In one embodiment, a resilient contact element includes a lithographically formed resilient beam having a plurality of openings disposed laterally therethrough; and a tip disposed proximate a first end of the beam, the tip and the beam together configured to electrically probe a device to be tested. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090128180 | Cantilever-Type Probe and Method of Fabricating the Same - Disclosed is a cantilever-type probe and methods of fabricating the same. The probe is comprised of a cantilever being longer lengthwise relative to the directions of width and height, and a tip extending from the bottom of the cantilever and formed at an end of the cantilever. A section of the tip parallel to the bottom of the cantilever is rectangular, having four sides slant to the lengthwise direction of the cantilever. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20090140760 | PROBE CARD - The probe card includes a plurality of probes arranged on one surface side of a board. These probes belonging to any one of a first probe group including a plurality of probes contacting respective electrodes in a first electrode row of an electronic device, a second probe group including a plurality of probes contacting respective electrodes in a second electrode row of the electronic device, and a third and fourth probe groups respectively including a plurality of probes contacting respective electrodes in a middle electrode row of the electronic device alternately. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090160473 | CONTACTOR FOR ELECTRICAL TEST, ELECTRICAL CONNECTING APPARATUS USING THE SAME, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CONTACTOR - An electrical test contactor comprises a contactor main body including a plate-shaped attachment portion extending in the up-down direction, a plate-shaped arm portion extending from the lower end portion of the attachment portion at least to one side in the right-left direction, and a plate-shaped pedestal portion projecting downward from the tip end portion of the arm portion, a contact portion projecting downward from the lower end of the pedestal portion and having the lower end of the contact portion acting as a probe tip, and a resistor having a higher resistance value than the contactor main body and the contact portion and arranged at the contactor main body so as to heighten the resistance value of the contactor. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090212807 | PROBE OF CANTILEVER PROBE CARD - A probe of a cantilever probe card (Epoxy probe card) is disclosed. The probe has a tip and a surface region extended from the tip of the probe about 5-10 mil is coated with a nano-film of high electro-conductive nanomaterial. The thickness of the nano-film is about 1-20 nm. Through the coating process, the nano-film coated on the probe of the cantilever probe card can efficiently provide the excellent advantages of no-clean, stable electro-conductivity, minimum overdrive force and longer usage lifetime for the probe of cantilever probe card. Accordingly, the yield of wafer testing can be improved and the frequency of cleaning the probe can be decreased. Furthermore, the total testing cost can be reduced. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090219047 | PROBE FOR TESTING ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF A TEST SAMPLE - A probe for testing electrical properties of test samples includes a body having a probe arm defining proximal and distal ends, the probe arm extending from the body at the proximal end of the probe arm, whereby a first axis is defined by the proximal and the distal ends. The probe arm defines a geometry allowing flexible movement of the probe arm along the first axis and along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and along a third axis orthogonal to a plane defined by the first axis and the second axis. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20090302878 | Test Contact System For Testing Integrated Circuits With Packages Having An Array Of Signal and Power Contacts - A test fixture ( | 12-10-2009 |
| 20100033202 | Cantilever Microprobes for Contacting Electronic Components and Methods for Making Such Probes - Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to compliant probe structures for making temporary or permanent contact with electronic circuits and the like. In particular, embodiments are directed to various designs of two-part probe elements, socket-able probes and their mounts. Some embodiments are directed to methods for fabricating such probes and mounts. In some embodiments, for example, probes have slide in mounting structures, twist in mounting structures, mounting structures that include compliant elements, and the like. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100109698 | PROBE ASSEMBLY ARRANGEMENT - A probe array is assembled on a probe card platform. Each of the probes in the probe array has a probe base that includes a gripping handle. The probe bases have two or more different shapes. The probe bases of different shapes are interleaved such that any two adjacent probes on the platform have probe bases of different shapes. The arrangement of the probes increases effective spacing between the probes to facilitate the maneuvering of a handling tool. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100127727 | PROTECTION LAYERS FOR MEDIA PROTECTION DURING FABRICATION OF PROBE MEMORY DEVICE - A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) seek-scan probe (SSP) memory device utilizes a protective layer over the delicate media layer to protect the media during harsh processing steps that may otherwise damage the media layer. The protective layer may comprise a layer of germanium and a layer of silicon dioxide. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100127728 | CANTILEVER-TYPE MICRO CONTACT PROBE WITH HINGE STRUCTURE - According to the present invention, allowable displacement can be increased from an excellent stress relaxation effect achieved by applying a hinge structure while adopting advantages of a dual beam cantilever-type probe that can reduce scrub. Since the hinge structure is a structure that does not receive a moment, an effect that is the same as eliminating a moment in a conventional prove can be achieved so that stress can be evenly applied and the allowable displacement of the probe can be increased. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100141291 | DEVICE INCLUDING A CONTACT DETECTOR - The present invention relates to a probe for determining an electrical property of an area of a surface of a test sample, the probe is intended to be in a specific orientation relative to the test sample. The probe may comprise a supporting body defining a first surface. A plurality of cantilever arms ( | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100164526 | MEMS PROBE FOR PROBE CARDS FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS - A MEMS probe adapted to contact a corresponding terminal of an integrated circuit, integrated on at least one chip of a semiconductor material wafer during a test phase of the wafer is provided. The probe includes a support structure comprising a first access terminal and a second access terminal; the support structure defines a conductive path between said first access terminal and said second access terminal. The probes further-includes a probe region connected to the support structure adapted to contact the corresponding terminal of the integrated circuit during the test phase for providing at least one test signal received from the first access terminal and the second access terminal to the integrated circuit through at least one portion of the conductive path, and/or providing at least one test signal generated by the integrated circuit to at least one between the first access terminal and the second access terminal trough at least one portion of the conductive path. The probe region is arranged on the conductive path of the support structure between said first access terminal and said second access terminal. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100176834 | Cantilever Microprobes For Contacting Electronic Components and Methods for Making Such Probes - Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to compliant probe structures for making temporary or permanent contact with electronic circuits and the like. In particular, embodiments are directed to various designs of cantilever-like probe structures. Some embodiments are directed to methods for fabricating such cantilever structures. In some embodiments, for example, cantilever probes have extended base structures, slide in mounting structures, multi-beam configurations, offset bonding locations to allow closer positioning of adjacent probes, compliant elements with tensional configurations, improved over travel, improved compliance, improved scrubbing capability, and/or the like. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100188113 | CANTILEVER PROBE AND APPLICATIONS OF THE SAME - A method of fabricating a nanoscale cantilever probe. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of forming a cantilever having a tip vertically extending from an end portion of the cantilever, where the tip has an apex portion having a size in a range of about 1-1000 nm, and selectively doping the cantilever with a dopant to define a first doping region in the tip and a second doping region in the rest of the cantilever, where the dopant concentration of the first doping region is substantially lower than that of the second doping region. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100194420 | CONTACTOR, PROBE CARD, AND METHOD OF MOUNTING CONTACTOR - A contactor ( | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100259290 | CANTILEVER TYPE PROBE HEAD - A cantilever type probe head, the head at least includes a probe having an introducing portion for contacting a pad of a member to be probed, the introducing portion is a conical column with its end face having a tapered portion and an extended rectangular portion, the tapered portion and the extended rectangular portion are provided in a coplanar position at the end face on the introducing portion. | 10-14-2010 |
