A backing apparatus for use in a semiconductor automatic test equipment including: a probe card holder configured to rigidly affix one or more first portions of a flexible probe card to the probe card holder, wherein a respective back side of each of the one or more first portions is adjacent to the probe card holder when the one or more portions are rigidly affixed to the probe card holder; linear actuators; and a rigid backing plate configured to rigidly affix a second portion of the flexible probe card to the rigid backing plate, wherein one side of the rigid backing plate is adjacent to a back side of the second portion when the second portion is rigidly affixed to the rigid backing plate, wherein each linear actuator is configured to provide backing of another side of the rigid backing plate against the probe card holder.