Abstract:
A method of burning-in semiconductor devices, comprising permanently mounting a plurality of resilient contact structures on a plurality of unsingulated semiconductor devices on a semiconductor wafer; powering up at least a portion of the unsingulated semiconductor devices by making pressure connections to the resilient contact structures on the portion of the unsingulated semiconductor devices; and heating the semiconductor devices to a temperature of at least 150° C for less than 60 minutes.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method of forming a molded surface on a substrate (32) using a stamping tool (34) having at least a portion that is translucent, said method comprising pressing said stamping tool (34) into a layer (30) of moldable material on said substrate (32); directing a curing stimulus through at least a portion of said translucent portion of said stamping tool (34), wherein at least a portion of said moldable material (30) is cured.
Abstract:
A method of forming an interconnection, including a spring contact element, by lithographic techniques. The method comprises successively patterning a first and a second layer of masking material (125, 140) over a substrate (105), each layer of masking material having an opening; depositing a first conductive material (130) after patterning said first layer of masking material and depositing a second conductive material (145) after patterning said second layer of making material to form an electromechanical contact element having: a first portion (130) formed in an opening in said first masking material layer (125) and a second portion (145) coupled to the first portion and formed in an opening in said second masking material layer (140); and removing the plurality of layers of masking material.
Abstract:
A probe card assembly comprising: a probe card comprising a plurality of electrical contacts; a probe substrate having a plurality of elongate, resilient probe elements; a second substrate disposed between and spaced from said probe card and said probe; and a plurality of elongate interconnection elements providing compliant electrical connections through said second substrate between said probe card and said probe substrate and thereby electrically connecting ones of said electrical contacts with ones of said probe elements.
Abstract:
The invention provides a method of testing semiconductor devices (702, 704), prior to their being singulated from a semiconductor wafer. Said method comprises the following steps: permanently mounting a plurality of resilient contact structures (708) directly to a plurality of first terminals on at least one semiconductor device (702, 704) which is resident on a semiconductor wafer, each of said resilient contact structures having a tip and extending from a surface of the semiconductor device; urging a substrate (710) having a plurality of second terminals (712) towards the surface of the semiconductor device to effect a plurality of electrical connections between respective ones of the second terminals and tips of the resilient contact structures; and providing signals to the second terminals of the substrate to exercise the semiconductor device.
Abstract:
A plurality of contact elements, such as contact bumps or free-standing spring contacts (710) including both monolithic and composite interconnection elements, are mounted to relatively small tile substrates (702) which, in turn, are mounted and connected to a relatively large electronic component substrate (706), thereby populating the electronic component with a plurality of contact elements while avoiding the necessity of yielding the contact elements directly upon the electronic component. The relatively large electronic component is suitably a space transformer component of a probe card assembly. In this manner, pressure connections can be made to an entire semiconductor wafer, at once, to provide for wafer-level bum-in, and the like. Solder balls, z-axis conductive adhesive, or compliant connections are suitably employed for making electrical connections between the tile substrates and the electronic component. Multiple die sites on a semiconductor wafer are readily probed using the disclosed techniques, and the tiles can be arranged to optimize probing of an entire wafer. Composite interconnection elements having a relatively soft core overcoated by a relatively hard shell, as the resilient contact structures are described. Techniques for maintaining a prescribed x-y and z-axis alignment of the tiles to the relatively large substrate are disclosed.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a probe card assembly for testing semiconductor devices, comprising a printed circuit board (602) including a plurality of conductive traces (612); a composite wiring substrate (630, 802), the composite wiring substrate comprising a first portion (630) comprising a first non-conductive material and a plurality of contacts (648..654) on a surface of the first portion (630), and a second portion (802) bonded to the surface of the first portion (630) and having one or more customization layers, the customization layers comprising a second non-conductive material and probe pads on an outer surface of the customization layers and a plurality of electrical paths (806, 808) from ones of the probe pads to ones of the contacts (648..654) on the surface of the first portion (630); and a plurality of probes (810..814) disposed on ones of the probe pads; wherein ones of the contacts (648..654) are electrically connected to ones of the traces (612).
Abstract:
The invention relates to an apparatus comprising a probe card (250) for testing die on a wafer (140) and a shape memory alloy element (255) connected to said probe card (250), wherein said shape memory alloy utilizes thermal energy to deflect a portion of said probe card (250) to control the geometric shape of said probe card.
Abstract:
A method of producing a tested semiconductor device comprising: providing a probe card assembly, said probe card assembly including a probe card having a plurality of electrical contacts, a probe substrate having a plurality of elongate, resilient probe elements, and a compliant interconnection structure electrically connecting ones of said electrical contacts with ones of said probe elements; providing a plurality of semiconductor devices, each of said semiconductor devices including electrical contact pads; bringing said probe elements into contact with said electrical contact pads of said semiconductor device; and testing said semiconductor devices.
Abstract:
A probe card assembly comprising: a probe card comprising a plurality of electrical contacts; a probe substrate having a plurality of elongate, resilient probe elements; a second substrate disposed between and spaced from said probe card and said probe; and a plurality of elongate interconnection elements providing compliant electrical connections through said second substrate between said probe card and said probe substrate and thereby electrically connecting ones of said electrical contacts with ones of said probe elements.