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:
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 method of connecting to a semiconductor device comprises the steps of permanently mounting a plurality of elongate electrical contact structures (1330) to a semiconductor device (1302), the semiconductor device comprising at least one die; urging the semiconductor device against a first electronic component (1310) to effect a temporary connection between the semiconductor device and the first electronic component, with the electrical contact structures serving as electrical interconnects between the semiconductor device and the first electronic component; and using at least a plurality of the same electrical contact structures mounted to the semiconductor device to effect a permanent connection between at least one die of the semiconductor device and a second electronic component.
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:
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:
An electrical interconnection element (720, 730) comprises: a conductive interconnection component (730), including a connection region; and a conductive cantilever structure (720) formed by depositing spring material (712) in an opening of a masking layer (710) on a sacrificial substrate (702), wherein the conductive cantilever structure (720) is mounted to the connection region of the interconnection component (730).
Abstract:
According to the invention, a method of mounting one or a plurality of spring contact element(s) (402) to terminal(s) (406) of an electronic component (408) is proposed, comprising the steps of: fabricating one or a plurality of spring contact elements (402) upon a sacrificial substrate (404); subsequently, while the spring contact element(s) (402) is (are) resident on the sacrificial substrate (404), mounting ones of the spring contact element(s) to terminal(s) (406) of an electronic component (408); and after the ones of the spring contact element(s) is (are) mounted to the terminal(s) of the electronic component (408), removing the sacrificial substrate (404).
Abstract:
A probe card (321) is provided for contacting an electronic component with raised contact elements. In particular, the present invention is useful for contacting a semiconductor wafer (310) with resilient contact elements (301), such as springs. A probe card (321) is designed to have terminals to mate with the contact elements on the wafer (310). In a preferred embodiment, the terminals are posts. In a preferred embodiment the terminals include a contact material suitable for repeated contacts. In one particularly preferred embodiment, a space transformer (324) is prepared with contact posts on one side and terminals on the opposing side. An interposer (325) with spring contacts (333, 334) connects a contact (335) on the opposing side of the space transformer (324) to a corresponding terminal (332) on a probe card (321), which terminal (332) is in turn connected to a terminal (331) which is connectable to a test device such as a conventional tester.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method of fabricating an interconnection element, comprising fabricating an interconnection component (730), including a connection region; fabricating a cantilever beam structure (720) on a sacrificial substrate; mounting the cantilever beam structure (720) to the connection region of the interconnection component (736); and releasing the mounted cantilever beam structure from the sacrificial substrate by removing at least a portion of the sacrificial substrate, whereby a cantilever beam arrangement (720, 730) is formed.