Abstract:
The probe card assembly (500) includes a probe card (502), and a space transformer (506) having resilient contact structures (524) mounted to and extending from terminals (522) on its surface. An interposer (504) is disposed between the space transformer and the probe card. The space transformer and interposer are stacked on the probe card and the resilient contact structures can be arranged to optimise probing of entire wafer.
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:
Interconnection elements (550) for electronic components (556), exhibiting desirable mechanical characteristics (such as resiliency), for making pressure contact(s) are formed by shaping a ribbon-like core element (552) of a soft material (such as gold or soft copper) to have a springable shape (including cantilever beam, S-shape, U-shape), and overcoating the shaped core element with a hard material (558) such as nickel and it alloys, to impart a desired spring (resilient) characteristic to the resulting composite interconnection element (550). A final overcoat of a material (220) having superior electrical qualities (e.g., electrical conductivity and/or solderability) may be applied to the composite interconnection element (200). The resulting interconnection elements (500, 550) may be mounted to a variety of electronic components.
Abstract:
A plurality of contact elements, such as contact bumps or free-standing spring contacts including both monolithic and composite interconnection elements (514, 516, 524), are mounted to relatively small tile substrates which, in turn, are mounted and connected to a relatively large electronic component substrate (512), 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 (506) component of a probe card assembly (500). In this manner, pressure connections can be made to an entire semiconductor wafer, at once, to provide for wafer-level burn-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 (508) 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.