公开(公告)号：US20020117330A1

公开(公告)日：2002-08-29

申请号：US10035633

申请日：2001-12-28

Applicant: FormFactor, Inc.

Inventor： Benjamin Niles Eldridge ,  Gary William Grube ,  Igor Yan Khandros ,  Gaetan L. Mathieu

IPC: H05K007/02 ,  H01L021/44

CPC classification number: H05K7/1069 ,  B23K20/004 ,  B23K2101/40 ,  C23C18/31 ,  C23C18/32 ,  C23C18/38 ,  C25D5/08 ,  C25D5/22 ,  C25D21/02 ,  G01R1/0483 ,  G01R1/06711 ,  G01R1/07314 ,  G01R1/07342 ,  G01R1/07357 ,  G01R1/07378 ,  G01R31/2884 ,  G01R31/2886 ,  H01L21/4853 ,  H01L21/4889 ,  H01L21/563 ,  H01L21/6715 ,  H01L21/67248 ,  H01L21/67253 ,  H01L21/67288 ,  H01L22/20 ,  H01L23/49811 ,  H01L24/11 ,  H01L24/13 ,  H01L24/16 ,  H01L24/45 ,  H01L24/48 ,  H01L24/49 ,  H01L24/72 ,  H01L24/78 ,  H01L24/81 ,  H01L24/85 ,  H01L25/0652 ,  H01L25/16 ,  H01L2224/05568 ,  H01L2224/05571 ,  H01L2224/05572 ,  H01L2224/05573 ,  H01L2224/1134 ,  H01L2224/13082 ,  H01L2224/13099 ,  H01L2224/13124 ,  H01L2224/13144 ,  H01L2224/13147 ,  H01L2224/13647 ,  H01L2224/13655 ,  H01L2224/16145 ,  H01L2224/45015 ,  H01L2224/45109 ,  H01L2224/45111 ,  H01L2224/45116 ,  H01L2224/4512 ,  H01L2224/45123 ,  H01L2224/45124 ,  H01L2224/45138 ,  H01L2224/45139 ,  H01L2224/45144 ,  H01L2224/45147 ,  H01L2224/45155 ,  H01L2224/45163 ,  H01L2224/45164 ,  H01L2224/45169 ,  H01L2224/45173 ,  H01L2224/45176 ,  H01L2224/45565 ,  H01L2224/4569 ,  H01L2224/48091 ,  H01L2224/48095 ,  H01L2224/48227 ,  H01L2224/48599 ,  H01L2224/49109 ,  H01L2224/73203 ,  H01L2224/78301 ,  H01L2224/81801 ,  H01L2224/85043 ,  H01L2224/85045 ,  H01L2224/851 ,  H01L2224/85201 ,  H01L2224/85203 ,  H01L2224/85205 ,  H01L2225/0651 ,  H01L2225/06527 ,  H01L2225/06555 ,  H01L2225/06572 ,  H01L2924/00013 ,  H01L2924/00014 ,  H01L2924/01005 ,  H01L2924/01006 ,  H01L2924/01011 ,  H01L2924/01012 ,  H01L2924/01014 ,  H01L2924/01015 ,  H01L2924/01018 ,  H01L2924/01019 ,  H01L2924/01022 ,  H01L2924/01023 ,  H01L2924/01027 ,  H01L2924/01028 ,  H01L2924/01029 ,  H01L2924/0103 ,  H01L2924/01031 ,  H01L2924/01039 ,  H01L2924/01042 ,  H01L2924/01044 ,  H01L2924/01045 ,  H01L2924/01047 ,  H01L2924/01049 ,  H01L2924/0105 ,  H01L2924/01051 ,  H01L2924/0106 ,  H01L2924/01074 ,  H01L2924/01075 ,  H01L2924/01076 ,  H01L2924/01077 ,  H01L2924/01078 ,  H01L2924/01079 ,  H01L2924/01083 ,  H01L2924/01322 ,  H01L2924/014 ,  H01L2924/07802 ,  H01L2924/10253 ,  H01L2924/10329 ,  H01L2924/12041 ,  H01L2924/12042 ,  H01L2924/12044 ,  H01L2924/14 ,  H01L2924/15153 ,  H01L2924/15165 ,  H01L2924/15312 ,  H01L2924/1532 ,  H01L2924/16195 ,  H01L2924/181 ,  H01L2924/19041 ,  H01L2924/19043 ,  H01L2924/19107 ,  H01L2924/20751 ,  H01L2924/20753 ,  H01L2924/20754 ,  H01L2924/20755 ,  H01L2924/30105 ,  H01L2924/30107 ,  H01L2924/3011 ,  H01L2924/3025 ,  H01R12/52 ,  H05K1/141 ,  H05K3/20 ,  H05K3/308 ,  H05K3/326 ,  H05K3/3421 ,  H05K3/3426 ,  H05K3/368 ,  H05K3/4015 ,  H05K3/4092 ,  H05K2201/0397 ,  H05K2201/068 ,  H05K2201/1031 ,  H05K2201/10318 ,  H05K2201/10378 ,  H05K2201/10719 ,  H05K2201/10734 ,  H05K2201/10757 ,  H05K2201/10878 ,  H05K2201/10909 ,  H05K2201/10946 ,  Y02P70/611 ,  Y02P70/613 ,  Y10T29/49147 ,  Y10T29/49149 ,  Y10T29/49174 ,  Y10T29/49204 ,  Y10T29/49208 ,  Y10T29/49213 ,  H01L2924/00 ,  H01L2224/48 ,  H01L2924/00012 ,  H01L2924/20752 ,  H01L2924/20756 ,  H01L2924/20757 ,  H01L2924/00015 ,  H01L2924/2075 ,  H01L2924/01204 ,  H01L2924/013 ,  H01L2924/01004 ,  H01L2924/01048

Abstract: Contact structures exhibiting resilience or compliance for a variety of electronic components are formed by bonding a free end of a wire to a substrate, configuring the wire into a wire stem having a springable shape, severing the wire stem, and overcoating the wire stem with at least one layer of a material chosen primarily for its structural (resiliency, compliance) characteristics. A variety of techniques for configuring, severing, and overcoating the wire stem are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a free end of a wire stem is bonded to a contact area on a substrate, the wire stem is configured to have a springable shape, the wire stem is severed to be free-standing by an electrical discharge, and the free-standing wire stem is overcoated by plating. A variety of materials for the wire stem (which serves as a falsework) and for the overcoat (which serves as a superstructure over the falsework) are disclosed. Various techniques are described for mounting the contact structures to a variety of electronic components (e.g., semiconductor wafers and dies, semiconductor packages, interposers, interconnect substrates, etc.), and various process sequences are described. The resilient contact structures described herein are ideal for making a nulltemporarynull (probe) connections to an electronic component such as a semiconductor die, for burn-in and functional testing. The self-same resilient contact structures can be used for subsequent permanent mounting of the electronic component, such as by soldering to a printed circuit board (PCB). An irregular topography can be created on or imparted to the tip of the contact structure to enhance its ability to interconnect resiliently with another electronic component. Among the numerous advantages of the present invention is the great facility with which the tips of a plurality of contact structures can be made to be coplanar with one another. Other techniques and embodiments, such as wherein the falsework wirestem protrudes beyond an end of the superstructure, or is melted down, and wherein multiple free-standing resilient contact structures can be fabricated from loops, are described.

公开(公告)号：US20020036515A1

公开(公告)日：2002-03-28

申请号：US10003596

申请日：2001-10-30

Applicant: FORMFACTOR, INC.

Inventor： Benjamin N. Eldridge ,  Charles A. Miller

IPC: G01R031/26

CPC classification number: G06F1/26 ,  G01R31/31721 ,  Y10T307/50

Abstract: A main power supply continuously provides a current to a power input terminal of an integrated circuit device under test (DUT). The DUT's demand for current at the power input terminal temporarily increases during state changes in synchronous logic circuits implemented within the DUT. To limit variation (noise) in voltage at the power input terminal arising from these temporary increases in current demand, a charged capacitor is connected to the power input terminal during each DUT state change. The capacitor discharges into the power input terminal to supply additional current to meet the DUT's increased demand. Following each DUT state change the capacitor is disconnected from the power input terminal and charged to a level sufficient to meet a predicted increase in current demand during a next DUT state change.

公开(公告)号：US20010015773A1

公开(公告)日：2001-08-23

申请号：US09752902

申请日：2000-12-29

Applicant: FormFactor, Inc., a Delaware corporation

Inventor： Benjamin N. Eldridge ,  Igor Y. Khandros ,  David V. Pedersen ,  Ralph G. Whitten

IPC: G02F001/00 ,  H04N009/31

CPC classification number: G01R1/07307 ,  G01R31/2884 ,  G01R31/31723 ,  H01L22/32 ,  H01L23/50 ,  H01L23/60 ,  H01L2224/0401 ,  H01L2224/05554 ,  H01L2224/16 ,  H01L2924/00013 ,  H01L2924/01079 ,  H01L2924/10253 ,  H01L2224/29099 ,  H01L2924/00

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention concerns an integrated circuit that includes bond pads and special contact pads or points. The bond pads are for interfacing the integrated circuit as a whole with an external circuit, and are to be bonded to a package or circuit board. The bond pads are disposed on the die in a predetermined alignment such as a peripheral, grid, or lead-on-center alignment. The special contact pads are used to provide external test patterns to internal circuits and/or to externally monitor results from testing the internal circuits. The special contact pads may be advantageously located on the integrated circuit with a high degree of positional freedom. For one embodiment, the special contact pads may be disposed on the die at a location that is not in the same alignment as the bond pads. The special contact pads may be smaller than the bond pads so as not to increase the die size due to the special contact pads. The special contact points may also be used to externally program internal circuits (e.g., nonvolatile circuits) at the die or package level. The special contact points may also be used to select redundant circuits for faulty circuits.

公开(公告)号：US20240410936A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-12

申请号：US18737250

申请日：2024-06-07

Applicant: FormFactor, Inc.

Inventor： Ernest Gammon McReynolds ,  Timothy E. Lesher ,  Pratik Bakul Ghate ,  Shean Thomas McMahon ,  Jerry Martynuik ,  David Raschko ,  Daniel Bock ,  Andrew Nelson

IPC: G01R31/28 ,  G01R1/067 ,  G01R1/073

Abstract: Space transformers configured to be utilized in a probe system to facilitate electrical communication with a device under test (DUT), probe systems that include the space transformers, and related methods are disclosed herein. The space transformers include a dielectric body, a plurality of first electrical contacts supported by the dielectric body, and a plurality of second electrical contacts supported by the dielectric body. The space transformers also include an electrically conductive radio frequency (RF) signal-modifying trace. The space transformers further include an RF electrical signal-modifying structure in electrical communication with the electrically conductive RF signal-modifying trace. The RF electrical signal-modifying structure is configured to receive the RF electrical signal from an input region of the electrically conductive RF signal-modifying trace and to discharge a modified RF electrical signal to an output region of the electrically conductive RF signal-modifying trace. The RF electrical signal-modifying structure includes a coupler.

公开(公告)号：US12113583B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-08

申请号：US17143850

申请日：2021-01-07

Applicant: FormFactor, Inc.

Inventor： Dennis Rosenauer ,  Roger Hayward ,  Roy Swart

IPC: H04B17/12 ,  H04B17/16 ,  H04B17/19 ,  H04B7/06

CPC classification number: H04B17/12 ,  H04B17/16 ,  H04B17/19 ,  H04B7/0617

Abstract: Improved electrical testing of N-port beamforming devices is provided. For testing, an N:1 electrical network is connected to the N ports of the device under test to provide a single test port. This mode of testing can be used to determine parameters of interest (e.g., far field radiation patterns etc.) of the device under test more rapidly than with antenna range testing or with characterization of each port of the device under test. The N:1 electrical network can be passive or active. The N:1 electrical network can be integrated in a probe head to provide probe array testing of beamforming devices. Alternatively, the N:1 electrical network can be integrated with the device under test to provide onboard testing capability.

公开(公告)号：US20240168058A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-23

申请号：US18510290

申请日：2023-11-15

Applicant: FormFactor, Inc.

Inventor： Martin Schindler ,  Felix Krug

IPC: G01R1/067

CPC classification number: G01R1/06794

Abstract: Methods of establishing contact between a probe tip of a probe system and a device under test, probe systems that perform the methods, and storage media that directs probe systems to perform the methods. The methods include measuring a height differential between a DUT surface of the DUT and an auxiliary surface of an auxiliary chuck and aligning the probe tip and the auxiliary chuck for contact with one another. The methods also include physically contacting the probe tip with the auxiliary surface to determine an auxiliary contact height between the probe tip and the auxiliary surface and determining a DUT contact height between the probe tip and the DUT surface. The methods further include aligning the probe tip and the DUT for contact with one another and moving the probe tip to the DUT contact height to physically contact the probe tip with the DUT surface.

公开(公告)号：US11927603B2

公开(公告)日：2024-03-12

申请号：US17954093

申请日：2022-09-27

Applicant: FormFactor, Inc.

Inventor： Quan Yuan ,  Joseph George Frankel

IPC: G01R1/067

CPC classification number: G01R1/06794 ,  G01R1/06738

Abstract: Probes that define retroreflectors, probe systems that include the probes, and methods of utilizing the probes. The probes include the retroreflector, which is defined by a retroreflector body. The retroreflector body includes a first side, an opposed second side, a tapered region that extends from the first side, and a light-receiving region that is defined on the second side. The probes also include a probe tip, which is configured to provide a test signal to a device under test (DUT) and/or to receive a resultant signal from the DUT. The retroreflector is configured to receive light, via the light-receiving region, at a light angle of incidence. The retroreflector also is configured to emit at least an emitted fraction of the light, from the retroreflector body and via the light-receiving region, at a light angle of emission that is at least substantially equal to the light angle of incidence.

公开(公告)号：US20230269118A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-24

申请号：US18114087

申请日：2023-02-24

Applicant: FormFactor, Inc. ,  Cirel Systems Private Limited

Inventor： Roy J. Henson ,  Hackjin Kim ,  Leela Madhav Lakkimsetti

IPC: H04L25/49 ,  H04L7/027

CPC classification number: H04L25/4902 ,  H04L7/027

Abstract: Improved serial communication is provided in a system where each node regenerates data and transmits it to at least one other node in the system. Pulse width modulation (PWM) is used to encode the data. Preferably, all pulse shapes of the PWM start with a synchronization feature. It is also preferred that the regeneration delay in each node be less than the system clock period.

公开(公告)号：US20230251287A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-10

申请号：US18107231

申请日：2023-02-08

Applicant: FormFactor, Inc.

Inventor： January Kister ,  Kevin John Hughes

IPC: G01R1/073

CPC classification number: G01R1/07307

Abstract: A probe array having decoupled electrical and mechanical design constraints on the probes is provided. Each probe is a two-part structure with the two parts able to stay in electrical contact with each other as the parts slide up and down with respect to each other. The probes are disposed in through holes of an elastic matrix, each probe having its corresponding hole. The probes engage with the elastic matrix such that a restoring force in response to vertical probe compression is provided by the elastic matrix. With this approach, electrical and mechanical design are much more decoupled than in conventional spring probe design. The elastic matrix provides the mechanical compliance and restoring force, while the parts of the probe determine its current carrying capacity and electrical bandwidth.

公开(公告)号：US20210375733A1

公开(公告)日：2021-12-02

申请号：US17333890

申请日：2021-05-28

Applicant: FormFactor, Inc.

Inventor： Roy J. Henson ,  Shawn O. Powell

IPC: H01L23/498 ,  H01L25/065 ,  H01L23/13 ,  H01L23/538 ,  H01R12/52 ,  H05K1/18

Abstract: 3D electrical integration is provided by connecting several component carriers to a single substrate using contacts at the edges of the component carriers making contact to a 2D contact array (e.g., a ball grid array or the like) on the substrate. The resulting integration of components on the component carriers is 3D, thereby providing much higher integration density than in 2D approaches.