公开(公告)号：US20240085457A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-14

申请号：US18518116

申请日：2023-11-22

Applicant: Microfabrica Inc.

Inventor： Ming Ting Wu ,  Garret R. Smalley ,  Dennis R. Smalley

IPC: G01R1/067

CPC classification number: G01R1/06722

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to probe structures, arrays, methods of using probes and arrays, and/or methods for making probes and/or arrays. In the various embodiments, probes include at least two springs separated by a movable stop while in other embodiments, three or more springs may be included with two or more movable stops. Movable stops interact with fixed stops that are either part of the probes themselves or part of separate elements that engage with the probes (such as array frame structures) that provide for the retention, longitudinal and/or lateral positioning of probes and possibly for orientation of the probes about a longitudinal axis. Fixed stops provide for controlled limits for movement of the movable stops which in turn allow for enhanced compliant or elastic performance of the probes upon increased probe compression in either one direction, in the order of tip compressions, or in both directions or tip compression orders (e.g. to provide one or more decreases in spring constant upon reaching one or more compression levels (or biasing force levels) with a given tip compression direction and/or order).

公开(公告)号：US20240061017A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-22

申请号：US18469263

申请日：2023-09-18

Applicant: MICROFABRICA INC.

Inventor： MIchael S. Lockard ,  Uri Frodis ,  Dennis R. Smalley

IPC: G01R1/073 ,  G01R3/00 ,  G01R1/067

CPC classification number: G01R1/07378 ,  G01R3/00 ,  G01R1/06761

Abstract: Probe arrays include spacers attached to the probes that were formed along with the probes. Methods of making probe arrays by (1) forming probes on their sides and possibly as linear arrays or combination subarrays (e.g. as a number of side-to-side joined linear arrays) having probes fixed in array positions by a sacrificial material that is temporarily retained after formation of the probes; (2) assembling the probe units into full array configurations using the spacers attached to the probes or using alternative alignment structures to set the spacing and/or alignment of the probe(s) of one unit with another unit; and (3) fixing the probes in their configurations (e.g. bonding to a substrate and/or engaging the probes with one or more guide plates) wherein the spacers are retained or are removed, in whole or in part, prior to putting the array to use.

公开(公告)号：US11867721B1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-09

申请号：US17139936

申请日：2020-12-31

Applicant: Microfabrica Inc.

Inventor： Ming Ting Wu ,  Garret R. Smalley ,  Dennis R. Smalley

IPC: G01R1/067

CPC classification number: G01R1/06722

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to probe structures, arrays, methods of using probes and arrays, and/or methods for making probes and/or arrays. In the various embodiments, probes include at least two springs separated by a movable stop while in other embodiments, three or more springs may be included with two or more movable stops. Movable stops interact with fixed stops that are either part of the probes themselves or part of separate elements that engage with the probes (such as array frame structures) that provide for the retention, longitudinal and/or lateral positioning of probes and possibly for orientation of the probes about a longitudinal axis. Fixed stops provide for controlled limits for movement of the movable stops which in turn allow for enhanced compliant or elastic performance of the probes upon increased probe compression in either one direction, in the order of tip compressions, or in both directions or tip compression orders (e.g. to provide one or more decreases in spring constant upon reaching one or more compression levels (or biasing force levels) with a given tip compression direction and/or order).

公开(公告)号：US20230358785A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-09

申请号：US18295716

申请日：2023-04-04

Applicant: Microfabrica Inc.

Inventor： Arun S. Veeramani ,  Ming Ting Wu ,  Dennis R. Smalley

IPC: G01R1/067 ,  G01R1/073

CPC classification number: G01R1/06722 ,  G01R1/06727 ,  G01R1/07314

Abstract: Probe array for contacting electronic components includes a plurality of probes for making contact between two electronic circuit elements and an array plate mounting and retention configuration. The probes may comprise lower retention features that protrudes from a probe body with a size and configuration that limits the longitudinal extent to which the probes can be inserted into plate probe holes of an array plate and an upper retention feature having a lateral configuration that is sized to pass through the extension provided by the side wall feature of the plate probe hole when aligned and after longitudinally locating the upper retention feature above the extension, the retention feature undergoes displacement relative to the upper plate probe hole such that the upper retention feature can no longer longitudinally pass through the extension of the upper plate probe hole.

公开(公告)号：US20230349947A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-02

申请号：US18295728

申请日：2023-04-04

Applicant: Microfabrica Inc.

Inventor： Arun S. Veeramani ,  Ming Ting Wu ,  Dennis R. Smalley

IPC: G01R1/073 ,  G01R1/067

CPC classification number: G01R1/06722 ,  G01R1/07314

Abstract: Probe array for contacting electronic components includes a plurality of probes for making contact between two electronic circuit elements and an array plate mounting and retention configuration. The probes may comprise lower retention features that protrudes from a probe body with a size and configuration that limits the longitudinal extent to which the probes can be inserted into plate probe holes of a array plate and an upper retention feature comprising at least one tab-like feature extending laterally from the body of the probe at a level above and longitudinally spaced from the lower retention feature; and wherein after longitudinally locating the upper retention feature above the plate probe hole in the array plate, the upper retention feature undergoes lateral displacement such that the upper retention feature can no longer longitudinally pass through the plate probe hole in the array plate.

公开(公告)号：US20230243871A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-03

申请号：US18295721

申请日：2023-04-04

Applicant: Microfabrica Inc.

Inventor： Arun S. Veeramani ,  Ming Ting Wu ,  Dennis R. Smalley

IPC: G01R1/067 ,  G01R1/073

CPC classification number: G01R1/06722 ,  G01R1/07307

Abstract: Probe array for contacting electronic components includes a plurality of probes for making contact between two electronic circuit elements and an array plate mounting and retention configuration. The probes may comprise lower retention features that protrudes from a probe body with a size and configuration that limits the longitudinal extent to which the probes can be inserted into plate probe holes of an array plate and an upper retention feature comprising at least one laterally compressible spring element at a level above the lower retention feature that, in combination with the probe body, can be made to achieve a lateral configuration that is sized to pass through the hole and thereafter elastically return to a configuration that is incapable of passing through the hole so as to retain the probe and the array plate together.

公开(公告)号：US20230207426A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-29

申请号：US17699049

申请日：2022-03-18

Applicant: Microfabrica Inc.

Inventor： Onnik Yaglioglu ,  Richard T. Chen ,  Will J. Tan ,  Jia Li ,  Uri Frodis ,  Nina C. Levy ,  Dennis R. Smalley

IPC: H01L23/473 ,  F28F3/12 ,  F28F13/06 ,  H01L21/48 ,  H05K7/20

CPC classification number: H01L23/4735 ,  F28F3/12 ,  F28F13/06 ,  H01L21/4871 ,  H01L23/473 ,  H01L21/4882 ,  H05K7/20254 ,  H05K7/20272 ,  H05K7/20281 ,  F28F2260/02

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to heat transfer arrays, cold plates including heat transfer arrays along with inlets and outlets, and thermal management systems including cold-plates, pumps and heat exchangers. These devices and systems may be used to provide cooling of semiconductor devices or other devices and particularly such devices that produce high heat concentrations. The heat transfer arrays may include microjets, multi-stage microjets, microchannels, fins, wells, wells with flow passages, well with stress relief or stress propagation inhibitors, and integrated microjets and fins.

公开(公告)号：US20190017189A1

公开(公告)日：2019-01-17

申请号：US16118267

申请日：2018-08-30

Applicant: Microfabrica Inc.

Inventor： Adam L. Cohen ,  Michael S. Lockard ,  Kieun Kim ,  Qui T. Le ,  Gang Zhang ,  Uri Frodis ,  Dale S. McPherson ,  Dennis R. Smalley

IPC: C25D5/02 ,  C23C18/16 ,  C25D1/00 ,  B81C1/00

CPC classification number: C25D5/022 ,  B81C1/00126 ,  B81C2201/0109 ,  B81C2201/019 ,  C23C18/1605 ,  C23C18/1651 ,  C25D1/003 ,  Y10T156/11 ,  Y10T156/19

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to techniques for building single layer or multi-layer structures on dielectric or partially dielectric substrates. Certain embodiments deposit seed layer material directly onto substrate materials while others use an intervening adhesion layer material. Some embodiments use different seed layer and/or adhesion layer materials for sacrificial and structural conductive building materials. Some embodiments apply seed layer and/or adhesion layer materials in what are effectively selective manners while others apply the materials in blanket fashion. Some embodiments remove extraneous material via planarization operations while other embodiments remove the extraneous material via etching operations. Other embodiments are directed to the electrochemical fabrication of multilayer mesoscale or microscale structures which are formed using at least one conductive structural material, at least one conductive sacrificial material, and at least one dielectric material. In some embodiments the dielectric material is a UV-curable photopolymer.

公开(公告)号：US09597834B2

公开(公告)日：2017-03-21

申请号：US14194214

申请日：2014-02-28

Applicant: Microfabrica Inc.

Inventor： Adam L. Cohen ,  Vacit Arat ,  Michael S. Lockard ,  Dennis R. Smalley

IPC: C25D5/02 ,  C25D5/48 ,  B29C65/56

CPC classification number: B29C65/56 ,  B33Y10/00 ,  C25D5/02 ,  Y10T29/49885

Abstract: Forming multi-layer 3D structures involving the joining of at least two structural elements, at least one of which is formed as a multi-layer 3D structure, wherein the joining occurs via one of: (1) elastic deformation and elastic recovery, (2) relative deformation of an initial portion of at least one element relative to another portion of the at least one element until the at least two elements are in a desired retention position after which the deformation is reduced or eliminated, or (3) moving a retention region of one element into the retention region of the other element, without deformation of either element, along a path including a loading region of the other element and wherein during normal use the first and second elements are configured relative to one another so that the loading region of the second element is not accessible to the retention region of the first element.

公开(公告)号：US09546431B2

公开(公告)日：2017-01-17

申请号：US14185613

申请日：2014-02-20

Applicant: Microfabrica Inc.

Inventor： Adam L. Cohen ,  Michael S. Lockard ,  Kieun Kim ,  Qui T. Le ,  Gang Zhang ,  Uri Frodis ,  Dale S. McPherson ,  Dennis R. Smalley

IPC: C25D5/02 ,  C25D1/00 ,  C23C18/16 ,  B81C1/00

CPC classification number: C25D5/022 ,  B81C1/00126 ,  B81C2201/0109 ,  B81C2201/019 ,  C23C18/1605 ,  C23C18/1651 ,  C25D1/003 ,  Y10T156/11 ,  Y10T156/19

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to techniques for building up single layer or multi-layer structures on dielectric or partially dielectric substrates. Certain embodiments deposit seed layer material directly onto substrate materials while other embodiments use an intervening adhesion layer material. Some embodiments use different seed layer materials and/or adhesion layer materials for sacrificial and structural conductive building materials. Some embodiments apply seed layer and/or adhesion layer materials in what are effectively selective manners while other embodiments apply the materials in blanket fashion. Some embodiments remove extraneous depositions (e.g. depositions to regions unintended to form part of a layer) via planarization operations while other embodiments remove the extraneous material via etching operations. Other embodiments are directed to the electrochemical fabrication of multilayer mesoscale or microscale structures which are formed using at least one conductive structural material, at least one conductive sacrificial material, and at least one dielectric material. In some embodiments the dielectric material is a UV-curable photopolymer.

Abstract translation: 本发明的一些实施例涉及在电介质或部分电介质基底上建立单层或多层结构的技术。 某些实施方案将种子层材料直接沉积到基底材料上，而其它实施例使用中间粘合层材料。 一些实施例使用不同种子层材料和/或用于牺牲和结构导电建筑材料的粘合层材料。 一些实施例将种子层和/或粘合层材料应用于有选择性的方式，而其它实施例以毯子的方式应用材料。 一些实施例通过平面化操作去除外来沉积物（例如沉积到不想要形成层的一部分的区域），而其他实施例通过蚀刻操作去除外来材料。 其它实施方案涉及使用至少一种导电结构材料，至少一种导电牺牲材料和至少一种电介质材料形成的多层中尺度或微结构结构的电化学制造。 在一些实施方案中，电介质材料是可UV固化的光聚合物。