Multipoint probe apparatus for electrically testing multiple surface points within small zones

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR USE IN MEASURING THE ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WAFER SPECIMENS HAVING ROWS OF REPEATING PATTERNS OF ELECTRICAL INDICIA ARRANGED AT REGULAR INTERVALS IN ZONES ON THE SURFACE THEREOF, COMPRISING: A FRAME, A CHUCK FOR SUPPORTING A WAFER WITH THE SURFACE PATTERNS EXPOSED IN SUBSTANTIALLY A HORIZONTAL PLANE, SLIDER MEANS IN SAID FRAME FOR POSITIONING SAID CHUCK ALONG A HORIZONTAL AXIS PARALLEL TO THE ROWS OF PATTERNS, A PLATEN IN SAID FRAME, MEANS FOR SLIDABLY SUPPORTING SAID PLATEN ADJACENT SAID CHUCK IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE WAFER SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF PROBE HEADS, EACH INCLUDING A PROBE TIP AND SPRING MEANS RESILIENTLY SUSPENDING THE TIP THEREIN, MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING SAID PROBE HEADS IN RANDOM DISPOSITION AT ANY DESIRED LOCATION ON SAID PLATEN SO THAT THE PROBE TIPS ARE IN REGISTRATION WITH THE RESPECTIVE INDICIA ON THE WAFER SURFACE AND ADJACENTLY SPACED THEREFROM, ACTUATING MEANS FOR EFFECTING RECIPROCABLE MOVEMENT OF SAID PROBE TIPS BETWEEN AN ENGAGING POSITION IN CONTACT WITH THE RESPECTIVE INDICIA AND A RELEASED POSITION ADJACENTLY SPACED FROM A WAFER SURFACE, AND DRIVE MEANS ACTIVATED BY THE RELEASE OF SAID PROBE ACTUATING MEANS AUTOMATICALLY INDEXING SAID SLIDER MEANS ONE ZONE INTERVAL SO AS TO MOVE THE NEXT SUCCEEDING PATTERN IN THE ROW INTO POSITION FOR TESTING.