Probe card including a multiplicity of probe contacts and methods of making

Claim 2

As an article of manufacture, an electrically conductive unitary microelectronic test probe assembly comprising: an electrically dielectric base member having an overall transverse dimension greater than its height and having a tapered surface; a multiplicity of electrically conductive test probes supported on the tapered surface of said base member and arranged in a generally conical array corresponding to the taper of said tapered surface, the inner ends of said conductive probes forming the apex end of said conical array and constituting contact tips spaced from one another and including contact surfaces lying in a common plane; and means rigidly securing each said conductive probe to the tapered surface of said base member in spaced relation to the associated conductive probes for retaining all said probes in said conical array.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1, in which said means securing the conductive probes to the tapered surface of the base comprises a layer of electrically dielectric material adherent to said tapered surface of said base and in which the conductive probes are embedded in said layer of electrically dielectric material.

Claim 4

The combination according to claim 1, in which each conductive probe is tapered for a predetermined length between its contact tip and said base.

Claim 5

The combination according to claim 1, in which the contact tip of each probe is of reduced diameter compared to the remaining portion of the conductive probe, and the end of each probe remote from the contact tip is plated to facilitate connection of each probe to an associated structure.

Claim 6

The combination according to claim 1, in which each said probe is fabricated from tungsten.

Claim 7

In combination for use with a microelectronic test probe card having on at least one side thereof a multiplicity of electrically circuit traces, a unitary test probe assembly comprising: an annular base member having a flat side and a tapered side opposite to the flat side, the base member being mounted on the test side of the probe card with the flat side of the base member facing the test side of the probe card, the base member being made from an electrically dielectric member, said annular base member having an overall transverse dimension greater than its height; and a plurality of separate electrically conductive probes mounted on the tapered side of said annular base and arranged in a generally conical array, the base end of each of said conductive probes being connected with one of said traces and the apex end of each of said conductive probes constituting a contact tip terminating in a contact surface lying in a plane common to the contact surfaces of the other conductive probes.

Claim 8

In combination for use with a microelectronic test probe card having on at least one side thereof a multiplicity of electrically circuit traces, a unitary test probe assembly comprising: an annular base member having a flat side and a tapered side opposite to the flat side, the base member being mounted on the test side of the probe card with the flat side of the base member facing the test side of the probe card, the base member being made from an electrically dielectric member, said annular base member having an overall transverse dimension greater than its height; and a plurality of separate electrically conductive probes mounted on the tapered side of said annular base and arranged in a generally conical array, the base end of each of said conductive probes being connected with one of said traces and the apex end of each of said conductive probes constituting a contact tip terminating in a contact surface lying in a plane common to the contact surfaces of the other conductive probes.

Claim 9

In combination a microelectronic test probe card having a plurality of electrical circuit traces thereon; a plurality of separate conductive probes each having a contact tip terminating in a contact surface lying in a plane common to the contact surfaces of the other conductive probes; said plurality of separate conductive probes being mounted on said card in electrically cooperative association with individual ones of said circuit traces; said card being apertured along an axis extending substantially perpendicular to the card; support means supported by the test probe card at the position of the aperture and having electrically dielectric characteristics and having a tapered surface supporting the probes in the plurality at a position Intermediate the tips of the probes and the positions of the electrically cooperative relationship between the probes and the circuit traces on the probe card; and marker means including a container disposed on said card on the side thereof opposite said conductive probes and supported on the card for holding marking ink; said marker means including a capillary communicating with the container at one end and projecting through said aperture in the card and into close association with the contact tips of said conductive probes for providing a flow of marking ink from the container through the capillary to the card when the capillary contacts the card.

Claim 10

In combination a microelectronic test probe card having a plurality of electrical circuit traces thereon; a plurality of separate conductive probes each having a contact tip terminating in a contact surface lying in a plane common to the contact surfaces of the other conductive probes; said plurality of separate conductive probes being mounted on said card in electrically cooperative association with individual ones of said circuit traces; said card being apertured along an axis extending substantially perpendicular to the card; support means supported by the test probe card at the position of the aperture and having electrically dielectric characteristics and having a tapered surface supporting the probes in the plurality at a position Intermediate the tips of the probes and the positions of the electrically cooperative relationship between the probes and the circuit traces on the probe card; and marker means including a container disposed on said card on the side thereof opposite said conductive probes and supported on the card for holding marking ink; said marker means including a capillary communicating with the container at one end and projecting through said aperture in the card and into close association with the contact tips of said conductive probes for providing a flow of marking ink from the container through the capillary to the card when the capillary contacts the card.

Claim 11

The combination according to claim 7, in which the portion of said capillary that projects through said aperture is coaxially related with respect to the axis of said aperture and in which electrically dielectric means are adhered to the tapered surface of the support means to support the probes in fixed relationship on the tapered surface of the support means and to provide for the disposition of the probes at an angle acute to the surface of the card.

Claim 12

The combination according to claim 7, in which a plurality of marker means are provided, each marker means including a container disposed on the card and a capillary extending from the container and projecting through said aperture in the card and into close association with the contact tips of said conductive probes.

Claim 13

In combination for testing a substrate having a plurality of terminals for determining the proper operation of such circuit, a printed circuit board having a flat surface and a plurality of printed circuit leads disposed at spaced positions on the flat surface of the printed circuit board to be connected to various terminals in the plurality, the printed circuit board having an aperture at an interior position in the board, a support member disposed adjacent the aperture of the printed circuit board and having a hollow center and having a tapered surface disposed at a particular acute angle to the surface of the printed circuit board, and a plurality of electrically conductive probes connected at one end to the printed circuit leads and extending at the particular acute angle from the printed circuit leads and supported on the tapered surface of the support member in electrically dielectric relationship to the support member and extending to a position within the hollow center of the support member in spaced relationship to one another.

Claim 14

In combination for testing a substrate having a plurality of terminals for determining the proper operation of such circuit, a printed circuit board having a flat surface and a plurality of printed circuit leads disposed at spaced positions on the flat surface of the printed circuit board to be connected to various terminals in the plurality, the printed circuit board having an aperture at an interior position in the board, a support member disposed adjacent the aperture of the printed circuit board and having a hollow center and having a tapered surface disposed at a particular acute angle to the surface of the printed circuit board, and a plurality of electrically conductive probes connected at one end to the printed circuit leads and extending at the particular acute angle from the printed circuit leads and supported on the tapered surface of the support member in electrically dielectric relationship to the support member and extending to a position within the hollow center of the support member in spaced relationship to one another.

Claim 15

The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein the printed circuit board and the support member are made from electrically insulating materials and the printed circuit leads are disposed in electrically insulated relationship to one another and the probes are disposed in electrically insulated relationship to one another and are made from a flexible material and are provided with tips disposed in a substantially common plane.

Claim 16

The combination set forth in claim 11 wherein the probes are adhered to the tapered surface of the support member.

Claim 17

The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein the probes extend at the particular acute angle from the printed circuit leads to a position within the hollow center of the support member and have tips defining a common plane within the hollow center.

Claim 18

The combination set forth in claim 13 wherein at least one hollow container is disposed on the printed circuit board for holding a marking ink and wherein a capillary communicates at one end with the hollow container and has a disposition adjacent to the substrate at the other end and defines an applicator to the other end for applying ink from the container to the substrate when the capillary contacts the substrate.

Claim 19

In combination for testing a substrate having a plurality of terminals for determining the proper operation of such circuit, a printed circuit board made from an electrically insulating material and provided with first and second opposite faces, the printed circuit board having an aperture at an intermediate position in the board, a plurality of printed circuit leads disposed on at least a particular one of the first and second opposite faces in electrically insulated relationship to one another and extending from a position near at least one edge of the board to a position spaced from the aperture in the board, a plurality of probes individually connected at one end to individual ones of the printed circuit leads at the position spaced from the aperture in the board and extending, at an angle acute to the first face of the board, from the printed circuit board to a position interior of the aperture in the board, and means having a tapered surface and supported by the printed circuit board at the position of the aperture in the board and supporting the probes along an extended length of the tapered surface to retain the probes at the acute angle.

Claim 20

In combination for testing a substrate having a plurality of terminals for determining the proper operation of such circuit, a printed circuit board made from an electrically insulating material and provided with first and second opposite faces, the printed circuit board having an aperture at an intermediate position in the board, a plurality of printed circuit leads disposed on at least a particular one of the first and second opposite faces in electrically insulated relationship to one another and extending from a position near at least one edge of the board to a position spaced from the aperture in the board, a plurality of probes individually connected at one end to individual ones of the printed circuit leads at the position spaced from the aperture in the board and extending, at an angle acute to the first face of the board, from the printed circuit board to a position interior of the aperture in the board, and means having a tapered surface and supported by the printed circuit board at the position of the aperture in the board and supporting the probes along an extended length of the tapered surface to retain the probes at the acute angle.

Claim 21

The combination set forth in claim 15 wherein the probes have tips interior of the hollow center of the support means and the tips of the probes have a common plane and wherein the printed circuit board and the support means have electrically insulating characteristics.

Claim 22

The combination set forth in claim 16 wherein the probes are adhered to the tapered surface in electrically insulated relationship to one another and to the support means and wherein the probes are made from a flexible material.

Claim 23

The combination set forth in claim 17 wherein the support means is provided with a hollow center and a container is supported on the other face of the printed circuit board and is provided with a capillary extending through the aperture in the support means to a position adjacent to the substrate and is filled with marking ink for providing marks on the substrate when the capillary contacts the substrate.

Claim 24

In combination for testing a substrate having a plurality of terminals for determining the proper operation of such circuit, a printed circuit board made from an electrically insulating material and provided with first and second opposite faces, the printed circuit board having an aperture at an intermediate position in the board, a plurality of electrically conductive printed circuit leads disposed on at least a particular one of the first and second opposite faces in spaced and electrically insulated relationship to one another, the printed circuit leads extending from a position adjacent at least one of the edges of the printed circuit board to a position adjacent the aperture in the board, a plurality of electrically conductive probes each attached at one end to an individual one of the printed circuit leads and extending into the aperture in spaced and electrically insulated relationship to one another for engaging the substrate, means having a tapered surface and supported by the printed circuit board and supporting the probes at an intermediate position along the length of the probes to define at the tapered surface an acute angle relative to the particular face of the printed circuit board and thereby define a conical array for the probes, a container disposed upon the other one of the faces of the printed circuit board for retaining marking fluid, and a capillary extending from the container to a position in adjacent relationship to the substrate for providing a transfer of fluid to the substrate from the container when the capillary engages the substrate.

Claim 25

In combination for testing a substrate having a plurality of terminals for determining the proper operation of such circuit, a printed circuit board made from an electrically insulating material and provided with first and second opposite faces, the printed circuit board having an aperture at an intermediate position in the board, a plurality of electrically conductive printed circuit leads disposed on at least a particular one of the first and second opposite faces in spaced and electrically insulated relationship to one another, the printed circuit leads extending from a position adjacent at least one of the edges of the printed circuit board to a position adjacent the aperture in the board, a plurality of electrically conductive probes each attached at one end to an individual one of the printed circuit leads and extending into the aperture in spaced and electrically insulated relationship to one another for engaging the substrate, means having a tapered surface and supported by the printed circuit board and supporting the probes at an intermediate position along the length of the probes to define at the tapered surface an acute angle relative to the particular face of the printed circuit board and thereby define a conical array for the probes, a container disposed upon the other one of the faces of the printed circuit board for retaining marking fluid, and a capillary extending from the container to a position in adjacent relationship to the substrate for providing a transfer of fluid to the substrate from the container when the capillary engages the substrate.

Claim 26

The combination set forth in claim 19 wherein the support means for the probes has a surface tapered at a particular angle and wherein the probes rest on the tapered surface and extend at the particular angle from the printed circuits on the printed circuit board to the position interior to the aperture in the printed circuit board and in spaced relationship to one another.

Claim 27

The combination according to claim 1 in which the tip of each probe is bent outwardly from the projection of the dielectric base member.

Claim 28

In the combination set forth in claim 6, the probes in the plurality having their tips bent outwardly from the conical array and outwardly from the circuit traces on the test probe card.

Claim 29

The combination set forth in claim 8 in which the tips of the probes are bent outwardly from the traces on the probe card and are disposed in a common plane.

Claim 30

The combination set forth in claim 11 wherein the tips of the probes are bent outwardly from the printed circuit leads on the printed circuit board.

Claim 31

The combination set forth in claim 17 wherein the tips of the probes are bent outwardly from the particular face of the printed circuit board.

Claim 32

In the combination set forth in claim 25, the capillary being supported by the printed circuit board and the support means for the probes being provided with an aperture and the capillary extending through the aperture to the particular side of the probe.

Claim 33

In the combination set forth in claim 26, the probes being bent at their tips outwardly from the particular face of the printed circuit board.