US4757256A — High density probe card

Claim 1

Independent Claim 505 words

A high density probe card for enabling testing apparatus to contact and test unsevered large scale integrated circuit dies replicatively formed on a planar semiconductor wafer, said card comprising: a single unitary, generally planar printed circuit board having an upper major surface and a lower major surface generally parallel with the upper surface, and having further: a central opening adapted to receive a preformed array of probes, on the lower major surface thereof an outer generally annular set of connection pads and an inner generally annular set of connection pads adjacent to said central opening, and a generally annular spatial separation region lying between said outer annular set and said inner annular set, said annular region thereby completely separating and spacing said outer annular set away from said inner annular set, a plurality of sets of connection paths, each set including a multiplicity of spaced apart conductive paths extending generally in directions which are radially away from a center point of the central opening, there being at least a first set of paths lying in a first plane generally parallel to a said major surface of said printed circuit board and a second set of paths lying in a second plane generally parallel to said major surface of said printed circuit board, the second plane being spaced apart from the first plane, the connection paths of said set being spaced apart laterally in interleaved relation with respect to the connection paths of said first set, there being in number at least as many connection paths and pads of said sets as there are probes of said probe card, the connection paths of said first set being connected to the connection pads of said outer annular set and the connection paths of said second set being connected to the connection pads of said inner annular set, both sets of connection paths including external connection means formed at a top major surface of said printed circuit board generally distal from the central opening thereof by which an external electrical connection may be established with each said path and its respective connection pad, said preformed probe array including a frame and at least two sets of spaced apart probe wires bonded to said frame by a cured mass of curable resin material, each wire having a probe tip formed into alignment position relative to a respective connection location of each said die to be tested, adjacent probe wires of said sets being interleaved with respect to each other, one set of probe wires being adapted for electrical connection to said outer annular set of pads on said lower surface and the other set of probe wires being adapted for electrical connection to said inner annular set of pads on said lower surface so that as so formed said probe card has a capacity for providing a probe wire plan view density of not less than .7 probes per degree of rotation about a center axis of and normal to said central opening of said unitary printed circuit board.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 505 words

A high density probe card for enabling testing apparatus to contact and test unsevered large scale integrated circuit dies replicatively formed on a planar semiconductor wafer, said card comprising: a single unitary, generally planar printed circuit board having an upper major surface and a lower major surface generally parallel with the upper surface, and having further: a central opening adapted to receive a preformed array of probes, on the lower major surface thereof an outer generally annular set of connection pads and an inner generally annular set of connection pads adjacent to said central opening, and a generally annular spatial separation region lying between said outer annular set and said inner annular set, said annular region thereby completely separating and spacing said outer annular set away from said inner annular set, a plurality of sets of connection paths, each set including a multiplicity of spaced apart conductive paths extending generally in directions which are radially away from a center point of the central opening, there being at least a first set of paths lying in a first plane generally parallel to a said major surface of said printed circuit board and a second set of paths lying in a second plane generally parallel to said major surface of said printed circuit board, the second plane being spaced apart from the first plane, the connection paths of said set being spaced apart laterally in interleaved relation with respect to the connection paths of said first set, there being in number at least as many connection paths and pads of said sets as there are probes of said probe card, the connection paths of said first set being connected to the connection pads of said outer annular set and the connection paths of said second set being connected to the connection pads of said inner annular set, both sets of connection paths including external connection means formed at a top major surface of said printed circuit board generally distal from the central opening thereof by which an external electrical connection may be established with each said path and its respective connection pad, said preformed probe array including a frame and at least two sets of spaced apart probe wires bonded to said frame by a cured mass of curable resin material, each wire having a probe tip formed into alignment position relative to a respective connection location of each said die to be tested, adjacent probe wires of said sets being interleaved with respect to each other, one set of probe wires being adapted for electrical connection to said outer annular set of pads on said lower surface and the other set of probe wires being adapted for electrical connection to said inner annular set of pads on said lower surface so that as so formed said probe card has a capacity for providing a probe wire plan view density of not less than .7 probes per degree of rotation about a center axis of and normal to said central opening of said unitary printed circuit board.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 94 words

The high density probe card of claim 1 wherein said first set of connection paths is formed on the bottom major surface of said single printed circuit board and each path thereof extends to and connects directly to a said connection pad of said outer annular set, and wherein said second set of connection paths is formed on a top major surface of said single printed circuit board and each path thereof connects to a said connection pad of said inner annular set via an electrical path feeding through said printed circuit board therebetween.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 49 words

The high density probe card of claim 1 further comprising a generally annular ground plane conductive trace formed on said lower major surface of said printed circuit board in said separation region lying between said outer annular set of connection pads and said inner annular set of connection pads.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 48 words

The high density probe card of claim 3 further comprising ground plane shield means disposed within the printed circuit board between the first and second sets of conductive paths, said ground plane shield means being electrically connected to said ground plane conductive trace formed in said separation region.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 385 words

A high density probe card for use with testing apparatus for testing integrated circuit means having electrical signal connection pads, the probe card including: an array of probe wires having contact tips, the wires and tips being prearranged in alignment to contact the integrated circuit connection pads with substantially equalized planarity, force and scrub as the probe card is brought into testing proximity with the wafer, the array being further prearranged as two sets of probe wires, both sets together enabling said card to have a density of not less than 0.7 probe wires per degree of rotation about a center axis of and normal to the probed surface of a said planar semiconductor integrated circuit die to be probed by said probe card, a unitary mounting substrate comprising a double sided printed circuit board having an opening, a formation of cured epoxy resin for embedding the array of probe wires in its prearrangement as at least two sets and for bonding the prearranged array at the opening of the unitary mounting substrate, the unitary mounting substrate having: a lower major surface defining at least two areas of probe wire connecting locations, a first area adjacent the opening for enabling connections to the probe wires of the one set, and a second area spaced apart from the first area for enabling connection to the probe wires of the other set, a connector path for each connecting location in the first area being formed as a printed circuit trace on an upper major surface of the printed circuit board and being connected by a connection bridge through the printed circuit board to its respective connecting location in the first area, and a connector path for each connecting location in the second area being formed as a printed circuit trace on the lower major surface of the printed circuit board substrate, each connector path extending to a connector location on said upper major surface at which an electrical connection is made between the probe card and the testing apparatus, and a continuous ground plane conductive trace formed on said lower major surface of said printed circuit board in a separation region of said lower surface which lies between the area of said outer set of connecting locations and the area of said inner set of connecting locations.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 385 words

A high density probe card for use with testing apparatus for testing integrated circuit means having electrical signal connection pads, the probe card including: an array of probe wires having contact tips, the wires and tips being prearranged in alignment to contact the integrated circuit connection pads with substantially equalized planarity, force and scrub as the probe card is brought into testing proximity with the wafer, the array being further prearranged as two sets of probe wires, both sets together enabling said card to have a density of not less than 0.7 probe wires per degree of rotation about a center axis of and normal to the probed surface of a said planar semiconductor integrated circuit die to be probed by said probe card, a unitary mounting substrate comprising a double sided printed circuit board having an opening, a formation of cured epoxy resin for embedding the array of probe wires in its prearrangement as at least two sets and for bonding the prearranged array at the opening of the unitary mounting substrate, the unitary mounting substrate having: a lower major surface defining at least two areas of probe wire connecting locations, a first area adjacent the opening for enabling connections to the probe wires of the one set, and a second area spaced apart from the first area for enabling connection to the probe wires of the other set, a connector path for each connecting location in the first area being formed as a printed circuit trace on an upper major surface of the printed circuit board and being connected by a connection bridge through the printed circuit board to its respective connecting location in the first area, and a connector path for each connecting location in the second area being formed as a printed circuit trace on the lower major surface of the printed circuit board substrate, each connector path extending to a connector location on said upper major surface at which an electrical connection is made between the probe card and the testing apparatus, and a continuous ground plane conductive trace formed on said lower major surface of said printed circuit board in a separation region of said lower surface which lies between the area of said outer set of connecting locations and the area of said inner set of connecting locations.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 33 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 5 wherein the opening of the single printed circuit board mounting substrate is centrally located relative to the periphery of the single mounting substrate.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 47 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 5 wherein the physical distance between each connecting location of the second area and the connector location thereof is substantially equal to the physical distance between each connecting location of the first area and the connector location thereof.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 32 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 7 wherein the electrical impedance characteristics of the electrical circuit paths between the probe tips and their respective connector locations are substantially equalized.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 46 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 5 further comprising ground plane shield means disposed within the printed circuit board between the first and second sets of connector paths, said ground plane shield means being electrically connected to said annular ground plane conductive trace.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 40 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 5 wherein each connecting location in the first area is interdigitally aligned between radiuses peripherally extending from the center of the opening and intersecting adjacent connecting locations of the second area.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 38 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 5 wherein said array is prearranged into said two sets with with each probe wire of one set separated vertically from an adjacent probe wire of the other set.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 34 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 11 wherein each probe wire of one set is prearranged so that it is interdigitally spaced between two adjacent probe wires of the other set.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 50 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 5 wherein said first area is formed as a concentric region about the center of the opening, and wherein the second area is formed as a concentric region about the center of the opening and spaced outwardly from the first area.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 48 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 5 wherein each connection path for a connection location of the first area includes a segment vertically spaced apart from and aligned between radiuses of the opening intersecting adjacent connecting paths for adjacent connection locations of the second area.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 331 words

A probe card for use with test equipment for testing high density integrated circuits formed on a wafer, each integrated circuit having a predetermined array of connector pads, the probe card having a capability of accomodating a probe density not less than 0.7 probes per degree of rotation about a reference point and including a single printed circuit board substrate having a top face and a bottom face and defining an interior opening formed about the reference point, the probe card including a single epoxy formation bonded to the bottom face of the substrate at the periphery of the interior opening, the probe card including a multiplicity of probe wires embedded in the epoxy formation, the probe wires having tips aligned and adapted to scrub and thereby contact said connection pads of a said integrated circuit to be tested, at least two groups of connecting locations defined on the bottom face of the substrate, each said location further comprising connection means for providing an electrical connection with a said probe wire at an end region thereof distal from said tip thereof and for extending to an interface region of said substrate for enabling said probe wire to be connected to said test equipment, the connection locations of a first of said at least two groups being located at a first distance zone from the reference point, the connecting locations of a second of said at least two groups being located at a second distance zone from said reference point, there being a separation region defined on the bottom face of the substrate lying between said first and second distance zones and thereby physically separating said connecting locations of said first group from said connecting locations of said second group so that portions of the connecting locations of said first group lying closest to said reference point are separated and spaced away by said separation region from portions of the connecting locations of said second group lying farthest from said reference point.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 331 words

A probe card for use with test equipment for testing high density integrated circuits formed on a wafer, each integrated circuit having a predetermined array of connector pads, the probe card having a capability of accomodating a probe density not less than 0.7 probes per degree of rotation about a reference point and including a single printed circuit board substrate having a top face and a bottom face and defining an interior opening formed about the reference point, the probe card including a single epoxy formation bonded to the bottom face of the substrate at the periphery of the interior opening, the probe card including a multiplicity of probe wires embedded in the epoxy formation, the probe wires having tips aligned and adapted to scrub and thereby contact said connection pads of a said integrated circuit to be tested, at least two groups of connecting locations defined on the bottom face of the substrate, each said location further comprising connection means for providing an electrical connection with a said probe wire at an end region thereof distal from said tip thereof and for extending to an interface region of said substrate for enabling said probe wire to be connected to said test equipment, the connection locations of a first of said at least two groups being located at a first distance zone from the reference point, the connecting locations of a second of said at least two groups being located at a second distance zone from said reference point, there being a separation region defined on the bottom face of the substrate lying between said first and second distance zones and thereby physically separating said connecting locations of said first group from said connecting locations of said second group so that portions of the connecting locations of said first group lying closest to said reference point are separated and spaced away by said separation region from portions of the connecting locations of said second group lying farthest from said reference point.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 32 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 15 further comprising a ground plane conductive trace formed on said lower major surface of said substrate and lying within said separation region.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 42 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 16 further comprising ground plane shield means disposed within said substrate between top and bottom surfaces thereof and wherein said ground plane conductive trace is electrically connected to said ground plane shield means.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 56 words

The probe card set forth in claim 15 wherein the first and second of said at least two groups comprise concentric annular arrangements of circumferentially spaced apart connection locations and said separation region comprises an annular region separating said annular arrangements, said reference point marking substantially a center of said interior opening defined by said substrate.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 34 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 18 further comprising an annular ground plane conductive trace formed on said lower major surface of said substrate and lying within said annular separation region.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 43 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 19 further comprising ground plane shield means disposed within said substrate between top and bottom surfaces thereof and wherein said annular ground plane conductive trace is electrically connected to said ground plane shield means.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 113 words

The high density probe card set forth in claim 15 wherein said substrate is formed as a printed circuit board and wherein each connecting location in the first group is connected to a printed circuit trace formed on an upper major surface of the printed circuit board by a connection bridge through the printed circuit board, and each connecting location in the second area extends to a printed circuit trace on the lower major surface of the printed circuit board substrate, each printed circuit trace of both groups extending to a connector location on said upper major surface at which an electrical connection is made between the probe card and the test equipment.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1991-07-12	1992-01-11	1992-07-12	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1995-07-12	1996-01-11	1996-07-12	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1999-07-12	2000-01-11	2000-07-12	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

High density probe card

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