Vertical probe housing

Claim 2

A vertical probe for use in testing one or more chips, comprising a dielectric housing of a unitary mass of material having a testing surface and an output surface spaced from said testing surface, said mass including at least one chamber defining an opening in said output surface, the opening having a rim, the rim of said opening being formed by a lip of said dielectric material, said unitary mass also forming a testing wall between said testing surface and said chamber, and a plurality of contacts each having a distal end with a tip for contacting a chip pad and an output end opposite said distal end, the distal end of each probe being received in a hole in said testing wall, the output end of each probe being received in a hole in said lip.

Claim 3

The vertical probe of claim 1 , wherein said contacts are resilient, and wherein each of said probes is snap fit in said unitary mass.

Claim 4

The vertical probe of claim 1 , wherein said contacts are arranged in at least one array, the probes in each array being arranged in two opposed rows, the distance between the rows being greater at said lip than at said testing wall.

Claim 5

The vertical probe of claim 3 , further comprising a separator plate formed from a dielectric material arranged between said two opposed rows.

Claim 6

The vertical probe of claim 1 , wherein said housing defines multiple chambers each chamber supporting a plurality of contacts.

Claim 7

The vertical probe of claim 5 , wherein the contacts in said multiple chambers are arranged in parallel rows.

Claim 8

The vertical probe of claim 6 , wherein each of said chambers defines multiple testing walls for testing of multiple chips, each testing wall receiving a plurality of contacts having distal ends arranged in two common parallel rows.

Claim 9

The vertical probe of claim 1 , wherein said chamber defines multiple testing walls for testing of multiple chips, each testing wall receiving a plurality of contacts.

Claim 10

The vertical probe of claim 8 , wherein the contacts in said chamber are arranged in two, common, parallel rows, the distance between the rows being greater at said lip than at said testing walls.

Claim 11

The vertical probe of claim 1 , wherein the spacing between the holes in said lip is greater than the spacing between the holes in said testing wall.

Claim 12

The vertical probe of claim 10 , wherein said dielectric material is a ceramic.

Claim 13

The vertical probe of claim 11 , wherein said ceramic is machinable.

Claim 14

The vertical probe of claim 12 , wherein said chamber is larger adjacent said opening than at said testing wall.

Claim 15

A probe for use in testing one or more chips carried on a wafer, each of said one or more chips having one or more chip pads such that said pads in the aggregate form an array of spaced chip pads arranged essentially in a common plane, said probe comprising: a body of dielectric material defining a testing surface for approaching said array of spaced pads and an output surface spaced from said testing surface, said body defining at least one chamber defining an opening in said output surface, said opening having a rim, the rim of said opening being formed by a lip of said dielectric material, said testing surface and said chamber defining therebetween a testing wall, said lip and said testing wall each containing holes therein for receiving contacts, said holes arranged in pairs, one hole of each pair being formed in said lip and the other hole of said pair being formed in said testing wall, and a plurality of contacts, each contact having a distal end having a tip for contacting one of said pads and an output end opposite said distal end, the distal end of each probe being received in a hole in said testing wall, the output end of each probe being received in a hole in said lip.

Claim 16

A probe for use in testing one or more chips carried on a wafer, each of said one or more chips having one or more chip pads such that said pads in the aggregate form an array of spaced chip pads arranged essentially in a common plane, said probe comprising: a body of dielectric material defining a testing surface for approaching said array of spaced pads and an output surface spaced from said testing surface, said body defining at least one chamber defining an opening in said output surface, said opening having a rim, the rim of said opening being formed by a lip of said dielectric material, said testing surface and said chamber defining therebetween a testing wall, said lip and said testing wall each containing holes therein for receiving contacts, said holes arranged in pairs, one hole of each pair being formed in said lip and the other hole of said pair being formed in said testing wall, and a plurality of contacts, each contact having a distal end having a tip for contacting one of said pads and an output end opposite said distal end, the distal end of each probe being received in a hole in said testing wall, the output end of each probe being received in a hole in said lip.

Claim 17

A vertical probe for use in testing one or more chips carried on a wafer comprising a body of dielectric material having a testing surface and an output surface spaced from the testing surface, the body including at least one chamber defining an opening in the output surface, said opening having a rim, the rim being formed by a lip of dielectric material, said vertical probe also including multiple contacts passing through said testing surface said contacts being snap fit into holes in said rim.

Claim 18

A vertical probe for use in testing one or more chips carried on a wafer comprising a body of dielectric material having a testing surface and an output surface spaced from the testing surface, the body including at least one chamber defining an opening in the output surface, said opening having a rim, the rim being formed by a lip of dielectric material, said vertical probe also including multiple contacts passing through said testing surface said contacts being snap fit into holes in said rim.

Claim 19

A unibody for use in forming a vertical probe, said vertical probe to be used for testing one or more chips carried on a wafer, each of said chips having one or more chip pads such that said chips in the aggregate form an array of densely spaced chip pads arranged essentially in a common plane, said chip pads to be electrically connected to connectors on a testing machine during said testing, said unibody comprising a unitary mass of dielectric material having a testing surface and an output surface spaced from said testing surface, said mass including at least one chamber defining an opening in said output surface, said opening having a rim, said rim being formed by a lip of said dielectric material, said mass also forming a testing wall between said testing surface and said chamber, said lip and said testing wall each containing holes therein for receiving multiple contacts, said holes being arranged in pairs, one hole of each pair being formed in said lip and the other hole of said pair being formed in said testing wall, the spacing between the holes in said lip being greater than the spacing between the holes in said testing wall whereby said contacts when received in said holes can fan out the dense spacing of said chip pads for electrical connection thereof to the connectors on said testing machine.

Claim 20

A unibody for use in forming a vertical probe, said vertical probe to be used for testing one or more chips carried on a wafer, each of said chips having one or more chip pads such that said chips in the aggregate form an array of densely spaced chip pads arranged essentially in a common plane, said chip pads to be electrically connected to connectors on a testing machine during said testing, said unibody comprising a unitary mass of dielectric material having a testing surface and an output surface spaced from said testing surface, said mass including at least one chamber defining an opening in said output surface, said opening having a rim, said rim being formed by a lip of said dielectric material, said mass also forming a testing wall between said testing surface and said chamber, said lip and said testing wall each containing holes therein for receiving multiple contacts, said holes being arranged in pairs, one hole of each pair being formed in said lip and the other hole of said pair being formed in said testing wall, the spacing between the holes in said lip being greater than the spacing between the holes in said testing wall whereby said contacts when received in said holes can fan out the dense spacing of said chip pads for electrical connection thereof to the connectors on said testing machine.

Claim 21

A vertical probe for vertical probing, comprising a contact and a die, said die having a first surface, said first surface including a first hole, said contact extending at least part way through said first hole, said first surface further including an opening proximate to said first hole, said opening for loading said contact in said first hole.

Claim 22

A vertical probe for vertical probing, comprising a contact and a die, said die having a first surface, said first surface including a first hole, said contact extending at least part way through said first hole, said first surface further including an opening proximate to said first hole, said opening for loading said contact in said first hole.

Claim 23

A vertical probe as recited in claim 17 , wherein said die is an upper die.

Claim 24

A vertical probe as recited in claim 17 , further including a lower die, said lower die comprising a second surface and containing a second hole, said second hole offset from said first hole, said contact extending through said second hole wherein said contact is free to slide within said second hole, said contact providing a spring force for contacting a substrate facing said second hole.

Claim 25

A vertical probe as recited in claim 17 , wherein said die further comprises a second surface opposite said first surface, said second surface containing a second hole, said second hole offset from said first hole, said contact extending through said second hole wherein said contact is free to slide within said second hole, said contact providing a spring force for contacting a substrate facing said second hole.

Claim 26

A vertical probe as recited in claim 17 , wherein said opening is also for accommodating a decoupling capacitor.

Claim 27

A probe as recited in claim 17 , wherein said contact is free to slide within said first hole, said contact providing a spring force for contacting a test system facing said first hole.

Claim 28

A vertical probe as recited in claim 17 , wherein said contact has a feature to prevent it from falling entirely through said first hole.

Claim 29

The vertical probe of claim 23 wherein this feature is a swaged head.

Claim 30

A probe as recited in claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of contacts.

Claim 31

A probe as recited in claim 25 wherein said contacts are arranged for testing a plurality of integrated circuits.

Claim 32

A probe as recited in claim 17 , further comprising a dielectric film adjacent said contact to prevent shorting and to facilitate sliding in said second hole.

Claim 33

A probe as recited in claim 27 , wherein said film comprises polyimide.

Claim 34

A probe as recited in claim 28 , wherein said polyimide film has a thickness in the range from about 2 mils to about 5 mils.

Claim 35

A vertical probe for vertical probing, comprising a contact and a die, said die having a first surface, said first surface including a first hole, said contact extending at least part way through said first hole, said first surface further including an opening proximate to said first hole, said opening for loading said contact in said first hole, said die further comprises a second surface opposite said first surface, said second surface containing a second hole, said second hole offset from said first hole, said contact extending through said second hole wherein said contact is free to slide within said second hole, said contact providing a spring force for contacting a substrate facing said second hole said first surface and said second surface are both part of a single piece of material.

Claim 36

A vertical probe for vertical probing, comprising a contact and a die, said die having a first surface, said first surface including a first hole, said contact extending at least part way through said first hole, said first surface further including an opening proximate to said first hole, said opening for loading said contact in said first hole, said die further comprises a second surface opposite said first surface, said second surface containing a second hole, said second hole offset from said first hole, said contact extending through said second hole wherein said contact is free to slide within said second hole, said contact providing a spring force for contacting a substrate facing said second hole said first surface and said second surface are both part of a single piece of material.

Claim 37

A vertical probe as recited in claim 30 further comprising a chamber extending between said first hole and said second hole.

Claim 38

A vertical probe as recited in claim 31 , wherein said opening in said first surface exposes said chamber.

Claim 39

A vertical probe as recited in claim 32 , wherein said opening is narrower than said chamber to expose a lip, said first hole extending through said lip.