Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Reexamination Certificate
2006-08-08
2006-08-08
Arbes, Carl J. (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
C029S842000, C029S843000, C029S874000, C029S877000, C029S878000, C029S879000
Reexamination Certificate
active
07086149
ABSTRACT:
A probe card assembly includes a probe card, a space transformer having resilient contact structures (probe elements) mounted directly to (i.e., without the need for additional connecting wires or the like) and extending from terminals on a surface thereof, and an interposer disposed between the space transformer and the probe card. The space transformer and interposer are “stacked up” so that the orientation of the space transformer, hence the orientation of the tips of the probe elements, can be adjusted without changing the orientation of the probe card. Suitable mechanisms for adjusting the orientation of the space transformer, and for determining what adjustments to make, are disclosed. The interposer has resilient contact structures extending from both the top and bottom surfaces thereof, and ensures that electrical connections are maintained between the space transformer and the probe card throughout the space transformer's range of adjustment, by virtue of the interposer's inherent compliance. Multiple die sites on a semiconductor wafer are readily probed using the disclosed techniques, and the probe elements can be arranged to optimize probing of an entire wafer. Composite interconnection elements having a relatively soft core overcoated by a relatively hard shell, as the resilient contact structures are described.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2967216 (1961-01-01), Zablocki et al.
patent: 3493858 (1970-02-01), Baron et al.
patent: 3654585 (1972-04-01), Wickersham
patent: 3663920 (1972-05-01), Lapham
patent: 3676776 (1972-07-01), Bauer et al.
patent: 3714384 (1973-01-01), Burkhardt
patent: 3771110 (1973-11-01), Reed
patent: 3806801 (1974-04-01), Bove
patent: 3810301 (1974-05-01), Cook
patent: 3826984 (1974-07-01), Epple
patent: 3832632 (1974-08-01), Ardezzone
patent: 3835530 (1974-09-01), Kilby
patent: 3842189 (1974-10-01), Southgate
patent: 3891924 (1975-06-01), Ardezzone et al.
patent: 3911361 (1975-10-01), Bove et al.
patent: 3963986 (1976-06-01), Morton et al.
patent: 3994552 (1976-11-01), Selvin
patent: 4032058 (1977-06-01), Riseman
patent: 4038599 (1977-07-01), Bove et al.
patent: 4085502 (1978-04-01), Ostman et al.
patent: 4281449 (1981-08-01), Ports et al.
patent: 4307928 (1981-12-01), Petlock, Jr.
patent: 4317117 (1982-02-01), Chasek
patent: 4338621 (1982-07-01), Braun
patent: 4358175 (1982-11-01), Reid
patent: 4423376 (1983-12-01), Byrnes et al.
patent: 4466184 (1984-08-01), Cuneo et al.
patent: 4548451 (1985-10-01), Benarr et al.
patent: 4553192 (1985-11-01), Babuka et al.
patent: 4567433 (1986-01-01), Ohkubo et al.
patent: 4593958 (1986-06-01), Baba
patent: 4615573 (1986-10-01), White et al.
patent: 4616404 (1986-10-01), Wang et al.
patent: 4623839 (1986-11-01), Garretson et al.
patent: 4707655 (1987-11-01), Kruger
patent: 4707657 (1987-11-01), Boegh-Petersen
patent: 4773877 (1988-09-01), Kruger et al.
patent: 4795977 (1989-01-01), Frost et al.
patent: 4831614 (1989-05-01), Duerig et al.
patent: 4837622 (1989-06-01), Whann et al.
patent: 4866504 (1989-09-01), Landis
patent: 4893172 (1990-01-01), Matsumoto et al.
patent: 4916002 (1990-04-01), Carver
patent: 4924589 (1990-05-01), Leedy
patent: 4932883 (1990-06-01), Hsia et al.
patent: 4947481 (1990-08-01), Ikedo et al.
patent: 4955523 (1990-09-01), Carlomagno et al.
patent: 4965865 (1990-10-01), Trenary
patent: 4983907 (1991-01-01), Crowley
patent: 4993957 (1991-02-01), Shino
patent: 5017738 (1991-05-01), Tsuji et al.
patent: 5055780 (1991-10-01), Takagi et al.
patent: 5059898 (1991-10-01), Barsotti et al.
patent: 5067007 (1991-11-01), Otsuka et al.
patent: 5070297 (1991-12-01), Kwon et al.
patent: 5071359 (1991-12-01), Arnio et al.
patent: 5072520 (1991-12-01), Nelson
patent: 5090118 (1992-02-01), Kwon et al.
patent: 5103557 (1992-04-01), Leedy
patent: 5109596 (1992-05-01), Driller et al.
patent: 5130779 (1992-07-01), Agarwala et al.
patent: 5139427 (1992-08-01), Boyd et al.
patent: 5148103 (1992-09-01), Pasiecznik, Jr.
patent: 5152695 (1992-10-01), Grabbe et al.
patent: 5177438 (1993-01-01), Littlebury et al.
patent: 5177439 (1993-01-01), Liu et al.
patent: 5187020 (1993-02-01), Kwon et al.
patent: 5189507 (1993-02-01), Carlomagno et al.
patent: 5191708 (1993-03-01), Kasukabe et al.
patent: 5210939 (1993-05-01), Mallik et al.
patent: 5221415 (1993-06-01), Albrecht et al.
patent: 5221895 (1993-06-01), Janko et al.
patent: 5228861 (1993-07-01), Grabbe
patent: 5237743 (1993-08-01), Busacco et al.
patent: 5245751 (1993-09-01), Locke et al.
patent: 5308797 (1994-05-01), Kee
patent: 5317479 (1994-05-01), Pai et al.
patent: 5329226 (1994-07-01), Monnet et al.
patent: 5354712 (1994-10-01), Ho et al.
patent: 5367165 (1994-11-01), Toda et al.
patent: 5379515 (1995-01-01), Kondo et al.
patent: 5391521 (1995-02-01), Kim
patent: 5395253 (1995-03-01), Crumly
patent: 5399982 (1995-03-01), Driller et al.
patent: 5412329 (1995-05-01), Iino et al.
patent: 5437556 (1995-08-01), Bargain et al.
patent: 5455390 (1995-10-01), DiStefano et al.
patent: 5465611 (1995-11-01), Ruf et al.
patent: 5469733 (1995-11-01), Yasue et al.
patent: 5471151 (1995-11-01), DiFrancesco
patent: 5475318 (1995-12-01), Marcus et al.
patent: 5476211 (1995-12-01), Khandros
patent: 5476818 (1995-12-01), Yanof et al.
patent: 5483741 (1996-01-01), Akram et al.
patent: 5513430 (1996-05-01), Yanof et al.
patent: 5521518 (1996-05-01), Higgins
patent: 5534784 (1996-07-01), Lum et al.
patent: 5546375 (1996-08-01), Shimada et al.
patent: 5555422 (1996-09-01), Nakano
patent: 5629631 (1997-05-01), Perry et al.
patent: 5632631 (1997-05-01), Fjelstad et al.
patent: 5666190 (1997-09-01), Quate et al.
patent: 5686317 (1997-11-01), Akram et al.
patent: 5686842 (1997-11-01), Lee
patent: 5720098 (1998-02-01), Kister
patent: 5772451 (1998-06-01), Dozier, II et al.
patent: 5806181 (1998-09-01), Khandros et al.
patent: 5811982 (1998-09-01), Beaman et al.
patent: 5821763 (1998-10-01), Beaman et al.
patent: 5828226 (1998-10-01), Higgins et al.
patent: 5852871 (1998-12-01), Khandros
patent: 5864946 (1999-02-01), Eldridge et al.
patent: 5900738 (1999-05-01), Khandros et al.
patent: 5917707 (1999-06-01), Khandros et al.
patent: 5974662 (1999-11-01), Eldridge et al.
patent: 6002266 (1999-12-01), Briggs et al.
patent: 6029344 (2000-02-01), Khandros et al.
patent: 6032356 (2000-03-01), Eldridge et al.
patent: 6050829 (2000-04-01), Eldridge et al.
patent: 6059982 (2000-05-01), Palagonia et al.
patent: 6110823 (2000-08-01), Eldridge et al.
patent: 6215320 (2001-04-01), Parrish
patent: 6219908 (2001-04-01), Farnworth et al.
patent: 6246247 (2001-06-01), Eldridge et al.
patent: 6330164 (2001-12-01), Khandros et al.
patent: 6334247 (2002-01-01), Beaman et al.
patent: 6392426 (2002-05-01), Farnsworth et al.
patent: 6615485 (2003-09-01), Eldridge et al.
patent: 6624648 (2003-09-01), Eldridge et al.
patent: 2001/0002341 (2001-05-01), Eldridge et al.
patent: 4237591 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 295914 (1988-12-01), None
patent: 369112 (1990-05-01), None
patent: 396248 (1990-11-01), None
patent: 402756 (1990-12-01), None
patent: 413042 (1991-02-01), None
patent: 508707 (1992-10-01), None
patent: 544305 (1993-06-01), None
patent: 1446196 (1976-08-01), None
patent: 588960 (1983-02-01), None
patent: 58178293 (1983-11-01), None
patent: 59-088860 (1984-05-01), None
patent: 59149070 (1984-10-01), None
patent: 6119770 (1986-02-01), None
patent: 6244285 (1987-03-01), None
patent: 62-160373 (1987-10-01), None
patent: 62160373 (1987-10-01), None
patent: 6363777 (1988-04-01), None
patent: 63243768 (1988-10-01), None
patent: 63-293934 (1988-11-01), None
patent: 3292406 (1988-11-01), None
patent: 1150862 (1989-06-01), None
patent: 1152271 (1989-10-01), None
patent: 1255240 (1989-10-01), None
patent: 4207047 (1990-09-01), None
patent: 365659 (1991-03-01), None
patent: 63279477 (1991-03-01), None
patent: 451535 (1991-12-01), None
patent: 04-93157 (1992-08-01), None
patent: 4214650 (1992-08-01), None
patent: 4240570 (1992-08-01), None
patent: 4294559 (1992-10-01), None
patent: 4357848 (1992-12-01), None
patent: 05-018741 (1993-01-01), None
patent: 05-029406 (1993-02-01), None
patent: 529406 (1993-02-01),
Eldridge Benjamin Niles
Grube Gary William
Khandros Igor Yan
Mathieu Gaetan L.
Arbes Carl J.
Burraston N. Kenneth
FormFactor Inc.
LandOfFree
Method of making a contact structure with a distinctly... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method of making a contact structure with a distinctly..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method of making a contact structure with a distinctly... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3688408