Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-11
2004-05-04
Arbes, Carl J. (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
C029S592100, C029S593000, C029S825000, C029S832000, C029S892000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06729019
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved method of designing and manufacturing a probe card assembly and more specifically to use of prefabricated elements to speed design and manufacture of the probe card assembly.
2. General Background and Related Art
FIG. 1
illustrates a simplified overview of a typical flow of common activities involved in designing and manufacturing a semiconductor device, such as a microelectronic “chip.” Initially, the semiconductor device is designed
10
, and a tester and testing algorithms are selected and/or designed
12
for testing the semiconductor device. Using data regarding the semiconductor device design, the tester, and/or the test algorithms, a probe card for testing the semiconductor device is then custom designed
14
. Usually concurrently, preparations are made to begin manufacturing the semiconductor device in commercial quantities
16
. Once the probe card is designed and manufactured and preparations to manufacture the semiconductor device are completed, semiconductor devices are manufactured in commercial quantities
18
. As the semiconductor devices are manufactured, each is tested
20
, and good semiconductor devices are shipped to customers
22
.
FIG. 2
illustrates a simplified block diagram of a typical test arrangement for testing the semiconductor device at step
20
. A tester
120
generates test signals to be input into a semiconductor device under test
160
. The tester
120
then monitors response signals generated by the semiconductor device under test
160
. The tester
120
communicates with the semiconductor device under test
160
via a probe card assembly
100
.
As shown in FIG.
2
and
FIG. 3
(which illustrates a cross-section of the probe card assembly
100
), a typical probe card assembly
100
includes a printed circuit board
102
, which usually includes a number of tester contacts
130
for connecting to the semiconductor tester
120
(not shown in
FIG. 3
) via connections
122
(not shown in FIG.
3
). A probe head
106
is attached to the printed circuit board
102
. The probe head
106
includes probes
108
for contacting test points
162
on the semiconductor devices being tested
160
.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, electrical traces
150
on or within the printed circuit board
102
connect the tester contacts
130
to the probe head assembly
106
and ultimately to probes
108
. Thus, electrical paths between inputs and outputs (not shown) on the semiconductor tester
120
, on one hand, and the probes
108
, on the other hand, are established. As also shown in
FIG. 3
, the probe head
106
is typically connected to the printed circuit board
102
via connections
152
, which may be, for example, solder ball connections or contact pins soldered to the printed circuit board
102
, the probe head
156
, or both. Traces
150
on or within the printed circuit board
102
connect the tester contacts
130
to the connections
152
, and traces
154
on or within the probe head
106
connect the connections
152
to the probes
108
.
Thus, in essence, the probe card assembly
100
acts as an interface, providing numerous electrical paths for test and response signals between the tester
120
and the device under test
160
. As is known, a probe card assembly
100
must be custom designed to meet the specific test needs of the device under test
160
and the test specifications of the tester
120
. For example, the probes
108
of the probe card assembly
100
must be custom positioned to match the pattern of test contacts
162
on the device under test
160
, and the probe card assembly
100
must be custom designed such that each probe
108
is electrically connected through tester contacts
130
to the proper tester connection
122
. For this reason, as shown in
FIG. 1
, the design and manufacture of the probe card assembly
14
does not begin until the semiconductor device has been designed
10
and a tester and/or testing algorithms selected
12
.
As is known, semiconductor devices cannot be shipped to customers
22
until they are tested
20
, and the probe card assembly is a necessary element of the test system. Thus, even if the step of preparing to manufacture the semiconductor devices
16
has been completed, manufacture, testing, and shipping of the semiconductor devices
18
,
20
,
22
cannot proceed until design and manufacture of the probe card
14
has been completed. Thus, if the design and manufacture of the probe card
14
takes longer than the preparations to manufacture the semiconductor devices
16
, which is increasingly the case, the extra time taken in designing and manufacturing the probe card lengthens the entire process shown in FIG.
1
and delays the final step of shipping semiconductor devices to customers
22
. Thus, a way of shortening the step of designing and manufacturing a probe card assembly is needed.
SUMMARY
The invention relates generally to methods of making probe card assemblies, which are used to test semiconductor devices. One or more elements of the probe card assembly is prefabricated to one or more predefined designs. Thereafter, design data regarding a newly designed semiconductor device is received along with data describing the tester and testing algorithms to be used to test the semiconductor device. Using the received data, one or more of the prefabricated elements is selected. Again using the received data, one or more of the selected prefabricated elements is customized. The probe card assembly is then built using the selected and customized elements. The use of prefabricated elements shortens the process of designing and manufacturing a probe card assembly.
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Eldridge Benjamin N.
Grube Gary W.
Khandros Igor Y.
Mathieu Gaetan L.
Arbes Carl J.
Burraston N. Kenneth
FormFactor Inc.
Merkadeau Stuart L.
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