Probe and probe card

Abstract

A probe and a probe card including the probe are disclosed for testing an object to be tested. The probe has a set needle pressure. The probe includes: a first needle tip section located at one end of the probe, which contacts the contact pad of the object to be tested when testing the object; a second needle tip section located at the other end of the probe, which contacts the probe pad of a signal adapter board when testing the object to be tested, thereby establishing an electrical signal transmission channel between the object to be tested and the signal adapter board; and a curved beam section connected between the first needle tip section and the second needle tip section, having two or more non-connected slots in the length direction. When testing the object to be tested, the first needle tip section abuts against the contact pad, causing the curved beam section to deform and bend. The needle pressure borne by the first needle tip section is set by adjusting the sum of the lengths of all slots, the wall thickness on both sides of the slots, and the length of the curved beam section.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a probe and a probe card, and more particularly to a probe and a probe card that can control the contact force at the probe contact end. [Previous Technology]

[0002] A probe card serves as a medium between an electronic testing system and the object under test (e.g., a wafer). A probe card has multiple probes. During testing, one end of each probe makes electrical and physical contact with the space transformer on the testing instrument, while the other end makes electrical and physical contact with the object under test. Thus, a signal transmission channel is established between the space transformer and the object under test using the probes. Using probe cards allows for quality screening of the object under test, preventing defective products from entering subsequent processes, reducing unnecessary waste, and lowering internal quality costs. Simultaneously, it also prevents defective products from entering the market, leading to unnecessary complaints or returns, thus reducing external quality costs.

[0003] In a vertical probe card, the probes are subjected to pressure from both sides between the signal adapter board and the device under test (DUT), causing deformation and forming a bent beam structure. This bent beam structure provides contact force (also known as pin force) between the probes and the DUT / signal adapter board, thus forming a physical connection. A probe card typically contains thousands or even tens of thousands of probes. Therefore, excessive contact force may damage the pads or bumps on the DUT, or even scratch the DUT, such as a wafer, affecting testing efficiency and accuracy. [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a probe and a probe card, wherein the contact force of the contact end is controlled by changing the structure of the probe.

[0005] This invention provides a probe for testing an object to be tested. The probe has a set needle pressure. The probe includes: a first needle tip segment located at one end of the probe, which contacts a contact pad of the object to be tested when testing the object; a second needle tip segment located at the other end of the probe, which contacts a probe pad of a signal adapter board when testing the object; and a curved beam segment connected between the first needle tip segment and the second needle tip segment, having two or more non-connected slots in the length direction. When testing the object to be tested, the first needle tip segment abuts against the contact pad, causing the curved beam segment to deform and bend. The first needle tip segment bears the needle pressure. The needle pressure is set by the sum of the lengths of all slots, the wall thicknesses on both sides of the slots, and the length of the curved beam segment. The needle pressure is positively correlated with: correction factor × (sum of the lengths of all slots × wall thicknesses on both sides of the slots) / length of the curved beam segment.

[0006] This invention provides a probe card for testing an object to be tested. The probe card includes: a plurality of the aforementioned probes; an upper guide plate having a plurality of upper through holes for the passage of second guide sections of the plurality of probes, the second guide sections being connected between the second needle tip section and the curved beam section, the second guide section of each probe being slidable within a corresponding upper through hole; and a lower guide plate having a plurality of lower through holes for the passage of first guide sections of the plurality of probes, the first guide sections being connected between the first needle tip section and the curved beam section, the first guide section of each probe being slidable within a corresponding lower through hole. When testing the object to be tested, the curved beam section deforms and bends in the space between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate.

[0007] By employing the above-mentioned technology, in the probe and probe card provided by the present invention, firstly, the special probe structure can provide deformation space for bending deformation, which is conducive to the formation of a bending beam structure; secondly, by adjusting the deformation amount of the probe through different slotting settings, the contact force (i.e., needle pressure) between the probe and the object to be tested / signal adapter board can be adjusted. By considering important influencing factors such as slot length, slot width, wall thickness on both sides of the slot, and slot spacing between unconnected slots, the bending beam structure can provide a stable contact force for the first and second needle tip sections within a specific force range; in addition, different slotting structures are helpful for the reliability and lifespan design of the probe.

Implementation Method

[0009] The following specific embodiments are selected to illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can clearly understand the technical features and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. However, it should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., drawn in the accompanying drawings are only used to complement the content disclosed in the specification for those skilled in the art to understand and read, and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of the present invention. Any structural modifications, changes in proportional relationships, or adjustments in size, without affecting the effects and objectives that the present invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention. At the same time, the terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "middle," and "one" used in this specification are only for clarity of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Changes or adjustments in their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the present invention.

[0010] Please refer to Figures 1A and 1B, which are perspective views of a probe according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figures, the probe 10 is mainly a flexible metal structure or a conductive structure, and sequentially includes a first needle section 100, a first guide section 200, a curved beam section 300, a second guide section 400, and a second needle section 500 from one end to the other. There may not be obvious dividing lines between each segment 100 to 500, which are only used to distinguish parts with different characteristics.

[0011] The probe 10 is basically elongated, with its length direction being the direction in which the probe 10 is longest (as shown by the Z-axis in Figure 1A). Along the length direction, there are a first probe segment 100, a first guide segment 200, a curved beam segment 300, a second guide segment 400, and a second probe segment 500. That is, the first probe segment 100 and the second probe segment 500 are located at the two ends of the probe 10, respectively. The first guide segment 200 is located between the first probe segment 100 and the curved beam segment 300, and the second guide segment 400 is located between the second probe segment 500 and the curved beam segment 300. The first probe segment 100 of the probe 10 is used to contact the contact pads (solder pads, bumps, solder balls, etc.) on the object to be tested (e.g., wafers, wafers, circuits, etc.). The second probe segment 500 of the probe 10 is electrically and physically connected to the contact position (e.g., probe pad) of the space transformer (not shown), establishing an electrical signal transmission channel between the object to be tested and the space transformer through the probe 10. The structure of the first needle section 100, the first guide section 200, the curved beam section 300, the second guide section 400, and the second needle section 500 will be described in detail below. Please refer to Figures 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B in the following description. Figures 2A and 2B are front views of the probe according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the portion near the first needle section 100 and the portion near the second needle section 500, respectively.

[0012] The first needle tip segment 100 includes a first needle tip surface 101, a second needle tip surface 102, a first needle tip side surface 103, a second needle tip side surface 104, and a needle tip contact portion 105. The opposing first needle tip surface 101 and second needle tip surface 102 are parallel to each other and have the same shape, extending along the Z-axis direction. There is a specific distance between them, which is the thickness of the first needle tip side surface 103 and the second needle tip side surface 104. The first needle tip side surface 103 and the second needle tip side surface 104 form an included angle. The needle tip contact portion 105 is located between the ends of the first needle tip side surface 103 and the second needle tip side surface 104. In other embodiments, the first needle tip surface 101 and the second needle tip surface 102 do not necessarily need to be parallel; they form a specific angle, such as a specific acute angle.

[0013] The needle contact portion 105 can have various forms, as shown in Figures 3A-3D. Figure 3A shows that the needle contact portion 105 is a plane, parallel to the X-axis (width direction), or it can be changed to form a specific angle with the X-axis; Figure 3B shows that the needle contact portion 105 is a sharp angle, which appears as a point in the plan view. In reality, it is formed by the direct intersection of the first side surface 103 and the second side surface 104 of the needle. In space, the needle contact portion 105 is an intersecting line. Alternatively, it can be changed to a rounded corner, which is tangent to the first side surface 103 and the second side surface 104 of the probe needle, or it can be changed to a pointed point. Figure 3C shows that the first needle segment 100 includes multiple needle contact portions 105, which facilitates reliable physical contact between the needle contact portions 105 and the contact pads (solder pads, bumps, solder balls, etc.). Figure 3D shows that the needle contact portion 105 is located between the first side 103 and the second side 104 of the needle. The needle contact portion 105 is a plane, and the needle contact portion 105 forms a specific angle with the first side 103 and the second side 104 of the needle, respectively. The needle contact portion 105 is parallel to the X-axis, and can also be changed to form a specific angle with the X-axis.

[0014] The design parameters involved in the first needle segment 100 include the needle segment length 106 (length in the Z-axis direction) and the needle contact width 107.

[0015] There may be a clear dividing line between the first needle tip segment 100 and the first guide segment 200, such as a sharp corner transition or a stepped transition (not shown), or there may be no clear dividing line, such as a rounded corner transition.

[0016] The figure shows that the first needle segment 100 is a solid structure, but it can also be modified to have a slotted structure (not shown, such as a slotted structure 305 similar to that on the curved beam segment 300) as needed, which may or may not penetrate the first needle segment 100 laterally from the first needle surface 101 and / or the second needle surface 102.

[0017] Next, the first guide segment 200 will be described. The first guide segment 200 has two main surfaces, namely the first guide segment surface 201 and the second guide segment surface 202, which are basically parallel to each other. There is a specific distance between the first guide segment surface 201 and the second guide segment surface 202. The first guide segment 200 also has two side surfaces, namely the first side surface 203 and the second side surface 204, which are shown in the figure to be basically parallel, but can also be set at a specific angle (e.g., a specific acute angle) as needed.

[0018] The design parameters involved in the first guide segment 200 include the guide segment length 205 and the guide segment width 206. The guide segment length 205 can be zero (i.e., the first needle segment 100 is directly connected to the curved beam segment 300) or it can be non-zero. The guide segment width 206 can be exactly the same along the Z-axis direction, or it can have a specific variation, such as a stepped, increasing, or decreasing form. The guide segment width 206 can be the same as or different from the lower width 700C of the curved beam segment 300.

[0019] There may be a clear dividing line between the first guide section 200 and the curved beam section 300, such as a sharp corner transition or a stepped transition (not shown), or there may be no clear dividing line, such as a rounded corner transition.

[0020] The figure shows that the first guide segment 200 is a solid structure, but it can also be modified to have a slotted structure (not shown, such as the slotted structure 305 on the curved beam segment 300) as required, which may or may not penetrate the first guide segment 200 laterally from the first surface 201 and / or the second surface 202 of the guide segment.

[0021] Next, the curved beam segment 300 will be described. The curved beam segment 300 has two main surfaces, namely the first curved beam surface 301 and the second curved beam surface 302, which are basically parallel to each other. For ease of explanation, the curved beam segment 300 is defined here according to the curved regions A and B as the upper part 300A, the middle part 300B, and the lower part 300C (Figure 4), corresponding to the upper width 700A, the middle width (not shown), and the lower width 700C, respectively. These three widths 700A to 700C can be completely the same, partially the same, or completely different. There can be a clear dividing line between these three parts, or there may be no clear dividing line. The curved beam segment 300 also has two other sides, namely the first curved beam side surface 303 and the second curved beam side surface 304. The figure shows that the two are basically parallel, but they can also be set at a specific angle (e.g., a specific acute angle) as needed.

[0022] The curved beam segment 300 is provided with a slotted structure 305, which serves three purposes: first, to provide a certain space for the bending deformation of the probe 10; second, to adjust the deformation of the probe 10 by setting different slots, thereby adjusting the contact force (i.e., needle pressure) between the probe tip and the object to be tested / signal adapter board; and third, to adjust the deformation of the probe 10 at different positions by adjusting the size, spacing, and shape of the slots. By setting different slotted structures 305 at different positions of the probe 10, the bending strength of the probe 10 at each position can be precisely controlled, which is helpful for the reliability and life design of the probe.

[0023] The curved beam segment 300 comprises at least one slotted structure 305, specifically described as having two or more not connected to each other in the length direction of the curved beam segment 300, the slots may laterally penetrate the first face of the curved beam 301 and the second face of the curved beam 302; On face 302, the individual slots do not run through both the first face 301 of the curved beam and the second face 302 of the curved beam (not shown); Slotted shapes include, but are not limited to, oblong, rectangular, parallelogram, circle, oval, cross, pentagon, hexagon, polygon, even irregular figures, or a combination of two or more. Multiple slots may use slots of the same size and shape, slots of different sizes but the same shape, or a combination of slots of different shapes. The slotted structure 305 described can be formed using five-axis laser, dry etching, and wet etching.

[0024] In Figs.

[0025] The parameters of the first slotted beam 701 include: slotted length 7011, slotted width 7012, slotted depth (not shown, if the first slotted beam 701 penetrates the first face 301 of the curved beam and the second face of the curved beam 302 the spacing between the first side 303 of the curved beam), the wall thickness of the second side 7014 (the spacing between the first slot 701 and the second side 304 of the curved beam), the slot pitch 7015 (the spacing between the first slot 701 and the second slot 702), the slotting distance 700D (the distance between the first slot 701 and the first guide section 200). The slotting distance 700D may be zero (i.e., a short edge of the first slotting 701 is located at the junction of the first leading segment 200 and the bending beam segment 300) or other distances.

[0026] The parameters of the second slotting 702 include: slotting length 7021, slotting width 7022, slotting depth (not shown, if the second slotting 702 penetrates the first face 301 of the bending beam and the second face 302 of the bending beam, the slotting depth is the thickness of the bending beam section 300), and the first side wall thickness 7023 (the spacing between the second slot 702 and the first side 303 of the curved beam), the second side wall thickness 7024 (the spacing between the second slot 702 and the second side 304 of the curved beam), the slot pitch 7025 (the spacing between the second slot 702 and the third slot 703).

[0027] and so on until the Nth slotting 70N, whose parameters include slotting length 70N1, slotting width 70N2, slotting depth (not shown, if the Nth slotting 70N runs through the first face 301 of the bending beam and the second face of the bending beam 302, the slotting depth is the thickness of the bending beam section 300), no The wall thickness of one side is 70N3 (the distance between the Nth slot 70N and the first side 303 of the bent beam), the second side wall thickness is 70N4 (the spacing between the Nth slot 70N and the second side 304 of the bent beam), and the slotting distance is 700E (the distance between the Nth slot 70N and the second leading section 400). The slotting distance 700E may be zero (i.e. a short edge of the Nth slot 70N is located at the junction of the bending beam segment 300 and the second leading segment 400) or other distances.

[0028] In FIG The widths 7012~70N2 are identical and may not be identical in additional embodiments;the first side wall thickness 7013~70N3 of the plurality of slots 701~70N is identical and may not be identical in additional embodiments;the multiple slots 70 The second side wall thickness 7014~70N4 of 1~70N is the same and may not be exactly the same in additional embodiments; may not be exactly the same; the slotting distance 700D (the distance between the first slot 701 and the first guide section 200) and the slotting distance 700E (the distance between the Nth slot 70N and the second guide section 400) may or may not be the same. In additional embodiments, each slotting depth (not shown) may or may not be identical if the slotting is formed on the first face 301 of the bending beam and the second face 302 of the bending beam, respectively, or only on one of the faces without penetrating the bending beam segment 300 .

[0029] When the slotting (e.g., 701 and 702) is a long strip or rectangular slot transversely through the curved beam section 300 , the portion between the slots forms a linkage 306 , adjusting the number, position, and width (i.e., slotting spacing (e.g., 7015)) of the linkage 306 can change the needle pressure, deformation position, and / or amount of deformation of the probe.

[0030] In the X-axis direction, the center line of each slot 701~70N of the slotted structure 305 coincides with the center line of the curved beam segment 300, and the center line of each slot 701~70N is equidistant from the first side 303 and the second side 304 of the curved beam; or the position of any slot 701~70N can be relatively close to the first side 303 or the second side 304 of the curved beam, or even extend to the first side 303 or the second side 304 of the curved beam, that is, a notch (not shown) is formed on the first side 303 or the second side 304 of the curved beam.

[0031] Next, the second guide segment 400 will be described. The second guide segment 400 has two main surfaces, namely the first guide segment surface 401 and the second guide segment surface 402, which are basically parallel to each other. There is a specific distance between the first guide segment surface 401 and the second guide segment surface 402. The second guide segment 400 also has two side surfaces, namely the first side surface 403 and the second side surface 404, which are shown in the figure to be basically parallel, but can also be set at a specific angle (e.g., a specific acute angle) as needed.

[0032] The design parameters involved in the second guide section 400 include the guide section length 405 and the guide section width 406. The guide section length 405 can be zero (i.e., the second needle section 500 is directly connected to the curved beam section 300) or it can be non-zero. The guide section width 406 can be exactly the same along the Z-axis direction, or it can have a specific variation, such as a stepped, increasing, or decreasing form. The guide section width 406 can be the same as or different from the upper width 700A of the curved beam section 300.

[0033] There may be a clear dividing line between the second guide section 400 and the curved beam section 300, such as a sharp corner transition or a stepped transition (not shown in the figure), or there may be no clear dividing line, such as a rounded corner transition.

[0034] The figure shows that the second guide segment 400 is a solid structure, but it can also be modified to have a slotted structure (not shown, such as the slotted structure 305 on the curved beam segment 300) as needed, which may or may not penetrate the second guide segment 400 laterally from the first surface 401 and / or the second surface 402 of the guide segment.

[0035] Next, the second needle tip segment 500 will be described. The second needle tip segment 500 includes a first needle tip surface 501, a second needle tip surface 502, a first needle tip side surface 503, a second needle tip side surface 504, and a needle tip contact portion 505. The opposing first needle tip surface 501 and second needle tip surface 502 are parallel to each other and have the same shape, extending along the Z-axis direction. There is a specific distance between them, which is the thickness of the first needle tip side surface 503 and the second needle tip side surface 504. The first needle tip side surface 503 and the second needle tip side surface 504 form an included angle. The needle tip contact portion 505 is located between the ends of the first needle tip side surface 503 and the second needle tip side surface 504. In other embodiments, the first needle tip surface 501 and the second needle tip surface 502 do not need to be parallel; they form a specific angle, such as a specific acute angle.

[0036] The needle contact portion 505 can have various forms, as shown in Figures 5A-5D. Figure 5A shows that the needle contact portion 505 is a plane, parallel to the X-axis (width direction), or it can be changed to form a specific angle with the X-axis; Figure 5B shows that the needle contact portion 505 is a straight line, which appears as a point in the plan view, but is actually formed by the direct intersection of the first side surface 503 and the second side surface 504 of the needle. In space, the needle contact portion 505 is an intersecting line, or it can be changed to a rounded corner, which is tangent to the first side surface 503 and the second side surface 504 of the needle, or it can be changed to a pointed point; Figure Figure 5C shows that the second needle section 500 includes multiple needle contact portions 505, which facilitates reliable physical contact between the needle contact portions 505 and the contact position of the signal adapter board (such as the probe pad). Figure 5D shows that the needle contact portion 505 is located between the first side 503 and the second side 504 of the needle. The needle contact portion 505 is a plane, and the needle contact portion 505 forms a specific angle with the first side 503 and the second side 504 of the needle, respectively. The needle contact portion 505 is parallel to the X-axis, and can also be changed to form a specific angle with the X-axis.

[0037] The design parameters involved in the second needle section 500 include the needle section length 506 (length in the Z-axis direction) and the needle contact width 507.

[0038] There may be a clear dividing line between the second needle tip segment 500 and the second guide segment 400, such as a sharp corner transition or a stepped transition (not shown), or there may be no clear dividing line, such as a rounded corner transition.

[0039] The figure shows that the second needle section 500 is a solid structure, but it can also be modified to have a slotted structure (not shown, such as a slotted structure 305 similar to that on the curved beam section 300) as needed, which may or may not penetrate the second needle section 500 laterally from the first needle surface 501 and / or the second needle surface 502.

[0040] The present invention also provides a probe card 1. Please refer to Figures 6A and 6B, which are perspective views of a probe card according to an embodiment of the present invention in an initial state and an operating state, respectively. The probe card 1 includes an upper guide plate 601, a lower guide plate 602, and multiple probes 10 as described above. The upper guide plate 601 is located on the side closer to the signal adapter board, and the lower guide plate is located on the side closer to the object to be tested 800. A needle placement space is formed between the upper guide plate 601 and the lower guide plate 602. The upper guide plate 601 has multiple upper through holes 6011. The size of the upper through holes 6011 is slightly larger than the cross-section of the second guide section 400 of the probe 10. The second guide section 400 of the probe 10 (or the curved beam section 300 if there is no second guide section 400) passes through the corresponding upper through hole 6011 one by one and can slide up and down (in the Z-axis direction) within the upper through hole 6011, so that the needle contact part 505 of the second needle section 500 of the probe 10 can make electrical and physical contact with the corresponding probe pad (not shown) on the signal adapter board. The lower guide plate 602 has multiple lower through holes 6021. The size of the lower through holes 6021 is slightly larger than the cross-section of the first guide section 200 of the probe 10. The first guide section 200 of the probe 10 (or the curved beam section 300 if there is no first guide section 200) passes through the corresponding lower through holes 6021 one by one and can slide up and down (in the Z-axis direction) within the lower through holes 6021, so that the needle contact portion 105 of the first needle section 100 of the probe 10 can make electrical and physical contact with the contact pad 801 of the object to be tested 800. The relative positions of the upper guide plate 601 and the lower guide plate 602 fix the positions of the second needle segment 500 and the first needle segment 100 in the X-axis direction. The misalignment between them in the X-axis direction causes the curved beam segment 300 with the groove structure 305 to deform and bend. The needle contact portion 105 of the first needle segment 100 can accept appropriate downward pressure to press against the contact pad 801 of the object to be tested 800 (especially a sheet-like object to be tested, such as a wafer). The probe 10 with contact at both ends establishes an electrical signal transmission channel between the object to be tested 800 and the signal adapter board. For the sake of simplicity, only one probe 10 is shown in the subsequent plan view, but the present invention does not limit the number of probes 10 used in the probe card 1.

[0041] When the probe 10 has not yet contacted the object to be tested 800, the upper guide plate 601 and the lower guide plate 602 can form a spatial misalignment along the direction in which the curved beam segment 300 will bend (such as the X-axis direction), so that the probe 10 will be slightly pre-bent in the same direction between the upper guide plate 601 and the lower guide plate 602, forming a cantilever beam structure. Then, when the needle contact portion 105 of the first needle segment 100 abuts against the contact pad 801 of the object to be tested 800, the possibility of the probe 10 deviating in different directions and / or bending and causing the probes 10 to contact each other and form a short circuit can be reduced. It can also better control the action of the needle contact portion 105 scraping the contact pad 801.

[0042] Referring again to Figure 4, in the working state, after the probe 10 is subjected to force, bending occurs in the bending regions A and B of the bending beam segment 300. By designing the relevant parameters of the slotting in the bending regions A and B (such as slotting length, slotting width, slotting shape, slotting position, slotting depth, etc.), the stiffness of the bending regions A and B can be adjusted to increase or decrease the needle pressure of the probe 10. According to the concept of the present invention, in addition to making the stiffness of the bending beam segment 300 less than that of the first guide segment 200 and the second guide segment 400, it can be further designed so that the stiffness of the bending regions A and B is less than that of other parts of the bending beam segment 300, so that the bending beam segment 300 can be controlled to have a specific bending shape, which helps to make the testing process more precise.

[0043] Please refer to Figures 7A-7E, which are plan views illustrating the relationship between the slotted structure and stiffness within the curved beam. The probe 10 in Figure 7A has no slotted structure, thus possessing maximum stiffness. In the slotted structure 305 of Figure 7B, the probe 10 has slots in both bending regions A and B, therefore, the stiffness of the probe 10 is reduced compared to Figure 7A. In the slotted structure 305 of Figure 7C, the probe 10 has slots in both bending regions A and B, with longer slot lengths, thus further reducing the stiffness of the probe 10 compared to Figure 7B. In the slotted structure 305 of Figure 7D, the probe 10 has slots in both bending regions A and B, with shorter slot lengths than the probe 10 in Figure 7C, thus increasing the stiffness of the probe 10 compared to Figure 7C. In the slotted structure 305 of Figure 7E, the probe 10 has slots in both bending regions A and B, with narrower slot widths than the probe 10 in Figure 7C, thus increasing the stiffness of the probe 10 compared to Figure 7C. Please note that if the slot is too long and spans the entire probe 10, it will affect the material strength of the non-bending area. Therefore, in the design, two or more slots that are not connected to each other are set in the length direction. As explained here, based on the requirements of the material of the probe 10 and the contact pad 801 of the object to be tested 800, the number of probes, etc., by designing the distribution, position, length, width, shape, and number of slots, the probe 10 can achieve the expected stiffness at the bending positions A and B, so as to provide appropriate needle pressure.

[0044] In various applications, the needle pressure of the probe 10 has a specific force range to provide a stable contact force. For example, for a probe 10 with a probe length of less than 5 mm, the required force range of the needle pressure is, for example, 1.6~0.4 g / mil. If the grooving and measurement or numerical simulation are repeated blindly, the relevant parameters of the grooving cannot be efficiently determined to correspond to the required needle pressure. This invention systematically designs important influencing factors such as slot length, slot width, wall thickness on both sides of the slot, and slot spacing between unconnected slots. It provides a relationship where the needle pressure is positively correlated with: correction coefficient × (sum of all slot lengths × wall thickness on both sides of the slot) / length of the bending beam segment. Taking the probe 10 in Figures 2A and 2B as an example, the correction coefficient is 0.5~0.9, the sum of all slot lengths is the sum of the lengths of all slots 701~70N (e.g., slot length 7011 + slot length 7021 + ... slot length 70N1), and the wall thickness on both sides of the slot is, for example, the first side wall thickness 7013 + the second side wall thickness 7014, or the first side wall thickness 7023 + the second side wall thickness 7024, or the first side wall thickness 70N3 + the second side wall thickness 70N4, or the average value thereof. This simplifies the determination process of each parameter and allows for the efficient design of the slot structure 305. In addition, to prevent the probe 10 from undergoing permanent deformation or becoming unstable due to excessive stress after bending, the design also considers that the sum of all slot lengths is preferably 45% to 65% of the probe length, and the wall thickness on both sides of the slot is preferably 25% to 40% of the width of the bent beam segment 300.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a plan view of a probe card with a slotted structure according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the slot is circular, and the rest of the structure can be referred to the aforementioned embodiment.

[0046] According to the concept of the present invention, the stiffness of the curved beam segment 300 is changed from a structural perspective, so that the probe 10 reaches the expected stiffness at the curved beam segment 300 or the bending positions A and B, so as to provide appropriate needle pressure and bending shape. The present invention is not limited to the use of the slotted structure 305. For example, grooves with specific patterns (not shown) can be used at the curved beam segment 300 or the bending positions A and B. The grooves can be distributed on one or any combination of the first surface 301, the second surface 302, the first side surface 303, and the second side surface 304 of the curved beam. The grooves can also be formed by five-axis laser, dry etching, wet etching, etc. The above-mentioned slotted structure 305 and grooved structure can also be applied to the bent needle.

[0047] Please refer to Figures 9A and 9B, which are plan views of the probe card in the initial state and working state according to another embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the probe card 1 described above, it includes an upper guide plate 601, a lower guide plate 602, and multiple probes 10. The functions and structures of these probes are described in the previous embodiment and will not be repeated here. In this embodiment, a middle guide plate 603 is additionally provided in the needle placement space. The middle guide plate 603 has multiple through holes 6031. The size of the through holes 6031 is slightly larger than the cross-section of the curved beam segment 300 of the probe 10. The curved beam segment 300 of the probe 10 passes through the corresponding through hole 6031 one by one and can slide up and down (in the Z-axis direction) within the through hole 6011. By utilizing the misalignment between the middle guide plate 603 and the upper guide plate 601 / lower guide plate 612, the deformation position and direction of the probe 10 can be guided, and the curved beam segment 300 can be controlled to form a specific deformation shape.

[0048] When the probe 10 has not yet contacted the object to be tested 800, the middle guide plate 603, the upper guide plate 601 and the lower guide plate 602 can form a spatial misalignment along the direction in which the curved beam segment 300 will bend (such as the X-axis direction), so that the probe 10 will be slightly pre-bent in the same direction between the upper guide plate 601 and the lower guide plate 602, forming a cantilever beam structure. Then, when the needle contact portion 105 of the first needle segment 100 abuts against the contact pad 801 of the object to be tested 800, the possibility of the probe 10 deviating in different directions and / or bending and causing the probes 10 to contact each other and form a short circuit can be reduced. It can also better control the action of the needle contact portion 105 scraping the contact pad 801.

[0049] In the above combination of upper guide plate / lower guide plate or upper guide plate / middle guide plate / lower guide plate, any guide plate can be a double-layer structure (not shown) with a gap in the middle. This structure can reduce the friction between the probe 10 and the guide plate, making the sliding of the probe 10 in the through hole smoother.

[0050] In summary, by adopting the above-mentioned technology, the probe and probe card provided by the present invention have a special probe structure, which can provide deformation space for bending deformation and facilitate the formation of a bending beam structure; furthermore, by adjusting the deformation amount of the probe through different slotting settings, the contact force (i.e., needle pressure) between the probe and the object to be tested / signal adapter board can be adjusted. By considering important influencing factors such as slot length, slot width, wall thickness on both sides of the slot, and slot spacing between unconnected slots, the bending beam structure can provide a stable contact force for the first and second needle segments within a specific force range; in addition, different slotting structures can help with the reliability and lifespan design of the probe. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0008] Figures 1A and 1B are perspective views of a probe according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 2A and 2B are front views of a probe according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the portion near the first needle tip and the portion near the second needle tip, respectively. Figures 3A-3D are schematic diagrams showing various morphological changes of the needle contact portion of the first needle tip segment according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the probe in a bent state during operation. Figures 5A-5D are schematic diagrams showing various morphological changes of the needle contact portion of the second needle tip segment according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 6A and 6B are perspective views of a probe card according to an embodiment of the present invention in the initial state and the operating state, respectively. Figures 7A-7E are plan views illustrating the relationship between the slotted structure and stiffness within the bent beam segment. Figure 8 is a plan view of a probe card with another slotted structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 9A and 9B are plan views of a probe card according to another embodiment of the present invention in the initial state and the operating state, respectively.

Claims

1. A probe having a set needle pressure for testing an object to be detected, characterized in that it comprises: A first needle segment, located at one end of the probe, contacts a contact pad of the object under test when testing the object under test; a second needle segment, located at the other end of the probe, contacts a probe pad of a signal adapter board when testing the object under test; and a curved beam segment, connected between the first needle segment and the second needle segment, having two or more non-connected slots in the length direction. When testing the object under test, the first needle segment abuts against the contact pad, causing the curved beam segment to deform and bend. The first needle segment bears the needle pressure, wherein the needle pressure is set by the sum of the lengths of all slots, the wall thicknesses on both sides of the slots, and the length of the curved beam segment. The needle pressure is positively correlated with: correction factor × (sum of the lengths of all slots × wall thicknesses on both sides of the slots) / length of the curved beam segment.

2. The probe as described in claim 1, wherein the correction factor is 0.5 to 0.

9.

3. The probe as described in claim 1, wherein the probe length is less than 5 mm.

4. The probe as described in claim 3, wherein the sum of all the slot lengths is 45% to 65% of the probe length.

5. The probe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall thickness on both sides of the slot is 25% to 40% of the width of the curved beam segment.

6. The probe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two or more slots are elongated, rectangular, parallelogram, circular, elliptical, cross-shaped, polygonal, irregular shape, or a combination of two or more.

7. A probe card for testing an analyte, characterized in that it comprises: A plurality of probes as described in any one of claims 1-6; An upper guide plate has a plurality of upper through holes for the passage of the second guide sections of the plurality of probes. The second guide sections are connected between the second needle section and the curved beam section. The second guide section of each probe can slide within the corresponding upper through hole. A lower guide plate has a plurality of lower through holes for the passage of the first guide sections of the plurality of probes. The first guide sections are connected between the first needle section and the curved beam section. The first guide section of each probe can slide within the corresponding lower through hole. When testing the object to be tested, the curved beam section deforms and bends in the space between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate.

8. The probe card as claimed in claim 7, wherein the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate are spatially misaligned in the direction in which the curved beam segment bends, so that the probe is pre-bent before contacting the object to be tested.

9. The probe card as claimed in claim 7 further includes a middle guide plate located between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate, having a plurality of through holes for the bending beam segments of the plurality of probes to pass through, wherein the bending beam segment of each probe can slide within the corresponding through hole, and the middle guide plate is spatially misaligned with the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate in the direction in which the bending beam segment occurs, so that the probe is pre-bent before contacting the object to be tested.

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