Curved Probe Body for Wafer Test Spacing and Deflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing probe designs for testing integrated circuits on silicon wafers face challenges in achieving close spacing and predictable deflection under load, which are crucial for effective integrity testing, especially for densely populated circuit pads.
Innovation Solution
The design of probes with a curved body configuration, featuring a flat foot for substrate connection and a tapered tip for contact, allows for close side-by-side spacing and predictable deflection, concentrating stresses in the second end portion and reducing contact resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If probes are arranged for close side-by-side spacing to test densely populated circuit pads, then testing capability is improved, but probe stability and manufacturing precision become more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The probe body is formed with a curved configuration instead of a straight structure. This curvature allows adjacent probes to be positioned closer together while maintaining stable spacing, as the curved geometry naturally accommodates the spacing requirements for densely populated circuit pads without compromising manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The probe incorporates a tapered portion at the second end, creating a localized geometric feature that concentrates stresses in a specific region. This local quality change allows the probe to maintain close spacing while the tapered section provides the necessary mechanical stability and predictable deflection characteristics for reliable testing.
2Reliability
If probes are made with curved body configuration to facilitate predictable deflection under load, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The probe design utilizes controlled geometric parameters including the curved body configuration and tapered portion to achieve predictable deflection behavior. By carefully selecting and optimizing these geometric parameters, the probe provides reliable and consistent deflection response under load while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved body configuration is implemented as a straightforward geometric form rather than a complex mechanical structure. This simple curvature provides the necessary flexibility for predictable deflection while avoiding the complexity of multi-component or mechanism-based solutions.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If probe body is tapered to concentrate stresses in the second end portion, then contact resistance is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tapered portion is applied locally at the second end of the probe body, creating a concentrated geometric feature that specifically addresses contact resistance at the probe tip. This localized application of the taper allows stress concentration to reduce contact resistance while limiting the impact on overall manufacturing precision requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The gradual change in cross-sectional dimensions through the tapered portion creates a controlled stress distribution that reduces contact resistance. By optimizing the taper angle and length as geometric parameters, the design achieves low contact resistance while maintaining manufacturability through standard precision machining processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A probe configured for use in the testing of integrated circuits includes a first end portion terminating in a foot (42), the foot defining a substantially flat surface configured to be connected to a substrate (400), a second end portion terminating in a tip (50), the tip being configured to contact an integrated circuit during testing of the integrated circuit, and a curved body portion (56) extending between the first end portion and the second end portion.