Multi-beam Probes with Decoupled Structural and Current Carrying Beams
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing probes for testing electronic circuits face challenges in maintaining improved mechanical and electrical properties, particularly in decoupling current-carrying and structural beams to prevent heat conduction and maintain mechanical integrity under stress, while also ensuring efficient current transmission and thermal isolation.
Innovation Solution
The development of compliant multi-beam probes with dielectric barriers that block current flow through structural beams, using a combination of conductive and dielectric materials to ensure structural integrity and thermal isolation, where the dielectric material is placed in compression between conductive regions to enhance mechanical and electrical performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If current-carrying beams are used to transmit electrical current, then current-carrying capacity is improved, but heat conduction to structural beams increases causing mechanical property degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The probe is segmented into distinct current-carrying beams and structural beams that are physically separated. The current-carrying beams are made of highly conductive material (e.g., gold) while structural beams are made of mechanically strong material (e.g., nickel), with dielectric material positioned between them to prevent thermal and electrical coupling. This segmentation allows each beam type to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
A dielectric material acts as an intermediary between current-carrying beams and structural beams. This dielectric layer blocks heat conduction from the current-carrying beams to the structural beams, preventing mechanical property degradation while allowing both beam types to coexist in the same probe structure. The dielectric serves as a thermal and electrical barrier.
2Quantity of substance
If operational temperature is increased closer to fusion temperature, then current-carrying capacity is improved, but structural integrity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The probe structure is divided into thermally isolated zones where current-carrying beams can operate at high temperatures without directly heating the structural beams. The dielectric material creates thermal barriers that confine heat to specific regions, allowing the current-carrying beams to reach higher operational temperatures while the structural beams remain within safe temperature ranges to maintain their mechanical properties.
3Strength
If structural beams provide primary mechanical properties, then mechanical integrity is improved, but electrical current transmission through the beam is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The probe employs separate beam types for structural and electrical functions. Structural beams provide mechanical support and elasticity, while current-carrying beams handle electrical current transmission. This functional segmentation eliminates the need for structural beams to be electrically conductive, allowing optimization of each beam type for its specific purpose.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These probes achieve improved current-carrying capacity with reduced mechanical property degradation, allowing operational temperatures closer to fusion temperatures without compromising structural integrity, and provide enhanced thermal and electrical isolation.
Implementation Method 1
compliant multi-beam probes with decoupled structural and current carrying beams... dielectric barriers that block current flow through structural beams
Implementation Method 2
decoupled structural and current carrying beams... physically decoupled such that no heat is conducted from the at least one electrical beam to the at least one structural beam
Implementation Method 3
compliant spring structure including at least one electrical beam and at least one structural beam... elastic movement of the at least one spring segment
Data Source
AI summary
Probe structures having multiple beams are joined at their ends with at least one functioning as a current carrying beam (i.e. an electrical beam) and at least one functioning as a structural beam (i.e. non-current carrying beam) that conveys desired mechanical or structural parameters for the probe such as spring force, scrubbing, over travel, operational stability and repeatability, and the like. The current carrying beam provides little with regard to mechanical properties, and the structural beam is separated from the current carrying beam along a majority of its length and does not pass current between the probe ends due to its dielectric nature or the presence of at least one dielectric barrier located at an end or along its length.