Modular Probe Card With Detachable Daughter Card
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of probe cards for wafer testers is costly due to the need for different contact needle sets during development and mass production, and existing probe cards lack the necessary planarity and stability for precise contact with multiple electrical circuits on a wafer, leading to potential damage or measurement errors.
Innovation Solution
A probe card design comprising a mother card with electrical contacts for the wafer tester, a daughter card with electrical contact elements for the wafer, and a planarity element to ensure mechanical rigidity and parallel alignment, connected via an electrical interface, allowing for detachable and precise contact with multiple wafer circuits, and a method involving soldering frames for precise positioning and assembly of discrete connectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different contact needle sets are used for development and mass production, then the probe card can adapt to different testing requirements, but the production cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The probe card is divided into a mother card and a detachable daughter card module. The daughter card can be exchanged between development and mass production phases, allowing different contact needle configurations without replacing the entire probe card. This segmentation reduces costs by reusing the expensive mother card infrastructure while only replacing the less costly daughter card module.
Solution Approach 2:
The mother card is designed with universal electrical interfaces and connection mechanisms that can accommodate different daughter card types. This multi-functionality allows the same mother card to work with various daughter cards for different testing scenarios (development, mass production, different wafer types), eliminating the need for completely different probe card designs for each application.
2Manufacturing precision
If the probe card structure is made more rigid to ensure planarity, then contact precision with multiple electrical circuits improves, but the complexity of assembly and manufacturing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid structure is localized to where it is most needed - the mother card provides structural rigidity and planarity, while the detachable daughter card module handles the variable contact configurations. This segmentation allows the rigid structure to be optimized independently without complicating the entire assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical interface acts as an intermediary between the rigid mother card and the detachable daughter card. This interface mechanism enables precise electrical connection while accommodating the modular design, allowing the rigid structure to maintain contact precision without requiring the entire assembly to be permanently fixed and complex.
3Ease of manufacture
If the probe card uses detachable daughter card modules, then production costs are reduced and flexibility is improved, but the reliability of electrical connection between mother card and daughter card may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical interface is designed with preliminary alignment features and pre-positioned contact points that ensure reliable connection before the daughter card is fully inserted. This preliminary action compensates for potential misalignment issues and ensures consistent electrical contact reliability across multiple detachable connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical interface serves as a robust intermediary that maintains reliable electrical connection despite the detachable nature of the daughter card. The interface design includes multiple contact points, alignment features, and connection mechanisms that ensure signal integrity and electrical reliability equivalent to permanent connections.
Data Source
AI summary
A probe card for a wafer tester includes a mother card having a reinforcing element and at least one daughter card which is rigidly connected to the reinforcing element detachably. The mother card includes electrical contacts for producing an electrical connection with the wafer tester. The at least one daughter card includes electrical contact elements for making contact with an electrical circuit on a wafer. In addition, the mother card and the at least one daughter card are electrically detachably connected to one another via an electrical interface.