Probe Card Needle Spring Support Narrow Pitch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional probe needles struggle to accurately contact electrode pads on semiconductor chips with narrow or matrix arrangements due to their wide pitch, leading to inaccurate contact during electrical testing.
Innovation Solution
A probe card design featuring probe needles with penetration parts and support parts, where the penetration parts are placed in through holes without contacting the board, allowing them to project from both surfaces and come into contact with electrode pads, while the support parts provide a spring characteristic for accurate alignment and contact, even with narrow pitch or matrix arrangements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the pitch of probe needles is reduced to contact narrow-pitch electrode pads, then contact accuracy improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The probe needle is divided into three distinct parts: a penetration part (tip portion) that contacts the electrode pad, a support part (middle portion) that provides mechanical support and spring characteristic, and a base part (upper portion) that connects to the probe card body. This segmentation allows the tip to be optimized for narrow-pitch contact while the support structure provides manufacturing stability and ease of assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The penetration part acts as an intermediary element that bridges the through-hole in the board and the electrode pad on the semiconductor chip. By placing the penetration part within the through-hole without fixing it to the board, the design enables precise positioning at the chip interface while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through the modular structure.
2Measurement precision
If the pitch of probe needles is reduced for matrix arrangement contact, then measurement precision improves, but alignment difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support part is designed with a spring characteristic, making the probe needle dynamic rather than rigid. This allows the penetration part to automatically adjust its position and maintain optimal contact with electrode pads in narrow-pitch or matrix arrangements, compensating for minor misalignments and reducing alignment difficulty during the testing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring characteristic of the support part changes the mechanical parameter of the probe needle from rigid to flexible, enabling it to adapt to narrow-pitch and matrix electrode pad arrangements. This parameter change allows the probe needle to maintain contact accuracy while simplifying the alignment process through self-adjustment.
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
Enables precise contact with electrode pads on semiconductor chips, regardless of their arrangement, by reducing the pitch of probe needles and utilizing a spring characteristic to ensure reliable contact during electrical testing.
Implementation Method 1
the support part being integrated with a first one of end portions of the penetration part and connected to one of the first and second surfaces of the board, and having a spring characteristic
Data Source
AI summary
A probe card is disclosed that includes a board having a first surface and a second surface facing away from each other and a through hole formed between the first and second surfaces; and a probe needle having a penetration part and a support part. The penetration part is placed in the through hole without contacting the board and projects from the first and second surfaces of the board. The support part is integrated with a first one of the end portions of the penetration part and connected to one of the first and second surfaces of the board. The support part has a spring characteristic. The penetration part is configured to have a second one of its end portions come into contact with an electrode pad of a semiconductor chip at the time of conducting an electrical test on the semiconductor chip.