Rotatable Probe Card Adapter for Shielded Test Substrate Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing probe support systems face challenges in achieving precise angular alignment of probes with test substrates, leading to increased tolerances and the need for recalibrations, especially when dealing with non-rotationally symmetrical probe cards, which results in gaps and inefficiencies in shielding, particularly in high-density grid testing environments.
Innovation Solution
The proposed probe support system incorporates a probe card adapter and holder with a conductive shield that provides a triaxial shielding structure, allowing for precise positioning and alignment of probes without the need for enlarging the adapter opening, thereby minimizing gaps and ensuring continuous shielding over the measurement area by using a probe card adapter and holder that are electrically insulated and connected, allowing the probe card to fill the passageway effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the adapter opening is enlarged to accommodate non-rotationally symmetrical probe cards, then the ease of operation improves, but the shielding effectiveness deteriorates due to increased gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The probe card adapter is made rotatable about the vertical axis, allowing dynamic adjustment of the probe card's angular position. This enables precise angular alignment of non-rotationally symmetrical probe cards with the test substrate grid without requiring a larger adapter opening, thereby maintaining shielding effectiveness while improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution adds rotational freedom (angular dimension) to the probe card positioning system. By enabling rotation about the vertical axis, the system can accommodate non-rotationally symmetrical probe cards at various angles without increasing the adapter opening size, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and shielding effectiveness.
2Reliability
If the probe card adapter and holder are electrically connected, then the shielding continuity improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The probe card adapter and holder are electrically connected through conductive elements, merging their electrical potentials to ensure continuous shielding. This integration maintains shielding continuity without requiring additional complex components, as the connection is achieved through the inherent structural elements of the adapter and holder assembly.
3Manufacturing precision
If precise angular alignment is achieved through probe card rotation, then the manufacturing precision improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional positioning mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The probe card adapter is designed with rotational capability about the vertical axis, allowing dynamic adjustment of angular position. This simple rotational mechanism enables precise angular alignment of non-rotationally symmetrical probe cards with the test substrate grid without requiring complex positioning systems, thereby improving manufacturing precision while minimizing device complexity.
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
This solution enables precise and efficient angular alignment of probes, reduces the complexity of recalibrations, and maintains optimal shielding without gaps, even over the area of measurement, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of electrical testing by compensating for angular deviations through chuck movement, thus improving testing efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a plate-like shield (5) consisting of electrically conductive material which is disposed between the test substrate and the probe support
Implementation Method 2
the probe card adapter (2), the electrically conductive layer (37) on the underside of the probe card (3), and the shield (5) are electrically connected to one another, wherein the probe card adapter (2) and the probe card holder (1) are electrically insulated from one another
Data Source
AI summary
A probe support for holding probes which serve for electrical contacting of test substrates in a prober for testing purposes comprises a probe card holder, a probe card, and a probe card adapter, The probe card and probe card adapter are electrically connected to one another as well as to a shield of electrically conductive material and are disposed such that the probe card lies in a passageway of a shield. The shield is disposed between the test substrates and the probe card holder and is electrically insulated from the holder. For testing test substrates their positioning with respect to the probes held in this manner is done by angular alignment of the contact surfaces of the test substrates to the sensor tips and the movement of the test substrates along a path which starts from a first reference position and is composed up to the first, and each additional, contact position of an x-component and a y-component.