Electrical contactor, especially wafer level contactor, using fluid pressure
View Patent ↗An electrical interconnect assembly and methods for making an electrical interconnect assembly. In one embodiment, an interconnect assembly includes a flexible wiring layer having a plurality of first contact elements and a fluid containing structure which is coupled to the flexible wiring layer. The fluid, when contained in the fluid containing structure, presses the flexible wiring layer towards a device under test to form electrical interconnections between the first contact elements and corresponding second contact elements on the device under test. In a further embodiment, an interconnect assembly includes a flexible wiring layer having a plurality of first contact terminals and a semiconductor substrate which includes a plurality of second contact terminals. A plurality of freestanding, resilient contact elements, in one embodiment, are mechanically coupled to one of the flexible wiring layers or the semiconductor substrate and make electrical contacts between corresponding ones of the first contact terminals and the second contact terminals. In another embodiment, a method of making electrical interconnections includes joining a flexible wiring layer and a substrate together in proximity and causing a pressure differential between a first side and a second side of the flexible wiring layer. The pressure differential deforms the flexible wiring layer and causes a plurality of first contact terminals on the flexible wiring layer to electrically connect with a corresponding plurality of second contact terminals on the substrate.
1. A probe assembly comprising:
a flexible wiring substrate including a plurality of electrical connections to a tester;
a plurality of terminals disposed on said wiring substrate, ones of said terminals being electrically connected to ones of said electrical connections to said tester; and
a plurality of compliant, elongate probes disposed to electrically interconnect said terminals with test features on an electronic device to be tested.
2. The probe assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least one stop structure disposed on one of said substrate or said electronic device defining a minimum separation of said substrate from said electronic device.
3. The probe assembly of claim 1 further comprising means for connecting said electrical connections of said substrate to said tester.
4. The probe assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least one electrical device disposed on said substrate.
5. The probe assembly of claim 4 , wherein said electrical device comprises an integrated circuit.
6. The probe assembly of claim 4 , wherein said electrical device comprises a test circuit.
7. The probe assembly of claim 1 , wherein said probes are resilient.
8. The probe assembly of claim 1 , wherein said probes are springs.
9. A method of making electrical connections between a flexible substrate comprising a plurality of first electrical contacts and an electronic device comprising a plurality of second electrical contacts, said method comprising:
positioning said flexible substrate in proximity to said electronic device such that ones of said plurality of first electrical contacts are disposed in proximity to corresponding ones of said second electrical contacts, and
flexing said flexible substrate to bring ones of said first electrical contacts into contact with ones of said second electrical contacts,
wherein one of said plurality of first electrical contacts or said plurality of second electrical contacts are compliant, elongate probes.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said plurality of first electrical contacts comprise compliant, elongate probes.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said plurality of first electrical contacts are resilient.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said plurality of first electrical contacts are springs.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein said plurality of second electrical contacts comprise compliant, elongate probes.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of second electrical contacts are resilient.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of second electrical contacts are springs.
16. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving test data for said electronic device from a tester.
17. The method of claim 9 further comprising sending response signals generated by said electronic device to a tester.
18. The method of claim 9 , wherein said flexible substrate comprises at least one wiring layer.
19. The method of claim 9 further comprising disposing at least one electrical device on said flexible substrate.
20. The probe assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
ones of said probes are attached to ones of said terminals on said flexible wiring substrate, and
said probes are disposed to make pressure connections with said test features on said electronic device to be tested.
21. The probe assembly of claim 20 further comprising means for supporting said electronic device in proximity to said probes.
22. The probe assembly of claim 21 further comprising means for flexing said substrate and thereby causing ones of said probes to engage ones of said test features.
23. The probe assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
ones of said probes are attached to ones of said test features on said electronic device to be tested, and
said probes are disposed to make pressure connections with said terminals on said flexible wiring substrate.
24. The probe assembly of claim 1 , wherein said electronic device is a semiconductor device.
25. The method of claim 9 , wherein said electronic device is a semiconductor device.
26. A probe assembly comprising:
a compliant substrate comprising a plurality of first electrically conductive terminals; and
a plurality of elongate, compliant probes disposed to electrically connect said first terminals to corresponding second terminals of an electronic device to be tested,
wherein said compliant substrate provides a first amount of compliance in electrical connections between said probe assembly and said electronic device to be tested and said probes provide an additional amount of compliance in said electrical connections between said probe assembly and said electronic device to be tested.
27. The probe assembly of claim 26 further comprising means for electrically connecting said first terminals to a tester.
28. The probe assembly of claim 26 , wherein said probes are resilient.
29. The probe assembly of claim 28 further comprising means for flexing said complaint substrate to establish said electrical connections between said probe assembly and said electronic device to be tested.
30. The probe assembly of claim 26 , wherein said electronic device comprises a semiconductor die.
31. The probe assembly of claim 30 , wherein said probes are attached to said first terminals.
32. The probe assembly of claim 30 , wherein said probes are attached to said second terminals.
33. The probe assembly of claim 30 , wherein said die is part of an unsingulated semiconductor wafer.
34. The probe assembly of claim 33 , wherein said probes are attached to said first terminals.
35. The probe assembly of claim 33 , wherein said probes are attached to said second terminals.
36. The probe assembly of claim 26 , wherein said probes are attached to said first terminals.
37. The probe assembly of claim 26 , wherein said probes are attached to said second terminals.