Probe for testing a device under test

1. A probe comprising:

(a) a dielectric substrate;

(b) an elongate conductor suitable to be electrically interconnected to a test signal and contacting a first side of said substrate;

(c) a conductive member suitable to be electrically interconnected to a ground signal and contacting a second side of said substrate wherein said conductive member is adjacent a majority of the length of said elongate conductor;

(d) a conductive path between said first side of said substrate and said second side of said substrate and said conductive path free from electrical interconnection with said conductive member;

(e) a contact electrically interconnected to said conductive path for testing a device under test; and

(f) wherein said substrate has a thickness of less than 40 microns with a dielectric constant of less than 7.

2. The probe of claim 1 wherein said conductive path between said first side and said second side is in a manner free from an air gap between the conductive path and the end of said substrate for at least a majority of the thickness of said substrate.

3. The probe of claim 1 wherein said elongate conductor is electrically interconnected to a central conductor of a coaxial cable.

4. The probe of claim 3 wherein said conductive member is electrically connected to a conductor surrounding said central conductor of said coaxial cable.

5. The probe of claim 4 wherein said substrate is supported by said coaxial cable.

6. The probe of claim 5 wherein said substrate is supported by a shelf of said coaxial cable.

7. The probe of claim 1 wherein said conductive material is substantially planar.

8. The probe of claim 1 wherein said dielectric substrate is semi-flexible.

9. The probe of claim 8 wherein said dielectric substrate is a membrane.

10. The probe of claim 1 wherein said dielectric substrate has a dielectric constant less than 5.

11. The probe of claim 1 wherein said dielectric substrate has a dielectric constant less than 4.

12. The probe of claim 1 wherein said dielectric substrate has a dielectric constant less than 2.

13. The probe of claim 1 wherein said ground signal is zero volts.

14. The probe of claim 1 wherein said conductive member covers greater than 50% of said second side of said substrate.

15. The probe of claim 1 wherein said conductive member covers greater than 60% of said second side of said substrate.

16. The probe of claim 1 wherein said conductive member covers greater than 70% of said second side of said substrate.

17. The probe of claim 1 wherein said conductive member covers greater than 80% of said second side of said substrate.

18. The probe of claim 1 wherein said conductive member covers greater than 90% of said second side of said substrate.

19. The probe of claim 1 wherein said conductive member, said elongate conductor, and said substrate collectively form a microstrip transmission structure.

20. The probe of claim 1 wherein said conductive path is a via through said substrate.

21. The probe of claim 1 wherein said conductive member laterally surrounds at least 50% of said contact.

22. The probe of claim 1 wherein said conductive member laterally surrounds at least 75% of said contact.

23. The probe of claim 1 wherein said contact has a length and said conductive member laterally surrounds at least a portion of the length of said contact.

24. The probe of claim 1 wherein said contact is in the form of a bump.

25. The probe of claim 1 wherein said contact is in the form of a conductive finger.

26. The probe of claim 1 wherein said substrate has a thickness less than 30 microns.

27. The probe of claim 1 wherein said substrate has a thickness less than 20 microns.

28. A probe comprising:

(a) a dielectric substrate supporting an elongate conductor on a first side of said substrate and a conductive member supported by a second side of said substrate wherein said conductive member is adjacent a majority of the length of said elongate conductor;

(b) a conductive path between said first side of said substrate and said second side of said substrate;

(c) a contact electrically interconnected to said conductive path for testing a device under test; and

(d) wherein said substrate has a thickness of less than 40 microns with a dielectric constant of less than 7.

29. The probe of claim 28 wherein said conductive path is in a region within the periphery of said substrate for at least a majority of the thickness of said substrate.

30. The probe of claim 28 wherein said dielectric substrate is flexible.

31. The probe of claim 30 wherein said dielectric substrate is a membrane.

32. The probe of claim 28 wherein said dielectric substrate has a dielectric constant less than 5.

33. The probe of claim 28 wherein said dielectric substrate has a dielectric constant less than 4.

34. The probe of claim 33 wherein said elongate conductor is electrically interconnected to a central conductor of a coaxial cable.

35. The probe of claim 34 wherein said conductive member is electrically connected to a conductor surrounding said central conductor of said coaxial cable.

36. The probe of claim 28 wherein said dielectric substrate has a dielectric constant less than 2.

37. The probe of claim 28 wherein said conductive member covers greater than 50% of said second side of said substrate.

38. The probe of claim 28 wherein said conductive member covers greater than 60% of said second side of said substrate.

39. The probe of claim 28 wherein said conductive member covers greater than 70% of said second side of said substrate.

40. The probe of claim 28 wherein said conductive member covers greater than 80% of said second side of said substrate.

41. The probe of claim 28 wherein said conductive member covers greater than 90% of said second side of said substrate.

42. The probe of claim 28 wherein said conductive member, said elongate conductor, and said substrate collectively form a microstrip transmission structure.

43. The probe of claim 28 wherein said substrate has a thickness less than 30 microns.

44. The probe of claim 28 wherein said substrate has a thickness less than 20 microns.

45. A probe comprising:

(a) a dielectric substrate supporting an elongate conductor on a first side of said substrate and a conductive member supported by said second side of said substrate;

(b) a conductive path between said first side of said substrate and said second side of said substrate;

(c) a contact electrically interconnected to said conductive path for testing a device under test; and

(d) a co-axial cable, comprising an inner conductor, a dielectric and outer conductor, interconnected to said dielectric substrate, and a pre-loading member that pre-loads said co-axial cable with a desired amount of force when said contact is free from being engaged with said device under test in such a manner that when force is applied to said probe it has a non-linear vertical deformation profile versus force applied.

46. The probe of claim 45 herein said substrate has a thickness of less than 40 microns with a dielectric constant of less than 7.

47. The probe of claim 45 wherein said conductive path is in a region within the periphery of said substrate for at least a majority of the thickness of said substrate.

48. The probe of claim 45 wherein an elongate conductor is electrically interconnected to a central conductor of a coaxial cable.

49. The probe of claim 45 wherein said conductive member is electrically connected to a conductor surrounding said central conductor of said coaxial cable.

50. The probe of claim 45 herein said substrate has a thickness of less than 40 microns with a dielectric constant of less than 7.

51. A probe comprising:

(a) a dielectric substrate supporting an elongate conductor;

(b) a probing element electrically interconnected to said elongate conductor for testing a device under test; and

(c) a co-axial cable, comprising an inner conductor, a dielectric and outer conductor, interconnected to said dielectric substrate, and a pre-loading member that pre-loads said co-axial cable with a desired amount of force when said contact is free from being engaged with said device under test in such a manner that when force is applied to said probe it has a non-linear vertical deformation profile versus force applied.

52. The probe of claim 51 wherein a tensioned state is released when sufficient pressure is exerted between said probing element and said device under test.

53. The probe of claim 51 herein said substrate has a thickness of less than 40 microns with a dielectric constant of less than 7.

54. The probe of claim 51 wherein said elongate conductor is electrically interconnected to a central conductor of a coaxial cable.

55. A probe comprising:

(a) a dielectric substrate supporting an elongate conductor on a first side of said substrate and supporting a conductive member on a second side of said substrate said conductive member adjacent a majority of the length of said elongate conductor;

(b) a conductive path between said first side of said substrate and said second side of said substrate;

(c) a contact electrically interconnected to said conductive path for testing a device under test; and

(d) wherein said contact has a height relative to the adjoining surface of said dielectric substrate of less than 150 microns.

56. The probe of claim 55 wherein said contact has a height relative to the adjoining surface of said dielectric substrate of less than 100 microns.

57. The probe of claim 55 wherein said contact has a height relative to the adjoining surface of said dielectric substrate of less than 75 microns.

58. The probe of claim 55 wherein said contact has a height relative to the adjoining surface of said dielectric substrate of less than 55 microns.

59. The probe of claim 55 further comprising a co-axial cable interconnected to said dielectric substrate, wherein said co-axial cable is maintained in a tensioned state when said contact is free from being engaged with said device under test.