Granted Patent B2

US 7,217,139 · App. 11/198,995 · Granted May 15, 2007

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. An interconnect assembly for providing electrical interconnection between elements of a probe card assembly, the interconnect assembly comprising:

a first frame defining a plurality of first openings;

a plurality of first conductive contacts coupled to the first frame, each first conductive contact including (a) a first resilient arm extending away from a first surface of the first frame and (b) a second resilient arm extending away from a second surface of the first frame, at least one of the first resilient arm or the second resilient arm extending from one of the fist surface and the second surface of the first frame to the other surface of the first frame through one of the plurality of first openings;

a second frame defining a plurality of second openings; and

a plurality of second conductive contacts coupled to the second frame, each second conductive contact including (a) a first resilient arm extending away from a first surface of the second frame and (b) a second resilient arm extending away from a second surface of the second frame, at least one of the first resilient arm or the second resilient arm extending from one of the first surface and the second surface of the second frame to the other surface of the second frame through one of the plurality of second openings, and wherein a first resilient arm of the plurality of first conductive contacts is in direct physical contact with a second resilient arm of the plurality of second conductive contacts.

2. The interconnect assembly of claim 1 wherein the first resilient arm of each of the plurality of first conductive contacts includes a first tip portion configured to contact a conductive region of a PCB of the probe card assembly, and the second resilient arm of the each of the plurality of second conductive contacts includes a second tip portion configured to contact a conductive region of a space transformer of the probe card assembly.

3. The interconnect assembly of claim 1 wherein the first and second frames and the respective conductive contacts are configured to provide resilience during probing of semiconductor devices using the probe card assembly.

4. The interconnect assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the frames comprises an insulative material.

5. The interconnect assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the frames comprises a polyimide material.

6. The interconnect assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the conductive contacts of at least one of the plurality of first and second conductive contacts includes (a) another first resilient arm extending away from the first surface of the respective frame and (b) another second resilient arm extending away from the second surface of the respective frame.

7. A probe card assembly comprising:

a space transformer including a first plurality of conductive regions adjacent a first surface of the space transformer;

a printed circuit board including a second plurality of conductive regions adjacent a first surface of the printed circuit board;

an interconnect assembly providing electrical interconnection between the space transformer and the printed circuit board, the interconnect assembly comprising:

a first frame defining a plurality of first openings;

a plurality of first conductive contacts coupled to the first frame, each first conductive contact including (1) a first resilient arm extending away from a first surface of the first frame and (2) a second resilient arm extending away from a second surface of the first frame, at least one of the first resilient arm or the second resilient arm extending from one of the first surface and the second surface of the first frame to the other surface of the first frame through one of the plurality of first openings;

a second frame defining a plurality of second openings; and

a plurality of second conductive contacts coupled to the second frame, each second conductive contact including (a) a first resilient arm extending away from a first surface of the second frame and (b) a second resilient arm extending away from a second surface of the second frame, at least one of the first resilient arm or the second resilient arm extending from one of the first surface and the second surface of the second frame to the other surface of the second frame through one of the plurality of second openings, and wherein a first resilient arm of the plurality of first conductive contacts coupled to the first frame is in electrical contact with a second resilient arm of the plurality of second conductive contacts coupled to the second frame through one of direct physical contact and electrical contact at approximately the ends of the respective arms through a spacer substrate.

8. The probe card assembly of claim 7 wherein the first resilient arm of each of the plurality of first conductive contacts includes a first tip portion configured to contact a respective one of the first plurality of conductive regions and the second resilient arm of each of the plurality of second conductive contacts includes a second tip portion configured to contact a respective one of the second plurality of conductive regions.

9. The probe card assembly of claim 7 wherein each of the first interconnect assembly and the second interconnect assembly are stacked such that electrical interconnection between the space transformer and the printed circuit board is provided through both the first interconnect assembly and the second interconnect assembly.

10. The probe card assembly of claim 9 wherein the first interconnect assembly and the second interconnect assembly are stacked such that (a) a tip portion of one of the first resilient arm and the second resilient arm of a conductive contact of the first interconnect assembly is in contact with (b) another tip portion of one of the first resilient arm and the second resilient arm of a conductive contact of the second interconnect assembly.

11. The probe card assembly of claim 7 further comprising a spacer substrate, wherein each of the first interconnect assembly and the second interconnect assembly are disposed on opposite sides of the spacer substrate within the probe card assembly.

12. The probe card assembly of claim 11 wherein (a) a tip portion of one of the first resilient arm and the second resilient arm of a conductive contact of the first interconnect assembly is in contact with a conductive region on one of the opposite sides of the substrate and (b) another tip portion of one of the first resilient arm and the second resilient arm of a conductive contact of the second interconnect assembly is in contact with a conductive region on the other of the opposite sides of the substrate.

13. The probe card assembly of claim 7 wherein each of the first and second frames and the respective conductive contacts are configured to provide resilience during probing of semiconductor devices using the probe card assembly.

14. The probe card assembly of claim 7 wherein at least one of the first and second frames comprises an insulative material.

15. The probe card assembly of claim 7 wherein at least one of the first and second frames comprises a polyimide material.

16. The probe card assembly of claim 7 wherein each of the conductive contacts of at least one of the plurality of first and second conductive contacts includes (a) another first resilient arm extending away from the first surface of the respective frame and (b) another second resilient arm extending away from the second surface of the respective frame.

17. An interposer for providing electrical interconnection between elements of a probe card assembly) the interposer comprising:

a first interconnect assembly, the first interconnect assembly including

(1) a first frame defining a plurality of first openings; and

(2) a plurality of first conductive contacts coupled to the first frame, each first conductive contact including (a) a first resilient aim extending away from a first surface of the first frame and (b) a second resilient arm extending away from a second surface of the first frame, at least one of the first resilient arm or the second resilient aim of the first conductive contact extending from one of the first surface and the second surface to the other surface through one of the plurality of first openings; and

a second interconnect assembly, the second interconnect assembly including

(1) a second frame defining a plurality of second openings; and

(2) a plurality of second conductive contacts coupled to the second frame, each second conductive contact including (a) a first resilient arm extending away from a first surface of the second frame and (b) a second resilient arm extending away from a second surface of the second frame, at least one of the first resilient arm or the second resilient arm of the second conductive contact extending from one of the first and the second surfaces of the second frame to the other surface of the second frame through one of the plurality of second openings, wherein both physical and electrical contact are provided between corresponding pairs of first conductive contacts of the first interconnect assembly and second conductive contacts of the second interconnect assembly.

18. The interposer of claim 17 further comprising a spacer substrate disposed between the first interconnect assembly and the second interconnect assembly.

19. The interposer of claim 18 wherein (a) a first tip portion of one of the first resilient arm and the second resilient arm of the first conductive contact of the first interconnect assembly is in contact with a conductive region on one of two opposite sides of the spacer substrate and (b) a second tip portion of one of the first resilient arm and the second resilient arm of the second conductive contact of the second interconnect assembly is in contact with a conductive region on the other of the two opposite sides of the spacer substrate.

20. The interposer of claim 17 wherein the first interconnect assembly and the second interconnect assembly are stacked such that (a) a first tip portion of one of the first resilient arm and the second resilient arm of the first conductive contact of the first interconnect assembly is in contact with (b) a second tip portion of one of the first resilient arm and the second resilient arm of the second conductive contact of the second interconnect assembly.

21. An interposer for providing electrical interconnection between elements of a probe card assembly, the interposer comprising a first interconnect assembly and at least a second interconnect assembly, each of the interconnect assemblies comprising:

(1) a frame defining a plurality of openings; and

(2) a plurality of conductive contacts coupled to the frame, each conductive contact including (a) a first resilient arm extending away from a first surface of the frame and (b) a second resilient arm extending away from a second surface of the frame, at least one of the first resilient arm or the second resilient arm of the first conductive contact extending from one of the first surface and the second surface to the other surface trough one of the plurality of openings, wherein corresponding conductive contacts of the first interconnect assembly and the second interconnect assembly are in direct physical contact and wherein the first and at least a second interconnect assembly are configured for stacking to provide at least one of additional resilience and additional height to the probe card assembly.

Assignments (10)