Probe head with machined mounting pads and method of forming same

1. A probe head for testing semiconductor wafers, comprising:

a probe contactor substrate having a top side and a bottom side;

a plurality of probe contactor tips coupled to the bottom side, the plurality of probe contactor tips lying substantially in a first plane; and

a plurality of sub-mounts, each having an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface coupled to the top side, and each upper surface being machined such that each upper surface lies substantially in a second plane, wherein the first plane is substantially parallel to the second plane, and each upper surface is adapted to be attached to another mounting structure.

2. The probe head of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sub-mounts are lithographically plated to the probe contactor substrate.

3. The probe head of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sub-mounts include at least one recessed portion adapted for receiving one of an adhesive or a solder.

4. The probe head of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sub-mounts are metal.

5. The probe head of claim 1 , wherein the probe contactor substrate is of non-uniform thickness.

6. The probe head of claim 1 , wherein the first plane is less than 10 μm from parallel of the second plane.

7. A probe card assembly, comprising:

a wiring board;

a probe contactor substrate having a top side and a bottom side; a plurality of probe contactor tips coupled to the bottom side, the plurality of probe contactor tips lying substantially in a first plane; and

a plurality of sub-mounts, each having an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface coupled to the top side, and each upper surface being machined such that each upper surface lies substantially in a second plane, wherein the first plane is substantially parallel to the second plane, and each upper surface is adapted to be coupled to wiring board.

8. The probe card assembly of claim 7 , further including an interposer coupled between the probe contactor substrate and the wiring board.

9. The probe card assembly of claim 7 , further including at least one post coupled between the wiring board and at least on of the plurality of sub-mounts, wherein the post is adhesively bonded to the at least one of the plurality of sub-mounts.

10. The probe card assembly of claim 9 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of sub-mounts has a recessed portion adapted to receive one of an adhesive or a solder.

11. The probe card assembly of claim 10 , wherein the recessed portion is an adhesive well.

12. The probe card assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first plane is less than 10 μm from parallel of the second plane.

13. The probe card assembly of claim 7 , wherein the probe contactor substrate is of non-uniform thickness.

14. The probe card assembly of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of sub-mounts are lithographically plated to the probe contactor substrate.

15. The probe card assembly of claim 7 , further including a clamp coupled to at least one of the plurality of sub-mounts, the clamp at least partially securing the wiring board to the at least one sub-mount.

16. A probe card assembly, comprising:

a wiring board;

a sub-assembly mount coupled to the wiring board

a first and second plurality of connectors coupled to the sub-assembly mount;

a first probe contactor subassembly having a probe contactor substrate with a first side and a second side, a first plurality of probe contactor tips coupled to the first side and the first plurality of probe contactor tips lying in a first plane, a first plurality of sub-mounts, each of the plurality of sub-mounts having a top surface machined such that each top surface lies in a second plane, wherein the second plane is substantially parallel to the first plane, and the first plurality of connectors are coupled to the first plurality of sub-mounts; and

a second probe contactor subassembly having a second probe contactor substrate with a bottom side and a top side, a second plurality of probe contactor tips coupled to the bottom side and the second plurality of probe contactor tips lying in a third plane, a second plurality of sub-mounts, each of the second plurality of sub-mounts having a top surface machined such that each top surface lies in a fourth plane, wherein the third plane is substantially parallel to the fourth plane, and the second plurality of connectors are coupled to the second plurality of sub-mounts.

17. The probe card assembly of claim 16 , wherein the first plane is substantially co-planar with the third plane.

18. The probe card assembly of claim 16 , wherein the second plane is substantially co-planar with the fourth plane.

19. The probe card assembly of claim 16 , wherein the difference between a first z-height of at least one of the first plurality of sub-mounts and a second z-height of at least one of the second plurality of sub-mounts is less than 5 μm, the first z-height being measured from the first plane to the top surface of the at least one of the first plurality of sub-mounts and the second z-height being measured from the third plane to the top surface of the at least one of the plurality of sub-mounts.

20. The probe card assembly of claim 16 , wherein the first plane is less than 10 μm from parallel of the second plane.

21. The probe card assembly of claim 16 , wherein the first probe contactor substrate is of non-uniform thickness.

22. The probe card assembly of claim 16 , wherein the first and second pluralities of sub-mounts are lithographically plated to the first and second probe contactor substrates respectively.

23. The probe card assembly of claim 16 , further including a clamp coupled between the first probe contactor substrate and the sub-assembly mount, the clamp at least partially securing the first probe contactor substrate to the sub-assembly mount.

24. A method of forming a probe head comprising:

providing a probe contactor substrate;

forming a plurality of probe contactors on a first side of the probe contactor substrate, each of the plurality of probe contactors having a tip, and each tip lying in a first plane;

lithographically electroplating a plurality of sub-mounts to a second side of the probe contactor substrate, each of the plurality of sub-mounts having a top edge;

machining each of the top edges of the plurality of sub-mounts such that the top edges lie in a second plane, and the first plane and the second plane are substantially parallel.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the plurality of probe contactors are lithographically electroplated to the first side.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the forming the plurality of probe contactors and the lithographically electroplating a plurality of sub-mounts occurs during substantially the same process.

27. A method of forming a probe head, comprising:

providing a probe contactor substrate;

electroplating a plurality of probe contactors on a first side of the substrate;

electroplating a first sacrificial metal over the first side and the plurality of probe contactors;

machining the first sacrificial metal and the plurality of probe contactors at a first plane;

electroplating a plurality of mounts to a second side of the probe contactor substrate;

electroplating a second sacrificial metal over the second side and the plurality of mounts;

machining the second sacrificial metal and the plurality of mounts at a second plane; and

removing the first and second sacrificial metals.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the first plane and the second plane are substantially parallel.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the first plane is less than 10 μm from parallel of the second plane.

30. The method of claim 27 , wherein the first sacrificial metal and the second sacrificial metal are removed by the same process.

31. The method of claim 27 , wherein the probe contactor substrate is of non-uniform thickness and the plurality of mounts are machined to create the second plane substantially parallel to the first plane.