Interconnect assemblies and methods
View Patent ↗Interconnect assemblies and methods for forming and using them. In one example of the invention, an interconnect assembly comprises a substrate, a resilient contact element and a stop structure. The resilient contact element is disposed on the substrate and has at least a portion thereof which is capable of moving to a first position, which is defined by the stop structure, in which the resilient contact element is in mechanical and electrical contact with another contact element. In another example of the invention, a stop structure is disposed on a first substrate with a first contact element, and this stop structure defines a first position of a resilient contact element, disposed on a second substrate, in which the resilient contact element is in mechanical and electrical contact with the first contact element. Other aspects of the invention include methods of forming the stop structure and using the structure to perform testing of integrated circuits, including for example a semiconductor wafer of integrated circuits.
1. A probe card assembly for use in testing a semiconductor wafer comprising a plurality of dies, the probe card assembly comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of resilient, elongate contact elements extending from the substrate and configured to contact terminals of the semiconductor wafer;
an electrical interface to a tester configured to control testing of the semiconductor wafer, wherein ones of the contact elements are electrically connected to the electrical interface;
a mechanical interface to the tester configured to mechanically couple the probe card assembly to the tester; and
a sheet attached to the substrate and comprising a plurality of openings, wherein the sheet is positioned on the substrate such that the contact structures extend through the openings in the sheet and are unengaged from the sheet, the sheet comprising a stop structure.
2. The probe card assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sheet comprises a polyimide material.
3. The probe card assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sheet comprises photoresist material.
4. The probe card assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sheet comprises an epoxy material.
5. The probe card assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sheet comprises a perimeter stop structure disposed generally about a perimeter of the substrate.
6. The probe card assembly of claim 1 , wherein the contact elements extend a greater distance from the substrate than the sheet extends from the substrate.
7. The probe card assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stop structure limits compression of the contact elements.
8. The probe card assembly of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of substrates, wherein the contact elements are electrically connected through the plurality of substrates to the electrical interface.
9. The probe card assembly of claim 8 , wherein the electrical interface is disposed on one of the substrates.
10. The probe card assembly of claim 1 , wherein the openings are sufficiently large so that the contact structures do not touch the sheet.
11. The probe card assembly of claim 1 wherein the electronic device to be tested is a semiconductor die.
12. A probe card assembly for use in testing a semiconductor wafer comprising a plurality of dies, the probe card assembly comprising:
a substrate;
a sheet attached to the substrate and comprising a plurality of openings;
a plurality of first contact elements disposed on and attached to the substrate within the openings and unengaged from the sheet, the first contact elements extending a first distance from the substrate and the sheet extending a second distance from the substrate, the sheet comprising a stop structure that defines a minimum separation between the substrate and the semiconductor wafer while second contact elements of the semiconductor wafer are in mechanical and electrical contact with the first contact elements at least one of the first contact elements and the second contact elements being elongate and resilient;
an electrical interface to a tester configured to control testing of the semiconductor wafer, wherein ones of the first contact elements are electrically connected to the electrical interface; and
a mechanical interface to the tester configured to mechanically couple the probe card assembly to the tester.
13. The probe card assembly of claim 12 , wherein the sheet comprises a perimeter stop structure disposed generally about a perimeter of the substrate.
14. The probe card assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first contact elements are elongate and resilient and the first distance is greater than the second distance.
15. The probe card assembly of claim 12 , wherein the second contact elements are elongate and resilient and the first distance is less than the second distance.
16. The probe card assembly of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first contact elements and the second contact elements are compressible, and the stop structure limits compression of the at least one of the first contact elements and the second contact elements that are compressible.
17. The probe card assembly of claim 12 further comprising a plurality of substrates, wherein the contact elements are electrically connected through the plurality of substrates to the electrical interface.
18. The probe card assembly of claim 17 , wherein the electrical interface is disposed on one of the substrates.
19. The probe card assembly of claim 12 , wherein the sheet comprises a polyimide material.
20. The probe card assembly of claim 12 , wherein the sheet comprises photoresist material.
21. The probe card assembly of claim 12 , wherein the sheet comprises an epoxy material.
22. The probe card assembly of claim 12 , wherein the openings are sufficiently large so that neither the first contact structures nor the second contact structures touch the sheet.
23. The probe card assembly of claim 12 wherein the electronic device to be tested is a semiconductor die.