APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MAKING AND USING A TOOLING DIE
A method of making a tooling die can include depositing a plurality of layers onto a substrate using a printing process. Selected portions of the plurality of layers can be removed to expose a surface defining a desired shape of the tooling die. An electrically conductive material can be deposited to form a seed layer, and a structural material can be electrodeposited onto the seed layer to form the tooling die. The tooling die can be used to form contact structures on an electronic component.
1 . A method of making a tooling die, the method comprising:
depositing a plurality of layers onto a substrate using a printing process, the plurality of layers comprising first portions and second portions, wherein the first portions define a desired shape of the tooling die;
selectively removing the second portions to expose a surface defined by the first portions;
depositing an electrically conductive material onto the exposed surface to form an electrically conductive seed layer; and
electrodepositing a structural material onto the seed layer to form the tooling die.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing process comprises jetting ones of the plurality of layers onto one of a previous layer and the substrate.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein ones of the plurality of layers are defined by a plurality of droplets.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing the electrically conductive material comprises printing droplets of the electrically conductive material onto the exposed surface to form the electrically conductive seed layer, wherein the electrically conductive seed layer comprises the printed droplets.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first portions are defined by a first material insoluble in a selected solvent and the second portions are defined by a second material soluble in the selected solvent; and
selectively removing the second portions comprises applying the solvent to the plurality of layers.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising applying a second solvent to the plurality of layers in which the first material is soluble to remove the tooling die from the substrate.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising planarizing ones of the layers of material prior to depositing a next one of the layers of material.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating the tooling die from the substrate and the first portions.
9 . The method of claim 8 further comprising attaching the tooling die to a backing plate.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the tooling die to emboss a moldable material disposed on a third substrate.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the tooling die to form a contact structure on an electronic component.
12 . A tooling die formed in accordance with the method of claim 1 .
13 . A method of making a tooling die, the method comprising:
forming on a first substrate a plurality of first droplets into a support structure in a shape corresponding to a desired shape of the tooling die;
depositing a plurality of electrically conductive second droplets onto the support structure in sufficient proximity one to another to form an electrically conductive seed layer on the support structure; and
electrodepositing a structural material onto the seed layer.
14 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
attaching the structural material to a second substrate; and
releasing the structural material from the first substrate.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the forming comprises:
depositing the first droplets and a plurality of third droplets as an array of droplets on the first substrate; and
removing the third droplets.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first droplets comprise a first material and the third droplets comprise a second material different than the first material.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the third droplets are dissolvable by a solvent that does not appreciably dissolve the first droplets.
18 . A tooling die made by the method of claim 13 .
19 . A method of making a contact structure, the method comprising:
forming a moldable material on an electronic component;
pressing a tooling die into the moldable material to form a pattern in the moldable material;
printing an electrically conductive material onto the moldable material and exposed portions of the electronic component to form an electrically conductive seed layer; and
forming a contact structure by electrodepositing structural material onto the seed layer.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the pressing the tooling die into the moldable material comprises forming a depression in the moldable material, the depression comprising a sloped portion extending laterally from a terminal of the electronic component.
21 . The method of claim 20 further comprising, prior to the pressing the tooling die, forming an opening in the moldable material, the opening exposing the terminal, the opening comprising a gap adjacent the terminal exposing a portion the electronic device.
22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the printing the electrically conductive material comprises depositing a plurality of droplets of the conductive material onto portions of the moldable material and the exposed portions of the electronic component.
23 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the printing the electrically conductive material comprises jetting the conductive material onto portions of the moldable material and the exposed portions of the electronic component
24 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the printing the electrically conductive material comprises depositing conductive droplets on only a first portion of the terminal, and the forming the contact structure comprises electrodepositing the structural material onto the seed layer and a second portion of the terminal.
25 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the electrically conductive material is a conductive polymer.
26 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the electrically conductive material is a suspension of conductive particles within a solution.
27 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the forming a contact structure comprises forming a base portion attached to a terminal of the electronic component and a cantilevered beam portion extending from the base portion and spaced from the electronic component.
28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the forming a contact structure further comprises forming a tip portion on the cantilever mean portion.
29 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the printing the electrically conductive material comprises depositing droplets of the electrically conductive material using a print head.
30 . The method of claim 19 , wherein:
the pattern comprises a plurality of depressions disposed proximate a plurality of terminals of the electronic component;
the depositing an electrically conductive material comprises depositing electrically conductive material into ones of the plurality of depressions to form electrically conductive seed layers on the ones of the plurality of depressions; and
the forming a contact structure comprises forming a plurality of contact structures by electrodepositing structural material onto ones of the seed layers.
31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the electronic component is part of one of a probe card assembly, a semiconductor die test socket, and a plurality of semiconductor dies.
32 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the electronic component is part of an interposer substrate of a probe card assembly.
33 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the electronic component is part of a probe substrate of a probe card assembly.
34 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the electronic component is part of a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of unsingulated dies.
35 - 67 . (canceled)