Method and apparatus for testing an integrated circuit
US5666063A · kind A · utility
111Cited by
1References
49Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 23, 1996 |
| Grant date | Sep 9, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 23, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49224
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus and method for laser ablating residue off of probe tips. In one embodiment, the probe tips of the probe needles (16) contact the test pads of an integrated circuit on a wafer (18). The probe tips build up a residue over time. This residue is due to the probe tips coming into contact with integrated circuit wafer layers such as layers (114), (120), (122), (124), and (126). This residue can be vaporized from the surface of the probe needles via exposure to a laser light. The probe needles (16) are exposed to a laser light created by a laser source (28) and ported to the probe tips by a fiber optic cable (26).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.