Substrate tester having shorting pad actuator method and apparatus

US5917329A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Robert H. Cadwallader · Stanfordville, US
• Thomas Morrison · Pleasant Valley, US
• Klaus Probst · Herrenberg, DE
• Brian J. Wojszynski · Hyde Park, US
• William A. Yager · Salt Point, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 17, 1997
• Grant date: Jun 29, 1999
• Expiry date: Apr 17, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R31/2886
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An electrical contacting apparatus for testing a substrate (54) and having a principal axis includes an electrical contact pad, a guide plate (106), a supporting bridge (132), and a mechanism for providing a contact actuation force. The guide plate includes side edges with guide pins (108) extending radially outward from a center of each side edge. The electrical contact pad (114) is mounted and centered upon a top surface of the guide plate (106). The support bridge supports the guide plate to enable a pivotal movement of the guide plate about a point on the principal axis. Lastly, the contact actuation force mechanism provides a contact actuation force to a center of the bottom surface of the guide plate to maintain an equal force across the electrical contact pad in a direction of the principal axis, whereby the electrical contact pad provides a desired contacting force equally balanced across an entire contact area defined by an area of contact between the electrical contact pad and a substrate being contacted. The substrate (54) is to be clamped between test probes (52) and the contact pad (114).