Approach for fabricating probe elements for probe card assemblies using a reusable substrate

US7637009B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SV Probe Pte. Ltd. · SG

Inventors

• Keith Heinemann · Mesa, US
• Jamin Ling · Horsham, US
• Richard McCullough · Ashdown, US
• Brian McHugh · Harvard, US
• Jordan L. Wahl · Mesa, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 26, 2007
• Grant date: Dec 29, 2009
• Expiry date: Feb 27, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/49222
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An approach is provided for fabricating probe elements for probe card assemblies. Embodiments of the invention include using a reusable substrate, a reusable substrate with layered probe elements and a reusable substrate with a passive layer made of a material that does not adhere well to probe elements formed thereon. Examples of probe elements include, without limitation, a cantilever probe element, a vertically-oriented probe element, and portions of probe elements, e.g., a beam element of a cantilever probe element. Probe elements, or portions of probe elements, may be formed using any of a number of electroforming or plating processes such as, for example, plating using masking techniques, e.g., using lithographic techniques such as photolithography, stereolithography, X-ray lithography, etc.