Contact probe for a testing head

Field of Application

0001The present invention relates to a contact probe for a testing head effective to test a plurality of semiconductor-integrated electronic devices comprising a plurality of so-called contact pads.

0002More specifically the invention relates to a contact probe for a testing head effective to test a plurality of semiconductor-integrated electronic devices, said probe comprising a rod-like probe body having cross section of prefixed contour and provided in correspondence with at least one end with an eccentric contact tip.

0003The invention also relates to a testing head having vertical probes of the type comprising at least a first and a second plate-like holder respectively provided with at least one guide hole for housing at least one contact probe having at least one contact tip effective to ensure the mechanical and electrical contact with a corresponding contact pad of an integrated electronic device to be tested, said eccentric contact tip comprising a rod-like probe body having cross section of prefixed contour and provided in correspondence with at least one end with an eccentric contact tip.

0004Finally, the invention relates to a method for realising a contact probe of the type comprising at least one rod-like probe body having cross section of prefixed contour and provided in correspondence with at least one tip portion with an eccentric contact tip.

0005The invention particularly, but not exclusively, relates to a testing head having vertical probes for testing semiconductor-integrated electronic devices and the following description is made with reference to this field of application for convenience of illustration only.

Prior Art

0006As it is well known, a testing head is essentially a device effective to electrically interconnect a plurality of contact pads of a semiconductor-integrated electronic device with corresponding channels of a testing machine which performs the test thereof.

0007The test carried out on integrated electronic devices is effective to detect and isolate devices already faulty during the manufacturing step. Normally, testing heads are thus used for the electric test of the semiconductor-integrated electronic devices, or integrated on a silicon wafer, before cutting and assembling the same inside a package for containing chips.

0008The connection between the testing apparatus and the contact pads of the tested integrated electronic device being tested is carried out by using a plurality of contact elements or probes.

0009In particular, these contact probes are normally made of wires of a special alloy having good electrical and mechanical properties.

0010The good connection between the probes and the contact pads is also ensured by the pressure of each contact probe on the respective contact pad.

0011A testing head having vertical probes comprises at least a pair of dies or plate-like parallel holders placed at a certain distance from one another in order to leave an air gap as well as a plurality of contact probes.

0012Each plate-like holder, called die in the technical field here considered and hereafter in the description, is provided with a respective plurality of through-going guide holes, each hole in one of the dies corresponding to a hole in the other die, wherein a respective contact probe is slidingly engaged and guided. In particular, the movable contact probes elastically flex inside the air gap between the two dies.

0013Testing heads of this type are commonly called "vertical probes".

0014As schematically shown in Figure 1, a testing head 1 of the known type comprises at least an upper die 2 and a lower die 3, having respective upper 4 and lower 5 through-going guide holes wherein at least one contact probe 6 is slidingly engaged.

0015The contact probe 6 has a contact end or tip 7. In particular, the contact tip 7 is in mechanical contact with a contact pad 8 of an integrated electronic device to be tested, performing at the same time the electrical contact between said device and a testing apparatus (not shown) of which this testing head is a terminal element.

0016The upper 2 and lower 3 dies are suitably spaced from an air gap 9 which allows the deformation or inclination of the contact probes 6 during the normal operation of the testing head, i.e. when this testing head comes into contact with the integrated electronic device to be tested. Moreover, the upper 4 and lower 5 guide holes are sized in order to guide the contact probe 6.

0017Figure 1 schematically indicates a testing head 1 having loose-fitting probes associated with a micro-contact strip or space transformer, globally indicated with 10.

0018In this case, the contact probes 6 have a further contact tip towards a plurality of contact pads 11 of the space transformer 10, the good electrical contact between probes and space transformer 10 being ensured in a similar way to the contact with the integrated electronic device to be tested through the pressure of the probes 6 on the contact pads 11 of the space transformer 10.

0019A very felt problem in the specific technical field is that of the reduction of the distance which separates the contact pads 8 of the device being tested, this distance being known in the field as "pitch".

0020In particular, the technological development and the miniaturisation of the chips requires the continuous reduction of the pitch of the integrated electronic device to be tested, and thus the distance between two adjacent probes 6 of the testing head which performs the test thereof.

0021The minimum pitch depends on the geometrical conformation and on the sizes of the probes 6, according to the relation:<maths id="math0001" num=""><math display="block"><mrow><mtext mathvariant="italic">Pitch</mtext><mtext>min = E + 2Amin + Wmin</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP1580562A1_D0001.tif" /></maths><maths id="math0002" num=""><math display="block"><mrow><mtext>being Amin = (F - E) / 2</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP1580562A1_D0002.tif" /></maths>

0022Where, as illustrated in Figure 2 which shows a section view of a part of the testing head 1 according to the prior art: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>Pitchmin is the minimum pitch, i.e. the minimum distance between the centres of two adjacent contact pads 8 of the integrated electronic device to be tested;</li><li>E is the value of the cross section axis of the probe 6.</li></ul>

0023Wmin is the minimum value of the wall thickness between a guide hole 4 and 5 and the subsequent, such as to guarantee a certain mechanical strength to the structure of the testing head 1; and

0024F is the value of the cross section axis of the guide hole 4.

0025In the current vertical technologies, normally using probes having circular cross section, a reduction of the pitch value is obtained by reducing the size of the probe 6, in particular their minimum axis E (corresponding to the minimum diameter in the case of probes having circular section), being the other factors of the preceding relation practically fixed by the technological limits of realisation of the testing heads.

0026This solution collides with the need of using probes 6 having sufficiently high section, able to guarantee a strength of the contact carried out by means of these probes, still miniaturising the contacts.

0027Moreover, most integrated devices have contact pads arranged on all the four sides of the device to be tested. In this case the arrangement of the probes in correspondence with the device angles is to be taken into account, so as to avoid the contact with one another which would invalidate the outcome of the test performed.

0028It is known from the Italian patent application No. MI2001A000567 filed by the same Applicant on 19 / 03 / 01, as well as from the corresponding European patent application No. 1243 931 of 15 / 03 / 02 to realise contact probes for testing heads provided with a rigid arm laterally projecting from a probe body, as schematically shown in Figure 3.

0029In particular, the testing head 30 shown in Figure 3 comprises an upper die 12A and a lower die 12B having respective guide holes 13A and 13B effective to house a contact probe 14.

0030The contact probes 14 have contact tips 15 intended for abutting on a plurality of contact pads 16 of an integrated electronic device to be tested, schematically indicated with 17.

0031The testing head 30 shown in Figure 3 comprises loose-fitting probes having a further end 18 in contact with a micro-contact strip or space transformer 19.

0032A rigid arm 20 extends along a direction being perpendicular or sloping of a suitable angle with respect to the probe 14, i.e. it has an axis B-B being perpendicular or sloping with respect to an axis A-A of the contact probe 14, and it ends with the contact tip 15 of the probe 14 for the contact pads 16 of the integrated electronic device 17 to be tested.

0033In this way, the contact between the tip 15 of the probe 14 and the pad 16 is spaced of a value Z with respect to the axis A-A of the contact probe 14 itself thus allowing to reduce the value of the minimum pitch of the contact tips 15 and making it possible to test integrated electronic devices with contact pads 16 with close contact centres C, i.e. reduced pitches, Z being the distance between the axis AA and a parallel axis passing through the contact centre C of the probe.

0034Although advantageous under several aspects, the testing head 30 realised according to the prior art has different drawbacks.

0035The first among all stays in the need of deforming the probe body 21 so as to realise the rigid arm 20. The method for realising the contact probe has thus to provide a deformation step which must be very precise and repeatable, in order to guarantee the fittingness of all the probes belonging to a same testing head.

0036Beside adding a critical step to the method for realising the contact probes, this deformation introduces weakness elements in the body 21 of the probe itself.

0037Moreover, the total space of the contact probe thus realised suffers from the longitudinal size D introduced by the rigid arm 20.

0038The technical problem underlying the present invention is that of devising a contact probe having a simple configuration and not needing deformation operations of the body of the probe itself, effective to ensure a good electrical contact with an integrated electronic device to be tested, and in the meantime to allow the reduction of the minimum value of the distance between adjacent probes in a testing head and thus also the pitch of the contact pads of the integrated electronic devices to be tested.

Summary of the invention

0039The solution idea underlying the present invention is that of providing a contact probe having an eccentric contact tip positioned within the contour of a cross section of the probe body.

0040On the basis of this solution idea the technical problem is solved by a contact probe of the previously indicated type and defined in the characterising part of claim 1.

0041The technical problem is also solved by a testing head of the previously indicated type and defined in the characterising part of claim 7 and by a method for realising a contact probe of the previously indicated type and defined in the characterising part of claim 14.

0042The characteristics and advantages of the contact probe, of the testing head and of the method according to the invention will be apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof given by way of indicative and non-limiting example with reference to the annexed drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

0043In these drawings: <ul id="ul0002" list-style="none"><li>Figure 1 schematically shows an embodiment of a testing head according to the prior art;</li><li>Figure 2 schematically shows a section view of a portion of the testing head of Figure 1;</li><li>Figure 3 schematically shows a second embodiment of a testing head according to the prior art;</li><li>Figures 4A and 4B schematically show a contact probe for a testing head realised according to the invention;</li><li>Figure 5 schematically shows a further embodiment of a contact probe for a testing head realised according to the invention;</li><li>Figures 6A and 6B schematically show particular top configurations of a plurality of contact probes of Figure 5.</li></ul>

Detailed description

0044Making reference to these figures, and in particular to Figure 4A, 40 globally and schematically indicates a contact probe according to the invention.

0045Figure 4B shows an enlarged view of the sole end or tip 42 portion of the probe, in correspondence with a contact tip P effective to put into contact a contact pad of a device to be tested (not shown).

0046As it has been seen with reference to the prior art, the contact probe 40 has a substantially rod-like probe body 41 having axis XX and cross section of prefixed contour. The probe body 41 is provided in correspondence with at least one end with an eccentric contact tip P.

0047Advantageously according to the invention, the contact tip P of the probe 40 is positioned within the contour of the cross section of the probe body 41, as shown in Figure 4B where the projection P' of the contact tip P in correspondence with a section plane π has been indicated.

0048It is proper to underline that "contour" of the cross section of the probe body means, in a general way, the envelope of this section defining the maximum space of the probe body, this envelope non coinciding with the geometrical perimeter of the section in the case of conformations being particular, lobed or provided with convex angles. In a similar way, in the case of probe bodies with non uniform section, the word "contour" indicates the union of the different sections, once again defining the maximum space of the probe body.

0049Advantageously according to the invention, the tip 42 portion thus defines a tip P decentralised with respect to the axis XX of the probe, but it does not increase the total space thereof.

0050It is thus possible, by realising a testing head by using a plurality of probes 40 according to the invention, to reduce the distance between the probes themselves by using an alternated configuration, such as those shown in the Figures 6A and 6B, in the case of contact pads 50 arranged along a single side of the device to be tested or along more sides, respectively.

0051In fact, the contact probe 40 with eccentric contact tip P has a different space with respect to an axis YY parallel to the axis XX passing through the contact tip P.

0052In particular, as shown in Figure 4B, a plane τ passing through the axis YY defines a first 40A a second 40B probe portion, these portions having different space and in particular this first portion 40A having an overall space lower than said second portion 40B.

0053It is thus possible, by orienting the portions with greater space of the probes 40 in an alternated way, to increase the packing of the probes themselves, thus decreasing the pitch of the device which the testing head thus realised is able to test.

0054Figure 5 shows a preferred embodiment of the probe 40, wherein the contact tip P belongs to the contour of the cross section of the probe body.

0055In this way, the probe 40 has a space being totally lateral with respect to the axis YY and the probes can be close to the maximum, by alternating the arrangement in correspondence with the contact pads, as shown in the Figures 6A and 6B.

0056In particular, in Figure 6A, the probes 40 have an axis ZZ of the cross section sloping with respect to an alignment axis WW of the contact pads 50.

0057Moreover, advantageously according to the invention, the contact probes 40 are arranged in an alternated way and they suitably slope, in particular according to an angle of 45°. In this way, the distance between the contact probes 40 is ensured also in correspondence with the distribution angles of the contact pads on the four sides of the integrated device to be tested, as shown in Figure 6B, where the pads have alignment axes WW and W'W' being orthogonal one another.

0058Moreover, in the embodiments shown in the Figures 4A, 4B and 5, the contact probes 40 advantageously have non circular section. In this way, by using corresponding guide holes with rectangular section, it is possible to orient the probes as desired in a simple and safe way.

0059In reality, although Figures 4A, 4B and 5 show contact probes with non circular sections, and in particular rectangular, the invention is not limited to these embodiments, traditional probes with circular sections being usable as well as probes with oval sections.

0060It is thus possible to obtain a testing head comprising a plurality of contact probes having eccentric contact tips and thus portions of different space, suitably orientated in order to alternate these portions of different space, by reducing the minimum safety distance between the probes, thus allowing to close the corresponding contact pads on the device to be tested, i.e. reducing the pitch of this device.

0061In particular, a testing head according to the invention comprises at least an upper die and a lower die having respective upper and lower through-going guide holes within which at least one contact probe 40 is slidingly engaged having an eccentric contact tip P.

0062In general, the testing head comprises a plurality of contact probes 40 arranged so that probes adjacent with each other have axes ZZ sloping with respect to an alignment axis WW of the contact pads 50 of the device to be tested.

0063In a preferred embodiment, the axes ZZ of the probes 40 and the alignment axis WW of the contact pads form an angle of 45°, as shown in the Figures 6A and 6B.

0064It is also possible to provide that the testing head comprises at least an air gap placed between the dies and effective to allow the contact probe 40 to deform when said contact tip P abuts on the corresponding contact pad of the device to be tested.

0065In a preferred embodiment of the testing head according to the invention the contact probes 40 have at least a pre-deformed section.

0066The invention also makes reference to a method for realising a contact probe of the type comprising at least one probe body and a tip portion wherein an eccentric contact tip of the probe is defined, the method comprising at least one cutting step of the tip portion of the probe according to a plurality of cutting planes sloping with respect to the section plane π and passing through the eccentric contact tip P.

0067In the case of probes having rectangular section, such as that shown in Figure 5, the method for realising a contact probe according to the invention advantageously comprises the following steps: <ul id="ul0003" list-style="dash"><li>a first cutting step along a first cutting plane α sloping with respect to the section plane π and passing through the contact tip P, and</li><li>a second cutting step along a second cutting plane β sloping with respect to the section plane π and passing through the contact tip P.</li></ul>

0068In particular, these cutting planes α and β slope of 45° with respect to the section plane π and they are rotated one another of 90° in order to define the eccentric contact tip P positioned inside the contour of the cross section of the probe body.

0069In conclusion, advantageously according to the invention, the proposed contact probe with the eccentric tip allows to realise a testing head able to reduce the value of the minimum pitch of the contact tips P, making it thus possible to test integrated electronic devices with contact pads with very close contact centres C, i.e. very reduced pitches.

0070The eccentricity of the contact tip P and the longitudinal axis A-A of the contact probe and its positioning inside the contour of the cross section of the probe body as well as a suitable orientation of the probes allow in fact to place the contact probes 40 in an alternatively opposed position with respect to the contact pads thus considerably increasing the space available for realising the guide holes and thus allowing the use of probes with greater diameters than those usable according to the prior art. A testing head is thus obtained being more reliable for testing the integrated electronic devices having very little pitches.

0071Moreover, advantageously according to the invention, the eccentric contact tip P is realised by means of cutting steps along cutting planes sloping with respect to the section plane π and passing through the contact tip P.

0072In particular, the method according to the invention is extremely simplified in the case of probes having rectangular section needing only two cutting operations carried out along a first α and a second β plane sloping with respect to the section plane π and passing through the contact tip P, which belongs to the contour of the cross section of the probe body.