US Patent No: 5,864,946

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

Method of making contact tip structures

Stats

ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)
 

Importance

Loading Importance Indicators... loading....

Abstract

Resilient contact structures are mounted directly to bond pads on semiconductor dies, prior to the dies being singulated (separated) from a semiconductor wafer. This enables the semiconductor dies to be exercised (e.g., tested and/or burned-in) by connecting to the semiconductor dies with a circuit board or the like having a plurality of terminals disposed on a surface thereof. Subsequently, the semiconductor dies may be singulated from the semiconductor wafer, whereupon the same resilient contact structures can be used to effect interconnections between the semiconductor dies and other electronic components (such as wiring substrates, semiconductor packages, etc.). Using the all-metallic composite interconnection elements of the present invention as the resilient contact structures, burn-in can be performed at temperatures of at least 150.degree. C., and can be completed in less than 60 minutes.

Loading the Abstract Image... loading....

First Claim

Related Publications

Loading Related Publications... loading....

Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
FORMFACTOR, INC.LIVERMORE, CA440

International Classification(s)

  • [Classification Symbol]
  • [Patents Count]

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Eldridge, Benjamin N Danville, CA 313 9636
Grube, Gary W Pleasanton, CA 380 11198
Khandros, Igor Y Orinda, CA 238 13648
Mathieu, Gaetan L Varennes, CA 216 9019

Cited Art

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
TYCO INTERNATIONAL LTD., A CORPORATION OF BERMUDA (2)
4,955,523 Interconnection of electronic components 186 1988
5,189,507 Interconnection of electronic components 73 1991
 
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION (1)
5,130,779 Solder mass having conductive encapsulating arrangement 83 1990

Patent Citation Ranking

Forward Cites

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
CASCADE MICROTECH, INC. (59)
7,233,160 Wafer probe 20 2001
7,355,420 Membrane probing system 3 2002
7,178,236 Method for constructing a membrane probe using a depression 5 2003
7,761,986 Membrane probing method using improved contact 1 2003
7,400,155 Membrane probing system 0 2004
7,161,363 Probe for testing a device under test 33 2004
7,042,241 Low-current pogo probe card 1 2004
7,427,868 Active wafer probe 10 2004
7,068,057 Low-current pogo probe card 6 2005
7,266,889 Membrane probing system 7 2005
7,148,714 POGO probe card for low current measurements 3 2005
7,075,320 Probe for combined signals 2 2005
7,148,711 Membrane probing system 12 2005
7,071,718 Low-current probe card 0 2005
7,109,731 Membrane probing system with local contact scrub 15 2005
7,368,927 Probe head having a membrane suspended probe 19 2005
7,420,381 Double sided probing structures 1 2005
7,656,172 System for testing semiconductors 3 2006
7,535,247 Interface for testing semiconductors 3 2006
7,271,603 Shielded probe for testing a device under test 32 2006
7,449,899 Probe for high frequency signals 0 2006
7,619,419 Wideband active-passive differential signal probe 0 2006
7,205,784 Probe for combined signals 2 2006
7,403,025 Membrane probing system 2 2006
7,533,462 Method of constructing a membrane probe 0 2006
7,304,488 Shielded probe for high-frequency testing of a device under test 4 2006
7,764,072 Differential signal probing system 1 2007
7,723,999 Calibration structures for differential signal probing 0 2007
7,403,028 Test structure and probe for differential signals 19 2007
7,285,969 Probe for combined signals 1 2007
7,443,186 On-wafer test structures for differential signals 2 2007
7,504,842 Probe holder for testing of a test device 0 2007
7,688,097 Wafer probe 1 2007
7,609,077 Differential signal probe with integral balun 0 2007
7,681,312 Membrane probing system 0 2007
7,541,821 Membrane probing system with local contact scrub 0 2007
7,453,276 Probe for combined signals 0 2007
7,518,387 Shielded probe for testing a device under test 1 2007
7,761,983 Method of assembling a wafer probe 1 2007
7,495,461 Wafer probe 0 2007
7,456,646 Wafer probe 1 2007
7,501,842 Shielded probe for testing a device under test 0 2007
7,498,829 Shielded probe for testing a device under test 1 2007
7,417,446 Probe for combined signals 1 2007
7,489,149 Shielded probe for testing a device under test 1 2007
7,482,823 Shielded probe for testing a device under test 1 2007
7,436,194 Shielded probe with low contact resistance for testing a device under test 0 2007
7,492,175 Membrane probing system 3 2008
7,514,944 Probe head having a membrane suspended probe 1 2008
7,750,652 Test structure and probe for differential signals 2 2008
8,013,623 Double sided probing structures 0 2008
7,876,114 Differential waveguide probe 0 2008
7,759,953 Active wafer probe 0 2008
7,888,957 Probing apparatus with impedance optimized interface 1 2008
7,898,281 Interface for testing semiconductors 0 2008
7,898,273 Probe for testing a device under test 0 2009
7,893,704 Membrane probing structure with laterally scrubbing contacts 0 2009
8,410,806 Replaceable coupon for a probing apparatus 0 2009
7,940,069 System for testing semiconductors 1 2009
 
FORMFACTOR, INC. (34)
6,043,563 Electronic components with terminals and spring contact elements extending from areas which are remote from the terminals 157 1997
6,741,085 Contact carriers (tiles) for populating larger substrates with spring contacts 88 1997
6,690,185 Large contactor with multiple, aligned contactor units 113 1998
6,150,186 Method of making a product with improved material properties by moderate heat-treatment of a metal incorporating a dilute additive 94 1998
7,215,131 Segmented contactor 2 1999
7,086,149 Method of making a contact structure with a distinctly formed tip structure 10 2001
6,714,828 Method and system for designing a probe card 72 2001
6,615,485 Probe card assembly and kit, and methods of making same 83 2001
6,640,415 Segmented contactor 100 2002
7,005,751 Layered microelectronic contact and method for fabricating same 6 2003
7,065,870 Segmented contactor 3 2003
7,142,000 Mounting spring elements on semiconductor devices, and wafer-level testing methodology 11 2003
7,140,883 Contact carriers (tiles) for populating larger substrates with spring contacts 20 2003
7,092,902 Automated system for designing and testing a probe card 11 2004
7,579,269 Microelectronic spring contact elements 3 2004
7,078,926 Wafer-level burn-in and test 15 2004
7,082,682 Contact structures and methods for making same 0 2004
7,131,848 Helical microelectronic contact and method for fabricating same 4 2005
7,578,057 Method of fabricating segmented contactor 2 2006
7,345,493 Wafer-level burn-in and test 9 2006
7,593,872 Method and system for designing a probe card 1 2006
7,347,702 Contact carriers (tiles) for populating larger substrates with spring contacts 8 2006
7,851,794 Rotating contact element and methods of fabrication 0 2006
7,618,281 Interconnect assemblies and methods 0 2007
7,888,955 Method and apparatus for testing devices using serially controlled resources 0 2007
7,977,959 Method and apparatus for testing devices using serially controlled intelligent switches 0 2007
8,122,309 Method and apparatus for processing failures during semiconductor device testing 0 2008
7,688,090 Wafer-level burn-in and test 1 2008
7,714,598 Contact carriers (tiles) for populating larger substrates with spring contacts 2 2008
8,095,841 Method and apparatus for testing semiconductor devices with autonomous expected value generation 0 2008
7,944,225 Method and apparatus for providing a tester integrated circuit for testing a semiconductor device under test 0 2008
8,373,428 Probe card assembly and kit, and methods of making same 0 2009
8,011,089 Method of repairing segmented contactor 0 2009
7,930,219 Method and system for designing a probe card 0 2009
 
ADVANTEST (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD (11)
6,815,961 Construction structures and manufacturing processes for integrated circuit wafer probe card assemblies 63 2002
6,791,171 Systems for testing and packaging integrated circuits 63 2002
7,349,223 Enhanced compliant probe card systems having improved planarity 16 2004
7,009,412 Massively parallel interface for electronic circuit 17 2004
7,247,035 Enhanced stress metal spring contactor 20 2004
7,382,142 High density interconnect system having rapid fabrication cycle 6 2005
7,952,373 Construction structures and manufacturing processes for integrated circuit wafer probe card assemblies 2 2006
7,621,761 Systems for testing and packaging integrated circuits 7 2007
7,872,482 High density interconnect system having rapid fabrication cycle 0 2007
7,772,860 Massively parallel interface for electronic circuit 0 2008
7,884,634 High density interconnect system having rapid fabrication cycle 0 2009
 
MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC. (8)
6,329,829 Interconnect and system for making temporary electrical connections to semiconductor components 21 1997
6,278,286 Interconnect and system for making temporary electrical connections to semiconductor components 23 1999
6,529,026 Method for fabricating an interconnect for making temporary electrical connections to semiconductor components 15 2001
7,094,117 Electrical contacts with dielectric cores 1 2004
8,101,459 Methods for assembling semiconductor devices in stacked arrangements by positioning spacers therebetween 0 2004
7,389,581 Method of forming compliant contact structures 0 2005
7,363,694 Method of testing using compliant contact structures, contactor cards and test system 0 2006
7,456,639 Compliant contact structure 1 2006
 
MICROPROBE, INC. (8)
8,230,593 Probe bonding method having improved control of bonding material 1 2008
7,952,377 Vertical probe array arranged to provide space transformation 3 2009
7,944,224 Low profile probe having improved mechanical scrub and reduced contact inductance 2 2010
8,111,080 Knee probe having reduced thickness section for control of scrub motion 0 2010
8,203,353 Probes with offset arm and suspension structure 0 2010
RE43503 Probe skates for electrical testing of convex pad topologies 0 2010
8,415,963 Low profile probe having improved mechanical scrub and reduced contact inductance 0 2011
8,324,923 Vertical probe array arranged to provide space transformation 0 2011
 
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION (3)
6,724,203 Full wafer test configuration using memory metals 3 1997
6,881,072 Membrane probe with anchored elements 5 2002
7,011,531 Membrane probe with anchored elements 91 2005
 
MICROFABRICA INC. (3)
7,412,767 Microprobe tips and methods for making 4 2005
7,363,705 Method of making a contact 3 2005
7,273,812 Microprobe tips and methods for making 5 2005
 
WENTWORTH LABORATORIES, INC. (3)
6,906,540 Method for chemically etching photo-defined micro electrical contacts 9 2001
6,977,515 Method for forming photo-defined micro electrical contacts 3 2003
7,282,936 Die design with integrated assembly aid 1 2004
 
ADVANTEST CORPORATION (2)
6,250,933 Contact structure and production method thereof 84 2000
6,452,407 Probe contactor and production method thereof 40 2000
 
ENPLAS CORPORATION (2)
6,811,420 Contact pin and socket for electrical parts 1 2002
6,802,731 Contact pin and socket for electrical parts 1 2002
 
MEGICA CORPORATION (2)
8,211,791 Method for fabricating circuitry component 0 2003
8,368,204 Chip structure and process for forming the same 0 2011
 
NANONEXUS CORPORATION (2)
7,579,848 High density interconnect system for IC packages and interconnect assemblies 10 2006
7,403,029 Massively parallel interface for electronic circuit 6 2006
 
TELEDYNE LECROY, INC. (2)
7,202,678 Resistive probe tips 1 2004
7,321,234 Resistive test probe tips and applications therefor 1 2007
 
AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (1)
7,190,157 Method and apparatus for layout independent test point placement on a printed circuit board 3 2004
 
BOOKHAM TECHNOLOGY PLC (1)
6,075,914 Apparatus for connecting an optical fiber to an optical device 4 1998
 
BROADCOM CORPORATION (1)
8,367,475 Chip scale package assembly in reconstitution panel process format 0 2011
 
FORMFACTOR, ET AL. (1)
6,937,037 Probe card assembly for contacting a device with raised contact elements 59 2002
 
FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC. (1)
6,451,681 Method of forming copper interconnection utilizing aluminum capping film 52 1999
 
GARY C. HONEYCUTT NAVARRO IP LAW GROUP, P.C. (1)
6,329,722 Bonding pads for integrated circuits having copper interconnect metallization 28 1999
 
GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH CORPORATION (1)
6,690,081 Compliant wafer-level packaging devices and methods of fabrication 11 2001
 
KIMOTO, GUNSEI (1)
6,847,221 Probe pin assembly 25 2002
 
MOLEX INCORPORATED (1)
6,848,942 Connectors having supportive barrier components 0 2000
 
MURRAY HILL DEVICES (1)
6,484,395 Ultra-miniature electrical contacts and method of manufacture 4 2000
 
NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION (1)
6,143,991 Bump electrode with adjacent pad and insulation for solder flow stopping 17 1996
 
SHARP LABORATORIES OF AMERICA, INC. (1)
7,057,404 Shielded probe for testing a device under test 20 2003
 
ST ASSEMBLY TEST SERVICES LTD. (1)
6,597,188 Ground land for singulated ball grid array 1 2000
 
TESSERA, INC. (1)
6,891,255 Microelectronic packages having an array of resilient leads 8 2003
 
TYCO ELECTRONICS JAPAN G.K. (1)
6,830,461 Electrical contact and electrical connection device using same 6 2002
 
OTHER [CHECK PATENT PROFILE FOR ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION] (3)
6,466,042 Wafer type probe card with micro tips for testing integrated circuit chips 3 1996
7,511,519 Electric signal connecting device and probe assembly and probing device using the same 3 2008
7,622,937 Electrical signal connector 2 2008