Claims
- 1. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets, comprising:
a plurality of contactors made of conductive material where each of the contactors is comprised of an upper end oriented in a vertical direction and has a cut-out for achieving a lock mechanism, a straight beam portion oriented in a direction opposite to the upper end and having a lower end which functions as a contact point for electrical connection with a contact target, a return portion returned from the lower end and running in parallel with the straight beam portion to create a predetermined gap therebetween, a diagonal beam portion provided between the upper end and the straight beam portion to function as a spring; and a contactor carrier having a sliding layer on a upper surface thereof for mounting said plurality of contactors when said sliding layer fits in the cut-outs of the contactors after inserting the contactors in through holes formed on the contactor carrier; wherein said upper end of each contactor is projected from said upper surface of said contactor carrier and said lower end of each contactor is projected from said lower surface of said contactor carrier.
- 2. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the contactor carrier further includes a top carrier having said upper surface thereon, a bottom carrier having said lower surface thereon, and an intermediate carrier provided between the top carrier and the bottom carrier.
- 3. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 2, wherein the contactor carrier includes a system carrier for supporting the top carrier, the intermediate carrier and the bottom carrier.
- 4. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 2, wherein each of the top carrier, the intermediate carrier and the bottom carrier is provided with through holes for mounting the contactors therethrough.
- 5. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 2, wherein each of the top carrier, the intermediate carrier and the bottom carrier has a plate like shape and is provided with through holes for mounting the contactors therethrough.
- 6. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein said diagonal beam portion and said straight beam portion of the contactor have a width smaller than that of the upper end or the lower end of the contactor.
- 7. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein said contactor is provided with a first stopper for limiting an upward displacement of the contactor by engaging with the top carrier and a second stopper for limiting a downward displacement of the contactor by engaging with the intermediate carrier.
- 8. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the contactor carrier is made of dielectric material including silicon, polyimide, ceramic or glass.
- 9. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets, comprising:
a plurality of contactors made of conductive material where each of the contactors is comprised of an upper end oriented in a vertical direction and has a cut-out for achieving a lock mechanism, a lower end oriented in a direction opposite to the upper end and functions as a contact point for electrical connection with a contact target, and a diagonal beam portion provided between the upper end and the lower end to function as a spring; and a contactor carrier having a sliding layer on a upper surface thereof for mounting said plurality of contactors when said sliding layer fits in the cut-outs of the contactors after inserting the contactors in through holes formed on the contactor carrier; wherein said upper end of each contactor is projected from said upper surface of said contactor carrier and said lower end of each contactor is projected from said lower surface of said contactor carrier.
- 10. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 9, wherein the contactor carrier includes said sliding layer and a system carrier on which said sliding layer slides in a horizontal direction, wherein the system carrier and the sliding layer are provided with the through holes to insert the contactors therein.
- 11. A method for producing a contact structure, comprising the following steps of:
(a) forming a sacrificial layer on a surface of a silicon substrate; (b) forming a photoresist layer on the sacrificial layer; (c) aligning a photo mask over the photoresist layer and exposing the photoresist layer with ultraviolet light through the photo mask, the photo mask including an image of the contactors; (d) developing patterns of the image of the contactors on a surface of the photoresist layer; (e) forming the contactors made of conductive material in the patterns on the photoresist layer by depositing the conductive material, each of the contactors having an upper end with a cut-out for achieving a lock mechanism, a lower end oriented in a direction opposite to the upper end to function as a contact point, and a diagonal beam portion provided between the upper end and the lower end to function as a spring; (f) stripping the photoresist layer off; (g) removing the sacrificial layer by an etching process so that the contactors are separated from the silicon substrate; and (h) mounting the contactors on a contactor carrier having a sliding layer and through holes to receive the contactors therein and locking the contactors on the contactor carrier by engaging the sliding layer with the cut-outs of the contactors.
- 12. A method for producing a contact structure as defined in claim 11, after forming the contactors by depositing the conductive material, the method further comprising a step of placing an adhesive tape on the contactors so that upper surfaces of the contactors are attached to the adhesive tape.
- 13. A method for producing a contact structure as defined in claim 12, said step of mounting the contactors on the contactor carrier including a step of picking the contactor from the adhesive tape and changing orientation of the contactor and placing the contactor on the contactor carrier with use of a pick and place mechanism which utilizes a suction force to attract the contactor.
- 14. A method for producing a contact structure, comprising the following steps of:
(a) forming an conductive substrate made of electric conductive material on a dielectric substrate; (b) forming a photoresist layer on the conductive substrate; (c) aligning a photo mask over the photoresist layer and exposing the photoresist layer with ultraviolet light through the photo mask, the photo mask including an image of the contactors; (d) developing patterns of the image of the contactors on a surface of the photoresist layer; (e) forming the contactors made of conductive material in the patterns on the photoresist layer by depositing the conductive material, wherein each of the contactors having an upper end with a cut-out for achieving a lock mechanism, a lower end oriented in a direction opposite to the upper end to function as a contact point, and a diagonal beam portion provided between the upper end and the lower end to function as a spring; (f) stripping off the photoresist layer; (g) peeling the conductive substrate having contactors thereon from the dielectric substrate; (h) placing an adhesive tape on the contactors on the conductive substrate so that upper surfaces of the contactors adhere to the adhesive tape wherein adhesive strength between the contactors and the adhesive tape is larger than that between the contactors and the conductive substrate; (i) peeling the conductive substrate so that the contactors on the adhesive tape are separated from the conductive substrate; and (j) mounting the contactor on a contactor carrier having a sliding layer and through holes to receive the contactors therein and locking the contactors on the contactor carrier by engaging the sliding layer with the cut-outs of the contactors.
- 15. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets, comprising:
a contactor carrier having a plurality of contactors mounted on a surface thereof and a sliding layer for locking the contactors on the contactor carrier; a probe card for mounting the contactor carrier and establishing electrical communication between the contactors and electrodes provided on the probe card; and a pin block having a plurality of contact pins to interface between the probe card and a semiconductor test system when the pin block is attached to the probe card; wherein each of the contactors is comprised of an upper end oriented in a vertical direction and has a cut-out for achieving a lock mechanism in combination with the sliding layer of the contactor carrier, a lower end oriented in a direction opposite to the upper end and functions as a contact point for electrical connection with a contact target, and a diagonal beam portion provided between the upper end and the lower end to function as a spring.
- 16. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 15, wherein the contactor carrier has an upper surface and a lower surface for mounting said plurality of contactors, and wherein said upper end of each contactor is projected from said upper surface of said contactor carrier and said lower end of each contactor is projected from said lower surface of said contactor carrier.
- 17. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 15, wherein the contactor carrier includes a top carrier having said upper surface thereon, a bottom carrier having said lower surface thereon, and an intermediate carrier provided between the top carrier and the bottom carrier.
- 18. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 17, wherein the contactor carrier further includes a system carrier for supporting the top carrier, the intermediate carrier and the bottom carrier.
- 19. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 17, wherein each of the top carrier, the intermediate carrier and the bottom carrier is provided with through holes for mounting the contactors therethrough.
- 20. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 15, wherein said diagonal beam portion and said straight beam portion of the contactor have a width smaller than that of the upper end or the lower end of the contactor.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of u.s. patent application Ser. No. 09/733,508 filed Dec. 9, 2000 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/503,903 filed Feb. 14, 2000.
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09733508 |
Dec 2000 |
US |
Child |
10007292 |
Dec 2001 |
US |
Parent |
09503903 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
Child |
09733508 |
Dec 2000 |
US |