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 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 portion provided between the upper end and the lower end to function as a spring; a contactor adapter having a plurality of grooves running in a vertical direction for attaching the contactors by fitting in the cut-out of the contactor in the corresponding groove thereof; and a contactor carrier having a slot for mounting the plurality of contactors when the contactor adapter having the contactors is inserted therein; 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 further includes a stopper which contacts a bottom surface of the contactor adapter when fit in the groove of the contactor adapter, and wherein the cut-out is formed between the upper end and the stopper of the contactor.
- 3. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 2, wherein distance between the upper end and the stopper of the contactor is substantially the same as thickness of the contactor adapter.
- 4. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein size of the cut-out of the contactor and size of the groove on the contactor adapter match with one another so that surfaces of the contactors and the contactor adapter are flush with one another when the contactors are fit in the grooves.
- 5. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the cut-out is formed at both sides of the contactor and width between the cut-outs of the contactor is substantially the same as width of the groove of the contactor adapter.
- 6. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the cut-out is formed at one side of the contactor and width of the contactor at the cut-out is substantially the same as width of the groove of the contactor adapter.
- 7. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the contactor adapter further includes a stopper which engage with a step formed in the slot of the contactor carrier to determined a vertical position of the contactors when the contactor adapter is inserted in the slot.
- 8. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the diagonal portion of the contactor have a width smaller than that of the upper end of the contactor.
- 9. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the contactor carrier and the contactor adapter are made of dielectric material including silicon, polyimide, ceramic and glass.
- 10. 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; (h) attaching the contactors to a contactor adapter by fitting the cut-outs of the contactors in grooves of the contactor adapter; and (i) mounting the contactor adapter having the contactors on a contactor carrier by inserting the contactor adapter in a slit on the contactor carrier, thereby forming the clock mechanism.
- 11. A method for producing a contact structure as defined in claim 10, 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.
- 12. A method for producing a contact structure as defined in claim 10, said step of attaching the contactors to the contactor adapter including a step of picking the contactor from the adhesive tape and changing orientation of the contactor and attaching the contactor to the contactor adapter with use of a pick and place mechanism which utilizes a suction force to attract the contactor.
- 13. 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; (j) attaching the contactors to a contactor adapter by fitting the cut-outs of the contactors in grooves of the contactor adapter; and (k) mounting the contactor adapter having the contactors on a contactor carrier by inserting the contactor adapter in a slit on the contactor carrier, thereby forming the clock mechanism.
- 14. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets, comprising:
a contactor carrier having a contactor adapter inserted in a slot where the contactor has a plurality of contactors in a manner that cut-outs of the contactors are fitted in grooves on the contactor adapter; 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 the cut-out for being fitted in the groove on the contactor adapter, 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 portion provided between the upper end and the lower end to function as a spring.
- 15. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 14, wherein the contactor further includes a stopper which contacts a bottom surface of the contactor adapter when fit in the groove of the contactor adapter, and wherein the cut-out is formed between the upper end and the stopper of the contactor.
- 16. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 15, wherein distance between the upper end and the stopper of the contactor is substantially the same as thickness of the contactor adapter.
- 17. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 14, wherein size of the cut-out of the contactor and size of the groove on the contactor adapter match with one another so that surfaces of the contactors and the contactor adapter are flush with one another when the contactors are fit in the grooves.
- 18. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 14, wherein the cut-out is formed at both sides of the contactor and width between the cut-outs of the contactor is substantially the same as width of the groove of the contactor adapter.
- 19. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 14, wherein the cut-out is formed at one side of the contactor and width of the contactor at the cut-out is substantially the same as width of the groove of the contactor adapter.
- 20. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 14, wherein the contactor adapter further includes a stopper which engage with a step formed in the slot of the contactor carrier to determined a vertical position of the contactors when the contactor adapter is inserted in the slot.
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)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09733508 |
Dec 2000 |
US |
Child |
10014630 |
Dec 2001 |
US |
Parent |
09503903 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
Child |
09733508 |
Dec 2000 |
US |