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 a top spring having an upper end oriented in a vertical direction, a bottom spring having a lower end oriented in a direction opposite to the upper end and a body portion between the top spring and the bottom spring where stoppers are provided at both sides of the body portion; and a contactor carrier having an upper surface and a lower surface for mounting said plurality of contactors by supporting said stoppers in a space created 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 carrier includes a top retainer having said upper surface thereon, and a system carrier having said lower surface thereon.
- 3. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 2, wherein said top retainer and said system carrier form said space for supporting said contactors by sandwiching said stoppers in said space.
- 4. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said top retainer and said system 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 said top retainer and said system carrier is provided with through holes for mounting the contactors therethrough, and said top retainer has a plate like shape and is attached to the system carrier after mounting the contactors on the system carrier for retaining the contactors therebetween.
- 6. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said top spring and said bottom spring has at least a diagonal beam portion to produce a resilient contact force.
- 7. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said top spring and said bottom spring has a zig-zag shape to produce a resilient contact force.
- 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 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 contactor comprising a top spring having an upper end oriented in a vertical direction, a bottom spring having a lower end oriented in a direction opposite to the upper end and a body portion between the top spring and the bottom spring where stoppers are provided at both sides of the body portion; (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 through holes to receive the contactors therein.
- 10. A method for producing a contact structure as defined in claim 9, 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.
- 11. A method for producing a contact structure as defined in claim 10, 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.
- 12. 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, each contactor comprising a top spring having an upper end oriented in one direction, a bottom spring having a lower end oriented in a direction opposite to the upper end and a body portion between the top spring and the bottom spring where stoppers are provided at both sides of the body portion; (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 substrate having a through hole.
- 13. 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; 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 a top spring having an upper end oriented in a vertical direction, a bottom spring having a lower end oriented in a direction opposite to the upper end and a body portion between the top spring and the bottom spring where stoppers are provided at both sides of the body portion which are fitted in a space created in said contactor carrier.
- 14. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 13, 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.
- 15. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 13, wherein said top retainer and said system carrier form said space for supporting said contactors by sandwiching said stoppers in said space.
- 16. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 15, each of said top retainer and said system carrier is provided with through holes for mounting the contactors therethrough.
- 17. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 15, wherein each of said top retainer and said system carrier is provided with through holes for mounting the contactors therethrough, and said top retainer has a plate like shape and is attached to the system carrier after mounting the contactors on the system carrier for retaining the contactors therebetween.
- 18. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 13, wherein each of said top spring and said bottom spring has at least a diagonal beam portion to produce a resilient contact force.
- 19. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 13, wherein each of said top spring and said bottom spring has a zig-zag shape to produce a resilient contact force.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of patent application No. 09/201,299 filed Nov. 30, 1998,patent application No. 09/503,903 filed Feb. 14, 2000, and patent application No. 09/733,508 filed Dec. 9, 2000.
Continuation in Parts (3)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09201299 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Child |
09952556 |
Sep 2001 |
US |
Parent |
09503903 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
Child |
09952556 |
Sep 2001 |
US |
Parent |
09733508 |
Dec 2000 |
US |
Child |
09952556 |
Sep 2001 |
US |