Claims
- 1. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets, comprising:
a contact substrate having through holes running through upper and lower surfaces; and a plurality of contactors made of conductive material and mounted vertically on a horizontal surface of the contact substrate where each of the contactors has a substantially straight shape and is comprised of a tip portion which is oriented in a vertical direction to form a contact point, a base portion which is inserted in a corresponding through hole on the contact substrate, and a spring portion provided between the tip portion and the base portion which produces a contact force when the contact structure is pressed against the contact target; and wherein the spring portion has a curved, inclined, meander or zig-zag shape to exert the contact force, and an upper surface of the base portion is projected from the surface of the contact substrate and functions as a contact pad for electrical connection with an external component.
- 2. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the contact substrate is formed of a single or a plurality of dielectric substrates bonded to one another and the through holes on the contact substrate are created through an etching process.
- 3. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the contactors is provided with a flange like shape at the bottom portion thereof to be fitted in the through holes on the contact substrate.
- 4. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the contact substrate is formed of a single semiconductor wafer on which through holes are produced for mounting the contactors therethrough.
- 5. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the contact substrate is formed of first and second semiconductor wafers which are bonded together on which through holes are produced for mounting the contactors therethrough.
- 6. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the contact substrate is formed of three layers of semiconductor wafers which are bonded together on which through holes are produced for mounting the contactors therethrough.
- 7. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 6, wherein the three layers of the contact substrate are formed of first, second and third semiconductor wafers, wherein the second and third semiconductor wafers are bonded and a second through hole is created therethrough by an etching process, and a first through hole which is larger than the second through hole is produced on the first semiconductor wafer, and wherein the first semiconductor wafer is aligned to match positions of the through holes and bonded to the second semiconductor wafer.
- 8. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the contactors are produced on a planar surface of a flat substrate in a horizontal direction and removed from the flat substrate and mounted on the contact substrate in a vertical direction.
- 9. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the contact substrate has an engagement mechanism at outer edges thereof for connecting other contact substrates at any desired edges to create a contactor assembly of arbitrary size.
- 10. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 9, wherein the engagement mechanism includes teeth and recesses provided at outer edges of the contact substrate in such a way that the engagement teeth and recesses in one edge fit with the engagement teeth and recesses in an opposite edge of other contact substrate, thereby assembling a plurality of contact substrates to establish the contactor assembly of desired size, shape and number of contactors.
- 11. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the contact substrate is made of silicon.
- 12. A contact structure for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 1, wherein the contact substrate is made of dielectric material including polyimide, ceramic and glass.
- 13. A method for producing a contact structure, comprising the following steps of:
(a) forming a sacrificial layer on a surface of a substrate; (b) forming a photoresist layer on the sacrificial layer on the 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 contactors; (d) developing patterns of the image of the contactors on a surface of the photoresist layer; (e) forming a first layer of contactors made of electric conductive material in the patterns on the photoresist layer by an electroplating process; (f) repeating the steps (b)-(e) above on the first layer of contactors to form a further layer of the contactors; (g) stripping off the photoresist layer; (h) removing the sacrificial layer and the conductive layer by an etching process so that the contactors are separated from the silicon substrate; and (i) mounting the contactors on a contact substrate having through holes to receive ends of the contactors therein so that at least one end of each of the contactors functions as a contact pad for electric connection.
- 14. A method for producing a contact structure, comprising the following steps of:
(a) forming a sacrificial layer on a surface of a substrate; (b) forming a photoresist layer on the sacrifical layer on the 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 a first layer of contactors made of electric conductive material in the patterns on the photoresist layer by an electroplating process; (f) repeating the steps (b)-(e) above on the first layer of contactors to form a second layer or a further layer of the contactors; (g) stripping the photoresist layer; (h) placing an adhesive tape on the contactors so that upper surfaces of the contactors adhere to the adhesive tape; (i) removing the sacrificial layer and conductive layer by an etching process so that the contactors on the adhesive tape are separated from the silicon substrate; and (j) mounting the contactors on a contact substrate having through holes to receive therein ends of the contactors wherein at least one end of each of the contactors function as a pad for electric connection.
- 15. 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 a first layer of contactors made of electric conductive material in the patterns on the photoresist layer by an electroplating process; (f) repeating the steps (b)-(e) above on the first layer of contactors to form a second layer or a further layer of the contactors; (g) stripping off the photoresist layer; (h) peeling the conductive substrate having contactors thereon from the dielectric substrate; (i) 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; (j) peeling the conductive substrate so that the contactors on the adhesive tape are separated from the conductive substrate; and (k) mounting the contactor on a contact substrate having a through hole in such a way the an end of the contactor is projected from an opposite surface of the contact substrate.
- 16. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets, comprising:
a contact substrate having a plurality of contactors mounted on a surface thereof; a probe card for mounting the contact substrate 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 the contactors are mounted vertically on a horizontal surface of the contact surface where each of the contactors has a substantially straight shape and is comprised of a tip portion which is protruded in a vertical direction to form a contact point, a base portion which is inserted in a corresponding through hole on the contact substrate, and a spring portion provided between the tip portion and the base portion which produces a contact force when the contact structure is pressed against the contact target; and wherein the spring portion has a curved, inclined, meander or zig-zag shape to exert the contact force, and an upper surface of the base portion is projected from the surface of the contact substrate and functions as a contact pad for electrical connection with an external component.
- 17. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 16, further comprising a conductive elastomer provided between the contact substrate and the probe card for establishing electrical communication between the upper surface of the base portion of the contactor and the electrode of the probe card.
- 18. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 16, wherein the contact substrate is formed of a single or a plurality of semiconductor wafers bonded to one another and the through holes on the contact substrate are created through an etching process.
- 19. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 16, wherein each of the contactors is provided with a flange like shape at the bottom portion thereof to be fitted in the through holes on the contact substrate.
- 20. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 16, wherein the contact substrate is formed of a single semiconductor wafer on which through holes are produced for mounting the contactors therethrough.
- 21. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 16, wherein the contact substrate is formed of first and second semiconductor wafers which are bonded together on which through holes are produced for mounting the contactors therethrough.
- 22. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 16, wherein the contact substrate is formed of three layers of semiconductor wafers which are bonded together on which through holes are produced for mounting the contactors therethrough.
- 23. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 22, wherein the three layers of the contact substrate are formed of first, second and third semiconductor wafers, wherein the second and third semiconductor wafers are bonded and a second through hole is created therethrough by an etching process, and a first through hole which is larger than the second through hole is produced on the first semiconductor wafer, and wherein the first semiconductor wafer is aligned to match positions of the through holes and bonded to the second semiconductor wafer.
- 24. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 16, wherein the contactors are produced on a planar surface of a flat substrate in a horizontal direction and removed from the flat substrate and mounted on the contact substrate in a vertical direction.
- 25. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 16, wherein the contact substrate has an engagement mechanism at outer edges thereof for connecting other contact substrates at any desired edges to create a contactor assembly of arbitrary size.
- 26. A probe contact assembly for establishing electrical connection with contact targets as defined in claim 25, wherein the engagement mechanism includes teeth and recesses provided at outer edges of the contact substrate in such a way that the engagement teeth and recesses in one edge fit with the engagement teeth and recesses in an opposite edge of other contact substrate, thereby assembling a plurality of contact substrates to establish the contactor assembly of desired size, shape and number of contactors.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/201,299 filed Nov. 30, 1998 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/503,903 filed Feb. 14, 2000.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09663434 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
Child |
10195673 |
Jul 2002 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09201299 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Child |
09663434 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
Parent |
09503903 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
Child |
09663434 |
Sep 2000 |
US |