Process For Manufacturing Contact Elements For Probe Card Assembles

Abstract

A process for making contact elements for a probe card assembly includes steps of forming a first continuous trench in a substrate along a first direction, and forming simultaneously a plurality of tip structures adjacent one to another in the first continuous trench in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, each of the tip structures being part of, or adapted to be part of at least one corresponding contact element capable of forming an electrical contact with a terminal of an electronic device.

1 . A process for making contact elements for a probe card assembly, comprising:
 forming a first continuous trench in a substrate along a first direction;   forming simultaneously a plurality of tip structures adjacent one to another in the first continuous trench in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, each of the tip structures being part of, or adapted to be part of at least one corresponding contact element capable of forming an electrical contact with a terminal of an electronic device; and   forming one or more second continuous trenches on a bottom surface of the first continuous trench for increasing a height for each of the tip structures and modifying a tip formation line of the tip structures defined by the first continuous trench.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the second continuous trenches provide at least one of the tip structures with a tip configured in pyramid, mesa, cubic, ridge, or other suitable shapes. 
     
     
         3 . A process for making contact elements for a probe card assembly, comprising:
 forming a first continuous trench in a substrate along a first direction; and   forming simultaneously a plurality of tip structures adjacent one to another in the first continuous trench in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, each of the tip structures being part of, or adapted to be part of at least one corresponding contact element capable of forming an electrical contact with a terminal of an electronic device, wherein at least one of the tip structures is formed along one side of the first continuous trench without reaching an opposite side thereof in the second direction.   
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 3  wherein the at least one of the tip structures is formed by using a positive photoresist material or a buried anti-reflective coating in a lithographic process. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 3  wherein at least one of the tip structures is arranged on one side of the first continuous trench in alignment with another of the tip structures on an opposite side of the first continuous trench. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 3  wherein at least one of the tip structures is arranged on one side of the first continuous trench in alignment with a dummy structure on an opposite side of the first continuous trench. 
     
     
         7 . A process for making contact elements for a probe card assembly, comprising:
 forming a first continuous trench in a substrate along a first direction; and   forming simultaneously a plurality of tip structures adjacent one to another in the first continuous trench in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, each of the tip structures being part of, or adapted to be part of at least one corresponding contact element capable of forming an electrical contact with a terminal of an electronic device, wherein at least one of the tip structures is formed along one side of the first continuous trench, reaching but not stretching over an opposite side thereof, in the second direction.   
     
     
         8 . A process for making contact elements for a probe card assembly, comprising:
 forming a first continuous trench in a substrate along a first direction; and   forming simultaneously a plurality of tip structures adjacent one to another in the first continuous trench in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, each of the tip structures being part of, or adapted to be part of at least one corresponding contact element capable of forming an electrical contact with a terminal of an electronic device, wherein each of the beams has a first portion immediately adjacent to its corresponding tip structure and a second portion away from its corresponding tip structure.   
     
     
         9 . The process of clam  8  wherein each of the tip structures is attached to at least two beams extending therefrom in different directions. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 9  further comprising forming at least two posts attached to the at least two beams, respectively. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 8  wherein each of the beams comprises palladium, cobalt, nickel, cobalt, gold, rhodium and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . A tested die produced by a probe card assembly having contact elements made by a process comprising:
 forming a first continuous trench in a substrate along a first direction;   forming a photoresist layer over the first continuous trench using a photomask shielding at least one end of the first continuous trench from being exposed to light during the lithographic process; and   depositing conductive materials in openings of the photoresist layer for forming simultaneously a plurality of tip structures adjacent one to another in the first continuous trench in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, each of the tip structures being part of, or adapted to be part of at least one corresponding contact element capable of forming an electrical contact with a terminal of an electronic device.   
     
     
         13 . The tested die of  claim 12  wherein the forming a first continuous trench comprises performing an etching process to provide sidewalls of the first continuous trench with a predetermined slope. 
     
     
         14 . The tested die of  claim 12  wherein the tip structures have a depth to width ratio ranging approximately from 1 to 15. 
     
     
         15 . The tested die of  claim 12  further comprising forming one or more second continuous trenches on a bottom surface of the first continuous trench for increasing a height for each of the tip structures and modifying a tip formation line of the tip structures defined by the first continuous trench. 
     
     
         16 . The tested die of  claim 15  wherein the second continuous trenches provide at least one of the tip structures with a tip configured in pyramid, mesa, cubic, ridge, or other suitable shapes. 
     
     
         17 . The tested die of  claim 12  wherein at least one of the tip structures is formed along one side of the first continuous trench without reaching an opposite side thereof in the second direction. 
     
     
         18 . The tested die of  claim 17  wherein the at least one of the tip structures is formed by using a positive photoresist material or a buried anti-reflective coating in a lithographic process. 
     
     
         19 . The tested die of  claim 17  wherein at least one of the tip structures is arranged on one side of the first continuous trench in alignment with another of the tip structures on an opposite side of the first continuous trench. 
     
     
         20 . The tested die of  claim 17  wherein at least one of the tip structures is arranged on one side of the first continuous trench in alignment with a dummy structure on an opposite side of the first continuous trench. 
     
     
         21 . The tested die of  claim 12  wherein at least one of the tip structures is formed along one side of the first continuous trench, reaching but not stretching over an opposite side thereof, in the second direction. 
     
     
         22 . The tested die of  claim 12  further comprising forming simultaneously a plurality of beams attached to their corresponding tip structures. 
     
     
         23 . The tested die of  claim 22  wherein each of the beams has a first portion immediately adjacent to its corresponding tip structure and a second portion away from its corresponding tip structure. 
     
     
         24 . The tested die of clam  23  wherein each of the tip structures is attached to at least two beams extending therefrom in opposite directions. 
     
     
         25 . The tested die of  claim 24  further comprising forming at least two posts attached to the at least two beams, respectively. 
     
     
         26 . The tested die of  claim 20  wherein each of the beams comprises palladium, cobalt, nickel, cobalt, gold, rhodium and any combination thereof.