Method of in situ modulation of structural material properties and/or template shape

Abstract

Probe structures, probe arrays, have varying intrinsic material properties along their lengths. Methods of forming probes and probe arrays comprise varying the plating parameters to provide varying intrinsic material properties. Some embodiments provide deposition templates created using multiphoton lithography to provide probes with varying lateral configurations along at least portion of their lengths.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A probe array, comprises:
 (a) a plurality of probes, comprising:
 (i) an elastically deformable body portion having a first end and a second end; 
 (ii) a first contact region connected directly or indirectly to the first end of the elastically deformable body portion; and 
 (iii) a second contact region connected directly or indirectly to the second end of the elastically deformable body portion, 
 wherein multiple probes of the plurality of probes comprise at least one first portion made of at least one selected material located within at least two different second portions along a length of each of the multiple probes wherein the at least one selected material at the at least two different second portions has at least one intrinsic material property having a first value being different from a second value of the intrinsic material property of the at least one selected material at the at least one first portion, the at least one selected material being the structural material forming at least a portion of the probes; and 
   (b) at least one retention structure holding the plurality of probes in an array pattern desired for the probe array.   
     
     
         2 . The probe array of  claim 1 , wherein the intrinsic material property of the at least one selected material is independent of the amount of the selected material and the shape of the selected material present at the first portion and at the second portions. 
     
     
         3 . The probe array of  claim 1 , wherein the intrinsic material property of the at least one selected material has a plurality of values at a plurality of different portions of each of the multiple probes. 
     
     
         4 . The probe array of  claim 1 , wherein the intrinsic material property of the at least one selected material is selected from a group consisting of: yield strength, elastic modulus or Young's modulus, modulus of resilience and electrical resistance. 
     
     
         5 . The probe array of  claim 4 , wherein the intrinsic material property of the at least one selected material is the elastic modulus and the difference between a first elastic modulus and a second elastic modulus having a value smaller than the first elastic modulus, is selected from a group consisting of: (1) at least 10% of the second elastic modulus, (2) at least 20% of the second elastic modulus, (3) at least 40% of the second elastic modulus, (4) at least 70% of the second elastic modulus, (5) at least 100% of the second elastic modulus, and (6) at least 140% of the second elastic modulus. 
     
     
         6 . The probe array of  claim 1 , wherein at least two different second portions are separated by an amount selected from a group consisting of: (1) at least 5 microns, (2) at least 10 microns, (3) at least 20 microns, (4) at least 50 microns, and (5) at least 100 microns. 
     
     
         7 . The probe array of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one probe array retention structure is selected from a group consisting of:
 (i) a substrate to which the first contact regions of the probes are bonded at a plurality of bonding locations;   (ii) a substrate to which the first contact regions of the probes are bonded at a plurality of bonding locations along with at least one guide plate having a plurality of holes which engage the probes;   (iii) a substrate to which the first contact regions of the probes are bonded at a plurality of bonding locations along with at least one guide plate having a plurality of holes which engage the probes wherein the holes in at least one guide plate are laterally shifted relative to the bonding locations on the substrate;   (iv) a plurality of guide plates each having a respective plurality of holes which engage the probes;   (v) a plurality of guide plates, each having a respective plurality of holes which engage the probes, wherein at least two of the plurality of guide plates have respective holes that engage probes that are laterally aligned;   (vi) a plurality of guide plates each having a respective plurality of holes which engage the probes, wherein at least two of the plurality of guide plates have respective holes that engage probes that are laterally shifted with respect to one another; and   (vii) a retention plate provided with a plurality of retention holes into which the probes are inserted.   
     
     
         8 . The probe array of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one retention structure is a retention plate which has thickness selected from a group consisting of: (1) at least ¼ of a longitudinal length of the probes; (2) at least ½ of a longitudinal length of the probes; and (3) at least ¾ of a longitudinal length of the probes, the longitudinal length of the probes extending from the first contact region to the second contact region. 
     
     
         9 . The probe array of  claim 1 , wherein each of a plurality of the probes comprise a plurality of adhered layers. 
     
     
         10 . The probe of  claim 1  wherein the first contact region is configured for a function selected from a group consisting of: (1) making temporary pressure based electrical contact to a first electronic component upon elastically biasing the elastically deformable body portion with the first contact region against the first electronic component, and (2) bonding to the first electronic component for making permanent contact. 
     
     
         11 . The probe array of  claim 10  wherein the first contact region of each of a plurality of probe is configured for bonding to the first electronic component for making permanent contact. 
     
     
         12 . The probe array of  claim 10  wherein the first contact region of each of a plurality of probes is configured for making temporary contact. 
     
     
         13 . The probe of  claim 10  wherein the second contact region is configured for making temporary pressure based electrical contact to a second electronic component upon elastically biasing the elastically deformable body portion with the second contact region against the second electronic component. 
     
     
         14 . The probe array of  claim 1  wherein the first portion and at least one of the two different portions of the multiple probes form a compliant or spring portion of each probe. 
     
     
         15 . The probe array of  claim 14  wherein the compliant or spring portion of a probe has a preformed shape. 
     
     
         16 . The probe array of  claim 14  wherein the compliant or spring portion of a probe has an inclined shape extending between at least two bends along the length of the probe. 
     
     
         17 . The probe array of  claim 14  wherein the compliant or spring portion of a probe has a curved or multi-angled shape comprising a plurality of curved or angled segments. 
     
     
         18 . The probe array of  claim 15  wherein the at least one probe array retention structure comprises a plurality of guide plates each having a respective plurality of holes which engage the probes, wherein at least two of the plurality of guide plates have respective holes that engage probes that are further laterally shifted with respect to one another starting from the shape of the compliant or spring portion to further incline the compliant or spring portion with respect to its initial configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The probe array of  claim 1  wherein the probes further comprise additional materials being co-deposited, selectively coated, or blanket coated over the formed probes. 
     
     
         20 . A method of forming a probe array, comprising:
 (a) forming a plurality of probes, comprising:
 (i) providing a probe substrate;
 directly or indirectly on the probe substrate, providing at least one patterned template with a plurality of openings; 
 
 (ii) providing a structural material into the plurality of openings to form at least a portion of the plurality of probes, 
   wherein the providing of the structural material comprises varying intrinsic properties of the structural material at different heights along a length of the probes; and   (b) providing at least one probe array retention structure to engage the plurality of probes according to an array pattern desired for the probe array.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein varying intrinsic properties of the structural material comprises varying processing parameters of a process operation forming the structural material as the process operation progresses from bottom to top within the plurality of openings in the patterned template. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the process parameters are varied in a continuous manner. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein providing at least one patterned template comprises providing a plurality of layers of photoresist directly or indirectly on the probe substrate wherein the plurality of openings are formed. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprises a step of deforming at least one of the plurality of layers of photoresist, before or after the formation of the openings. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the process operation forming the structural material comprises a plating operation. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the plating operation is chosen in a group consisting of:
 (1) direct current plating with a current density that is fixed at any given time and is made to change from one value to another in a substantially discontinuous manner to cause relatively abrupt changes in grain size formation of deposited metals and changes in a process parameter being a yield strength of the deposited structural material at a given height of deposition, wherein times between current density changes range from seconds to tens of seconds or even to minutes and the thickness of the deposited structural material at any given current density ranges from tenths of microns, to microns, to tens of microns;   (2) direct current plating with relatively slow transitions in current density from one value to another, from a local temporal minimum value to a local temporal maximum value, and vice-a-versa, where such transitions occur over seconds, to tens of seconds, to even minutes uniformly in the transition between values;   (3) pulsed current plating which has a first fast oscillation rate associated with the pulsing and a slower rate of change between changes to one or both of minimum and/or maximum current densities, or a duty cycle, to produce changes in material properties, wherein the fast oscillations occur with a frequency range of 1 hz to 100 hz, or faster, and a duty cycle ranging from 5% to 95% with material property variations in the resulting deposited structural material occurring based on different frequencies and duties cycles which deviate from properties resulting from a direct current deposition at a similar averaged current density;   (4) reversed pulse plating with slow variations in associated parameters;   (5) plating with variations in bath temperature; and   (6) plating with variations in plating bath flow or agitation and/or orientation of a plating surface.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein each probe is provided as comprising at least one first portion and at least two different second portions, the at least one first portion being located within at least two different second portions, the structural material at the two different second portions having an intrinsic property with a first value being different from a second value of the intrinsic property of the structural material at the at least one first portion. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein providing at least one patterned template with a plurality of openings comprises superimposing a plurality of layers of photoresist directly or indirectly on the probe substrate and forming the plurality of openings in the plurality of layers of photoresist. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising a step of deforming at least one of the plurality of layers of photoresist, before or after the formation of the openings. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein providing at least one patterned template with a plurality of openings comprises using multiphoton lithography to pattern a photolithographic material and exposing the same to form the plurality of openings. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the multiphoton lithography patterns the photolithographic material so to form a plurality of shaped openings of desired configurations for receiving deposited structural material to provide probes of desired configurations. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the multiphoton lithography provides probes having a continuous variation in a local diameter. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising one or more of the steps in a group consisting of:
 (1) removing the patterned template;   (2) removing at least a portion of patterned template and using a remaining portion of the patterned template for a function selected from a group consisting of: (a) permanent attachment support for the probes, (b) temporary support to the probes until transfer to a permanent substrate is completed, (c) supplemental elastic enhancement to the probes; and (d) barrier material against probe to probe shorting;   (3) providing other patterning material for a function selected from a group consisting of: (a) permanent attachment support for the probes, (b) temporary support to the probes until transfer to a permanent substrate is completed, (c) supplemental elastic enhancement to the probes; and (d) barrier material against probe to probe shorting;   (4) planarizing the deposited structural material;   (5) adding a material to the probes chosen in a group consisting of: (a) a tip material, (b) a dielectric barrier material, (c) a bonding material and (d) an enhancement bonding material;   (6) co-depositing, selectively coating, or blanket coating over the formed probes other materials chosen in a group consisting of: ceramics, nano-fibers, dielectrics, adhesion materials, barrier materials, and/or bonding materials and the like.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein providing at least one probe array retention structure is chosen in a group consisting of:
 (i) bonding the first contact region of the probes at a plurality of boding location of the array substrate, wherein the array substrate comprises the probe substrate being a build substrate; and   (ii) bonding the first contact regions of the probes at a plurality of boding location of the array substrate, wherein the array substrate and the probe substrate being a build substrate are different.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising a step chosen in a group consisting of:
 (iii) providing at least one guide plate having a plurality of holes that engage the probes;   (iv) providing at least one guide plate having a plurality of holes and inserting the probes into the plurality of holes that are laterally aligned with bonding locations on the substrate;   (v) providing at least one guide plate having a plurality of holes and inserting the probes into the plurality of holes, and laterally shifting the at least one guide plate and the substrate so that the plurality of holes in the at least one guide plate are laterally shifted with respect to bonding locations on the substrate;   (vi) providing a plurality of guide plates, each having a plurality of holes which engage the probes;   (vii) providing a plurality of guide plates, each having a plurality of holes which engage the probes, wherein at least one of the plurality of guide plates has a plurality of holes engaging probes that are laterally aligned;   (viii) providing a plurality of guide plates, each having a plurality of holes which engage the probes, wherein at least two of the plurality of guide plates have respective plurality of holes engaging probes that are laterally aligned with respect to one another;   (ix) providing a plurality of guide plates, each having a plurality of holes which engage the probes, wherein at least two of the plurality of guide plates have respective plurality of holes engaging probes that are laterally shifted with respect to one another;   (x) providing a plurality of guide plates, each having a plurality of holes which engage the probes, wherein at least two of the plurality of guide plates have respective plurality of holes engaging probes that are laterally shifted with respect to one another according to an initial shaped configuration of the probes and further laterally shifted to further incline the probes;   (xi) providing a retention plate with a plurality of retention holes for receiving probes and inserting the probes into the plurality of retention holes; and   (xii) providing a retention plate with a plurality of retention holes for receiving probes and inserting the probes into the plurality of retention holes, wherein the retention plate has a thickness selected from a group consisting of: (1) at least ¼ of a longitudinal length of the probes; (2) at least ½ of a longitudinal length of the probes; and (3) at least ¾ of a longitudinal length of the probes, the longitudinal length of the probes being a length from the first contact region to the second contact region thereof.