High density, area array probe card apparatus

Abstract

A probe card apparatus comprising a rigid substrate having thermal expansion characteristics near that of silicon, laminated with a flex film having laser patterned leads and contact pads, and contact elements comprising noble metals protruding from two major surfaces, the first mirroring the closely spaced chip pads, and the second aligned to the more generously spaced probe card pads, providing an accurate and reproducible, low cost, rapidly fabricated probe contact device, capable of contacting very high density bond pads in either area array or perimeter locations, of being electrically optimized, and readily maintained.

1 - 21 . (canceled)  
   
   
       22 . A method of forming a probe card contact apparatus comprising: 
 providing a substrate having a first surface, a second surface, outer edge surfaces, thermal expansion characteristics similar to that of a semiconductor wafer; and which mechanically conforms to a probe card holding mechanism,    providing a flexible dielectric film having a layer of highly conductive, ductile metal on one surface,    patterning an array of chip contact pads, contact pads to a probe card, and lead traces to interconnect the the chip contact pads to the contact pads of the probe card, removing the excess metal to form contact and lead patterns,    bonding a contact element on each of said chip contact pads,    aligning and adhering said film to the first surface of said substrate, wrapping the film around the outer edges, and terminating the film on the second surface.    
   
   
       23 . A method of forming a probe card contact apparatus comprising: 
 providing a substrate having a first surface, a second surface, outer edge surfaces, thermal expansion characteristics similar to that of a semiconductor wafer; and which mechanically conforms to a probe card holding mechanism,    providing a flexible dielectric film having a layer of highly conductive, ductile metal on one surface,    loading patterns of input/output pads of a chip, the contact pads to a probe card, and the lead traces to interconnect the chip pads to the contact pads to the probe card to a computer controlled laser, laser ablating the excess metal to form the contact and lead patterns,    bonding a contact element on each chip pad,    aligning and adhering said film to the first surface of said substrate, wrapping the film around the outer edges, and terminating the film on the second surface.    
   
   
       24 . The method in  claim 22 , in which the forming said contact elements is by a programmable wire bonding equipment.  
   
   
       25 . (canceled)  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said substrate is coated with a thermally stimulated adhesive, and the film is adhered to the substrate by heating the assemblage.