Methods for fabricating electronic device components that include protruding contacts and electronic device components so fabricated

Abstract

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device component, such as a probe card, includes providing a support plate with at least one aperture therethrough and providing at least one contact in the at least one aperture. Ends of the at least one contact may be enlarged to retain the same within the at least one aperture. A protective structure may be provided to prevent excessive compression of the at least one contact. The support plate, all or part of the at least one contact, the protective structure, or a combination thereof may be formed by a programmed material consolidation process, such as stereolithography, in which unconsolidated material is selectively consolidated in accordance with a program.

1 . A method for fabricating a probe card, comprising: 
 forming a sacrificial layer over a surface of a fabrication substrate;    forming at least one elongate contact over the sacrificial layer;    forming a support plate laterally around an intermediate section of the at least one elongate contact; and    removing the sacrificial layer to facilitate removal of the at least one contact from the fabrication substrate.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 forming at least one recess within the fabrication substrate prior to the forming the sacrificial layer.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 forming a layer comprising silicon nitride prior to the forming the sacrificial layer.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the sacrificial layer comprises forming a layer comprising aluminum.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 forming a plating mask over portions of the layer comprising aluminum where contacts are not to be formed.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 plating regions of the layer comprising aluminum that are exposed through the plating mask.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the at least one contact comprises selectively consolidating unconsolidated material in accordance with a program.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein selectively consolidating unconsolidated material comprises stereolithographically fabricating at least a portion of the at least one contact.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the at least one contact comprises forming the at least one contact with a wire-bonding capillary.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the support plate comprises selectively consolidating unconsolidated material in accordance with a program.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein selectively consolidating unconsolidated material comprises stereolithographically fabricating the support plate.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 plating exposed portions of the at least one contact with conductive material.    
   
   
       13 . A method for fabricating a probe card, selectively consolidating unconsolidated material to form at least a portion of at least one of a support plate and a contact of the probe card.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein selectively consolidating is effected in accordance with a program.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein selectively consolidating comprises stereolithography.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein selectively consolidating comprises forming at least a portion of the contact.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein forming at least a portion of the contact comprises fabricating a core of the contact.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein forming at least a portion of the contact comprises forming an outer shell of the contact.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein selectively consolidating comprises forming at least a portion of the support plate.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein forming at least a portion of the support plate is effected around an intermediate portion of at least the contact.  
   
   
       21 . A method for fabricating a probe card, comprising: 
 forming a sacrificial layer over a surface of a fabrication substrate;    forming at least one elongate contact over the sacrificial layer;    selectively consolidating unconsolidated material in accordance with a program to form a support plate laterally around an intermediate section of the at least one elongate contact; and    removing the sacrificial layer to facilitate removal of the at least one contact from the fabrication substrate.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein forming the at least one elongate contact includes: 
 forming a core; and    coating conductive material onto the core.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein forming the core comprises selectively consolidating unconsolidated material in accordance with a program.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein coating conductive material comprises depositing conductive material onto the core.  
   
   
       25 . A method for fabricating a probe card, comprising: 
 providing a substrate including at least one aperture therethrough;    fabricating an outer shell of a contact to extend through the at least one aperture; and    introducing conductive material into a channel extending through the outer shell.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein fabricating the outer shell includes forming the channel in the outer shell.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising: forming the channel through the outer shell after fabricating the outer shell.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein fabricating the outer shell includes selectively consolidating unconsolidated material in accordance with a program.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein selectively consolidating unconsolidated material in accordance with a program comprises stereolithographically fabricating the outer shell.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein fabricating the outer shell comprises: 
 forming a first section of the outer shell;    inverting the substrate; and    forming a second section of the outer shell.    
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein fabricating the outer shell comprises forming a first section of the outer shell around the elongate element comprising conductive material.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising: 
 aligning the at least one aperture of the substrate with elongate element and the first section; and    introducing at least a portion of the first section into the at least one aperture.    
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein fabricating the outer shell further comprises forming a second section of the outer shell around the elongate element after introducing at least the portion of the first section into the at least one aperture.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising: 
 forming the elongate element.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein forming is effected with a wire-bonding capillary.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein forming comprises forming the elongate element so as to protrude from a bonding joint and the substrate.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 separating the elongate element from the substrate after fabricating the outer shell.    
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein separating comprises at least one of cutting the elongate element and heating at least a joint between the elongate element and the substrate.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising: 
 forming a conductive cap from the conductive material at at least one end of the contact.    
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising: 
 forming an elongate conductive element that protrudes from at least one end of the contact.    
   
   
       41 . A method for fabricating a probe card, comprising: 
 providing a substrate including at least one aperture therethrough;    forming at least one contact to extend through the at least one aperture, enlarged ends of the at least one contact configured to retain the at least one contact within the at least one aperture, the act of forming including: 
 forming an outer shell of the at least one contact; and  
 forming a conductive element of the at least one contact, the conductive element extending through at least a portion of the outer shell.  
   
   
   
       42 . A semiconductor device component, comprising: 
 a substrate;    at least one flexible, resilient contact protruding from at least one surface of the substrate; and    at least one protective structure positioned on the at least one surface so as to prevent deformation of the at least one flexible, resilient contact beyond an elastic limit thereof.    
   
   
       43 . The semiconductor device component of  claim 42 , wherein the substrate comprises at least one of a semiconductor device, an interposer, a carrier substrate, a test substrate, and a probe card.  
   
   
       44 . The semiconductor device component of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one protective structure comprises a substantially planar member with at least one aperture formed therethrough, the at least one flexible, resilient contact being located within the at least one aperture and at least partially laterally surrounded by the substantially planar member.  
   
   
       45 . The semiconductor device component of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one protective structure comprises an individual structure that surrounds at least a portion of each of the at least one flexible, resilient contact protruding from the at least one surface of the substrate.  
   
   
       46 . The semiconductor device component of  claim 45 , wherein the at least one protective structure includes an aperture within which the at least one flexible, resilient contact is at least partially located.  
   
   
       47 . The semiconductor device component of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one protective structure comprises a plurality of laterally discrete elements, each laterally discrete element of the plurality protruding from the at least one surface of the substrate laterally adjacent to a flexible, resilient contact.  
   
   
       48 . The semiconductor device component of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one protective structure has a height that at least partially prevents the at least one flexible, resilient contact from being deformed beyond its elastic limit.  
   
   
       49 . The semiconductor device component of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one protective structure is spaced apart from the at least one flexible, resilient contact a distance which at least partially prevents the at least one flexible, resilient contact from being deformed beyond its elastic limit.  
   
   
       50 . The semiconductor device component of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one protective structure includes a plurality of adjacent, mutually adhered regions.