Probe interposers and methods of fabricating probe interposers

Abstract

The invention includes probe interposers and methods of fabricating pose interposers. In one implementation, a method of fabricating a probe interposer includes providing a substrate having a frontside and a backside. Probe tips are lithographically patterned on the substrate frontside. The probe tips have electrically conductive outer ends configured to mechanically and electrically engage conductive contact surfaces of a circuit substrate to be probed. Mechanical hard stops are lithographically patterned on the substrate frontside. The mechanical hard stops have outer surfaces configured to mechanically engage some surface of the circuit substrate during probe of the circuit substrate with the probe interposer. The invention includes probe interposers independent of method of fabrication.

1 . A method of fabricating a probe interposer, comprising: 
 providing a substrate having a frontside and a backside;    lithographically patterning probe tips on the substrate frontside, the probe tips having electrically conductive outer ends configured to mechanically and electrically engage conductive contact surfaces of a circuit substrate to be probed;    lithographically patterning mechanical hard stops on the substrate frontside, the mechanical hard stops having outer surfaces configured to mechanically engage some surface of the circuit substrate during probe of the circuit substrate with the probe interposer; and    the lithographically patterning of the probe tips and the lithographically patterning of the mechanical hard stops comprising subtractive etching using at least one lithographic masking step which is common to the subtractive etching of both of the probe tips and the mechanical hard stops.    
   
   
       2 . (canceled)  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  comprising at least one lithographic masking step which is not common to fabrication of both of the probe tips and the mechanical hard stops.  
   
   
       4 . (canceled)  
   
   
       5 . A method of fabricating a probe interposer, comprising: 
 providing a bulk substrate having a frontside and a backside;    lithographically patterning probe tips on the substrate frontside by subtractively etching of the bulk substrate, the probe tips having electrically conductive outer ends configured to mechanically and electrically engage conductive contact surfaces of a circuit substrate to be probed; and    lithographically patterning mechanical hard stops on the substrate frontside, the mechanical hard stops having outer surfaces configured to mechanically engage some surface of the circuit substrate during probe of the circuit substrate with the probe interposer.    
   
   
       6 . (canceled)  
   
   
       7 . A method of fabricating a probe interposer, comprising: 
 providing a bulk substrate having a frontside and a backside;    lithographically patterning probe tips on the substrate frontside, the probe tips having electrically conductive outer ends configured to mechanically and electrically engage conductive contact surfaces of a circuit substrate to be probed; and    lithographically patterning mechanical hard stops on the substrate frontside by subtractively etching of the bulk substrate, the mechanical hard stops having outer surfaces configured to mechanically engage some surface of the circuit substrate during probe of the circuit substrate with the probe interposer.    
   
   
       8 . (canceled)  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the outer ends of the probe tips are received elevationally outward on the substrate frontside at a greater extent than are the outer surfaces of the mechanical hard stops.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein difference between elevational outer extents of the probe tip outer ends and the outer surfaces of the mechanical hard stops is from 6 microns to 500 microns.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  comprising lithographically patterning a fiducial alignment feature on the substrate frontside, the alignment feature comprising a structure other than any of the probe tips.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein lithographically patterning the fiducial alignment feature comprises lithographically patterning a recess within at least one of the mechanical hard stops, the fiducial alignment feature being received at least partially within the recess.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein lithographically patterning the mechanical hard stops comprises lithographically patterning a recess within at least one of the mechanical hard stops, and further comprising mounting at least one circuit component to be received at least partially within the recess; the circuit component comprising at least one of a transistor, capacitor, resistor, or diode.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  comprising lithographically patterning at least one circuit component on the substrate; the circuit component comprising at least one of a transistor, capacitor, resistor, or diode.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the circuit component is formed on the substrate frontside.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1  comprising lithographically patterning a z-axis detection mechanism on the substrate frontside, the z-axis detection mechanism extending elevationally outward on the substrate frontside a greater distance than the probe tips and the mechanical hard stops extend elevationally outward on the substrate frontside.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the z-axis detection mechanism comprises an electromechanical switch comprising a first member and a second member, at least one of the first and second members being repeatably moveable towards and away from the other of the first and second members for making mechanical contact with the other to close and open said switch, said at least one of the first and second members being biased to an open position.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1  comprising lithographically patterning a probe interposer mechanical mount feature on the substrate backside.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1  comprising forming electrical contacts on the substrate backside in electrical connection with the probe tips.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the forming of the electrical contacts comprises lithographic patterning on the substrate backside.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1  comprising lithographically patterning a probe interposer mechanical mount feature on the substrate frontside.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the probe interposer mechanical mount feature comprises an opening lithographically patterned into one of the mechanical hard stops.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the probe tips are lithographically patterned to have their conductive outer ends received within a common plane.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the outer surfaces of the mechanical hard stops are lithographically patterned to be received within a common plane.  
   
   
       25 . A method of fabricating a probe interposer, comprising: 
 providing a substrate having a frontside and a backside;    lithographically patterning probe tips on the substrate frontside, the probe tips having electrically conductive outer ends configured to mechanically and electrically engage conductive contact surfaces of a circuit substrate to be probed; and    lithographically patterning a fiducial alignment feature on the substrate frontside, the alignment feature comprising a structure other than any of the probe tips.    
   
   
       26 - 35 . (canceled)  
   
   
       36 . A method of fabricating a probe interposer, comprising: 
 providing a substrate having a frontside and a backside;    lithographically patterning probe tips on the substrate frontside, the probe tips having electrically conductive outer ends configured to mechanically and electrically engage conductive contact surfaces of a circuit substrate to be probed; and    lithographically patterning at least one circuit component on the substrate; the circuit component comprising at least one of a transistor, capacitor, resistor, or diode.    
   
   
       37 - 40 . (canceled)  
   
   
       41 . A method of fabricating a probe interposer, comprising: 
 providing a substrate having a frontside and a backside;    lithographically patterning probe tips on the substrate frontside, the probe tips having electrically conductive outer ends configured to mechanically and electrically engage conductive contact surfaces of a circuit substrate to be probed; and    lithographically patterning a z-axis detection mechanism on the substrate frontside, the z-axis detection mechanism extending elevationally outward on the substrate frontside a greater distance than the probe tips extend elevationally outward on the substrate frontside.    
   
   
       42 - 48 . (canceled)  
   
   
       49 . A method of fabricating a probe interposer, comprising: 
 providing a substrate having a frontside and a backside;    lithographically patterning probe tips on the substrate frontside, the probe tips having electrically conductive outer ends configured to mechanically and electrically engage conductive contact surfaces of a circuit substrate to be probed; and    lithographically patterning a probe interposer mechanical mount feature on the substrate backside.    
   
   
       50 - 55 . (canceled)  
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the substrate during the lithographically patterning of the probe tips and the lithographically patterning of the mechanical hard stops is provided to be homogenous.  
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the substrate during the lithographically patterning of the probe tips and the lithographically patterning of the mechanical hard stops is provided to be non-homogenous.  
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the substrate comprises a bulk substrate and material deposited over the bulk substrate, the subtractive etching forming the probe tips and the mechanical hard stops comprising etching into the material.  
   
   
       59 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the substrate comprises a bulk substrate, the subtractive etching forming the probe tips and the mechanical hard stops comprising etching into the bulk substrate.  
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the substrate comprises a bulk substrate and material deposited over the bulk substrate, the subtractive etching forming the probe tips and the mechanical hard stops comprising etching into both the material and the bulk substrate.  
   
   
       61 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the lithographically patterning forms the hard stops to comprise conductive material.  
   
   
       62 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the lithographically patterning forms the hard stops to comprise insulative material.  
   
   
       63 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the lithographically patterning forms the hard stops to comprise semiconductive material.  
   
   
       64 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the lithographically patterning forms the probe tips to individually comprise two ninety degree bends.  
   
   
       65 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the lithographically patterning mechanical hard stops comprises subtractively etching of the bulk substrate.