Apparatus and method for managing thermally induced motion of a probe card assembly

Abstract

A probe card assembly can include a probe head assembly having probes for contacting an electronic device to be tested. The probe head assembly can be electrically connected to a wiring substrate and mechanically attached to a stiffener plate. The wiring substrate can provide electrical connections to a testing apparatus, and the stiffener plate can provide structure for attaching the probe card assembly to the testing apparatus. The stiffener plate can have a greater mechanical strength than the wiring substrate and can be less susceptible to thermally induced movement than the wiring substrate. The wiring substrate may be attached to the stiffener plate at a central location of the wiring substrate. Space may be provided at other locations where the wiring substrate is attached to the stiffener plate so that the wiring substrate can expand and contract with respect to the stiffener plate.

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
   
   
       32 . An apparatus for reducing an amount of time required for a probe card assembly for testing semiconductor devices to reach a desired temperature, comprising:
 a probe head assembly having a first side and a second side, terminals located on the first side at a pitch different from terminals located on the second side, respective ones of the terminals on the first side being electrically connected to terminals on the second side through the probe head assembly, and having a plurality of probes mounted to respective terminals on the first side; and   a temperature control device of the probe head assembly configured to adjust a temperature of the probe head assembly in accordance with the desired temperature to reduce the amount of time required to reach thermal equilibrium.   
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the probe head assembly comprises a multilayer ceramic structure. 
   
   
       34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the temperature control device is a heater embedded in the probe head assembly. 
   
   
       35 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the probe head assembly has a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than that of the semiconductor devices. 
   
   
       36 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the probe head assembly comprises a plurality of probe substrates, each probe substrate having a respective temperature control device. 
   
   
       37 . A probe card assembly for testing semiconductor devices, comprising:
 an attachment structure;   at least one probe head assembly attached to the attachment structure composed of a substantially rigid material and having a first side and a second side, terminals located on the first side at a pitch greater than terminals located on the second side, respective ones of the terminals on the first side being electrically connected to terminals on the second side through traces embedded in the probe head assembly extending from the first side to the second side, and having a temperature control device configured to adjust a temperature of the probe head assembly in accordance with a desired temperature to reduce an amount of time required to reach the desired temperature;   a plurality of resilient probes attached to respective terminals on the second side of the probe head assembly and extending from a surface of the second side of the probe head assembly in a direction away from the second side of the probe head assembly;   a stiffening structure disposed on a side of the attachment structure opposite the side that the at least one probe head assembly is attached, providing stiffness in a direction normal to the first surface of the probe head assembly; and   a plurality of adjustment mechanisms extending through the stiffening structure and coupled to a first surface of the attached structure for adjusting an orientation of the first surface of the support structure relative to a surface of the stiffening structure such that the adjustment is fixedly maintained.   
   
   
       38 . The probe card assembly of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 a multi-layer circuit board substrate disposed between the stiffening structure and the attachment structure having a plurality of connectors on a first side and wiring terminals on a second side, the plurality of connectors electrically connected to the wiring terminal via conductive traces embedded in the multi-layer circuit board, the first side having a surface area greater than a surface area of the first side of the probe head assembly, and wherein the second side of the multi-layer circuit board is disposed closer to the first side of the probe head assembly than the second side of the probe head assembly;   a plurality of conductive resilient elements disposed between the at least one probe head assembly and the multi-layer circuit board electrically connecting ones of the terminals on the first side of the probe head assembly to ones of the wiring terminals on the second side of the multi-layer circuit board.   
   
   
       39 . The probe card assembly of  claim 37 , wherein the at least one probe head assembly comprises a multilayer ceramic structure. 
   
   
       40 . The probe card assembly of  claim 39 , wherein the temperature control device is a heater embedded in the attachment structure. 
   
   
       41 . The probe card assembly of  claim 39 , wherein the temperature control device is on an outer surface of the attachment structure. 
   
   
       42 . The probe card assembly of  claim 41 , wherein the probe head assembly has a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than that of the semiconductor devices. 
   
   
       43 . A method of reducing an amount of time required for a probe card assembly for testing semiconductor devices to reach a desired temperature, comprising:
 providing a probe head assembly having a plurality of probes mounted thereon; and   activating a temperature control device of the probe head assembly to adjust a temperature of the probe head assembly in accordance with the desired temperature to reduce the amount of time required to reach the desired temperature.   
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the desired temperature is independent of an ambient temperature. 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the activating causes the probe head assembly to increase in temperature. 
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the activating causes the probe head assembly to decrease in temperature. 
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the adjusting is controlled independently of a temperature of the semiconductor devices. 
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising providing the probe head assembly as a multilayer ceramic structure. 
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising providing the temperature control device as a heater embedded in the probe head assembly. 
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising providing the probe head assembly having a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than that of the semiconductor devices. 
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the activating causes the probe head assembly to increase in temperature. 
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising providing the probe head assembly with a first side and a second side, wherein terminals on the first side are provided at a pitch different from terminals provided on the second side, respective ones of the terminals on the first side are electrically connected to terminals on the second side through the probe head assembly, and the probe are mounted to respective terminals on the first side. 
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 52 , further comprising:
 providing a wiring substrate disposed nearer to the second side than the first side;   providing a control signal to control the temperature control device through the wiring substrate to a point on the second side.   
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising selecting the desired temperature in accordance with a temperature of the semiconductor devices. 
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising providing the probe head assembly having a plurality of probe substrates. 
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the adjusting is controlled in response to a temperature variance near the probes. 
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the adjusting is controlled in accordance with a measurement of the probe card assembly. 
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the probe head assembly comprises a plurality of probe head assemblies having a portion of the plurality of probes mounted thereon the probe head assembly attached to an attachment structure, wherein the temperature control device adjusts a temperature of the attachment structure.