• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.831-841
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• 2010

The conventional vertical probe has the thin and long signal path that makes transfer characteristic of probe worse because of the S-shaped structure. So we propose the new vertical probe structure that has branch springs in the S-shaped probe. It makes closed loop when the probe mechanically connects to the electrode on a wafer. We fabricated the proposed vertical probe and measured the transfer characteristic and mechanical properties. Compared to the conventional S-shaped vertical probe, the proposed probe has the overdrive that is 1.2 times larger and the contact force that is 2.5 times larger. And we got the improved transfer characteristic by 1.4 dB in $0{\sim}10$ GHz. Also we developed the simulation model of the probe card by using full-wave simulator and the simulation result is correlated with measurement one. As a result of this simulation model, the cantilever probe and PCB have the worst transfer characteristic in the probe card.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.667-670
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• 2005

본 논문은 100um와 80um의 텅스텐 와이어를 이용하여 세라믹(Ceramic)기판에 홀(Hole)을 뚫어 텅스텐 와이어를 수직으로 세우는 방식으로 수직형의 마이크로 스프링을 제작하였다. 마이크로 스프링의 설계를 위해 제한된 실험 결과와 신경회로망을 이용하여 텅스텐 와이어의 두께와 높이, 쉬프트(Shift)의 양을 변화시키면서 장력(Tension force)을 모델링하였고 제작을 통해 검증하였다. 이는 기존의 수평형 프로브카드의 한계를 대체할 수 있는 수직형 프로브카드의 핵심 모듈로서 멀티다이(Multi Die) 뿐만 아니라 범핑(Bumping)타입의 칩 테스트도 가능하다.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.11
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• pp.4121-4128
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• 2010

A probe card is used in testing semiconductor wafers. It must maintain a precise location tolerance for a fine pitch due to highly densified chips. However, high heat transferred from its lower chuck causes thermal deformations of the probe card. Vertical deformation due to the heat will bring contact problems to the pins in the probe card, while horizontal deformation will cause positional inaccuracies. Therefore, probe cards must be designed with proper materials and structures so that the thermal deformations are within allowable tolerances. In this paper, heat transfer analyses under realistic loading conditions are simulated using ANSYS$^{TM}$ finite element analysis program. Thermal deformations are calculated based on steady-state temperature gradients, and an optimal structure of the probe card is proposed by adjusting a set of relevant design parameters so that the deformations are minimized.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.851-856
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• 2012

The design process of a micro-probe tip is very complicated and expensive. To avoid these problems, in this study, we used element (FE) analysis. To simplify design process. A new pre-probe tip (cobra-needle type) made of Ni and Co was designed by FE analysis. Experimental results were compared with those obtained by FE analysis to verify the reliability of the analysis. The contact force and over drive were respectively found to be 12.5 gf(Contact Force) and $100{\mu}m$(Over drive). We propose the new designed probe tip. Material of new designed probe tip is NiCo. Values of Property are 1~2 gf(Contact Force) and $100{\mu}m$(Over drive).

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.661-669
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• 1999

A probe card is one of the most important pan of test systems as testing IC(integrated circuit) chips. This work was related to bump-type silicon vertical probe card which enabled simultaneous tests for multiple semiconductor chips. The probe consists of silicon cantilever with bump tip. In order to obtain optimum size of the cantilever, the dimensions were determined by FEM(finite element method) analysis. The probe was fabricated by RIE(reactive ion etching), isotropic etching, and bulk-micromachining using SDB(silicon direct bonding) wafer. The optimum height of the bump of the probe detemimed by FEM simulation was 30um. The optimum thickness, width, and length of the cantilever were 20 $\mum$, 100 $\mum$,and 400 $\mum$,respectively. Contact resistance of the fabricated probe card measured at contact resistance testing was less than $2\Omega$. It was also confirmed that its life time was more than 20,000 contacts because there was no change of contact resistance after 20,000 contacts.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.1210-1215
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• 2010

The probe card are test modules which are to classify the good semiconductor chips and thin film before the packaging process. In the rapid growth a technology of semiconductor, the number of pads per unit area is increasing and pad arrays are becoming irregular. Therefore, the technology of probe card needs narrow width and lots of probe tip. In this paper, the probe tip based on the MEMS(Micro Electro Mechanical System)technology was developed a new MEMS probe tip for vertical probe card applications. For the structural designs of probe tip were performed to mechanical characteristics and structural analysis using FEM(Finite Element Method). Also, the contact force of MEMS probe tip compared with FEM results and experimental results. Finally, the MEMS probe card was developed a fine pitch smaller than $50{\mu}m$.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.1730-1733
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• 2007

As semiconductor and MEMS devices become smaller, testing process during their production should follow such a high density trend. A circuit inspection tool "probe card" makes contact with electrode pads of the device under test (DUT). Nowadays, electrode pads are irregularly arranged and have height difference. In order to absorb variations in the heights of electrode pads and to generate contact loads, contact probes must have some levels of mechanical spring properties. Contact probes must also yield a force to break the surface native oxide layer or contamination layer on the electrodes to make electric contact. In this research, new vertical micro contact probe with bellows shape is developed to overcome shortage of prior work. Especially, novel bellows shape is used to reduce stress concentration in this design and stopper is used to change the stiffness of micro contact probe. Variable stiffness can be one solution to overcome the height difference of electrode pads.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.825-831
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• 2006

As an increase of chip complexity and level of chip integration, chip input/output (I/O) pad pitches are also drastically reduced. With arrival of high complexity SoC (System on Chip) and SiP (System in Package) products, conventional horizontal type probe card showed its limitation on probing density for wafer level test. To enhance probing density, we proposed new vertical type probe card that has the $70{\mu}m$ probe needle with tungsten wire in $80{\mu}m$ micro-drilled hole in ceramic board. To minimize alignment error, micro-drilling conditions are optimized and epoxy-hardening conditions are also optimized to minimize planarity changes. To apply wafer level test for target devices (T5365 256M SDRAM), designed probe card was characterized by probe needle tension for test, contact resistance measurement, leakage current measurement and the planarity test. Compare to conventional probe card with minimum pitch of $50{\sim}125{\mu}m\;and\;2\;{\Omega}$ of average contact resistance, designed probe card showed only $22{\mu}$ of minimum pitch and $1.5{\Omega}$ of average contact resistance. And also, with the nature of vertical probing style, it showed comparably small contact scratch and it can be applied to bumping type chip test.

• Journal of Applied Reliability
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2007

Probe card is a test component which is to classify the known good die with electrical contact before the packaging in the ATE (automatic testing equipment). Conventional probe tip was mostly needle type, it has been difficult to meet with conventional type, because of decreasing chip size, pad to pad pitch and pads size increasingly. For that reason, probe cards using MEMS (micro electro mechanical system) technology have been developed for various semiconductor chips. In this paper, Area Array type MEMS Probe tip was designed,, fabricated, and characterized its mechanical and electrical properties. The authors found that good electrical characteristics under $1{\Omega}$ were acquired with gold (Au) and aluminium (Al) pad contact test over 0.5gf and 4gf respectively. And, contact resistance variation under $0.1{\Omega}$ were achieved with 100,000 times of repetition test. And, insertion loss (IS) for high frequency operation was ascertained over 300MHz at -3dB loss.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.17 no.11 s.114
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• pp.1040-1049
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• 2006

A design method for minimizing transmission loss of a broadband right-angle transition from a coaxial cable to a microstrip line is presented. The right-angle transition has been widely used where printed circuit applications need to be fed from behind the ground plane using coaxial line. To obtain the minimized transmission loss over the whole operating frequency range of the transition, design parameters such as ground aperture and probe diameters, ground aperture offset, and stub length are optimized using a commercial electromagnetic simulation software. Results are presented for the optimum right-angle transition from an SMA connector to a microstrip line on common reinforced 0.787 mm thick PTFE substrates. Measurements of a fabricated transition show that reflection coefficient is less than -22 dB and insertion loss is less than 0.45 dB over $0.05{\sim}20GHz$.