• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.63-66
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• 2013

This paper describes the highly productive process technologies of microprobe arrays, which were used for a probe card to test a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chip with fine pitch pads. Cantilever-type microprobe arrays were fabricated using conventional micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) process technologies. Bonding material, gold-tin (Au-Sn) paste, was used to bond the Ni-Co alloy microprobes to the ceramic space transformer. The electrical and mechanical characteristics of a probe card with fabricated microprobes were measured by a conventional probe card tester. A probe card assembled with the fabricated microprobes showed good x-y alignment and planarity errors within ${\pm}5{\mu}m$ and ${\pm}10{\mu}m$, respectively. In addition, the average leakage current and contact resistance were approximately 1.04 nA and 0.054 ohm, respectively. The proposed highly productive microprobes can be applied to a MEMS probe card, to test a DRAM chip with fine pitch pads.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2013.05a
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• pp.1265-1266
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• 2013

• 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.

• KIEE International Transactions on Electrophysics and Applications
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• v.4C no.4
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• pp.149-154
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• 2004

This paper presents a silicon probe tip for vertical probe card application. The silicon probe tip was fabricated using MEMS technology such as porous silicon micromachining and deep- RIE (reactive ion etching). The thickness of the silicon epitaxial layers was 5 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ and 7 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$, respectively. The width and length were 40 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ and 600 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$, respectively. The probe structure was a multilayered structure and was composed of Au/Ni-Cr/Si$_3$N$_4$/n-epi layers. The height of the curled probe tip was measured as a function of the annealing temperature and time. Resistance characteristics of the probe tip were measured using a touchdown test.

• Transactions of the Society of Information Storage Systems
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2006

An optical ROM card system which using an optical probe array generated by Talbot effect was proposed as new robust storage solution. To improve the optical density and to decrease the power consumption of the system, it is very important to make the spot sizes of optical probes smaller as well as to increase the optical efficiency from the light source to optical probes. In this study, a microlens illuminated aperture array for generating high efficiency optical probe away with small beam spot was designed and fabricated using monolithic lithography integration method. The maximum intensity of optical probes of microlens illuminated aperture array increased about 12 times of that of aperture array, and the full width half maximum of the optical probe at Talbot plane generated by microlens illuminated aperture array was $0.77{\mu}m$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.195-196
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• 2007

• 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 Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.152-152
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• 2008

Micro probe with Ni-Co tip was designed. Unit processes for fabricating the micro probe were developed. We are investigated the micro probe tip using by Ni-Co alloy. One-step and three-step needle was fabricated by plating process, CMP, and photolithography process. The plating thickness was varied by current density and time. Futher data will be extract by different process conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 2001

Tungsten probe is the most important part of a probe card, which is widely used for the performance test of wafer chips. Electro chemical etching becomes an exclusive choice for mass production of the tungsten probes. In the mass production, not only the shape of the probe but also the shape distribution of machined probes is important. A new method is proposed for the mass production of the tungsten probes. Tungsten wires are separated by a distance, and dipped into electrolyte. The dipping rate is controlled to shape the probes. Several experimental tests are performed to study the machining characteristics. From the test results, machining parameters including electrical conditions and anode position showed significant influences on the shape, repeatability, precision and quality of sharp tips.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.16-25
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• 2008

The micro needle means the ultrafine probe of 'Probe Card'. The size of micro needle is so minute that it is difficult to minute that it is difficult to inspect it with eyes. On the other hand it is very critical if there is a defect in micro needle of probe card. In this study, we developed an automatic visual inspection system for finding defect status in probe angle, tip length and diameter. Through the experimental results, we could find that our proposed method is better than human-eyes inspection method in accuracy and inspection speed, and also in robustness to lighting circumstances.