Patents by Inventor Charles Tompkins, Jr.

Charles Tompkins, Jr. has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6407568
    Abstract: A probe assembly consisting of a servo mechanism or actuator providing multi-direction motion; a probe mounting attached to the actuator; and pin probes attached to the probe mounting making an electrical connection to pins of a device or package under test. The pin probe includes a shaft terminating in an end section having a conical shaped recessed area. The conical feature contained in the probe allows the probe to contact a pin or array of pins that are less then ideally located, but within their geometrical tolerance. The probe assembly thus constructed, provides reliable test measurements. It also increases test throughout by minimizing test setup time when the DUT has misaligned or bent pins. The setup can be used on a manual probe station, or in a mass production bed of nails type tester. The assembly can also be in the form of a gang probe wherein pin probes are arranged in a bed of nails arrangement to make contact with all the pins of the DUT simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vincent P. Mulligan, Robert Florence, Jr., Charles Tompkins, Jr.