Patents by Inventor Melissa Keefe

Melissa Keefe 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).

  • Clustered rigid wafer test probe
    Patent number: 12248003
    Abstract: An IC device test probe has one or more clusters of a plurality of tapered probe tips that taper upon a taper plane that is orthogonal to a seating direction or force vector of the IC device test probe toward the IC device. Each of the plurality of tapered probe tips is seated against one contact of the IC device. In this manner, the IC device test probe is seated against multiple contacts and may therefore apply test signal(s) to these contacts serially, simultaneously, or the like. The IC device test probe allows the seating to small pitch IC devices and associated testing thereof. This allows for electrical characterization of the IC device by the same test signal(s) through the IC device test probe and ultimately through multiple contacts. The forces associated with seating the IC device test probe against the IC device contacts is effectively spread across multiple contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Michael Audette, Grant Wagner, Peter William Neff, Jacob Louis Moore, Melissa Keefe
  • CLUSTERED RIGID WAFER TEST PROBE
    Publication number: 20240183880
    Abstract: An IC device test probe has one or more clusters of a plurality of tapered probe tips that taper upon a taper plane that is orthogonal to a seating direction or force vector of the IC device test probe toward the IC device. Each of the plurality of tapered probe tips is seated against one contact of the IC device. In this manner, the IC device test probe is seated against multiple contacts and may therefore apply test signal(s) to these contacts serially, simultaneously, or the like. The IC device test probe allows the seating to small pitch IC devices and associated testing thereof. This allows for electrical characterization of the IC device by the same test signal(s) through the IC device test probe and ultimately through multiple contacts. The forces associated with seating the IC device test probe against the IC device contacts is effectively spread across multiple contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2022
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Inventors: David Michael Audette, Grant Wagner, Peter William Neff, Jacob Louis Moore, Melissa Keefe