Patents by Inventor Raffaele Vallauri

Raffaele Vallauri 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: 12044703
    Abstract: A contact probe having a first end portion and a second end portion, a probe body extended along a longitudinal development direction between the first end portion and the second end portion is disclosed. The probe body has a pair of arms separated by a slot and extending according to the longitudinal development direction and a conductive insert extended along the longitudinal development direction, in a bending plane of the contact probe. The conductive insert is made of a first material and the contact probe is made of a second material and the first material has a lower electrical resistivity than an electrical resistivity of the second material. The conductive insert is a power transmission element of the contact probe and the arms are structural support elements of the contact probe during a deformation of the probe body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: TECHNOPROBE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Raffaele Vallauri, Fabio Morgana
  • Patent number: 12019111
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a multi-layer for a probe card comprises providing first contact pads on an exposed face of a first dielectric layer and second contact pads on an exposed face of a last dielectric layer. Each dielectric layer is laser ablated to realize pass-through structures and the pass-through structures are conductively filled to realize conductive structures. The dielectric layers are superimposed in a way that each conductive structure contacts a corresponding conductive structure of a contiguous dielectric layer in the multi-layer and forms conductive paths electrically connected the first and second contact pads. The second contact pads having a greater distance between its symmetry centers than the first contact pads, the multi-layer thus performing a spatial transformation between the first and second contact pads connected through the connective paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: TECHNOPROBE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Roberto Crippa, Flavio Maggioni, Raffaele Vallauri
  • Publication number: 20240012027
    Abstract: A probe head for testing the operation of a device under test is disclosed. The probe head has a plurality of contact probes including a body extending along a longitudinal axis adapted to contact respective contact pads and having a substantially square or rectangular-shaped cross section, and a guide lying in a plane and provided with guide holes having a substantially square or rectangular-shaped cross section for slidingly housing the contact probes. In the plane of the guide the cross section of the guide holes and the cross section of the contact probes are rotated relative to each other around the longitudinal axis and have respective different orientations with respect to a reference system in the plane, so that an edge of the body is mechanically interfering with a corresponding wall of the guide holes The probe head also has a conductive portion formed at the guide and/or formed at another guide of the probe head being adapted to contact and short-circuit a corresponding group of contact probes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: TECHNOPROBE S.P.A.
    Inventor: Raffaele VALLAURI
  • Publication number: 20230028352
    Abstract: A contact probe having a first end portion and a second end portion, a probe body extended along a longitudinal development direction between the first end portion and the second end portion is disclosed. The probe body has a pair of arms separated by a slot and extending according to the longitudinal development direction and a conductive insert extended along the longitudinal development direction, in a bending plane of the contact probe. The conductive insert is made of a first material and the contact probe is made of a second material and the first material has a lower electrical resistivity than an electrical resistivity of the second material. The conductive insert is a power transmission element of the contact probe and the arms are structural support elements of the contact probe during a deformation of the probe body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Applicant: TECHNOPROBE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Raffaele VALLAURI, Fabio MORGANA
  • Patent number: 11442080
    Abstract: A contact probe comprises a probe body being extended in a longitudinal direction between respective end portions adapted to realize a contact with respective contact pads, at least one end portion having transverse dimensions greater than the probe body. Suitably, the end portion comprises at least one indentation adapted to house a material scrap being on the contact probe after a separation from a substrate wherein the contact probe has been realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: TECHNOPROBE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Roberto Crippa, Raffaele Vallauri
  • Publication number: 20210247422
    Abstract: A contact probe comprises a probe body being extended in a longitudinal direction between respective end portions adapted to realize a contact with respective contact pads, at least one end portion having transverse dimensions greater than the probe body. Suitably, the end portion comprises at least one indentation adapted to house a material scrap being on the contact probe after a separation from a substrate wherein the contact probe has been realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Roberto CRIPPA, Raffaele VALLAURI
  • Patent number: 11029337
    Abstract: A testing head comprises at least one guide provided with a plurality of guide holes, and a plurality of contact elements housed in the plurality of guide holes. Suitably, the at least one guide comprises a plurality of conductive layers, each conductive layer: including holes of a corresponding plurality of group of the plurality of guide holes and electrically connecting a corresponding group of contact elements housed in the guide holes of the group, contact elements of a group being adapted to carry a same type of signal. The at least one guide is a multilayer comprising a plurality of non-conductive layers, and the conductive layers are arranged on respective faces of a layer of the plurality of non-conductive layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: TECHNOPROBE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Roberto Crippa, Raffaele Vallauri
  • Patent number: 11016122
    Abstract: A contact probe comprises a probe body being extended in a longitudinal direction between respective end portions adapted to realize a contact with respective contact pads, at least one end portion having transverse dimensions greater than the probe body. Suitably, the end portion comprises at least one indentation adapted to house a material scrap being on the contact probe after a separation from a substrate wherein the contact probe has been realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: TECHNOPROBE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Roberto Crippa, Raffaele Vallauri
  • Publication number: 20200072873
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a multi-layer for a probe card comprises providing first contact pads on an exposed face of a first dielectric layer and second contact pads on an exposed face of a last dielectric layer. Each dielectric layer is laser ablated to realize pass-through structures and the pass-through structures are conductively filled to realize conductive structures. The dielectric layers are superimposed in a way that each conductive structure contacts a corresponding conductive structure of a contiguous dielectric layer in the multi-layer and forms conductive paths electrically connected the first and second contact pads. The second contact pads having a greater distance between its symmetry centers than the first contact pads, the multi-layer thus performing a spatial transformation between the first and second contact pads connected through the connective paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Roberto CRIPPA, Flavio MAGGIONI, Raffaele VALLAURI
  • Patent number: 10551433
    Abstract: A testing head for testing a device includes a couple of plate-like supports separated from each other by a suitable gap and provided with respective guide holes to slidably house a plurality of contact probes, each including a rod-like body extending along a preset longitudinal axis between a first and second ends, the first end being a contact tip that abuts a contact pad of the device and the second end being a contact head that abuts a contact pad of a space transformer. At least one of the supports comprises a couple of guides that are parallel to each other and separated by an additional gap and provided with corresponding guide holes. Each contact probe comprises a protruding element or stopper originating from a lateral wall and realized in correspondence of one wall of a guide hole of the guides contacting the lateral wall of the contact probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: TECHNOPROBE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Roberto Crippa, Raffaele Vallauri, Emanuele Bertarelli, Daniele Perego
  • Patent number: 10509056
    Abstract: A probe card for a testing apparatus of electronic devices comprises at least one testing head which houses a plurality of contact probes, each contact probe having at least one contact tip suitable to abut onto contact pads of a device under test, and a support plate of the testing head associated with a stiffener and an intermediate support, connected to the support plate and suitable to provide a spatial transformation of the distances between contact pads made on opposite sides thereof. Conveniently, the probe card comprises a support which is joined to the intermediate support, which is made of a material compatible with the printed circuit board technologies and has a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than 10×10?6° C.?1, the support being made of a metal material having a coefficient of thermal expansion lower than 6×10?6° C.?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: TECHNOPROBE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Riccardo Liberini, Raffaele Vallauri, Giuseppe Crippa
  • Publication number: 20190377006
    Abstract: A testing head comprises at least one guide provided with a plurality of guide holes, and a plurality of contact elements housed in the plurality of guide holes. Suitably, the at least one guide comprises a plurality of conductive layers, each conductive layer: including holes of a corresponding plurality of group of the plurality of guide holes and electrically connecting a corresponding group of contact elements housed in the guide holes of the group, contact elements of a group being adapted to carry a same type of signal. The at least one guide is a multilayer comprising a plurality of non-conductive layers, and the conductive layers are arranged on respective faces of a layer of the plurality of non-conductive layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Roberto Crippa, Raffaele Vallauri
  • Publication number: 20190293686
    Abstract: A contact probe comprises a probe body being extended in a longitudinal direction between respective end portions adapted to realize a contact with respective contact pads, at least one end portion having transverse dimensions greater than the probe body. Suitably, the end portion comprises at least one indentation adapted to house a material scrap being on the contact probe after a separation from a substrate wherein the contact probe has been realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Roberto CRIPPA, Raffaele VALLAURI
  • Patent number: 10386388
    Abstract: It is described a contact probe for a testing head for a testing apparatus of electronic devices, the probe comprising a probe body extended in a longitudinal direction between respective end portions adapted to contact respective contact pads, the second end being a contact tip adapted to abut onto a contact pad of the device under test, the body of each contact probe having a length of less than 5000 ?m, and including at least one pass-through opening extending along its longitudinal dimension. Conveniently, the at least one pass-through opening is filled by a filling material, in order to define at least one first and one second lateral portions in the body, being parallel and joined to each other by a connecting central portion realized by the filling material at the pass-through opening, the connecting central portion made of the filling material acting as a strengthening element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: TECHNOPROBE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Daniele Acconcia, Raffaele Vallauri
  • Patent number: 10228392
    Abstract: A contact probe of a testing head of a testing apparatus of electronic devices comprises respective end portions adapted to contact respective contact pads and a body essentially extended in a longitudinal direction between the end portions, at least one end portion comprising an insert made of a first conductive material having a hardness being greater than a second conductive material making the contact probe which is supported by a section of the end portion, the section being made of the second conductive material and being shaped in a complementary way with respect to the insert and having respective abutting surfaces facing and adhering to respective abutting surfaces of the insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: TECHNOPROBE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Roberto Crippa, Giuseppe Crippa, Raffaele Vallauri
  • Publication number: 20180024166
    Abstract: It is described a contact probe for a testing head for a testing apparatus of electronic devices, the probe comprising a probe body extended in a longitudinal direction between respective end portions adapted to contact respective contact pads, the second end being a contact tip adapted to abut onto a contact pad of the device under test, the body of each contact probe having a length of less than 5000 ?m, and including at least one pass-through opening extending along its longitudinal dimension. Conveniently, the at least one pass-through opening is filled by a filling material, in order to define at least one first and one second lateral portions in the body, being parallel and joined to each other by a connecting central portion realized by the filling material at the pass-through opening, the connecting central portion made of the filling material acting as a strengthening element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: Daniele Acconcia, Raffaele Vallauri
  • Publication number: 20180003767
    Abstract: A testing head for testing a device includes a couple of plate-like supports separated from each other by a suitable gap and provided with respective guide holes to slidably house a plurality of contact probes, each including a rod-like body extending along a preset longitudinal axis between a first and second ends, the first end being a contact tip that abuts a contact pad of the device and the second end being a contact head that abuts a contact pad of a space transformer. At least one of the supports comprises a couple of guides that are parallel to each other and separated by an additional gap and provided with corresponding guide holes. Each contact probe comprises a protruding element or stopper originating from a lateral wall and realized in correspondence of one wall of a guide hole of the guides contacting the lateral wall of the contact probe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventors: Roberto Crippa, Raffaele Vallauri, Emanuele Bertarelli, Daniele Perego
  • Patent number: 9829508
    Abstract: It is described a testing head for a testing equipment of an electronic device comprising at least one upper guide and a lower guide provided with guide holes, a plurality of contact probes inserted into the guide holes of the upper and lower guides and at least one containment element of the probes being is disposed between the upper and lower guides, each of the contact probes having at least one terminal portion which ends with a contact tip adapted to abut on a respective contact pad of the electronic device to be tested; at least one spacer element sandwiched between the containment element and at least one of the upper and lower guides, the spacer element being removable to adjust a length of the terminal portions of the contact probes projecting from the lower guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Technoprobe S.p.A.
    Inventors: Stefano Felici, Raffaele Vallauri, Roberto Crippa
  • Publication number: 20170269125
    Abstract: A contact probe of a testing head of a testing apparatus of electronic devices comprises respective end portions adapted to contact respective contact pads and a body essentially extended in a longitudinal direction between the end portions, at least one end portion comprising an insert made of a first conductive material having a hardness being greater than a second conductive material making the contact probe which is supported by a section of the end portion, the section being made of the second conductive material and being shaped in a complementary way with respect to the insert and having respective abutting surfaces facing and adhering to respective abutting surfaces of the insert.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Roberto CRIPPA, Giuseppe CRIPPA, Raffaele VALLAURI
  • Publication number: 20170059612
    Abstract: A contact probe of a testing head of a testing apparatus of electronic devices comprises respective end portions adapted to contact respective contact pads and a body essentially extended in a longitudinal direction between the end portions, at least one end portion comprising an insert made of a first conductive material having a hardness being greater than a second conductive material making the contact probe which is supported by a section of the end portion, the section being made of the second conductive material and being shaped in a complementary way with respect to the insert and having respective abutting surfaces facing and adhering to respective abutting surfaces of the insert.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Roberto CRIPPA, Giuseppe CRIPPA, Raffaele VALLAURI