Abstract: A cantilever-type probe card includes a circuit board, a grounding block electrically connected to a zero potential, signal probes, and at least one grounding probe connected to the grounding block. Each signal probe has a probing tip, a connection portion affixed to the circuit board, and a front arm defined between the connection portion and the probing tip. The front arm of each of the signal probes is suspended in the grounding block and spaced from the grounding block at a predetermined pitch.

Abstract: A high frequency probe preparation method for making a high frequency probe for high frequency testing to assure signal integrity by means of making a sleeve assembly subject to the size of a predetermined bare needle and then sleeving bare needle by the sleeve assembly to form a high-frequency probe is disclosed to include the steps of: a) providing an insulated tube, and b) forming a conducting layer on the outer surface of the insulated tube which having a metal layer for grounding. The insulated tube and the conducting layer constitute the sleeve assembly. The metal layer is formed by means of physical deposition, chemical deposition, mixture of physical and chemical deposition or electrochemical deposition.

Abstract: A probing device includes a rack that has an outer support member supporting a circuit layer and a center support member supporting a probe assembly. When the tester touching down the circuit layer of the probing device from the top side, the outer support member of the rack bears this touchdown stress. When the probes of the probe holder touching down the electronic components of an IC wafer under test, the center support member of the rack bears the reaction force from the IC wafer.

Abstract: A cantilever-type probe card includes a circuit board, a grounding block electrically connected to a zero potential, signal probes, and at least one grounding probe connected to the grounding block. Each signal probe has a probing tip, a connection portion affixed to the circuit board, and a front arm defined between the connection portion and the probing tip. The front arm of each of the signal probes is suspended in the grounding block and spaced from the grounding block at a predetermined pitch.

Abstract: A probe for high frequency signal transmission includes a metal pin, and a metal line spacedly arranged on and electrically insulated from the metal pin and electrically connected to grounding potential so as to maintain the characteristic impedance of the probe upon transmitting high frequency signal. The maximum diameter of the probe is substantially equal to or smaller than two times of the diameter of the metal pin. Under this circumstance, a big amount of probes can be installed in a probe card for probing a big amount of electronic devices, so that a wafer-level electronic test can be achieved efficiently and rapidly.

Abstract: A vertical-type probe card includes a circuit board, which has signal circuits and grounding circuits arranged in such a manner that each signal circuit is disposed in parallel and adjacent to one grounding circuit and kept a predetermined distance from the grounding circuit, and a probe assembly, which is arranged at the bottom side of the circuit board and has an upper guide plate, a lower guide plate, a conducting layer provided on the lower guide plate, a plurality of signal probes respectively electrically connected to the signal circuits and adjacent to a plurality of compensation probes, and at least one grounding probe electrically connected to the grounding circuits in a manner that the signal, compensation and grounding probes are vertically inserted through the upper and lower guide plates, and the conducting layer is conducted with the compensation probe and the grounding probe while electrically insulated to the signal probe.

Abstract: A vertical-type probe card includes a circuit board, which has signal circuits and grounding circuits arranged in such a manner that each signal circuit is disposed in parallel and adjacent to one grounding circuit and kept a predetermined distance from the grounding circuit, and a probe assembly, which is arranged at the bottom side of the circuit board and has an upper guide plate, a lower guide plate, a conducting layer provided on the lower guide plate, a plurality of signal probes respectively electrically connected to the signal circuits and adjacent to a plurality of compensation probes, and at least one grounding probe electrically connected to the grounding circuits in a manner that the signal, compensation and grounding probes are vertically inserted through the upper and lower guide plates, and the conducting layer is conducted with the compensation probe and the grounding probe while electrically insulated to the signal probe.

Abstract: A high-frequency probe card includes a circuit board having signal circuits and grounding circuits, transmission lines each having a bi-wire structure including a first lead wire for transmitting high-frequency signal and a second lead wire connected to the grounding circuits, and signal probes. High-frequency test signal provided by a test machine to the signal circuits can be transmitted to the signal probes through the first lead wires. Since the grounding circuits and second lead wires are provided adjacent to the signal circuits and first lead wires respectively, the high-frequency signal can be efficiently transmitted and the characteristic impedance matching can be maintained during high-frequency signal transmission. The bi-wire structure of the transmission lines has a diameter equal to or less than 1 millimeter, thereby allowing installation of a big number of the transmission lines such that the high-frequency test for a big number of electronic elements can be realized.

Abstract: A cantilever-type probe card includes a circuit board having a first surface on which a plurality of signal contact pads and grounding contact pads are formed, a locating ring mounted on the first surface of the circuit board, and a plurality of probe pins, each of which is partially supported by the locating ring. Each of the probe pins has an electrically conducting core having an exposed first end electrically connected to one of the signal contact pads of the circuit board, and an exposed second end suspending outside the locating ring for probing a test contact, and a metal film insulatively spaced from the electrically conducting core and electrically connected to one of the grounding contact pads of the circuit board.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for removing coating layers from the top of alignment marks on a wafer situated in a spin processor are described. The method may be carried out by first providing a spin process equipped with a rotatable wafer pedestal, then providing a wafer that has at least one alignment mark covered by a coating layer, mounting an edge ring on an outer periphery of the wafer pedestal, the edge ring has at least one tab section extending outwardly from an inner periphery of the edge ring, then positioning the wafer faced down and supported by an inert gas flow on the edge ring such that a narrow gap is formed between the tab section on the edge ring and the alignment marks and dispensing an etchant onto a backside of the wafer while rotating.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for removing coating layers from the top of alignment marks on a wafer situated in a spin processor are described. The method may be carried out by first providing a spin process equipped with a rotatable wafer pedestal, then providing a wafer that has at least one alignment mark covered by a coating layer, mounting an edge ring on an outer periphery of the wafer pedestal, the edge ring has at least one tab section extending outwardly from an inner periphery of the edge ring, then positioning the wafer faced down and supported by an inert gas flow on the edge ring such that a narrow gap is formed between the tab section on the edge ring and the alignment marks and dispensing an etchant onto a backside of the wafer while rotating.