A testing arrangement for testing Integrated Circuit (IC) interconnects is provided. In an example, the testing arrangement includes a substrate, and a first interconnect structure. The first interconnect structure may include a first member having a first end to attach to the substrate and a second end opposite the first end, and a second member having a first end to attach to the substrate and a second end opposite the first end. In some examples, the second end of the first member and the second end of the second member are to contact a second interconnect structure of a IC device under test, and the first end of the first member and the first end of the second member are coupled such that the first member and the second member are to transmit, in parallel, current to the second interconnect structure of the IC device under test.

Embodiments related to the generation of magnetic bias fields for magnetic sensing are described and depicted. In one embodiment, a sensor includes at least one magnetosensitive element, and a magnetic body with an opening, the magnetic body comprising magnetic material, the magnetic body having inclined surface sections shaped by the opening, wherein the sensor is arranged within the opening such that the magnetosensitive element is in lateral directions bounded by the inclined surface sections.

Embodiments related to the generation of magnetic bias fields for magnetic sensing are described and depicted. In one embodiment, a sensor includes at least one magnetosensitive element, and a magnetic body with an opening, the magnetic body comprising magnetic material, the magnetic body having inclined surface sections shaped by the opening, wherein the sensor is arranged within the opening such that the magnetosensitive element is in lateral directions bounded by the inclined surface sections.

A clad wire for producing test needles or sliding contacts is provided herein, the clad wire having a wire core made of rhodium or a rhodium-based alloy, an inner cladding made of copper or silver or aluminum or a copper-based alloy or a silver-based alloy or an aluminum-based alloy, wherein the inner cladding covers or completely encloses the wire core on at least two opposite sides, an adhesion-promoting layer made of gold or a gold-based alloy, which is arranged between the wire core and the inner cladding, and an outer cladding made of a metal or a metal alloy having a greater hardness than the inner cladding, wherein the outer cladding encloses the inner cladding. A method for producing a clad wire and to a test needle having at least one clad wire or produced from a clad wire and a test needle array is also provided herein.

A clad wire for producing test needles or sliding contacts is provided herein, the clad wire having a wire core made of rhodium or a rhodium-based alloy, an inner cladding made of copper or silver or aluminum or a copper-based alloy or a silver-based alloy or an aluminum-based alloy, wherein the inner cladding covers or completely encloses the wire core on at least two opposite sides, an adhesion-promoting layer made of gold or a gold-based alloy, which is arranged between the wire core and the inner cladding, and an outer cladding made of a metal or a metal alloy having a greater hardness than the inner cladding, wherein the outer cladding encloses the inner cladding. A method for producing a clad wire and to a test needle having at least one clad wire or produced from a clad wire and a test needle array is also provided herein.

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.

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.

There is provided a maintenance apparatus including: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of test results, for each of a plurality of jigs, in a case where a plurality of devices under measurement, which are different from each other, are sequentially tested via the plurality of jigs; a calculation unit configured to calculate a variation in test results, for each jig, by using the plurality of test results; and a determination unit configured to determine maintenance timing of the jig based on the variation in the test results.

There is provided a maintenance apparatus including: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of test results, for each of a plurality of jigs, in a case where a plurality of devices under measurement, which are different from each other, are sequentially tested via the plurality of jigs; a calculation unit configured to calculate a variation in test results, for each jig, by using the plurality of test results; and a determination unit configured to determine maintenance timing of the jig based on the variation in the test results.

Proposed are an electrically conductive contact pin formed by stacking a plurality of metal layers and a manufacturing method therefor, in which the electrically conductive contact pin has improved physical or electrical characteristics.