A prober head to interface an E-testing apparatus to a device under test, which may be an unpackaged die, for example. In some embodiments, the prober head includes an array of conductive pins, each of the pins extending outwardly from a first pin end anchored to a substrate. At least a partial length of each of the pins is coated with a hydrophobic monolayer. The conductive pins may be composite metal wires including a core metal encased by one or more peripheral metal. At a tip of the pins, opposite the first pin end anchored to the substrate, the peripheral metals are recessed from the core metal. In further embodiments, the hydrophobic monolayer is disposed on an outer surface of the peripheral metals, but is substantially absent from a surface of the core metal exposed at the tip.

A probe card in an automated test equipment (ATE) is disclosed. The probe card may be a portion of a vertical-type probe card assembly in which pads on a circuit board are contacted by probe pins, with vertical vias in the circuit board interconnecting various conductive elements. Disclosed herein is a transposed via arrangement within a circuit board for a probe card, where adjacent vias are offset towards each other such that the inductance between the adjacent vias may be reduced to provide a desirable impedance during high frequency signal and/or power transmission.

Probe array for contacting electronic components includes a plurality of probes for making contact between two electronic circuit elements and an array plate mounting and retention configuration. The probes may comprise lower retention features that protrudes from a probe body with a size and configuration that limits the longitudinal extent to which the probes can be inserted into plate probe holes of an array plate and an upper retention feature comprising at least one laterally compressible spring element at a level above the lower retention feature that, in combination with the probe body, can be made to achieve a lateral configuration that is sized to pass through the hole and thereafter elastically return to a configuration that is incapable of passing through the hole so as to retain the probe and the array plate together.

Probe for making contact between two electronic circuit elements comprises a feature selected from the group consisting of: (A) at least one first tip and second tip arm supporting a shunting element that makes an electrical connection to at least one standoff while shunting current flow away from a spring element of the probe that joins a respective standoff and supports the respective tip arm, and (B) both of the first tip arm and the second tip arm support a respective shunting element that makes an electrical connection to the at least one respective standoff while shunting current flow away from a respective spring element that joins the respective standoff and supports the respective tip arm.

Cantilever probes are produced for use in a test apparatus of integrated electronic circuits. The probes are configured to contact corresponding terminals of the electronic circuits to be tested during a test operation. The probe bodies are formed of electrically conductive materials. On a lower portion of each probe body that, in use, is directed to the respective terminal to be contacted, an electrically conductive contact region is formed having a first hardness value equal to or greater than 300 HV; each contact region and the respective probe body form the corresponding probe.

Cantilever probes are produced for use in a test apparatus of integrated electronic circuits. The probes are configured to contact corresponding terminals of the electronic circuits to be tested during a test operation. The probe bodies are formed of electrically conductive materials. On a lower portion of each probe body that, in use, is directed to the respective terminal to be contacted, an electrically conductive contact region is formed having a first hardness value equal to or greater than 300 HV; each contact region and the respective probe body form the corresponding probe.

A testing head comprises a plurality of contact probes, and a guide having a plurality of guide holes for housing the contact probes and including a conductive portion. Each contact probe includes a first end region and a second end region, and a body which extends between the first and second end regions. Suitably, the conductive portion includes a group of the guide holes and electrically connects contact probes of a first group of the contact probes. The contact probes of the first group slide in the guide holes in the conductive portion and are adapted to carry a same signal, and each contact probe of a second group of the plurality of contact probes is surrounded by an insulating coating layer that extends along the body of each contact probe of the second group, thereby insulating the contact probes of the second group from the conductive portion.

Pin probes and pin probe arrays are provided that allow electric contact to be made with selected electronic circuit components. Some embodiments include one or more compliant pin elements located within a sheath. Some embodiments include pin probes that include locking or latching elements that may be used to fix pin portions of probes into sheaths. Some embodiments provide for fabrication of probes using multi-layer electrochemical fabrication methods.

Some embodiments of the invention are directed to electrochemical fabrication methods for forming structures or devices (e.g. microprobes for use in die level testing of semiconductor devices) from a core material and a shell or coating material that partially coats the surface of the structure. Other embodiments are directed to electrochemical fabrication methods for producing structures or devices (e.g. microprobes) from a core material and a shell or coating material that completely coats the surface of each layer from which the probe is formed including interlayer regions. Additional embodiments of the invention are directed to electrochemical fabrication methods for forming structures or devices (e.g. microprobes) from a core material and a shell or coating material wherein the coating material is located around each layer of the structure without locating the coating material in inter-layer regions.

A contact probe for a probe head for test equipment of electronic devices is provided. The contact probe includes a first end portion and a second end portion configured to realize a contact with suitable contact structures, and a body portion extended along a longitudinal development axis between respective the first and second end portions. The first end portion includes a base portion, a peripherally protruding element protruding from the base portion, and a hollow part having a base at a surface of the base portion and being surrounded by the peripherally protruding element. In addition, the peripherally protruding element is configured to penetrate into the contact structures.