Abstract
A contact-distance transformer of an electric testing device for testing an electric specimen such as a wafer, for reducing a distance between neighboring electric contacts, the transformer having a non-electrically conductive supporting structure with a first side with first electric contacts positioned apart a first distance and a second side with second electric contacts positioned apart a second, smaller distance. The first contacts are connected to the second contacts by electric connections passing through the support structure and/or which are positioned on the support structure.
Claims
1-25. (canceled)
26. A contact-distance transformer of an electric testing device for testing an electric specimen, a non-electrically conductive supporting structure provided with a first side and a second side, the first side having first electric contacts positioned at a first contact distance to each other, the second side having second electric contacts positioned at a contact distance to each other which is smaller than the first contact distance, the first electric contacts connected to the second electric contacts by electric connections passing through the support structure and/or positioned on the support structure, wherein both the support structure and the electric connections are formed as 3D-printed components, and wherein the contact-distance transformer is used to reduce a distance between neighboring electric contacts.
27. The contact-distance transformer according to claim 26, wherein the first and/or second electric contacts are also formed as 3D-printed components.
28. The contact-distance transformer according to claim 26, wherein at least a first and/or at least a second contact are formed by the front surface of at least one of the electric connections.
29. The contact-distance transformer according to claim 26, wherein the transformer is formed exclusively of 3D-printed components.
30. The contact-distance transformer according to claim 26, wherein the transformer is provided with at least one electric component selected from a group consisting of a resistor, a coil and a capacitor, wherein the electric component is also formed as a 3D-printed component.
31. The contact-distance transformer according to claim 30, wherein the at least one electric component is electrically connected to at least one of the first electric contacts, one of the second electric contacts and/or one of the connections by an electrically conductive 3D-printed contact point.
32. The contact-distance transformer according to claim 26, wherein the first side and/or the second side includes a terminal element, wherein the terminal element is not a 3D-printed component.
33. The contact-distance transformer according to claim 26, wherein the terminal element is provided with through contacts, electrically connected to the first or second contacts.
34. The contact-distance transformer according to claim 26, in combination with an electric testing device for testing an electric specimen.
35. The electric testing device according to claim 34, in combination with a conductive substrate provided with contact surfaces electrically connected, to the first contacts of the contact-distance transformer.
36. The electric testing device according to claim 34, wherein the connection component is a film provided with contact springs.
37. The electric testing device according to claim 34, further comprising a contact head provided with contact components for electric physical contacting of the specimen.
38. The electric testing device according to claim 37, wherein the contact components are provided as bending contact needles, spring contact pins, pogos or the like.
39. The electric testing device according to claim 37, wherein the contact head is provided with at least two mutually distanced guiding plates, the at least two mutually distanced guiding plates provided with guiding holes, wherein in the guiding holes the contact components are positioned for an electric physical contact with the specimen.
40. The electric testing device according to claim 37, wherein the contact components physically contact the two contacts of the contact-distance transformer.
41. The electric testing device according to claim 34, wherein the contact-distance transformer is 3D-printed and contributes to forming a 3D-printed conductive substrate.
42. The electric testing device according to claim 37, wherein the second electric contacts of the contact-distance transformer are 3D-printed contact elements for direct physical contact of the specimen.
43. The electric testing device according to claim 37, wherein the contact elements are formed as point-like contacts, pin-like contacts directed in the direction of physical contact or contacts that predominantly extend transversely with respect to the direction of physical contact.
44. A method for producing the contact-distance transformer of an electric testing device for testing an electric specimen of claim 1, the method comprising: layer-by-layer 3D-printing of a supporting structure of electric insulating printing material; and layer-by-layer 3D-printing, of electric connections passing through the supporting structure and/or are positioned on the supporting structure, the electric connectors made of electrically conductive printing material.
45. The method according to claim 44, further comprising layer-by-layer 3D-printing of the first and/or second electric contacts of electrically conductive printing material, wherein the first and/or second electric contacts are positioned on at least one of the ends of the electric connections.
46. The method according to claim 44, further comprising layer-by-layer 3D-printing of electrically conductive printing material on previously 3D-printed electrically insulating printing material, in particular for producing electric transverse connections.
47. The method according to claim 44, further comprising layer-by-layer 3D-printing, of electrically less conductive printing material for producing at least one electric resistor.
48. The method according to claim 44, further comprising layer-by-layer 3D-printing of mutually opposed electrodes made of electrically conductive printing material for producing a capacitor, wherein a 3D-printing of dielectric material takes place between the electrodes.
49. The method according to claim 44, further comprising layer-by-layer 3D-printing, of spiral and/or helical conductors made of electrically conductive material, for producing at least one coil.
50. The method according to claim 44, further comprising layer-by-layer 3D-printing of liquid insulating liquid, which diffuses by gravity and then hardens, for producing electric insulating areas of the supporting structure.
Description
[0030] The drawings show the invention by means of exemplary embodiments, wherein in particular:
[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a testing device for testing an electric specimen,
[0032] FIG. 2a shows a 3D-printing process,
[0033] FIG. 2b shows a particular enlargement of FIG. 2a,
[0034] FIGS. 3 to 5 show further 3D-printing processes,
[0035] FIG. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a contact-distance transformer,
[0036] FIG. 7 shows a testing device according to a further exemplary embodiment,
[0037] FIG. 8 shows a testing device according to a further exemplary embodiment, and
[0038] FIG. 9 shows a testing device according to a last exemplary embodiment.
[0039] FIG. 1 shows a testing device 1 in a schematic representation, which comprises a conductive substrate 2, an electric connection component 3, a contact-distance transformer 4 and a contact head 5. The testing device 1 also comprises a receiving table 6 for a specimen 7, whose electric functionality has to be tested, wherein the specimen 7 may in particular be a wafer 8.
[0040] The conductive substrate 2, which is in particular a multilayered circuit board, is provided, on its upper side 9, with contact surfaces 10 arranged on its outer edge, which are electrically connected via conductive tracks 11 to contact surfaces 13 disposed on its lower side 12. Contact surfaces 13 are physically in contact with contact springs 14 of the electric connection component 3. The electric connection component 3 is provided with a film 15, which carries contact springs 14. Contact springs 14 physically contact the first contacts 16 of the contact-distance transformer 4. The first contacts are arranged on a first side 17 of the contact-distance transformer 4. On a second side 18 of the contact-distance transformer 4, which preferably is parallel opposed to the first side 17, two contacts 19 of the contact-distance transformer 4 are disposed, wherein the first contacts 16 are connected to the second contacts 19 via electric connections 20. According to the testing of specimen 7, complex path structures of electric connections 20 may be present, in order to connect corresponding first contacts 16 to corresponding second contacts 19. Moreover, it is envisaged that first neighboring contacts 16 have a contact distance a and that second neighboring contacts 19 have a contact distance b.
[0041] The arrangement is now made so that the contact distance b is much smaller that the contact distance a, whichdue to drawing constrainscannot be shown in FIG. 1. The second contacts 19 of the contact-distance transformer 4 are physically contacting contact components 21, in particular bending contact needles 21, of the contact head 5. The contact head 5 is provided with two guiding plates 22 and 23, which are distanced and preferably parallel to each other, which are each provided with guiding holes 24 and 25. The bending contact needles 21 are slidably supported in a longitudinal direction in guiding holes 24 and 25, so that they physically contact with their one ends the second contacts 19 and protrude with their other ends from the guiding plate 23, so that they physically contact specimen contacts 26 of specimen 7. The bending contact needles 21as their name impliesare slightly bent sideways, in order to provide a spring action.
[0042] For testing the electric specimen 7, the latter is raised by the receiving table 6 and is pressed against the testing device 1, whereby above said physical contacting of various components takes place. Through electric lines, not shown, which are connected to the contact surfaces 10, and which lead to a testing device, it is now possible to connect test current circuits to the specimen 7, in order to test its functionality. This test preferably takes place also in consideration of a wide temperature spectrum.
[0043] The inventive embodiment of FIG. 1 is now provided so that the contact-distance transformer 4 is preferably completely provided as a 3D-printed component 27. It is provided with a non-conductive supporting structure 28, as well as electric connections 20, which pass through the supporting structure 28 and/or which are positioned on the supporting structure 28. These are made of electrically conductive material. The supporting structure 28 and the connections are respective 3D-printed components 27.
[0044] FIGS. 2a, 2b, 3, 4 and 5 explain the production process of contact-distance transformer 4, which is manufactured by a 3D-printing method. According to FIG. 2a, on a basis 29 by means of a 3D-printer, not shown in detail, printing material 30 as well as printing material 31 are applied/printed in particular layer by layer, and in particular on respective portions. The printing materials 30 and 31 are preferably provided inside dosing heads 32 and 33 of the 3D-printer. These dosing heads 32 and 33 may be moved to corresponding spatial positions, in order to expel or not the printing material 30, 31. The partial area 34 situated in FIG. 2a on the basis 29 of the developing contact-distance transformer 4 has a total of five layers 35 to 39. The individual layers 35 to 39 are composed of printing material 30 and/or printing material 31. Printing material 30 is electrically non-conductive and provides the supporting structure 28 and printing material 33 is electrically conductive and forms the first contacts 16, the second contacts 19, the electric connections 20 and/or the transverse connections 40. The transverse connections 40 are part of connections 20. Connections 20 extend horizontally, vertically and/or obliquely through the supporting structure 28 along predetermined tracks, (according to the applied software used for printing process of 3D-printer).
[0045] In order to clarify the layer-by-layer and, inside each layer, possibly portioned printing of different printing materials 30, 31, reference is made to FIG. 2b, which shows a detail of FIG. 2a in an enlarged scale. By means of the dosing heads 32 and 33, desired positions are reached and the respective printing process is executed. In order to produce the layer 35, initially the area 41 is produced by applying printing material 30. Then, the printing process of dosing head 32 is stopped and printing is resumed with the dosing head 33, in order to create the area 42 of printing material 31. In layer 35, an area 43 of printing material 30 follows, i.e. the printing process is continued with the dosing head 32. It follows an area 44 of printing material 31 and then an area 45 of printing material 30. It follows an area 46 of printing material 31 and then an area 47 of printing material 30 and so on. In the end, in this way, electric non-conductive and electrically conductive areas are created, in order to produce corresponding portions of the supporting structure 28 or of the conductive structure for the second contacts 19, for example. Above said sequence of individual printing processes may obviously be different, for example, initially all electrically conductive areas and then all electric non-conductive areas (or vice versa). On layer 35 layer 36 is then printed, which is formed by an area 48 of non-conductive printing material 30, an area 49 of conductive printing material 31, an area 50 of non-conductive printing material 30, an area 51 of conductive printing material 31 and an area 52 of non-conductive printing material 30. The corresponding areas of layer 36 are printed on corresponding areas of layer 35, so that either the electric non-conductive or the electrically conductive portion is widened or a transition is made from the electrically conductive to the electric non-conductive or vice versa. In the present case, area 49 represents an electric connection 20 to area 42. The same applies to area 51 with respect to area 46. Area 44, which is electrically conductive, is covered by the non-conductive area 50. The third layer 37, which is printed over the second layer 36, has an area 53 of electric non-conductive printing material 30, an area 54 of conductive material 31 and an area 55 of non-conductive printing material 30. In FIG. 2b it can be seen that in this way area 49 is in electric contact with area 54 and the latter is in electric contact with area 51. Area 54 forms a connection 20, which is a transverse connection 40, which is electrically insulated by area 50 from area 44. The next layer 38 has an area 56 of non-conductive printing material 30, an area 57 of conductive printing material 31 and an area 58 of non-conductive printing material 30. Area 57 is electrically connected to area 54. The following layer 39, which is still in the working phase, is comprisedas shownof a non-conductive printing material 30, which is discharged by the dosing head 32. Further layers may follow. Obviously, the previous description of the printing process only represents some examples, from which it is however clear that it is possible to print in three dimensions and create a corresponding supporting structure 28 as well as embed therein corresponding electric profiles, in order to produce, in the end, the contact-distance transformer 4, as shown in FIG. 1, for example. In order to provide the contact-distance function, on one side (first side 17) a great contact distance is created and on the other side (second side 18) a small, preferably very narrow, contact distance is created. The basis 29 of FIG. 2b is only used as a working table, i.e. the printed structure is raised from the basis 29 at the end of the 3D-printing.
[0046] FIG. 3 shows a production process of a contact-distance transformer 4, in which the process is performed according to the description of FIGS. 2a and 2b. Additionally it is envisaged that during the 3D-printing, at least one electric component 59 is also printed. To this end, the 3D-printer is provided, on one hand, with the already described dosing heads 32 and 33, in order to apply non-conductive printing material 30 as well as conductive printing material 31. At least an additional dosing head is however provided. FIG. 3 shows three additional dosing heads 60, 61 and 62. In dosing head 60, printing material of low electric conductivity is provided, i.e. a conductivity for printing electric resistor tracks. Dosing head 61 contains a printing material with a dielectric constant 1. Dosing head 62 contains a printing material with a dielectric constant 2. As shown in FIG. 3, a portion of a contact-distance transformer 4 was already finished, whichembedded in non-conductive printing material 30is provided with two contacts 19 as well as electric connections 20 and transverse connections 40. In the course of the present application, transverse connections 40 represent a subgroup of connections 20. As already said in the introduction, it is also possible to envisage that the second contacts 19 are printed in a way that their spatial dimensions are not different from connections 20, while connections 20 extend up to the outer side of the contact-distance transformer 4, so that their front surfaces are available for physical contact. The end segments of connections 20 are therefore contacts 19. Obviously, in the figures, the still unfinished printing processes are continued until at the end first contacts 16 are printed, whichas shownmay be made in the same way and are available for physical contact. FIG. 3 shows that electrically less conductive printing material 63 for producing an electric resistor 64 has been placed by the dosing head 60 between two second contacts 19. An electric component 59 formed by said electric resistor 64 is formed. In order to provide capacitors 65 as electric components 59, corresponding printing material 66 and 67 has been printed through dosing heads 61 and 62 between corresponding contacts 19, wherein the printing materials 66 and 67 comprise different dielectric constants, whereby the capacitor's capacitance is influenced. If one prints a spiral or helical conductor structure with the electrically conductive printing material 31, the result is the creation of inductances as electric components 59 (not shown). Obviously, electric components 59 need not be placed on the outsideas shown in FIG. 3but can instead be embedded into the supporting structure 28.
[0047] FIG. 4 shows another exemplary embodiment related to the production of the contact-distance transformer 4 by a method of 3D-printing. This device corresponds to the device of FIG. 3, so that reference is made to the latter. The only difference lies in the fact that by means of a dosing head 32, only schematically shown, a printing material 30 is printed, which is very thin and which, due to its thinness, is diffused by gravity, so that at least portions of the supporting structure 28 are produced in this way. This thin printing material 30 obviously hardens very quickly after its printing. In order to avoid that the printing material 30 flows away, sealing walls 68 are provided on the sides of the printing structures, which are only necessary until the printing material 30 has hardened. After completing the 3D-printed contact-distance transformer 4, it is removed from the tub-like support structure (basis 29 as well as sealing walls 68).
[0048] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment corresponding to FIG. 4, i.e. the printing with thin printing material 30 for creating non-conductive areas. Sinceas already explainedthe 3D-printing is performed in a layer-by-layer fashion, possible separated areas have to be individually filled with thin printing material 30, in order to overcome confining structures 69, which in the present case are formed by electric connections 20. In this sense, the dosing head 32 is successively applied in three different positions, as indicated in FIG. 5.
[0049] In particular, with thin printing material 30 according to FIGS. 4 and 5, it may be envisaged that this material, due to capillary force, draws itself over structures, like for example printing walls 68 and confining structures 69, i.e., no plane surface is present, but marginal ridges. In such a case it may be envisaged that these ridges are removed by grinding or similar in an intermediate step of the production.
[0050] According to another embodiment of the invention, not shown, it is possible that in the respective printing material, for example, in the non-conductive printing material 30, stiffening structures are embedded, in order to convey a higher rigidity to the finished product. These may be formed by stiffening ribs or grates, etc., for example. These stiffening elements are correspondingly embedded by the 3D-printing. It is naturally also possible to 3D-print the stiffening elements, too.
[0051] FIG. 6 shows a contact-distance transformer 4, which is only partially produced by a 3D-printing method, i.e. only the central area indicated with 70. On the first side 17 and on the second side 18 of the central area 70, a terminal element 71 or 72 was attached, in particular by gluing. The terminal element 70 is a ceramic plate 73, which is provided with fitting holes 75, drilled with a machine tool, wherein these fitting holes have a contact distance a. Also the terminal element 72 is a ceramic plate 75, which is provided with laser drilled fitting holes 76, wherein the individual fitting holes 76 have a mutual contact distance b. Fitting holes 75 and 76 are provided with through contacts 77 for creating electric conductors. These are electrically connected to the electric connections 20 of the central area 70, which is completely produced by 3D-printing. This can be performed through thermal bonding during the production process. Thermal bonding means that by correspondingly high temperatures, an activation of the material ensues, in order to electrically contact the respective through contacts 77 to the respective electric connections 20. As an end result, the construction of the contact-distance transformer 4 of FIG. 6 is a sandwich-like construction.
[0052] FIGS. 7 to 9 show further embodiments of the invention, in which components of the testing device are produced with a 3D-printing method, wherein the components are not only the contact-distance transformer 4, but may also be other components, as explained in the following examples.
[0053] FIG. 7 shows a component 78, produced by 3D-printing, whichwith respect to FIG. 1integrates the conductive substrate 2, the connection component 3 and the contact-distance transformer 4. Therefore, on the first side 17 of the component 78, which is preferably completely 3D-printed, the 3D-printed contact surfaces 10 are arranged, from which electric connections 20 lead to the second side 18, on which the second contacts 19 are disposed, which physically contact the contact head 5. Therefore, the component 69 performs the contact-distance transformation both of conductive substrate 2 and of the contact-distance transformer 4.
[0054] The exemplary embodiment of FIG. 8 presents a component 79, which is produced by 3D-printing and which integrates the function of the contact-distance transformer 4 and of the contact head 5, in thatwith respect to FIG. 1the contact-distance transformer 4 is provided on its second side 18 with contact elements 80, which are 3D-printed as raised portions, which physically contact the specimen contacts 26 of specimen 7 during its electric testing. For the rest, structure of example of FIG. 8 corresponds to the structure of example of FIG. 1.
[0055] FIG. 9 shows a highly integrated component 81, which is preferably completely produced by 3D-printing, and which integrates the functions of the conductive substrate 2, of the connection component 3, of the contact-distance transformer 4 and of the contact head 5 according to the example of FIG. 1. Therefore, on the first side 17 the 3D-printed contact surfaces 10 and on the second side 18 protruding contact elements 80 are positioned in order to physically and electrically contact the specimen 7 in that position. In the example of FIG. 9, in some connections 20 electric components 59 are integrated by 3D-printing, i.e. electric resistors R, coils L and capacitors C. These 3D-printed components may obviously be integrated also in all examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 9.
[0056] All cited FIGS. 1 to 9 can show only two-dimensional structures. In fact, these structures are obviously three-dimensional.
