Probe Card PCB | Hard Gold PCB

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Probe Card PCB | Hard Gold PCB

Probe Card PCB | Hard Gold Plating PCB

Layer count:  26 layer
Material: FR4, 3.6 mm, 1 OZ for all layer
Minimum trace: 4 mil
Minimum space(gap): 4 mil
Minimum hole: 0.20mm
Surface finished: full board Hard Gold (Au>=40U")
Panel size: 428*428mm/1up
Characteristics: High TG PCB,  high multilayer PCB, hard gold PCB, IPC 6012 Class 3 PCB

The Typical Steps for Manufacturing a Probe Card Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 

Layout Probe Card PCB

The layout varies depending on the wafer layout, I/O pitch, number of probes required, etc. Circuit designs that are complicated are created using Computer Aided Design.

How to Select the PCB Materials

Generaly need high TG, high frequency, low DK raw materials. It depends on the high frequency signals, impedance matching, etc.

To Manufacture Bare PCB

To make the drills, traces, PADs, hard gold plating, ect onto PCB boards. This is usually done by a PCB manufacturer or as part of a fabrication process by an electronic manufacturing service (EMS) company.

Connectors and Probe Needles Mounting

The small probe needles of Tungsten, Nickel etc are securely fastened on the PCB terminals that come in contact with the wafer pads.

The electrical testing includes the impedance, capacitance, resistance, and signal integrity of the probe card assembly. This ensures its proper functionality before using it for real wafers testing.

Introduce the probe needles – Wider than the probe tips and serve as the stabilizing components of the system including guide plates, leveling pins, and ring.

Calibration Testing for Probe Card

After the completion of the fabrication of the probe card, electrical, mechanical and functional testing is conducted to fine tune the probe card and identify its characteristics before it is used in the wafer sort testing.

Some of the critical processes include lithographic fabrication of PCBs, the integration of probe needles with high precision, and testing and calibration to ensure that solid electrical contacts are made during the wafer test. Manufacturing and Assembly: Specifics of probe card manufacturing and assembly are carried out by companies specialized in the production of intricate probe cards.

Probe Card PCB for Semiconductor Test Systems

The probe card is an element in semiconductor test systems. Some key points about probe cards:Some key points about probe cards:

- Probe cards are circuit boards that have bumps of metal called probes which are used for short term electrical contact to the devices under test in a semiconductor wafer.

- These probes make connection with bonding pads or test structures on the wafer devices to provide test signals and for parametric and functional testing with the ATE.

- Probe cards offer the necessary electrical connection between the ATE tester and the wafer. They enable the ATE to correctly examine the wafer level devices for defects while characterizing the performance of the device.

- The construction of probe cards is technologically complex because they must align perfectly with a large number of contact points in order to touch every part of a single wafer of potentially thousands of integrated circuits.

- Some of the fundamental factors that define probe cards include probe/contact placement and geometries, contact pitch, accuracy, probe mark/contamination issues, frequency response, reliability for long term usage, and contact force/overdrive.

- Specific probe card design depends on the device layout, bondpad locations, and electrical test needs that are to be met. The leading manufacturers of probe cards have exposure to various technologies of devices.

In conclusion, probe cards are vital in providing an all-around test for present complex ICs in the industry before they are packaged and sold to clients. It locates at a very strategic position between the ATE system and the wafer-level devices under test.