| MicroProbe, Inc. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20110273199 | VERTICAL PROBE ARRAY ARRANGED TO PROVIDE SPACE TRANSFORMATION - Improved probing of closely spaced contact pads is provided by an array of vertical probes having all of the probe tips aligned along a single contact line, while the probe bases are arranged in an array having two or more rows parallel to the contact line. With this arrangement of probes, the probe base thickness can be made greater than the contact pad spacing along the contact line, thereby advantageously increasing the lateral stiffness of the probes. The probe tip thickness is less than the contact pad spacing, so probes suitable for practicing the invention have a wide base section and a narrow tip section. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273198 | LOW PROFILE PROBE HAVING IMPROVED MECHANICAL SCRUB AND REDUCED CONTACT INDUCTANCE - A vertically folded probe is provided that can provide improved scrub performance in cases where the probe height is limited. More specifically, such a probe includes a base and a tip, and an arm extending from the base to the tip as a single continuous member. The probe arm is vertically folded, such that it includes three or more vertical arm portions. The vertical arm portions have substantial vertical overlap, and are laterally displaced from each other. When such a probe is vertically brought down onto a device under test, the probe deforms. During probe deformation, at least two of the vertical arm portions come into contact with each other. Such contact between the arm portions can advantageously increase the lateral scrub motion at the probe tip, and can also advantageously reduce the probe inductance. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110062978 | MULTIPLE CONTACT PROBES - The present invention is a probe array for testing an electrical device under test comprising one or more ground/power probes and one or more signal probes and optionally a gas flow apparatus. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110006796 | PROBE RETENTION ARRANGEMENT - A retention arrangement that includes one or more templates for securing and aligning probes for testing a device under test. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20100289512 | PROBES WITH OFFSET ARM AND SUSPENSION STRUCTURE - A probe having a conductive body and a contacting tip that is terminated by one or more blunt skates for engaging a conductive pad of a device under test (DUT) for performing electrical testing. The contacting tip has a certain width and the blunt skate is narrower than the tip width. The skate is aligned along a scrub direction and also has a certain curvature along the scrub direction such that it may undergo both a scrub motion and a self-cleaning rotation upon application of a contact force between the skate and the conductive pad. While the scrub motion clears oxide from the pad to establish electrical contact, the rotation removes debris from the skate and thus preserves a low contact resistance between the skate and the pad. The use of probes with one or more blunt skates and methods of using such self-cleaning probes are especially advantageous when testing DUTs with low-K conductive pads or other mechanically fragile pads that tend to be damaged by large contact force concentration. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100182031 | Layered Probes With Core - The present invention is a probe for testing an electrical device under test comprising a core layer that is highly conductive. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100182030 | Knee Probe Having Reduced Thickness Section for Control of Scrub Motion - An improved knee probe for probing electrical devices and circuits is provided. The improved knee probe has a reduced thickness section to alter the mechanical behavior of the probe when contact is made. The reduced thickness section of the probe makes it easier to deflect the probe vertically when contact is made. This increased ease of vertical deflection tends to reduce the horizontal contact force component responsible for the scrub motion, thereby decreasing scrub length. Here “thickness” is the probe thickness in the deflection plane of the probe (i.e., the plane in which the probe knee lies). The reduced thickness probe section provides increased design flexibility for controlling scrub motion, especially in combination with other probe parameters affecting the scrub motion. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100176832 | Vertical Guided Layered Probe - The present invention is a set of layered probes that make electrical contact to a device under test. The layered probes are disposed within openings of at least one guide plate. The guide plate surrounds the probes via the openings. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100109691 | Low Profile Probe Having Improved Mechanical Scrub and Reduced Contact Inductance - A vertically folded probe is provided that can provide improved scrub performance in cases where the probe height is limited. More specifically, such a probe includes a base and a tip, and an arm extending from the base to the tip as a single continuous member. The probe arm is vertically folded, such that it includes three or more vertical arm portions. The vertical arm portions have substantial vertical overlap, and are laterally displaced from each other. When such a probe is vertically brought down onto a device under test, the probe deforms. During probe deformation, at least two of the vertical arm portions come into contact with each other. Such contact between the arm portions can advantageously increase the lateral scrub motion at the probe tip, and can also advantageously reduce the probe inductance. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20090201041 | Vertical Probe Array Arranged to Provide Space Transformation - Improved probing of closely spaced contact pads is provided by an array of vertical probes having all of the probe tips aligned along a single contact line, while the probe bases are arranged in an array having two or more rows parallel to the contact line. With this arrangement of probes, the probe base thickness can be made greater than the contact pad spacing along the contact line, thereby advantageously increasing the lateral stiffness of the probes. The probe tip thickness is less than the contact pad spacing, so probes suitable for practicing the invention have a wide base section and a narrow tip section. | 08-13-2009 |
