Patent ID: 9726719
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: G01R

Claim:
1. A semiconductor automatic test equipment (ATE) comprising a backing apparatus, the backing apparatus comprising: a probe card holder configured to rigidly affix one or more first portions of a flexible probe card to the probe card holder, wherein a respective back side of each of the one or more first portions is adjacent to the probe card holder when the one or more first portions are rigidly affixed to the probe card holder; linear actuators; and a rigid backing plate configured to rigidly affix a second portion of the flexible probe card to the rigid backing plate, wherein one side of the rigid backing plate is adjacent to a back side of the second portion when the second portion is rigidly affixed to the rigid backing plate, wherein each linear actuator is configured to provide backing of another side of the rigid backing plate against the probe card holder when electrical contacts between a wafer loaded in the ATE for testing and the flexible probe card having the second portion rigidly affixed to the rigid backing plate and the one or more first portions rigidly affixed to the probe card holder are interrupted, wherein the linear actuators are positioned relative to the rigid backing plate in a way enabling continuing of the providing of the backing by the linear actuators when the flexible probe card having the second portion rigidly affixed to the rigid backing plate and the one or more first portions rigidly affixed to the probe card holder provides the electrical contacts to said wafer under test, wherein the one side and the other side of the rigid backing plate are opposite to each other.