Patent ID: 6298312
Filing Date: 2001-10-02
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
A method of determining the angle of a probe needle tip used in a probe assembly for contacting and measuring electrical characteristics of a circuit device, wherein said needle tip includes first and second non-coaxial sections along the outer free end thereof, said method comprising the steps of:(A) determining the spatial coordinates (X.sub.1, Y.sub.1, Z.sub.1), (X.sub.2, Y.sub.1, Z.sub.2), (X.sub.3, Y.sub.1, Z.sub.3), respectively of three points A, B, C along the outer free end of said needle tip;(B) determining the slopes m.sub.1, m.sub.2 of said first and second sections using the spatial coordinates (X.sub.1, Y.sub.1, Z.sub.1), (X.sub.2, Y.sub.1, Z.sub.2), (X.sub.3, Y.sub.1, Z.sub.3), determined in step (A), according to the formulas: ##EQU4##and ##EQU5##(C) determining said angle using the formula: ##EQU6##