Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20120061009A1/en
Timestamp: 2018-09-26 13:22:50
Document Index: 167064129

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60']

US20120061009A1 - Cantilever Microprobes For Contacting Electronic Components and Methods for Making Such Probes - Google Patents
US20120061009A1
US20120061009A1 US13273897 US201113273897A US2012061009A1 US 20120061009 A1 US20120061009 A1 US 20120061009A1 US 13273897 US13273897 US 13273897 US 201113273897 A US201113273897 A US 201113273897A US 2012061009 A1 US2012061009 A1 US 2012061009A1
US8729916B2 (en )
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/251,789 (Microfabrica Docket No. P-US140-M-MF), filed Oct. 3, 2011. The '789 application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/025,511 (P-US140-L-MF), filed Feb. 11, 2011. The '511 application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/724,287 (P-US140-J-MF), filed Mar. 15, 2010. The '287 application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/695,597 (P-US140-D-MF), filed Apr. 2, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,679,388. The '597 application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/028,960 (P-US140-A-MF), filed on Jan. 3, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,265,565. The '960 application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/949,738 (P-US119-A-MF), filed Sep. 24, 2004, now abandoned and the '960 application also claims benefit of U.S. Application Nos. 60/582,689, filed Jun. 23, 2004; 60/582,690, filed Jun. 23, 2004; 60/609,719, filed Sep. 13, 2004; 60/611,789, filed Sep. 20, 2004; 60/540,511, filed Jan. 29, 2004; 60/533,933, filed Dec. 31, 2003; 60/536,865, filed Jan. 15, 2004; and 60/533,947, Dec. 31, 2003. The '738 application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/772,943 (P-US097-A-MF), filed Feb. 4, 2004, now abandoned, and the '738 application also claims benefit of U.S. Application Nos. 60/506,015, filed Sep. 24, 2003; 60/533,933, filed Dec. 31, 2003; and 60/536,865, filed Jan. 15, 2004. The '943 application claims benefit of U.S. Application Nos. 60/445,186, filed Feb. 4, 2003; 60/506,015, filed Sep. 24, 2003; 60/533,933, filed Dec. 31, 2003; and 60/536,865, filed Jan. 15, 2004. Each of these applications is incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full herein including any appendices attached thereto.
A technique for forming three-dimensional structures (e.g. parts, components, devices, and the like) from a plurality of adhered layers was invented by Adam L. Cohen and is known as Electrochemical Fabrication. It is being commercially pursued by Microfabrica® Inc. of Van Nuys, Calif. under the name EFAB®. This technique was described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,630, issued on Feb. 22, 2000. This electrochemical deposition technique allows the selective deposition of a material using a unique masking technique that involves the use of a mask that includes patterned conformable material on a support structure that is independent of the substrate onto which plating will occur. When desiring to perform an electrodeposition using the mask, the conformable portion of the mask is brought into contact with a substrate while in the presence of a plating solution such that the contact of the conformable portion of the mask to the substrate inhibits deposition at selected locations. For convenience, these masks might be generically called conformable contact masks; the masking technique may be generically called a conformable contact mask plating process. More specifically, in the terminology of Microfabrica® Inc. of Van Nuys, Calif. such masks have come to be known as INSTANT MASKS™ and the process known as INSTANT MASKING™ or INSTANT MASK™ plating. Selective depositions using conformable contact mask plating may be used to form single layers of material or may be used to form multi-layer structures. The teachings of the '630 patent are hereby incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full herein. Since the filing of the patent application that led to the above noted patent, various papers about conformable contact mask plating (i.e. INSTANT MASKING™) and electrochemical fabrication have been published:
In still other embodiments it is possible to aid in spreading stress more uniformly using other structural designs. For example bridging elements may be made to connect beams in an oblique manner instead of a vertical manner. Examples of such oblique designs are illustrated in FIGS. 36F-36K. FIGS. 36F and 36G depict entire cantilever probe structures 752 and 762 sitting on substrates 754 and 764 respectively while FIGS. 36H-361 schematically depict side views of only the cantilever portions of alternative probe configurations. As shown in FIG. 36F, bridging elements 756-1, 756-2, to 756-3 may run in a common non-vertical direction (e.g. as indicated by elements 756-2, to 756-3) or in opposing directions (e.g. as indicated by elements 756-1, to 756-2). As shown in FIG. 36G, bridging elements may run in a non-vertical direction that matches a bridging pattern existing at either one or both of the column end or tip end of multibeam structure. FIG. 36H indicates that bridging elements 766-1 may all run in the same direction and further that they need not have a linear aspect to them but instead ma be curved. FIG. 36I indicates that the bridging elements 766-2 may have more complex or compound curved shapes (e.g. S-shapes). FIG. 36J indicates that the bridging elements 766-3, 766-4, and 766-5 may each have different and even opposing configurations. FIG. 36K indicates that the bridging elements 766-6 to 766-9 may take on progressively varying slopes or configurations as the beams are traversed from support column to final bridging element at the tip.
Additional teachings concerning the formation of structures on dielectric substrates and/or the formation of structures that incorporate dielectric materials into the formation process and possibility into the final structures as formed are set forth in a number of patent applications: (1) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/534,184, by Cohen, which as filed on Dec. 31, 2003, and which is entitled “Electrochemical Fabrication Methods Incorporating Dielectric Materials and/or Using Dielectric Substrates”; (2) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/533,932, by Cohen, which was filed on Dec. 31, 2003, and which is entitled “Electrochemical Fabrication Methods Using Dielectric Substrates”; (3) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/534,157, by Lockard et al., which was filed on Dec. 31, 2004, and which is entitled “Electrochemical Fabrication Methods Incorporating Dielectric Materials”; (4) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/574,733, by Lockard et al., which was filed on May 26, 2004, and which is entitled “Methods for Electrochemically Fabricating Structures Using Adhered Masks, Incorporating Dielectric Sheets, and/or Seed Layers that are Partially Removed Via Planarization”; and U.S. Patent Application No. 60/533,895, by Lembrikov et al., which was filed on Dec. 31, 2003, and which is entitled “Electrochemical Fabrication Method for Producing Multi-layer Three-Dimensional Structures on a Porous Dielectric”. These patent filings are each hereby incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full herein. The techniques disclosed explicitly herein may also benefit by combining them with the techniques disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/029,216, filed Jan. 3, 2005, by Cohen et al., now abandoned, titled “Electrochemical Fabrication Methods Incorporating Dielectric Materials and/or Using Dielectric Substrates” and U.S. Patent Application No. 60/641,292, filed Jan. 3, 2005, by Dennis R. Smalley and entitled “Method of Forming Electrically Isolated Structures Using Thin Dielectric Coatings”.
1. A method for creating a probe structure for contacting electronic components wherein the probe structure comprises a contact tip and a compliant body, the method comprising:
a) forming a first part of the compliant body from one or more multiple material layers of electrodeposited material, wherein at least one of the multiple materials is at least one structural material and wherein at least one of the multiple materials is at least one sacrificial material and wherein at least a plurality of the multiple materials are planarized to set a boundary level for each layer, wherein the first part of the compliant body comprises at least one of the at least one structural material;
b) forming the contact tip portion from one or more multiple material layers of electrodeposited material, wherein at least one of the multiple materials is at least one structural material and wherein at least one of the multiple materials is at least one sacrificial material and wherein at least a plurality of the multiple materials are planarized to set a boundary level for each layer, and wherein during electrodeposition the contact tip is formed from at least one of the at least one structural material;
c) forming a second part of the compliant body from one or more multiple material layers of electrodeposited material, wherein at least one of the multiple materials is at least one structural material and wherein at least one of the multiple materials is at least one sacrificial material and wherein at least a plurality of the multiple materials are planarized to set a boundary level for each layer, wherein the second part of the compliant body comprises at least one of the at least one structural material;
wherein the first part of the compliant body, the contact tip, and the second part of the compliant body are formed in order and adhered together as each is successively formed.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one structural material forming the compliant body portion of the probe comprises at least one material that is different from the at least one structural material forming the contact tip.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the probe structure is formed laying on its side.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the cantilever probe structure is formed laying on its side.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein the cantilever probe comprises at least one feature selected from the group consisting of: (1) a cantilever element consisting of a single cantilever beam; (2) a cantilever element consisting of a plurality of cantilever beams; (3) a configuration including a primary beam and at least one additional beam the joins the primary beam and connects to an elongated base via a support element that is different from a support element that connects the primary beam to the elongated base.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the method of creating a probe structure simultaneously creates a plurality of probe structures in batch process on a substrate over which a release layer is formed and onto which the multiple materials are deposited.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein a plurality of probes are attached to a first electronic component in a desired configuration and wherein the contact tips are made to at least temporarily contact a second electronic components to provide an electrical connection between the first and second electronic components.
11. A method for creating a probe structure for contacting electronic components wherein the probe structure comprises a contact tip and a compliant body, the method comprising:
wherein the formation of each of the first part, the contact tip and the second part comprise forming one or more multiple material layers of electrodeposited material, wherein at least one of the multiple materials is at least one structural material and wherein at least one of the multiple materials is at least one sacrificial material and wherein at least a plurality of the multiple materials are planarized to set a boundary level for each layer, wherein the first part, the contact tip, and the second part are each formed from at least one structural material deposited during the formation of their respective layer or layers, and
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one structural material forming the compliant body portion of the probe comprises at least one material that is different from the at least one structural material forming the contact tip.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the probe structure is formed laying on its side.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the cantilever probe structure is formed laying on its side.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein the cantilever probe comprises at least one feature selected from the group consisting of: (1) a cantilever element consisting of a single cantilever beam; (2) a cantilever element consisting of a plurality of cantilever beams; (3) a configuration including a primary beam and at least one additional beam the joins the primary beam and connects to an elongated base via a support element that is different from a support element that connects the primary beam to the elongated base.
19. The method of claim 11 wherein the method of creating a probe structure simultaneously creates a plurality of probe structures in batch process on a substrate over which a release layer is formed and onto which the multiple materials are deposited.
20. The method of claim 18 wherein a plurality of probes are attached to a first electronic component in a desired configuration and wherein the contact tips are made to at least temporarily contact a second electronic components to provide an electrical connection between the first and second electronic components.
21. A method for creating a probe structure for contacting electronic components wherein the probe structure comprises a contact tip and a compliant body, the method comprising:
wherein the formation of each of the first part, the contact tip and the second part comprise forming one or more multiple material layers of deposited material, wherein at least one of the multiple materials is at least one structural material and wherein at least one of the multiple materials is at least one sacrificial material and wherein at least a plurality of the multiple materials are planarized to set a boundary level for each layer, wherein the first part, the contact tip, and the second part are each formed from at least one structural material deposited during the formation of their respective layer or layers, and
22. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one structural material forming the compliant body portion of the probe comprises at least one material that is different from the at least one structural material forming the contact tip.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the probe structure is formed laying on its side.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the cantilever probe structure is formed laying on its side.
28. The method of claim 25 wherein the cantilever probe comprises at least one feature selected from the group consisting of: (1) a cantilever element consisting of a single cantilever beam; (2) a cantilever element consisting of a plurality of cantilever beams; (3) a configuration including a primary beam and at least one additional beam the joins the primary beam and connects to an elongated base via a support element that is different from a support element that connects the primary beam to the elongated base.
29. The method of claim 21 wherein the method of creating a probe structure simultaneously creates a plurality of probe structures in batch process on a substrate over which a release layer is formed and onto which the multiple materials are deposited.
30. The method of claim 18 wherein a plurality of probes are attached to a first electronic component in a desired configuration and wherein the contact tips are made to at least temporarily contact a second electronic components to provide an electrical connection between the first and second electronic components.
31. The method of claim 22 wherein the deposited material is deposited via a process selected from the group consisting of (1) electroplating; (2) electroless plating; (3) PVD, (4) CVD, (5) sputtering, (6) spray metal deposition, (7) deposition via ink.
US20120061009A1 true true US20120061009A1 (en) 2012-03-15
US8729916B2 US8729916B2 (en) 2014-05-20