Patent ID: 7629804

Claim:
A wafer probe head assembly, comprising: an adapter board having a plurality of first electrical conductors distributed around its periphery and having first terminals respectively formed on one end of each of said first conductors and located proximate said periphery for connection to an integrated circuit (IC) tester, and second terminals respectively formed on an opposite end of said first conductors and located inboard of said first terminals; a probe card assembly including a contactor carrying member formed of one or more layers of electrically non-conductive material and having a planar lower surface with an interior region circumscribed by a peripheral region; electrically conductive circuit traces formed on or above said planar lower surface and extending outwardly from distal extremities thereof located in said interior region and on said lower surface, to third terminals located in said peripheral region; and a plurality of contactors formed in one or more arrays on said planar lower surface within said interior region and in ohmic association with said distal extremities; resilient suspension means for moveably suspending said probe card assembly from said adapter board in precision vertical alignment; and a plurality of electrical signal conductors electrically connecting said third terminals to said second terminals, whereby when said probe head assembly is positioned above a wafer to be tested and said contactors are aligned with and caused to engage the contact pads of the wafer, said probe card assembly is caused to move upwardly relative to said adapter board and against the resilient force of said suspension means, and a test of one or more ICs formed on said wafer can be conducted by said integrated circuit (IC) tester.