Patent ID: 8779789

Claim:
A method for testing a microelectronic substrate, comprising; positioning a first translator in a first region proximate to a microelectronic substrate, the microelectronic substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface facing away from the first major surface, the microelectronic substrate having electrically conductive through-substrate vias extending through the substrate, a first region extending outwardly from the first major surface of the microelectronic substrate and a second region extending outwardly from the second major surface; releasably fixing the first translator relative to the microelectronic substrate at the first region; releasably fixing a second translator relative to the microelectronic substrate at the second region while the first translator is fixed relative to the microelectronic substrate at the first region; electrically accessing a first through-substrate via of the microelectronic substrate with the first translator while the first translator is positioned in the first region; and electrically accessing the first through-substrate via or a second through-substrate via of the microelectronic substrate with the second translator while both the first and second translators are releasably fixed relative to the microelectronic substrate, wherein accessing the microelectronic substrate with the first translator and electrically accessing the microelectronic substrate with the second translator includes: transmitting a signal along a via of an unpowered die using one of the first and second translators; and transmitting the signal to a powered die using the other of the first and second translators.