Electrical contactor especially wafer level contactor using fluid pressure

• Main Author: ELDRIDGE BENJAMIN N
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.10.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CURRENT COLLECTORS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; LINE CONNECTORS; MEASURING; MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES; PHYSICS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; TESTING

An electrical interconnect assembly and methods for making an electrical interconnect assembly. In one embodiment, an interconnect assembly includes a flexible wiring layer having a plurality of first contact elements and a fluid containing structure which is coupled to the flexible wiring layer. The fluid, when contained in the fluid containing structure, presses the flexible wiring layer towards a device under test to form electrical interconnections between the first contact elements and corresponding second contact elements on the device under test. In a further embodiment, an interconnect assembly includes a flexible wiring layer having a plurality of first contact terminals and a semiconductor substrate which includes a plurality of second contact terminals. A plurality of freestanding, resilient contact elements, in one embodiment, are mechanically coupled to one of the flexible wiring layers or the semiconductor substrate and make electrical contacts between corresponding ones of the first contact terminals and the second contact terminals. In another embodiment, a method of making electrical interconnections includes joining a flexible wiring layer and a substrate together in proximity and causing a pressure differential between a first side and a second side of the flexible wiring layer. The pressure differential deforms the flexible wiring layer and causes a plurality of first contact terminals on the flexible wiring layer to electrically connect with a corresponding plurality of second contact terminals on the substrate.