Low contact-force and compliant MEMS probe card utilizing fritting contact

We present a new MEMS probe card made of electroplated Ni micro-cantilevers, which has compliant structures, and uses a kind of electric breakdown, or fritting, to make electric contacts to electrodes on ICs. The characteristics of fritting contact between Ni probe and Al electrodes were investigated, and Ni was found to have lower contact resistance than other materials. A micro-machining process for the probe cards, including deposition of layers having different internal stress to make a protruding cantilever shape, was developed.