Joyce M Adams

US Patent:

7202683, Apr 10, 2007

Filed:

Apr 16, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/825718

Inventors:

Gene Humphrey - Livermore CA, US
Jerry Broz - Longmont CO, US
Joyce Adams - Reno NV, US

Assignee:

International Test Solutions - Reno NV

International Classification:

G01R 31/02

US Classification:

324757

Abstract:

The cleaning device may clean probe elements. The probe elements may be the probe elements of a probe card testing apparatus for testing semiconductor wafers or semiconductor dies on a semiconductor wafer or the probe elements of a handling/testing apparatus for testing the leads of a packaged integrated circuit. During the cleaning of the probe elements, the probe card or the handler/tester is cleaned during the normal operation of the testing machine without removing the probe card from the prober. The cleaning device has a working surface with a particular characteristic (a matte finish or a conductive material) so that a prober is capable of automatically determining the location of the working surface of the cleaning device and therefore operate in an automatic cleaning mode.