HT-Series Needle Dresser Wafers

The HT - Series Needle Dresser Wafer reshapes (dresses) and cleans probe tips after they have been flattened through use. It is a wafer based cleaning sheet similar to, but more aggressive than, the on-line cleaning sheet. Its elastic properties minimize probe-tip wear during cleaning. The wafer can be used on-line or off-line. Cleaning is performed through cleaning chuck or wafer. The cleaning processes described below.

• Elastomer with embedded abrasives as cleaning material
• Effectively removes and traps tip debris- Maintains radius tip shape
• Minimal probe wear, leading to longer probe life
• Available in standard 150mm and 200mm wafer shapes (other shapes possible)

Specifications:

• Series HT-20X Series (Most coarse abrasives),
• HT-23X Series (Medium coarse abrasives)
• Size 2", 6", or 8" in diameter (X denotes the wafer size)
• Thickness: 1.13 ± 0,03 mm for 2" and 6"
• Applications: HT-20X Series is used for off-line cleaning for vertical-contact Probe Cards and epoxy Probe Cards with radius tips.
• HT-23X Series is used for on-line and off-line cleaning for vertical-contact probe cards and epoxy probe cards with radius tips.
• Probe Materials: Tungsten, Rhenium Tungsten, and J-Probe

Reshaping Probe Tips:

The Neddle Dressing Wafer can be loaded into the probe in the same manner as an actual test wafer for on-line cleaning¹, or the wafer can be used off-line.

To reshape and clean probe tips, drive the tips into the Needle Dresser Wafer repeatedly, See the table below for suggested cleaning frequencies and recommended overdrive.

After the probe tips have been reshaped, there may be some residue left by the Needle Dresser Wafer itself. This residue should be removed by brushing the probe tips with the cleaning brush of the prober, or by spraying the tips with an isopropyl-alcohol / air mixture (requires compessed air supply).


¹Warning: Probes can be damaged if the difference in thickness of the Needle Dresser Wafer and that of a product wafer is not provided to the prober prior to probing.

Cleaning Frequencies and Overdrive:

²Actual cleaning frequencies may vary. Some factors that affect the frequency are: DUT sensitivity to conctact resistance, DUT power and current requirements, acceptable yield levels, DUT pad composition, DUT pad oxide thickness, the amount of residual contaminants left from previous wafer-masking and other processes testing temperature humidity and overdrive.