Optimum design of cantilevered microprobes for inspecting LCD panels and measurement of contacting forces

Fine pitch microprobe arrays are microneedle-like probes for inspecting the pixels of LCD panels or IC. They are usually made of multi-layers of metallic, nonmetallic, or combination of the two. The design requirement for a contacting force is less than 2 gf and a deflection should be less than 100 m. Many microprobe shapes satisfying the design requirements are possible. A cantilever-type microprobe having many needles was chosen and optimized in this study. Several candidate shapes were chosen using topology and shape optimization technique subjected to design requirements. Then, the microprobe arrays were fabricated using the process applied for MEMS fabrication and they were made of BeNi, BeCu, or Si. The contact probing forces and deflections were measured for checking the results from optimum design by newly developed measuring equipment in our laboratory. Numerical and experimental results were compared and both showed a good correlation.