Probe card

A probe card (commonly referred to as a DUT board)[a] is used in automated integrated circuit testing.

[2] Typically, the probe card is mechanically docked to a Wafer testing prober and electrically connected to the ATE .

The probe card must make good electrical contact to these pads or bumps during the testing of the device.

Probe cards or DUT boards are designed to meet both the mechanical and electrical requirements of the particular chip and the specific test equipment to be used.

Perhaps the most important factor impacting probe card efficiency is the number of DUTs that can be tested in parallel.

However by installing ATRE-configured relays (switches) onto the probe card PCB, the tester resource can split or branch out to multiple DUTs.

Therefore a tester that has only 256 power signals will appear to have its resources expanded or enhanced so as to enable it to test 1024 DUTs in one touchdown, thanks to the 1024 onboard relays in the x4 sharing scheme implemented on the probe card.