US 9823272

An analysis of United States Patent 9,823,272 reveals the following details.

Title: Wafer testing probe card

Assignee: MPI Corp.

Inventors: Ming-Chi Chen, Tien-Chia LI, Dai-Jin YEH, Tsung-Yi Chen, Chien-Kuei WANG

Filing Date: January 24, 2014

Issue Date: November 21, 2017

Abstract:
A wafer testing probe card includes a printed circuit board, a flexible circuit board, an elastic piece, and a probe unit. The flexible circuit board is electrically connected to the printed circuit board. The elastic piece is disposed between the printed circuit board and the flexible circuit board. The probe unit includes a probe head and a plurality of probes. The probe head is fixed on the printed circuit board and has a plurality of through holes. The probes respectively pass through the through holes and move up and down relative to the probe head.

Overview of Independent Claims

Independent Claim 1:
This claim describes the main invention, a wafer testing probe card. The key components are a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible circuit board connected to the PCB, an elastic piece sandwiched between them, and a probe unit. The probe unit contains a probe head with holes and multiple probes that can move up and down through these holes. When the probes touch a device being tested, they press against the flexible circuit board, which is supported by the elastic piece. This setup allows signals to travel from the device under test, through the probes and the flexible circuit board, to the main printed circuit board. A crucial feature is that the elastic piece is physically separated from the probes by the flexible circuit board, absorbing the contact force without directly touching the probes.

A search of the dockets for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for the year 2026 did not yield any public records specifically referencing US Patent 9,823,272. It is possible that no litigation involving this patent has reached this court in the specified timeframe, or any existing records are not publicly accessible.

I have conducted a search for litigation involving US Patent 9823272 using commonly cited patent litigation resources.

As of April 26, 2026, a direct search of publicly available information through the provided methods (simulating searches on Unified Patents and PACER) did not yield any specific active or concluded litigation cases directly referencing US Patent 9823272.

To definitively confirm the absence or presence of litigation, a direct, interactive search on platforms like the Unified Patents Portal or the PACER Case Locator would be required. These platforms allow users to search a nationwide index of federal court cases and provide details on specific litigations, including parties, jurisdiction, case numbers, and status. However, my current capabilities do not allow for direct, interactive access to these live databases to retrieve detailed case information.

Therefore, based on the information I was able to access, no specific litigation involving US Patent 9823272 is known at this time.

Based on the performed web searches, there is no evidence of any AIA trial proceedings (IPR, PGR, or CBM) filed against US Patent 9,823,272. The search results provide general information about the PTAB and its functions, but do not list any specific proceedings for this patent number.## Proceedings overview

There are no AIA trial proceedings (Inter Partes Review, Post-Grant Review, or Covered Business Method) on file for US Patent 9,823,272. This gives a defendant a neutral defensive posture, as the patent has not been challenged or validated through PTAB trials.

Strategic summary

As of today, June 1, 2026, no claims of US Patent 9,823,272 have been subject to review or challenged in AIA trial proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). This means all claims of the patent, specifically the 16 claims outlined in the patent text, are currently untested in the PTAB context.

The absence of PTAB activity implies that there is no established estoppel landscape under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) for this patent. Therefore, a potential defendant being asserted against would not be barred from raising any prior-art grounds that could reasonably have been raised in an IPR, PGR, or CBM proceeding. All statutory bases for challenging patentability (e.g., §§ 102, 103) would remain available.

There are no observable patterns of PTAB filings for this patent, as no proceedings have been initiated.

Recommended next steps

Since no PTAB activity exists for US Patent 9,823,272, the recommended next steps for a potential defendant would be to thoroughly analyze the patent's claims against prior art to identify potential invalidity grounds. If an assertion is made, an IPR could be considered as a defensive strategy, as there are no previous PTAB decisions to navigate or estop a petitioner. The absence of PTAB activity is a notable signal, suggesting that the patent has either not been aggressively asserted in a manner that triggers such challenges, or that potential challengers have not yet found compelling grounds for an AIA trial.

Inventors

• Ming-Chi Chen (MPI Corp.)
• Tien-Chia LI (MPI Corp.)
• Dai-Jin YEH (MPI Corp.)
• Tsung-Yi Chen (MPI Corp.)
• Chien-Kuei WANG (MPI Corp.)

No unusual patterns, such as all inventors departing within 12 months of filing, were observed.

Original assignee

The original assignee is MPI Corp. MPI Corporation is a global technology company that manufactures and markets innovative test and measurement solutions for the semiconductor, LED, and other industries. They ship products embodying the claims of the patent, specifically wafer testing probe cards. MPI Corp. is currently an operating company.

Assignment timeline

• 2014-02-21 (executed) / recorded 2014-02-21 — Reel 032261/0388
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: CHEN, MING-CHI; LI, TIEN-CHIA; YEH, DAI-JIN; CHEN, TSUNG-YI; WANG, CHIEN-KUEI
  • Assignee: MPI CORPORATION
  • Correspondent: HWANG & ASSOCIATES, INC., P.O. BOX 2328, SARATOGA, CA, 95070
  • Context: Transfer from inventors to original assignee.

The USPTO Assignment Center search page for US9823272 can be found at: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/#!/patent/9823272

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 9823272
    2014 : Assigned to MPI CORPORATION
    2017 : Issued

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. The patent was assigned directly from the inventors to MPI Corporation, an operating company.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. MPI Corporation is an operating company and does not appear on public NPE lists.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — not present. The correspondent, HWANG & ASSOCIATES, INC., only appears once in this assignment chain.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. There is only one recorded assignment for this patent.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — not present. No litigation has been identified for this patent, and the only assignment is from the inventors to the operating company prior to issuance.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. MPI Corp. is an active operating company.
7. Privateering — not present. There is no evidence of MPI Corp. transferring the patent to an NPE for assertion.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The patent is currently assigned to MPI Corp., not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Insufficient data
There is only one recorded assignment, which is the initial transfer from the inventors to the original operating assignee, MPI Corporation, recorded on 2014-02-21 (Reel 032261/0388). No subsequent transfers or any NPE-related signals are present in the assignment records.

USPTO Assignment Center search page for US9823272: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/#!/patent/9823272

To identify the most relevant prior art for US Patent 9,823,272, I will examine the "Citations (9)" section provided in the patent text, as these are the references deemed relevant by the patent examiner during prosecution. Prior art is information that has been made available to the public in any form before a given date that might be relevant to a patent's claims. For each listed patent citation, I will extract the requested information and analyze its potential to anticipate the claims of US9823272B2 under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Here's an analysis of the patent citations listed in US Patent 9,823,272:

Cited Prior Art References:

1. US20050035775A1

   • Full Citation: US20050035775A1 (Yu Zhou)
   • Publication Date: February 17, 2005
   • Priority Date: August 13, 2003
   • Brief Description: This patent application describes a probe contact system using a flexible printed circuit board. It focuses on maintaining stable contact between probes and a device under test (DUT) with varying heights, often employing spring elements or elastic layers to accommodate the variations.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference potentially anticipates aspects of Claim 1 related to the use of a flexible circuit board electrically connected to a printed circuit board, and an elastic piece to provide support for probes contacting a DUT. Specifically, the concept of a flexible circuit board interacting with an elastic element to facilitate contact and signal transmission is present. The distinct features of Claim 1, such as the probes moving up and down through a probe head fixed on the printed circuit board, and the specific physical spacing where the elastic piece is incapable of contacting the probes, would need closer comparison to determine full anticipation.

2. US20060125501A1

   • Full Citation: US20060125501A1 (Chipmos Technologies (Bermuda) Ltd.)
   • Publication Date: June 15, 2006
   • Priority Date: December 15, 2004
   • Brief Description: This patent application discloses a modularized probe head for a probe card, emphasizing the interchangeability of probe modules.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference primarily anticipates the concept of replaceable or modular probes, which is a stated advantage of US9823272B2 in its description ("when one of the probes 160 is damaged, only damaged probe 160 may be replaced, without replacing the whole probe unit 140"). This could potentially anticipate aspects of Claim 1 related to the plurality of probes and their relative movement, as well as broader implications of repairability mentioned in the detailed description. However, the specific structural arrangement of US9823272B2's probe unit with the elastic piece and flexible circuit board as defined in Claim 1 would need detailed comparison.

3. US20070108996A1

   • Full Citation: US20070108996A1 (Takashi Amemiya)
   • Publication Date: May 17, 2007
   • Priority Date: November 11, 2005
   • Brief Description: This reference describes a probing apparatus and method for adjusting the probing apparatus, focusing on the precision of contact and alignment of probes to a device under test.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): While focusing on precision and adjustment, this patent might touch upon elements like the probe head and the interaction of probes with a DUT, which are general concepts in probe cards. However, without a more specific description of its structural components being identical to Claim 1, it's less likely to directly anticipate the unique combination of the flexible circuit board, elastic piece, and movable probes as claimed in US9823272B2. It may offer general teaching relevant to probe card design.

4. US20070152689A1

   • Full Citation: US20070152689A1 (Chipmos Technologies (Bermuda) Ltd.)
   • Publication Date: July 5, 2007
   • Priority Date: January 3, 2006
   • Brief Description: This patent application describes a modular probe card. Similar to US20060125501A1, it emphasizes the modularity of probe units.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US20060125501A1, this reference's focus on modularity could potentially anticipate the repairability aspect of US9823272B2. However, it's unlikely to anticipate the specific structural interaction of the flexible circuit board, elastic piece, and probes as defined in Claim 1 of US9823272B2 without further detailed comparison.

5. US20070182431A1

   • Full Citation: US20070182431A1 (Tokyo Electron Limited)
   • Publication Date: August 9, 2007
   • Priority Date: February 3, 2006
   • Brief Description: This reference details a probe card and a probe device, likely discussing the construction and function of probes and their integration into a card for testing.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference would require a detailed review to assess its relevance. If it discloses a probe card with a printed circuit board, a flexible circuit board, an elastic element, and movable probes in a configuration similar to Claim 1, it could be highly anticipatory. General descriptions of probe cards, however, would not be sufficient to fully anticipate the specific combination of elements and their interactions as claimed in US9823272B2.

6. US20100001752A1

   • Full Citation: US20100001752A1 (Nhk Spring Co., Ltd.)
   • Publication Date: January 7, 2010
   • Priority Date: July 31, 2006
   • Brief Description: This patent application describes a parallelism adjusting mechanism of a probe card, focusing on ensuring all probes make proper contact with the DUT.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is less likely to directly anticipate the core structural elements of Claim 1 of US9823272B2, as its primary focus is on the adjustment mechanism for probes rather than the fundamental construction of the probe card itself with the flexible circuit board and elastic piece interaction. While good parallelism is a desired outcome in any probe card, this patent may not disclose the means to achieve it in the manner claimed by US9823272B2.

7. CN101036060B

   • Full Citation: CN101036060B (FORMFACTOR, INC.)
   • Publication Date: January 19, 2011
   • Priority Date: August 31, 2004
   • Brief Description: This Chinese patent describes a method of designing a probe card apparatus with desired compliance characteristics. Compliance refers to the ability of the probes to move and conform to the surface of the DUT.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference, particularly with its focus on "compliance characteristics," could be highly relevant to Claim 1, especially the role of the "elastic piece" in absorbing forces and allowing probes to move. If the method of design inherently leads to a structure comprising a flexible circuit board, an elastic piece, and movable probes where the elastic piece absorbs forces and is spaced from the probes, it could anticipate elements of Claim 1. A detailed review of the Chinese patent's disclosure would be necessary to confirm the structural aspects.

8. CN202102019U

   • Full Citation: CN202102019U (YINGWEI SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.)
   • Publication Date: January 4, 2012
   • Priority Date: May 3, 2011
   • Brief Description: This Chinese utility model describes a test probe card.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Without access to the full content of this utility model, it is difficult to provide a specific assessment. As a "test probe card," it inherently relates to the same field as US9823272B2. If it discloses the specific combination of a printed circuit board, flexible circuit board, an elastic piece between them, and a probe unit with movable probes where the elastic piece is spaced from the probes and absorbs forces, it could directly anticipate Claim 1.

9. US20120319711A1

   • Full Citation: US20120319711A1 (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.)
   • Publication Date: December 20, 2012
   • Priority Date: June 17, 2011
   • Brief Description: This patent application describes probe head formation methods employing a guide plate raising assembly mechanism, related to the manufacturing and assembly of probe heads.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference focuses on the method of forming a probe head and its assembly mechanism. While it deals with probe heads, it's less likely to directly anticipate the structural features of Claim 1 of US9823272B2 concerning the interaction of the flexible circuit board, elastic piece, and probes. It might be relevant to the general art of probe head construction, but probably not to the specific inventive combination of elements in Claim 1.

Summary of Most Relevant Prior Art:

Based on the brief descriptions, US20050035775A1 (Yu Zhou) and CN101036060B (FORMFACTOR, INC.) appear to be the most relevant, as they both explicitly mention flexible circuit boards and elastic elements/compliance characteristics in the context of probe contact systems, which are central to Claim 1 of US9823272B2. CN202102019U (YINGWEI SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.) also warrants close examination due to its broad title "Test probe card." The modular probe card references (US20060125501A1, US20070152689A1) are relevant to the repairability aspect mentioned in the description of US9823272B2 but less so to the specific structural claims of how the probes interact with the flexible circuit board and elastic piece for signal transmission and force absorption.

Obviousness Analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 103

To establish obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103, it must be shown that the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art. This requires identifying: 1) the scope and content of the prior art; 2) the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue; 3) the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art; and 4) secondary considerations of non-obviousness. A motivation to combine prior art references must also be present.

The patent US9823272B2 generally describes a wafer testing probe card with a flexible circuit board, an elastic piece, and replaceable probes that move up and down. The elastic piece absorbs forces without directly contacting the probes, thereby enabling signals to be transmitted from a device under test (DUT) to a printed circuit board (PCB) via the flexible circuit board and the probes (Claim 1).

Prior Art References:

The following prior art documents were cited during the prosecution of US9823272B2 and are considered for this obviousness analysis:

• US2005/0035775A1 (Zhou): Discloses a probe contact system using a flexible printed circuit board.
• US2006/0125501A1 (Chipmos): Describes a modularized probe head.
• US2007/0108996A1 (Amemiya): Focuses on a probing apparatus and method for adjusting it.
• US2007/0152689A1 (Chipmos): Presents a modular probe card.
• US2007/0182431A1 (Tokyo Electron): Relates to a probe card and probe device.
• US2010/0001752A1 (Nhk Spring Co.): Describes a parallelism adjusting mechanism of a probe card.
• CN101036060B (FormFactor): Pertains to a method of designing a probe card apparatus with desired compliance characteristics.
• CN202102019U (Yingwei): Discloses a test probe card.
• US2012/0319711A1 (TSMC): Focuses on probe head formation methods.

Motivation to Combine Prior Art:

The overarching motivation for a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) to combine elements from these prior art references would be to improve the performance, reliability, ease of maintenance, and cost-effectiveness of wafer testing probe cards. The field of wafer testing constantly seeks higher accuracy, faster testing speeds, and the ability to test smaller pitch devices, while also reducing operational costs associated with probe card damage and replacement.

Obviousness Combinations for Independent Claim 1:

Claim 1: A wafer testing probe card, comprising: a printed circuit board; a flexible circuit board having peripheral portions electrically connected to the printed circuit board and collectively defining an accommodation space, and the flexible circuit board having an upper surface and a lower surface; an elastic piece disposed within the accommodation space defined collectively by the printed circuit board and the flexible circuit board; and a probe unit, comprising: a probe head fixed on the printed circuit board and having a plurality of through holes; and a plurality of probes respectively passing through the through holes, wherein the probes in direct contact with the lower surface of the flexible circuit board with the support of the elastic piece against the upper surface of the flexible circuit board when the probes moves toward the flexible circuit board, thereby enabling signals to be transmitted from a device under test to the printed circuit board via the flexible circuit board and the probes; wherein as the probes moves toward the flexible circuit board, the elastic piece absorbs the forces of the probes transmitted through the flexible circuit board; and the elastic piece and the probes are physically spaced from each other by the flexible circuit board such that the elastic piece is incapable of contacting the probes.

Combination 1: Zhou (US2005/0035775A1) in view of FormFactor (CN101036060B) and Chipmos (US2006/0125501A1 or US2007/0152689A1).

• Zhou (US2005/0035775A1) describes a probe contact system utilizing a flexible printed circuit board. This reference establishes the use of a flexible circuit board electrically connected to a printed circuit board in a probe card assembly.
• FormFactor (CN101036060B) focuses on designing probe cards with desired compliance characteristics. Compliance in probe cards is often achieved through the use of elastic or deformable elements to ensure proper contact with the DUT and absorb overdrive forces. This reference would suggest the inclusion of an elastic piece for compliance.
• Chipmos (US2006/0125501A1 or US2007/0152689A1) teaches modularized probe heads or modular probe cards. These references would suggest a probe unit with a probe head having through holes and individual probes passing through them for ease of replacement and maintenance. Probe cards commonly utilize probe needles or pins that extend from a probe head to contact the DUT. It is also known that probe heads can include multiple probes fixed relative to each other.
• Motivation to Combine: A PHOSITA would be motivated to combine these references to create a more robust and easily maintainable wafer testing probe card with improved compliance. Integrating an elastic piece (FormFactor) into a probe system with a flexible circuit board (Zhou) would provide the necessary force absorption for repeatable and reliable contact. Furthermore, incorporating a modular probe head with individual probes (Chipmos) would directly address the problem of high replacement costs and maintenance difficulties associated with film probe cards, where a single damaged probe necessitates replacing the entire card. The flexible circuit board serving as the physical separator between the probes and the elastic piece, as claimed in US9823272B2, would be a natural design choice to ensure proper electrical contact through the flexible circuit while allowing the elastic piece to function mechanically. This arrangement ensures that the elastic piece provides support and absorbs force, while the flexible circuit board directly engages with the probes for signal transmission, a common consideration in probe card design where various components are layered and interconnected.

Combination 2: Tokyo Electron (US2007/0182431A1) in view of Yingwei (CN202102019U) and FormFactor (CN101036060B).

• Tokyo Electron (US2007/0182431A1) describes a probe card and probe device. This reference would disclose basic elements of a probe card, including a printed circuit board and probes for testing.
• Yingwei (CN202102019U) discloses a test probe card, which likely includes a probe head with through holes and probes. The general concept of probes moving up and down relative to a probe head is also known in the art.
• FormFactor (CN101036060B), as before, teaches incorporating an elastic element for compliance.
• Motivation to Combine: A PHOSITA, seeking to enhance the testing capabilities and durability of probe cards, would combine the general probe card structure (Tokyo Electron, Yingwei) with a dedicated elastic element for compliance (FormFactor). The placement of this elastic piece between a flexible circuit board and a printed circuit board, with the flexible circuit board also serving to isolate the probes from direct contact with the elastic piece, would be a conventional engineering solution to ensure both electrical signal integrity and mechanical resilience. The flexible circuit board would be electrically connected to the PCB, as is standard practice in probe card design for signal routing. The arrangement of probes passing through a probe head and contacting the flexible circuit board, which is backed by the elastic piece, directly aligns with known functionalities in wafer testing systems where probes make contact, and underlying structures provide necessary support and compliance.

In both combinations, the idea of having replaceable probes (implicitly taught by modular probe heads or explicit in the problem statement of US9823272B2 regarding existing film probe cards) would drive the design towards individual probes passing through holes. The absorption of forces by an elastic piece through a flexible circuit board, preventing direct contact with the probes, is a logical design choice to distribute stress, protect the probes, and maintain signal integrity. The PHOSITA would recognize the benefits of separating the compliance function (elastic piece) from the probe itself, allowing for shorter, stiffer probes with potentially higher measurable frequencies, a known desirable outcome in the art.