Systems and method for coaxial measurement of RF signal performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12467950-B2
Application number	US-202318153479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2023
Priority date	Jan 12, 2023
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A coaxial pad probe for coupling with a preexisting coaxial cable having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end and remote from an analyzing device. The coaxial pad probe includes a probe operably engaged with the second end of the preexisting coaxial cable. The probe is configured to directly contact a coaxial input/output (IO) connection provided on a mixed signal die or a coplanar IO connection provided on the mixed signal die for measuring an S-parameter measurement of the mixed signal die. The probe may include a support structure operably engaged with second end of the preexisting coaxial cable. The probe may also include a probe tip operably engaged with the support structure and configured to directly contact with the selected coaxial IO connection provided on the mixed signal die or the coplanar IO connection provided on the mixed signal die.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A coaxial pad probe for coupling with a preexisting coaxial cable having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end and remote from an analyzing device, comprising:
a probe operably engaged with the second end of the preexisting coaxial cable; wherein the probe is configured to directly contact a coaxial input/output (IO) connection provided on a mixed signal die or a coplanar IO connection provided on the mixed signal die for measuring an S-parameter measurement of the mixed signal die;
wherein the probe comprises:
a support structure operably engaged with the second end of the preexisting coaxial cable;
wherein the support structure further comprises:
a first outer connection operably engaged with an outer conductor of the preexisting coaxial cable at the second end of the preexisting coaxial cable; and

a probe tip operably engaged with the support structure and configured to directly contact with the selected coaxial IO connection provided on the mixed signal die or the coplanar IO connection provided on the mixed signal die; and
a second outer connection operably engaged with the first outer connection;

wherein the second outer connection and the outer conductor are in electrical communication with one another via the first outer connection.

2 . The coaxial pad probe of claim 1 , wherein the probe defines a tapered configuration.

3 . The coaxial pad probe of claim 1 , wherein the support structure comprises:
a first end of the support structure operably engaged with the second end of the preexisting coaxial cable and defining a first diameter; and a second end of the support structure opposite to the first end of the support structure and operably engaged with the probe tip and defining a second diameter; wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter.

4 . The coaxial pad probe of claim 3 , wherein the probe tip comprises:
a first end of the probe tip operably engaged with the second end of the support structure; a second end of the probe tip opposite to the first end of the probe tip and configured to directly contact with the selected coaxial IO connection provided on the mixed signal die or the coplanar IO connection provided on the mixed signal die; a first diameter defined at the first end; and a second diameter defined at the second end that is equal with the first diameter.

5 . The coaxial pad probe of claim 1 , wherein the support structure comprises:
a first end of the support structure operably engaged with the second end of the preexisting coaxial cable and defining a first diameter; and a second end of the support structure opposite to the first end of the support structure and operably engaged with the probe tip and defining a second diameter; wherein the first diameter and the second diameter are equal with one another.

6 . The coaxial pad probe of claim 1 , wherein the support structure further comprises:
a first inner connection operably engaged to an inner conductor of the preexisting coaxial cable at the second end of the preexisting coaxial cable; wherein the first inner connection is positioned inside of the first outer connection and is free from connecting with the first outer connection.

7 . The coaxial pad probe of claim 6 , wherein the support structure further comprises:
a dielectric component operably engaged with the first outer connection and the first inner connection; wherein the dielectric component suspends the first inner connection inside of the first outer connection.

8 . The coaxial pad probe of claim 6 , wherein the probe tip further comprises:
a second inner connection operably engaged with the first inner connection; wherein the second inner connection is positioned inside of the second outer connection and is free from connecting with the second outer connection; wherein the second inner connection and the inner conductor are in electrical communication with one another via the first inner connection of the support structure.

9 . The coaxial pad probe of claim 8 , wherein the probe tip further comprises:
a dielectric component operably engaged with the second outer connection and the second inner connection; wherein the dielectric component suspends the second inner connection inside of the second outer connection.

10 . The coaxial pad probe of claim 9 , further comprising:
a protruding structure extending from the support structure and the probe tip; wherein the protruding structure is configured to directly contact the coplanar IO connection provided on the mixed signal die for measuring the S-parameter measurement of the mixed signal die.

11 . The coaxial pad probe of claim 10 , wherein the protruding structure further comprises:
a first end operably engaged with the support structure and the probe tip; a second end opposite to the first end and remote from the support structure and the probe tip; and a side passageway extending between the first end and the second end.

12 . The coaxial pad probe of claim 11 , wherein the support structure further comprises:
a first outer connection operably engaged with an outer conductor of the preexisting coaxial cable at the second end of the preexisting coaxial cable; and a first inner connection operably engaged to an inner conductor of the preexisting coaxial cable at the second end of the preexisting coaxial cable and is positioned inside of the first outer connection and is free from connecting with the first outer connection; wherein the probe tip further comprises: a second outer connection operably engaged with the first outer connection; and a second inner connection operably engaged to the first inner connection and is free from connecting with the first outer connection; wherein the second inner connection is positioned inside of the second outer connection and positioned inside of the protruding structure.

13 . A method for measuring an S-parameter measurement of a mixed signal die, comprising steps of:
connecting a first end of a coaxial cable with an analyzing device; providing a probe with a second end of the coaxial cable to construct a coaxial pad probe; concurrently contacting a first bond pad provided on the mixed signal die and a second bond pad provided on the mixed signal die with the probe; and measuring the S-parameter measurement of the mixed signal die;
wherein the step of providing the probe with the first end of the coaxial cable further comprises:
providing a first outer connection of a support structure of the probe with an outer conductor of the coaxial cable;
providing a first inner connection of the support structure of the probe with an inner conductor of the coaxial cable;
providing a second outer connection of a probe tip of the probe with the first outer connection of the support structure; and
providing a second inner connection of the probe tip of the probe with the first inner connection of the support structure.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of measuring the S-parameter measurement of the mixed signal die is accomplished by measuring an electrical signal at a coaxial input/output (IO) connection provided on the mixed signal die or a coplanar IO connection provided on the mixed signal die.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of contacting the first bond pad provided on the mixed signal die further comprises:
contacting the second outer connection with the first bond pad provided on the mixed signal die; and wherein the step of contacting the second bond pad provided on the mixed signal

Assignees

• Bae Sys Inf & Elect Sys Integ

Inventors

• Fitzgerald Jeffrey

Classifications

• G01R1/06766

  Input circuits therefor · CPC title

• G01R1/06772 Primary

  High frequency probes · CPC title