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A tooling plate for installation into a probe station and being formed of a rigid plate defining a major aperture having a rim. The plate also defines a set of peripheral apertures fitted with spring loaded, retained screws adapted to facilitate fastening to mating threaded holes. In one embodiment,

A tooling plate for installation into a probe station and being formed of a rigid plate defining a major aperture having a rim. The plate also defines a set of peripheral apertures fitted with spring loaded, retained screws adapted to facilitate fastening to mating threaded holes. In one embodiment, a set of dowel locator holes defined by the bottom surface and being precisely positioned with respect to the location of the major aperture. Another embodiment includes docking equipment adapted to permit connection to a predetermined tester attached to the top of the rigid plate.

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1. A tooling plate for installation into a probe station, said tooling plate comprising a rigid plate defining a major aperture having a rim dimensioned to support a peripheral outer edge of a probe card dish, and a set of peripheral apertures fitted with spring loaded, retained screws adapted to fa

1. A tooling plate for installation into a probe station, said tooling plate comprising a rigid plate defining a major aperture having a rim dimensioned to support a peripheral outer edge of a probe card dish, and a set of peripheral apertures fitted with spring loaded, retained screws adapted to facilitate fastening to mating threaded holes, wherein the tooling plate is configured to be mounted to a head plate of the probe station.2. A tooling plate for installation into a probe station, said tooling plate comprising a rigid plate having a top and bottom surfaces and defining a major aperture having a rim, and a set of dowel locator holes defined by said bottom surface and being precisely positioned with respect to the location of the major aperture, wherein the locator holes are adapted to receive dowel pins extending from a head plate on the probe station such that when the tooling plate is mounted on the head plate, a probe card supported by the rim can electrically contact a semiconductor wafer in the probe station.3. A tooling plate for installation into a probe station, said tooling plate comprising a rigid plate having a top and bottom and defining a major aperture having a rim dimensioned to support a probe card dish that supports a probe card, and having docking equipment adapted to permit connection to a predetermined tester attached to said top of said rigid plate, wherein the tooling plate is configured to be mountable to a head plate of the probe station such that the probe card can establish an electrical connection between the tester and a semiconductor wafer in the probe station.4. The tooling plate of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of peripheral apertures fitted with spring loaded screws adapted to be received in mating threaded holes in the probe station.5. The tooling plate of claim 3, further comprising a set of dowel locator holes in the bottom of the tooling plate to facilitate alignment of the tooling plate on the probe station.6. The tooling plate of claim 3, wherein the docking equipment comprises at least one docking equipment plate mounted to the top of the tooling plate and at least one piece of docking equipment mounted on the docking equipment plate.7. The tooling plate of claim 3, wherein the tooling plate is configured to be installed on a plurality of probe stations to permit docking of the predetermined tester to any of the plurality of probe stations.8. A set of tooling plates for installation on the probe station comprising the tooling plate of claim 3 and at least one additional tooling plate comprising a rigid plate having a top and bottom and defining a major aperture having a rim, the additional tooling plate having docking equipment adapted to permit connection to a predetermined tester, each tooling plate being removably mountable to the probe station to permit docking of a respective predetermined tester to the probe station.9. A set of tooling plates for installation on a plurality of probe stations comprising the tooling plate of claim 3 and at least one additional tooling plate comprising a rigid plate having a top and bottom and defining a major aperture having a rim, the additional tooling plate having docking equipment attached to the top thereof, each tooling plate being removably mountable to each of the plurality of probe stations so that each tooling plate can be used to dock a respective predetermined tester to any of the plurality of probe stations.10. The tooling plate of claim 3, wherein the major aperture of the tooling plate is offset from the center of the tooling plate such that when the tooling plate is installed on the head plate, the tooling plate major aperture is offset from a major aperture of the head plate.11. A tooling plate for installation into a probe station, said tooling plate comprising a rigid plate defining a major aperture having a rim adapted to retain a probe card dish and a set of bosses protruding slightly upwardly along said rim, each boss fitted with a threaded hole, to facilitate the attachment of said probe card dish, the tooling plate also comprising a plurality of alignment items adapted to mate with corresponding alignment items on a head plate of the probe station to facilitate alignment of the tooling plate on the head plate.12. A tooling plate for installation into a probe station, said tooling plate comprising:a rigid plate having a top and bottom and defining a major aperture having a rim, and having docking equipment adapted to permit connection to a predetermined tester attached to said top of said rigid plate; and a set of bosses protruding slightly upwardly along said rim, each boss having a threaded hole adapted to receive a fastener for attaching a probe card dish to the rim. 13. A tooling plate for installation into a probe station, said tooling plate comprising a rigid plate having a top and bottom and defining a major aperture having a rim, and having docking equipment adapted to permit connection to a predetermined tester attached to said top of said rigid plate;wherein the docking equipment comprises at least one docking equipment plate mounted to the top of the tooling plate and at least one piece of docking equipment mounted on the docking equipment plate; wherein the at least one docking equipment plate has a first portion mounted to the tooling plate and a second portion that is cantilevered from the first portion, the at least one piece of docking equipment being mounted to the second portion. 14. The tooling plate of claim 13, wherein the at least one docking equipment plate is an elongate member and the first and second portions are first and second end portions, respectively, of the elongate member.15. A set of tooling plates for installation on the probe station comprising a tooling plate for installation into a probe station, said tooling plate comprising a rigid plate having a top and bottom and defining a major aperture having a rim, and having docking equipment adapted to permit connection to a predetermined tester attached to said top of said rigid plate, and at least one additional tooling plate comprising a rigid plate having a top and bottom and defining a major aperture having a rim, the additional tooling plate having docking equipment adapted to permit connection to a predetermined tester, each tooling plate being removably mountable to the probe station to permit docking of a respective predetermined tester to the probe station;wherein the tooling plates have different docking equipment to permit docking of different testers to the probe station. 16. An apparatus for installation on the head plate of a probe station used in testing semiconductor devices, the apparatus comprising:a removable tooling plate configured to be connectable to and completely disconnectable from the head plate of the probe station, the tooling plate having upper and lower opposed major surfaces, the tooling plate having at least one alignment item adapted to mate with a corresponding alignment item on the head plate to facilitate alignment of the tooling plate on the head plate; and docking equipment mounted to the upper surface, the docking equipment configured to facilitate docking of a tester to the probe station. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the tooling plate is formed with a major aperture dimensioned to receive a probe card dish.18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the docking equipment comprises at least one docking equipment plate mounted to the upper major surface and at least one piece of docking equipment mounted on the docking equipment plate.19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the tooling plate comprises a major aperture and a rim portion circumscribing the aperture for supporting a probe card dish positioned in the aperture.20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the tooling plate comprises at least one fastening item for releasably mounting the tooling plate to the head plate of the probe station.21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one fastening item comprises at least one spring-loaded screw for tightening into a respective hole in the head plate.22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one alignment item comprises at least one alignment hole adapted to receive an alignment pin on the head plate.23. An apparatus for installation on the head plate of a probe station used in testing semiconductor devices, the apparatus comprising:a removable tooling plate configured to be connectable to and completely disconnectable from the head plate of the probe station, the tooling plate having upper and lower opposed major surfaces, the tooling plate having at least one alignment item adapted to mate with a corresponding alignment item on the head plate to facilitate alignment of the tooling plate on the head plate; and docking equipment mounted to the upper surface, the docking equipment configured to facilitate docking of a tester to the probe station; wherein the tooling plate comprises a major aperture and a rim portion circumscribing the aperture for supporting a probe card dish positioned in the aperture; wherein the rim portion comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced bosses, each formed with a hole for receiving a fastener for coupling the probe card dish to the rim portion. 24. A set of tooling plates for installation on a probe station having a head plate, comprising:a first tooling plate having a footprint that is smaller than the footprint of the head plate, the first tooling plate being adapted to be removably mounted to the head plate of the probe station and having first docking equipment adapted to permit docking of a first tester out of a set of testers; and a second tooling plate having a footprint that is smaller than the footprint of the head plate, the second tooling plate being adapted to be removably mounted to the head plate of the probe station and having second docking equipment adapted to permit docking of a second tester out of a set of testers. 25. The set of tooling plates of claim 24, wherein each tooling plate has a major aperture dimensioned to receive a probe card dish.26. The set of tooling plates of claim 24, wherein each tooling plate has plural alignment items that mate with corresponding alignment items on the probe station to facilitate alignment of the tooling plate on the probe station.27. The set of tooling plates of claim 26, wherein the alignment items of the tooling plates comprise holes and the alignment items of the probe station comprise alignment pins.28. A set of tooling plates for installation on a probe station, comprising:a first tooling plate adapted to be removably mounted to the probe station and having first docking equipment adapted to permit docking of a first tester out of a set of testers; and a second tooling plate adapted to be removably mounted to the probe station and having second docking equipment adapted to permit docking of a second tester out of a set of testers; wherein the first docking equipment is different than the second docking equipment. 29. A set of tooling plates for installation on a plurality of probe stations of differing makes having respective head plates, comprising:a first tooling plate adapted to be removably mounted to the head plate of each of the plurality of probe stations and having first docking equipment, wherein when the first tooling plate is mounted to one of said plurality of probe stations, the first docking equipment permit docking of a first tester to the probe station; and a second tooling plate adapted to be removably mounted to the head plate of each of the plurality of probe stations and having second docking equipment, wherein when the second tooling plate is mounted to one of said plurality of probe stations, the second docking equipment permit docking of a second tester to the probe station. 30. The set of tooling plates of claim 29, wherein each tooling plate has a major aperture dimensioned to receive a probe card dish.31. A set of tooling plates for installation on a plurality of probe stations, comprising:a first tooling plate adapted to be removably mounted to each of the plurality of probe stations and having first docking equipment, wherein when the first tooling plate is mounted to one of said plurality of probe stations, the first docking equipment permit docking of a first tester to the probe station; and a second tooling plate adapted to be removably mounted to each of the plurality of probe stations and having second docking equipment, wherein when the second tooling plate is mounted to one of said plurality of probe stations, the second docking equipment permit docking of a second tester to the probe station; wherein the first tester is different than the second tester.