The cleaning device may clean probe elements. The probe elements may be
the probe elements of a probe card testing apparatus for testing
semiconductor wafers or semiconductor dies on a semiconductor wafer or
the probe elements of a handling/testing apparatus for testing the leads
of a packaged integrated circuit. During the cleaning of the probe
elements, the probe card or the handler/tester is cleaned during the
normal operation of the testing machine without removing the probe card
from the prober. The cleaning device has a working surface with a
particular characteristic (a matte finish or a conductive material) so
that a prober is capable of automatically determining the location of the
working surface of the cleaning device and therefore operate in an
automatic cleaning mode.