JP2007093561A - Contact apparatus manufacturing method and associated apparatuses - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stable and simple contact mechanism for preventing tip trace from deforming or being peeled off from elastic protrusion, after the tip trace contacts a specimen in a contacting apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: A carrier substrate, having at least one contact pad on a main face, is prepared. At least one elastic protrusion is formed on the main face, and has an upper face at a height substantially constant relative to the main face. The width of the upper face is significantly larger than the contact pad. A conductive structure is formed that connects at least one contact pad to the upper face of at least one protrusion. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a contact device manufacturing method. Furthermore, the present invention relates to various contact devices.
The present invention and the background problems thereof will be described below based on an unmounted chip test apparatus, but the present invention is not limited thereto and relates to all contact devices.

  When integrated circuits and chips are formed, their electrical properties and functionality need to be tested. Due to high applicability and low cost realization, there is increasing interest in bare (unmounted) chip testing. Unmounted chips are provided with only small contact pads. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a test apparatus capable of stably contacting the contact pad described above. Known contact devices use a contact needle that is pressed against a contact pad. However, devices using these needles are expensive due to their relatively complex mechanical structure. Therefore, it is desirable to avoid using these devices as much as possible in the manufacturing process.

  FIG. 1 shows a part of a simplified contact device in a sectional view. An elastic protrusion 2 is provided on the circuit board 1. The trace 3 is connected to a measuring device (not shown) and guided along the side wall of the elastic protrusion 2 to the upper region 102 of the elastic protrusion 2. The unmounted chip 4 having the contact pads 5 can be brought into contact with the above configuration by the following procedure. The unmounted chip 4 is positioned so that the contact pad 5 is disposed above the elastic protrusion 2. Subsequently, the unmounted chip 4 is pressed in the direction 103 toward the circuit board 1 to compress the elastic protrusion 2. Therefore, the formed trace 3 is in contact with the contact pad 5. Thereby, an electrical test using a measuring device for the unmounted chip 4 can be performed (FIG. 2).

  After removing the unmounted chip 4, the shape of the elastic protrusion 2 is restored to lift the trace 3. Thus, the contact device can be used for further unmounted chip testing.

  However, once compressed, or several times, the trace 3 will not fully return to its original shape. In particular, one end 6 of the trace remains extended and lifts away from the elastic protrusion 2. This adversely affects the mechanical stability of trace 3. Starting from these one ends 6, the trace 3 may be peeled off from the elastic protrusion 2.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a stable and simple contact mechanism that solves the above problems.

  As one of the features of the present invention, a carrier substrate having at least one contact pad is prepared, and then at least one elastic protrusion is formed on the main surface thereof. The elastic protrusion has an upper surface at a substantially constant height with respect to the main surface. The top surface is significantly wider than the contact pads. Subsequently, a conductive structure is formed that connects the at least one contact pad to the upper surface of the at least one protrusion.

  In principle, the elastic protrusion has a flat surface. Therefore, in principle, the conductive structure disposed on the upper surface and the trace thereof are parallel to the main surface of the carrier substrate. Even if the elastic protrusion is pressed against an unmounted chip or other device, the conductive structure on the top surface is not substantially deformed. This reduces the force on the contact surface formed by the conductive structure and the protrusion each time the elastic protrusion is compressed and released. Therefore, the conductive structure is firmly adhered to the elastic protrusion to avoid peeling.

  The contact pad can be disposed on the main surface or the surface of the carrier substrate opposite to the main surface. This provides an electrical interface for coupling the contact device to a further test device.

Further improvements and improvements according to the invention are described in the dependent claims.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, a mask is arranged on the carrier substrate, the elastic protrusion and the conductive structure. The mask is configured by forming an opening in the mask in the region on the upper surface so that the conductive structure on the upper surface is exposed from the opening. The opening of the mask is filled with a conductive material, and the mask is removed.

In this way, a conductive tip may be arranged that loosens the contact of the semiconductor device in which the contact pad is arranged surrounded by the recess and / or the dielectric layer.
In another improvement according to the present invention, the conductive structure includes a trace formed on the top surface. Furthermore, a plurality of traces may be arranged next to each other on one upper surface. The trace is a conductive planar structure that is substantially parallel to the surface, for example, the major surface or the surface of the protrusion.

  A particularly effective improvement is that one end of the trace is located on the top surface. Thus, the contact surface of the trace close to one end of the elastic protrusion does not deform to any destructive load when the protrusion is compressed / decompressed. Note that peeling of the conductive structure usually starts from one end. Thus, particular attention is paid to one end.

  In another improvement, the elastic protrusions contain an elastic polymer, preferably silicone, polyurethane, or elastic epoxy resin. The elastic protrusion may be formed by a screen printing process. The carrier substrate includes a semiconductor substrate or a printed circuit board.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description.
4 to 12, the same reference numerals denote the same or the same components.
FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention. A carrier substrate 11, which can be a printed circuit board or a semiconductor substrate, is arranged. Any other carrier including traces and / or active passive electrical components may be used. In particular, the carrier substrate may be an adapter card that is useful for connection to a port of a measuring instrument. The electrical contact pads 14 are arranged on the main surface 111 of the carrier substrate 11. The elastic protrusion 12 is provided on the main surface 111. The trace 13 is formed so as to connect the contact pad 14 to the upper surface 112 of the elastic protrusion 12. The shape of the elastic protrusion 12 will be described in more detail in the description of the next paragraph regarding the forming process.

  In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the contact pads 14 may be arranged on the back side of the carrier substrate 11. The back side refers to the surface opposite to the main surface. Vias are formed through the carrier. Traces are connected to contact pads 14 by vias. In principle, it is also possible to use a combination of contact pads on both sides.

  First, the elastic protrusion 12 is formed on the main surface 111 of the carrier substrate 11. This may be realized by a print process or the like. The print process may be composed of a single print process or a plurality of print processes. The printed pattern is designed so that the width of the elastic protrusion is significantly wider than the contact pad on the surface of the carrier substrate. The width of the elastic protrusion is preferably at least twice the dimension of the contact pad, more preferably at least three times.

  In the next step, a conductive structure 13 including a plurality of traces is formed. This formation is performed by a plurality of steps. In the first step, the conductive layer 14 is disposed on the carrier substrate 11 in the direction toward the main surface 111. This may be realized by sputtering or the like (FIG. 5b). In the next step, a mask 15 is formed on the conductive layer 14. The mask 15 is configured to provide an opening in the region where the conductive structure 13 and its trace are to be formed (FIG. 5c). Subsequently, in order to form the conductive structure 13, the metal-containing conductive layer 13 is disposed. These metal-containing layers 13 are preferably formed of metal. A typical conductive structure includes a surface layer of copper, nickel, and gold (FIG. 5d). Subsequently, the mask 15 is removed (FIG. 5e), and the conductive layer 14 is etched (FIG. 5f). The gold layer of the conductive structure 13 protects the underlying metal-containing layer and conductive layer from etching so that the conductive structure 13 remains as it is.

  In order to scrape an insulating film such as an oxide film that may be formed on a contact pad of a semiconductor device, it is particularly preferable to form the conductive structure 13 so that the surface thereof is uneven. This is realized by a galvanic precipitation process.

  6 to 8 show typical states in which a semiconductor device is brought into contact with a contact device having an elastic protrusion. The semiconductor device 20 may include a protruding contact pad 21. The semiconductor device 20 is positioned in the parallel direction so that the contact pad 21 faces the elastic protrusion 12. Subsequently, in order to bring the contact pad 21 and the conductive structure 13 into contact, the semiconductor device 20 is moved in the vertical direction 103 and pressed against the elastic protrusion 12 (FIG. 6). Another semiconductor device 22 may include a contact pad 23 that forms a plane with the main surface 122 of the semiconductor device 22. Contact pad 23 is brought into contact with conductive structure 13 in a manner similar to that shown in FIG.

  Another semiconductor device 24 is provided with a contact pad 25 (FIG. 8). On the main surface 124 of the semiconductor device 24, a dielectric layer 26 having an opening above the contact pad 25 is formed. Therefore, the conductive structure 13 needs to be inserted into the opening of the dielectric layer 26 in order to contact the contact pad. This is achieved by an elastic protrusion 12 that is smaller than a typical opening.

  FIG. 9 shows a further preferred embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is particularly beneficial for the situation described with reference to FIG. A carrier substrate 31 is arranged, which can be selected in the same way as the carrier substrate described with reference to FIG. An elastic protrusion 32 is provided on the main surface 131. The conductive structure 33 is guided to the upper surface 132 of the elastic protrusion 32 along the side wall of the elastic protrusion 32. The other end of the conductive structure 33 is connected to a contact pad 34 or an active passive electrical component provided on the carrier substrate 31. A conductive tip 35 is disposed on the conductive structure 33 above the elastic protrusion 32. This conductive tip can be about 20 μm in diameter and 10-15 μm in height. The tip 35 is easily inserted into the opening of the dielectric layer 26 and contacts the contact pad 25 having a surface area of typically 60 μm × 60 μm.

  In order to scrape an insulating film such as an oxide film that can be formed on a contact pad of a semiconductor device, it is particularly preferable to form the conductive tip 35 so that the surface thereof is uneven. This is realized by a galvanic precipitation process.

  The formation of the contact portion will be described with reference to FIGS. In the first step, the carrier substrate 31 is disposed, and the elastic protrusion 32 is formed on the main surface 131 of the carrier substrate 31. The width w of the flat upper surface 132 of the elastic protrusion is larger than the height h of the elastic protrusion 32. As described with reference to FIGS. 5b to 5f, the conductive structure 33 that connects the upper surface 132 to the contact pad on the main surface 131 of the carrier substrate 31 is formed (FIG. 10b). Preferably, one end 36 of the conductive trace 33 is disposed on the upper surface 132 and is not disposed on one of the side walls of the elastic protrusion 32. As already mentioned, this reduces the load on the contact surface between the trace and the elastic protrusion.

  In the subsequent process, a mask 39 that partitions the opening 37 in the region of the upper surface is disposed. This region is provided with a conductive structure 33 (FIG. 10c). In a subsequent process, the opening 37 is filled with a conductive material 35, preferably metal. This may be realized by galvanic processing (FIG. 10d).

Finally, the mask 39 is removed (FIG. 10e).
The step described with reference to FIGS. 5e and 5f, that is, the step of removing the first mask 15 and etching the conductive layer 14 may be performed after the second mask 39 is removed.

The step described with reference to FIG. 5f, that is, the step of etching the conductive layer 14 may be performed after removing the second mask 39.
The further advantage of this embodiment is demonstrated using FIG. 11 and FIG. These drawings show a simplified plan view of an elastic protrusion 2 having a narrow width w1 and an elastic protrusion 12 having a wide width w2, according to an embodiment of the present invention. In general, due to the forming process, the heights of the elastic protrusions 2 and 12 are not uniform. Therefore, the recessed areas 200 and 201 are formed, respectively. In the small elastic protrusion 2, the recessed area 200 covers the entire width w1 of the elastic protrusion. Therefore, it is necessary to compress the part to the lowest region 200. In the wider elastic protrusion 12, the recessed area 201 does not extend over the entire width w2. Furthermore, when the elastic protrusion 12 is compressed, the material from all directions fills the recessed area 201 and increases its height. Thus, the site is leveled and the compression of the site required to obtain stable contact is relaxed.

  Although the invention has been described using preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited thereby. Those skilled in the art will recognize modifications that do not depart from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

1 shows a partial cross-sectional view of an elastic contact device. The contact process of the elastic contact apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is shown. 2 shows damage to the contact device shown in FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention. 6 shows an embodiment for manufacturing the device according to FIG. 6 shows an embodiment for manufacturing the device according to FIG. 6 shows an embodiment for manufacturing the device according to FIG. 6 shows an embodiment for manufacturing the device according to FIG. 6 shows an embodiment for manufacturing the device according to FIG. 6 shows an embodiment for manufacturing the device according to FIG. The contact process of the semiconductor device in embodiment of this invention is shown. The contact process of the semiconductor device in embodiment of this invention is shown. The contact process of the semiconductor device in embodiment of this invention is shown. Sectional drawing of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention is shown. 10 shows the formation of an embodiment according to FIG. 10 shows the formation of an embodiment according to FIG. 10 shows the formation of an embodiment according to FIG. 10 shows the formation of an embodiment according to FIG. 10 shows the formation of an embodiment according to FIG. The problems underlying the present invention are shown. FIG. 3 shows a top view of one embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

h ... height w, w1, w2 ... width 1 ... circuit board 3 ... trace 4 ... semiconductor device 5 ... contact pad 6 ... end 14 ... contact pad 15 ... mask 26 ... dielectric layer 35 ... tip 39 ... mask 11 , 31... Carrier substrate 2, 12, 32, elastic protrusions 13, 33, conductive structures 16, 36, end portions 20, 22, 24, semiconductor devices 21, 23, 25, upper region 103 of contact pad 102, 2. Direction 111, 131 ... Main surface 112, 132 ... Upper surface 200, 201 ... Concave region

Claims (11)

A method of manufacturing a contact device, comprising:
(A) providing a carrier substrate having at least one contact pad;
(B) at least one elastic protrusion having an upper surface at a substantially constant height with respect to the main surface of the carrier substrate, the width of the upper surface being significantly wider than the contact pad; Forming on the surface;
(C) forming a conductive structure connecting at least one contact pad to the upper surface of at least one protrusion. The method of claim 1, wherein after step (c)
(D) providing a mask on the carrier substrate from the side of the main surface;
(E) forming an opening in the mask in a region on the upper surface so that the conductive structure is exposed from the opening, and configuring the mask;
(F) filling the opening of the mask with a conductive material;
(G) The method wherein the step of removing the mask continues. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the conductive structure includes a trace formed on the top surface along a direction of a minimum dimension of the top surface. The method of claim 3, wherein one end of the trace is located on the top surface. The method according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is formed by a screen printing process. 6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protrusion comprises an elastic polymer, preferably silicone, polyurethane, or elastic epoxy resin. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carrier substrate includes a semiconductor substrate, a glass substrate, a ceramic substrate, or a printed circuit board. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conductive material is deposited by galvanic treatment so that an uneven surface is obtained by the filling. At least one contact pad disposed on the main surface;
At least one elastic protrusion having an upper surface, wherein the upper surface is substantially planar at a height relative to the main surface, the height being less than any dimension of the upper surface; ,
And a conductive structure connecting at least one contact pad to the upper surface of the at least one protrusion. The contact device according to claim 9, further comprising at least one conductive tip disposed on the conductive structure in a region of the top surface. The contact device according to claim 9, wherein one end of the conductive structure is disposed on the upper surface.

Images