JP2008233022A - Contact probe - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a contact probe where the surface pressure of a contact part at the scrub time is increased without reducing the strength of the scrub direction. <P>SOLUTION: The contact probe 12 of a cantilever beam shape is formed on a probe substrate 11 arranged facedly to an inspecting object 2 and comes into contact with an electrode pad 21 on the inspecting object 2 to be conducted. The contact probe 12 has a beam 12a whose one end side is fixed, and a contact 12b disposed on the other end side of the beam 12a. The contact surface of the contact 12a to the inspecting object 2 has a shape formed by combining a rectangular area extending in the draft direction of the beam 12a with a constant width, and a triangular area whose width spreads toward the rectangular area. The rectangular area is arranged on the other end side of the beam 12a, and the triangular area is arranged on the one end side of the beam 12a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a contact probe, and more particularly, an improvement of a contact probe for testing an electrical property of an inspection object by contacting and conducting a fine electrode pad on the inspection object such as a semiconductor wafer. About.

  In general, in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, an electrical characteristic test is performed on an electronic circuit formed on a semiconductor wafer. Such an electrical property test for an inspection object is performed using a probe card in which a plurality of contact probes that are brought into contact with an electrode pad on the inspection object to be conducted are formed on a substrate.

  FIG. 9 is a side view showing a conventional probe card, and shows a state where a probe card 100 in which a plurality of contact probes 111 are formed on a substrate 110 is viewed from the beam front end side. On the inspection object 120, a plurality of fine electrode pads 121 are provided at a narrow pitch. The probe card 100 includes a substrate 110 disposed opposite to each electrode pad 121 on the inspection object 120 and a plurality of contact probes 111 formed on the substrate 110 at a predetermined pitch. The probe card 100 is usually arranged with the substrate surface on which the contact probe 111 is formed facing downward, and the inspection object 120 is placed in a state where each contact probe 111 is aligned with the electrode pad 121. By raising, the contact probe 111 and the electrode pad 121 come closer to each other.

  FIGS. 10A and 10B are side views showing the contact probe 111 in the probe card 100 of FIG. FIG. 10A shows a state in which the contact 113 and the electrode pad 121 have begun to come into contact with each other, and FIG. 10B shows that the contact probe 111 and the electrode pad 121 are brought closer to the state shown in FIG. The state after overdrive is shown. The contact probe 111 is composed of a contact 113 to be brought into contact with the electrode pad 121 and a beam 112 made of a cantilever beam which elastically supports the contact 113 and whose longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the contact probes 111. Is done. The contact 113 is formed of a columnar body that extends toward the inspection object 120, and is disposed at the tip of the beam 112.

  When the contact 113 starts to contact the electrode pad 121, the entire end surface of the contact 113 comes into contact with the surface of the electrode pad 121. When the probe card 100 and the inspection object 120 are brought closer together from the state in which the contact 113 starts to contact the electrode pad 121, the beam 112 is bent toward the substrate 110 due to the stress applied to the beam 112 through the contact 113. . At that time, as the probe card 100 and the inspection object 120 approach each other, the inclination of the contact 113 increases as the deformation amount of the beam 112 increases, so that the contact portion between the contact 113 and the electrode pad 121 is on the electrode pad 121. Will move. The electrode pad 121 is scrubbed in the longitudinal direction of the beam 112 by the movement of the contact portion.

  It has been conventionally known that the continuity of the contact probe is improved by increasing the contact pressure of the contact portion when the contact is brought into contact with the electrode pad on the inspection object. Generally, if the area of the contact portion is reduced, the surface pressure of the contact portion can be increased. Therefore, it is conceivable to make the contact thinner in order to reduce the area of the contact portion. However, the contact is formed as a structure that is longer in the height direction than the size of the end face from the viewpoint of enabling contact even when foreign matter such as dust is sandwiched between the beam and the inspection object. There was a need to do. For this reason, if the contact is made thinner, the shape becomes elongated in the height direction, so that the strength in the lateral direction is lowered, and the strength in the scrub direction necessary for scrubbing cannot be obtained. In particular, when the beam and the contact are formed as a layer parallel to the substrate by a lamination process, the contact is formed as a columnar body whose longitudinal direction is a direction perpendicular to the substrate, so that it is easy to make only the tip portion thin. It wasn't. In addition, when the contact is made thin, the area of the end face becomes small, so that there is a problem that the contact is easily peeled off at the joint surface with the beam.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is intended to provide a contact probe that increases the surface pressure of a contact portion when brought into contact with an electrode pad on an object to be inspected and has improved conductivity. It is aimed. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a contact probe that can increase the surface pressure of a contact portion during scrubbing without reducing the strength in the scrub direction.

  A contact probe according to a first aspect of the present invention is a cantilever-shaped contact probe having a beam fixed at one end and a contact provided at the other end of the beam. The contact surface to the object is a shape combining a rectangular region extending in the beam extending direction with an equal width and a triangular region having a width expanding toward the rectangular region, and the rectangular region is It arrange | positions at the other end side of a beam, and is comprised so that the said triangular area | region may be arrange | positioned at the one end side of the said beam.

  In this contact probe, the contact surface of the contact provided on the other end side of the beam to which one end side is fixed has an equal width in the beam extending direction, and a rectangular area extending toward the rectangular area. It is composed of a shape combined with a triangular region having an increased width. With such a configuration, since the contact is formed of a triangular region arranged on one end side of the beam, scrubbing when the inspection object and the probe substrate are relatively brought close to each other with the contact surface of the contact in contact with the electrode pad. It is possible to increase the surface pressure of the contact portion. In addition, since the contact is made of a rectangular region extending at an equal width in the beam extending direction, a decrease in strength in the scrub direction can be suppressed. Therefore, the contact pressure when the contact is brought into contact with the electrode pad on the inspection object can be increased, and the conductivity of the contact probe can be improved.

  In addition to the above configuration, the contact probe according to the second aspect of the present invention is configured such that the triangular area is a plurality of triangles, and the sides of each triangle are in contact with the rectangular area.

  A contact probe according to a third aspect of the present invention is configured such that, in addition to the above configuration, the triangular region is a single triangle, and the side in contact with the rectangular region is shorter than the length of the side of the rectangular region.

  According to the contact probe according to the present invention, the contact surface of the contact is formed of a triangular region disposed on one end side of the beam. Therefore, when the contact is in contact with the electrode pad, the inspection object and the probe substrate are brought relatively close to each other. It is possible to increase the surface pressure of the contact portion during scrubbing. In addition, since the contact surface of the contact is formed of a rectangular region extending at an equal width in the beam extending direction, a decrease in strength in the scrub direction can be suppressed. Therefore, the contact pressure when the contact is brought into contact with the electrode pad on the inspection object can be increased, and the conductivity of the contact probe can be improved. In particular, it is possible to increase the surface pressure of the contact portion during scrubbing without reducing the strength in the scrub direction.

<Probe device>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a probe apparatus 1 including a probe card 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows the inside of the probe apparatus 1. The probe device 1 includes a probe card 10, a movable stage 3 on which an inspection object 2 is placed, a drive device 4 that moves the movable stage 3 up and down, and a housing 5 that houses the movable stage 3 and the drive device 4. Composed. The inspection object 2 includes a semiconductor device such as a semiconductor wafer, and a plurality of electronic circuits (not shown) are formed.

  The movable stage 3 is a mounting table having a horizontal mounting surface, and can be raised or lowered in the vertical direction while the inspection object 2 is mounted on the mounting surface.

  The probe card 10 includes a main board 15 attached to the housing 5, a probe board 11 held by the main board 15 so as to be movable up and down, a connecting member 13 for connecting the main board 15 and the probe board 11, and the probe board 11. It comprises a plurality of contact probes 12 fixed thereon. Each contact probe 12 is provided on one main surface of the probe substrate 11.

  In this probe card 10, contact probes 12 are arranged on a straight line at a predetermined pitch, and two rows of such contact probes 12 are formed with their beam tips facing each other. The probe card 10 is held horizontally and is arranged with the main surface of the probe substrate 11 on which the contact probe 12 is formed facing downward in the vertical direction. That is, the probe card 10 is arranged with the main surface of the probe substrate 11 facing the inspection object 2.

  When performing an electrical characteristic test of the inspection object 2, the alignment of the inspection object 2 and the probe card 10, that is, the inspection is performed so that each contact probe 12 faces the electrode pad 21 on the inspection object 2. Positioning of the probe substrate 11 with respect to the object 2 is performed. By moving the movable stage 3 in a state where the inspection object 2 and the probe card 10 are properly aligned, the probe substrate 11 and the inspection object 2 approach each other, and the tip of the contact probe 12 is placed on the inspection object 2. Can be brought into contact with the electrode pad 21.

<Probe card>
2A and 2B are diagrams showing a configuration example of the probe card 10 in the probe device 1 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2A is a plan view seen from the inspection object 2 side. Yes, (b) in the figure is a side view.

  The main board 15 is a printed board that can be attached to and detached from the housing 5, and has an external terminal 16 for performing signal input / output with the tester device. The peripheral portion of the main substrate 15 is held by the housing 5 of the probe device 1 and supported so as to be horizontal in the housing 5. For example, a multilayer printed circuit board mainly composed of glass epoxy is used as the main board 15.

  The probe board 11 is a board that is suspended from the main board 15 via the connecting member 13, and is supported so as to be vertically movable so as to be substantially parallel to the main board 15. The probe substrate 11 has a wiring pattern formed on a substrate that is smaller and lighter than the main substrate 15. When the inspection object 2 is made of a silicon wafer, it is desirable to use a silicon substrate obtained by processing single crystal silicon into a flat plate shape as the probe substrate 11 because the thermal expansion coefficients of the probe substrate 11 and the inspection object 2 can be matched. .

  The connecting member 13 connects the main board 15 and the probe board 11, limits the movable range of the probe board 11 with respect to the main board 15, and conducts the main board 15 and the probe board 11 as conductive lines. Here, a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) in which a wiring pattern is printed on a flexible film containing polyimide as a main component is used as the connecting member 13. One end of the flexible substrate is fixed to the peripheral portion of the probe substrate 11, and the other end is connected to the main substrate 15 via a detachable connector 14.

  The contact probe 12 is a probe (probe) that is elastically brought into contact with a fine electrode pad 21 formed on the inspection object 2. A large number of contact probes 12 are aligned on the probe substrate 11. Has been placed. Each contact probe 12 is electrically connected to the external terminal 16 through each wiring of the probe substrate 11, the connecting member 13, and the main substrate 15, and the minute electrode pad 21 is connected to the tester device by contacting the contact probe 12. Can be conducted.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the probe card 10 of FIG. 2, and shows a probe substrate 11 on which contact probes 12 are formed at a predetermined pitch A1. The probe substrate 11 has a rectangular shape, and a row of contact probes 12 is formed with a direction parallel to one side as an arrangement direction.

  The contact probes 12 belonging to one row are arranged with the beam tips facing each other with respect to the contact probes 12 belonging to the other row. The contact probes 12 are formed at a constant pitch A1 without contacting each other. The pitch A1, that is, the repetition interval is determined according to the pitch between the electrode pads 21 formed on the inspection object 2, for example. Specifically, the pitch A1 is about 40 μm (micrometer).

<Contact probe>
FIG. 4 is a side view showing a configuration example of a main part of the probe card 10 of FIG. 2, in which the contact probe 12 on the probe substrate 11 is shown. The contact probe 12 includes a contact 12b that is brought into contact with the electrode pad 21 on the inspection object 2, and a beam 12a that elastically supports the contact 12b.

  The beam 12 a has a shape that is held by the probe substrate 11 at one end and is extended along the probe substrate 11. Here, it is assumed that the beam 12a is composed of a flat plate cantilever (cantilever) whose longitudinal direction is the extending direction, and is fixed to the probe substrate 11 at the one end. Further, it is assumed that the extending direction of the beam 12a is a direction intersecting the arrangement direction of the contact probes 12 on the probe substrate 11, specifically, a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction.

  The beam 12a is bent in a direction toward or away from the probe substrate 11 by elastically deforming by the reaction force from the electrode pad 21 with the one end portion as a fixed end and the other end portion as a free end. Can do.

  The contact 12b is a columnar body that extends from the other end of the beam 12a toward the electrode pad 21. That is, the contact 12b is disposed at the other end of the beam 12a, that is, at the beam tip, and is elastically supported by the beam 12a.

  The columnar body constituting the contact 12b has a ridge line A3 on the side of the one end of the beam 12a, that is, the side of the fixed end of the beam 12a, and the inspection object 2 and the probe substrate 11 are relatively close to each other. The electrode pad 21 has a shape having an end surface in surface contact. On the other hand, when the inspection object 2 and the probe substrate 11 are brought closer to the surface contact state, the beam 12a is elastically deformed so that the contact 12b makes point contact with the electrode pad 21 at the end of the ridge line A3.

  Here, the extending direction of the beam 12a is the scrub direction of the contact 12b with respect to the electrode pad 21 when the inspection object 2 and the probe substrate 11 are brought closer to each other with the contact 12b and the electrode pad 21 in contact with each other. To do.

  Here, scrubbing means that the contact portion on the contact 12b scratches the surface of the electrode pad 21 when the inspection object 2 and the probe substrate 11 are brought closer together while the contact 12b and the electrode pad 21 are in contact with each other. . Here, the direction from the fixed end side of the beam 12a toward the contact 12b is referred to as the extending direction of the beam 12a, that is, the scrub direction.

  When the contact 12b and the electrode pad 21 begin to contact each other, the height direction of the contact 12b and the surface of the electrode pad 21 are almost perpendicular to each other. It will come into contact. At this time, the contact 12b has a height in a direction perpendicular to the probe substrate 11 from the viewpoint of enabling contact even when foreign matter such as dust is sandwiched between the beam 12a and the inspection object 2. A2 is formed as a structure larger than the cross-sectional size. That is, even when a foreign object is sandwiched between the inspection object 2 and the beam 12a, the contact 12b is brought into contact with the electrode pad 21 if the size of the foreign object is equal to or less than the height A2 of the contact 12b. Is possible.

  For example, the contact 12b is formed as an elongated columnar body having a height A2 of 40 μm (micrometers) or more.

  In a state where the inspection object 2 and the probe substrate 11 are brought closer to each other while the contact 12b and the electrode pad 21 on the inspection object 2 are in contact, the beam is applied by the stress applied to the tip of the beam 12a via the contact 12b. 12a is elastically deformed, and the beam 12a is bent toward the probe substrate 11 with the fixed end as a fulcrum. At this time, since the contact 12b is inclined by the movement of the tip of the beam 12a toward the probe substrate 11, the contact 12b comes into contact with the electrode pad 21 at the end of the ridge line A3 on the end face.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a main part of the contact probe 12 of FIG. 4, and shows a contact 12b arranged at the tip of the beam 12a. The contact 12b is made of a columnar body formed on the surface of the beam 12a facing the inspection object 2, and has a flat end surface 12c on the inspection object 2 side.

  The columnar body constituting the contact 12b is composed of a uniform width region formed on the side opposite to the fixed end of the beam 12a and a tapered region having a ridge line A3 on the fixed end side. This equal width region is a region extending at a uniform width in the extending direction of the beam 12a, and here is a quadrangular prism-shaped region. The tapered region is a region whose width increases from the ridge line A3 toward the equal width region, and here, the tapered region is formed of a single triangular prism shaped region.

  The width here is the length in the direction intersecting the extending direction of the beam 12a, specifically, the direction perpendicular to the extending direction. In this example, from the viewpoint of preventing the contact 12b made of a columnar body formed by extending from the beam 12a from coming into contact with the adjacent contact probe, the width of the equal width region is larger than the width of the beam 12a. It is getting smaller.

  One side surface of the tapered region is in contact with the side surface of the equal width region, and the intersection line between the other two side surfaces is the ridge line A3. That is, the contact has a ridge shape when viewed from the fixed end side of the beam 12a. The ridge line A3 is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the beam 12a that faces the inspection object 2.

  Here, it is assumed that such a contact 12b is arranged at the center of the beam tip of the beam 12a. The contact 12b may have the same width as the beam 12a.

<Contact end face shape>
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the main part of the contact probe 12 of FIG. 4, and shows a contact 12b arranged at the tip of the beam 12a. The contact 12b is arranged at the center of the beam 12a, that is, at the center in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the beam 12a, and a constant width region B1 is formed on the side opposite to the fixed end of the beam 12a. A tapered region B2 is formed.

  The end face of the equal width region B1 has a rectangular shape, and has two sides parallel to the extending direction of the beam 12a and two sides respectively disposed before and after the extending direction. The width A4 of the equal width region B1 is a distance between two sides parallel to the extending direction of the beam 12a, and is smaller than the width A5 of the beam 12a.

  The end surface of the tapered region B2 has a triangular shape, and is arranged with the bottom side adjacent to one side of the end surface of the equal width region B1. Further, the end surface of the tapered region B2 has a base length that coincides with one side of the end surface of the equal width region B1, and the apex thereof is the ridge line end portion C1. That is, the contact 12b has a pentagonal shape similar to that of a baseball home plate.

  Here, it is assumed that the columnar body constituting the contact 12b has a symmetrical shape with respect to the plane B3 including the ridge line A3 and parallel to the extending direction of the beam 12a.

  By configuring the contact 12b in this manner, the area of the contact portion during scrubbing is reduced and point contact is achieved, so that the surface pressure of the contact portion during scrubbing can be increased. In particular, the effect of rubbing the contact 12b against the electrode pad on the inspection object 2 can be increased without reducing the strength in the scrub direction. Further, since the columnar body constituting the contact 12b has a symmetrical shape with respect to the plane B3, the beam 12a can be prevented from being twisted during scrubbing.

<Contact probe formation process>
7A to 7H are cross-sectional views schematically showing the process of forming the contact probe 12 in the probe card 10 of FIG. FIG. 7A shows the probe substrate 11 before the contact probe 12 is formed. The probe substrate 11 is made of, for example, a silicon substrate, and the contact probe 12 is formed by a lamination process in which layers parallel to the substrate surface are laminated. Here, it is assumed that a wiring pattern necessary for connection to a test apparatus such as a tester is formed on the probe substrate 11 in advance.

  FIG. 7B shows a state in which a sacrificial layer 41 is formed on the probe substrate 11 in FIG. 7A and a part of the sacrificial layer 41 is removed thereafter. As the sacrificial layer 41 laminated on the probe substrate 11, for example, a layer made of a conductive metal such as copper is formed by plating (electroplating). After the sacrificial layer 41 is formed on the probe substrate 11, a part of the sacrificial layer 41 is removed by etching or the like through a masking process such as photolithography (photoengraving).

  FIG. 7C shows a state in which the conductor layer 42 is formed on the probe substrate 11 of FIG. 7B, and then the surfaces of the conductor layer 42 and the sacrificial layer 41 are polished. As the conductor layer 42 laminated on the probe substrate 11 after removing a part of the sacrificial layer 41, for example, a layer made of a nickel alloy is formed by plating. The excessively formed conductor layer 42 is removed by polishing the surface, so that a portion to be a fixed end of the beam 12a in the contact probe 12 is formed.

  FIG. 7D shows a state in which the sacrificial layer 43 is formed on the probe substrate 11 in FIG. 7C, and then a part of the sacrificial layer 43 is removed. As the sacrificial layer 43 laminated on the layer composed of the sacrificial layer 41 and the conductor layer 42, a layer made of the same conductive metal as the sacrificial layer 41 is formed by plating. After forming the sacrificial layer 43, a part of the sacrificial layer 43 is removed through a masking process.

  FIG. 7E shows a state in which the conductor layer 44 is formed on the probe substrate 11 in FIG. 7D, and then the surfaces of the conductor layer 44 and the sacrificial layer 43 are polished. A layer made of the same metal as the conductor layer 42 is formed by plating as the conductor layer 44 that is laminated after removing a part of the sacrificial layer 43. The excessively formed conductor layer 44 is removed by polishing the surface, and a beam portion of the beam 12a joined to the fixed end is formed.

  FIG. 7F shows a state in which a sacrificial layer 45 is formed on the probe substrate 11 in FIG. 7E and a part of the sacrificial layer 45 is removed thereafter. As the sacrificial layer 45 laminated on the layer composed of the sacrificial layer 43 and the conductor layer 44, a layer made of the same conductive metal as the sacrificial layer 43 is formed by plating. After forming the sacrificial layer 45, a part of the sacrificial layer 45 is removed through a masking process.

  FIG. 7G shows a state in which the conductor layer 46 is formed on the probe substrate 11 of FIG. 7F, and then the surfaces of the conductor layer 46 and the sacrificial layer 45 are polished. A layer made of the same metal as the conductor layer 44 is formed by plating as the conductor layer 46 to be laminated after removing a part of the sacrificial layer 45. The excessively formed conductor layer 46 is removed by polishing the surface to form a contact 12b whose end face is joined to the tip of the beam portion of the beam 12a.

  FIG. 7H shows a state where all the sacrificial layers 41, 43 and 45 are removed from the probe substrate 11 of FIG. 7G. After polishing the surface of the excessively formed conductor layer 46, all the sacrificial layers 41, 43 and 45 are removed, and the contact probe 12 is completed.

  In this example, the case where the beam 12a and the contact 12b are formed of the same type of metal has been described. However, the beam 12a and the contact 12b may be formed of different types of metals. If the beam 12a and the contact 12b are each formed as a layer parallel to the probe substrate 11 by a lamination process, it is easy to change the metal type for each layer, so that the appropriate type according to the required strength and the like The beam 12a and the contact 12b can be formed of the above metal.

  In the conventional contact probe, when the contact is made thin in order to reduce the area of the contact portion, the area of the contact surface between the contact and the beam is reduced, so that the contact is easily peeled off at the contact surface with the beam. It was. On the other hand, in the contact probe 12 according to the present embodiment, the contact 12b includes a tapered region B2 having a ridge line A3 on the fixed end side of the beam 12a and a constant width region B1 having a uniform width in the extending direction of the beam 12a. In addition to reducing the area of the contact portion, it is possible to suppress the contact 12b from peeling off at the joint surface with the beam 12a during scrubbing.

  According to the present embodiment, the contact 12b is formed of the tapered region B2 having the ridge line A3 on the fixed end side of the beam 12a. Therefore, the inspection object 2 and the probe substrate 11 are relatively moved with the contact 12b in contact with the electrode pad 21. It is possible to increase the surface pressure of the contact portion during scrubbing when close to each other. Further, since the contact 12b is composed of the equal width region B1 formed on the side opposite to the fixed end of the beam 12a, it is possible to suppress a decrease in strength in the scrub direction. Therefore, the surface pressure of the contact portion when the contact 12b is brought into contact with the electrode pad 21 on the inspection object 2 can be increased, and the conductivity of the contact probe 12 can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which the end surface of the contact 12b has a pentagonal shape similar to that of a baseball home plate has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the columnar shape that constitutes the contact 12b. Other shapes may be used as long as the body is composed of a tapered region having a ridge line on the fixed end side of the beam 12a and a uniform width region extending with a uniform width in the extending direction of the beam 12a.

  FIGS. 8A and 8B are plan views showing another configuration example of the contact probe according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which the end face shape of the contact 12b is shown. FIG. 8 (a) shows a contact probe 51 having a tapered region B2 whose base is shorter than one side of the equal width region B1. In this example, the length of the bottom side of the tapered region B2 is shorter than one side of the uniform width region B1, and the tapered region B2 is formed adjacent to a part of the side surface of the uniform width region B1.

  The apex of the tapered region B2, that is, the ridge line end portion C2, is arranged at the center in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the beam 12a.

  As in this example, the tapered region B2 may be composed of a plurality of triangular prism-shaped regions in addition to the triangular region having a ridge line on the fixed end side of the beam 12a. good.

  FIG. 8B shows a contact probe 52 having a tapered region B2 composed of three triangular prism-shaped regions adjacent to one side of the equal width region B1. Each triangular prism-shaped region constituting the tapered region B2 is arranged with its base adjacent to one side of the equal-width region B1, and has a ridge line (ridge line end portions C3 to C5) on the fixed end side of the beam 12a. ing.

  In this example, the tapered region B2 is composed of three triangular prism-shaped regions having the same shape and the same size, and are arranged adjacent to each other. The tapered region B2 has a symmetrical shape with respect to the plane B3 parallel to the extending direction of the beam 12a, including the apex (ridge line end C4) of the central triangular prism shaped region.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which the beam 12a and the contact 12b of the contact probe 12 are formed by a lamination process has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to a method in which the beam 12a and the contact 12b are formed by a method other than the lamination process, for example, a bending process.

  Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which the probe substrate 11 is held by the main substrate 15 so as to be movable up and down has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the probe substrate 11 is the probe device 1. It may be fixed to the housing 5 or the like.

It is the figure which showed an example of schematic structure of the probe apparatus 1 containing the probe card 10 by embodiment of this invention, and the mode inside the probe apparatus 1 is shown. It is the figure which showed the structural example of the probe card 10 in the probe apparatus 1 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the probe card 10 of FIG. 2, and shows a probe substrate 11 on which contact probes 12 are formed at a predetermined pitch A1. FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating a configuration example of a main part of the probe card 10 of FIG. 2, in which a contact probe 12 on a probe substrate 11 is illustrated. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of a main part of the contact probe 12 in FIG. 4, in which a contact 12 b disposed at a distal end portion of a beam 12 a is illustrated. FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating a configuration example of a main part of the contact probe 12 of FIG. 4, in which a contact 12 b disposed at a distal end portion of a beam 12 a is illustrated. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a process of forming a contact probe 12 in the probe card 10 of FIG. It is the top view which showed the other structural example of the contact probe by embodiment of this invention, and the end surface shape of the contact 12b is shown. It is the side view which showed the conventional probe card, and the mode that the probe card 100 was seen from the beam front end side is shown. It is the side view which showed the contact probe 111 in the probe card 100 of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Probe apparatus 2 Inspection object 3 Movable stage 4 Drive apparatus 5 Case 10 Probe card 11 Probe board 12 Contact probe 12a Beam 12b Contact 12c End surface 13 Connection member 14 Connector 15 Main board 16 External terminal 21 Electrode pads 41, 43, 45 Sacrificial layers 42, 44, 46 Conductor layers 51, 52 Contact probe A 3 Edge line B 1 Equal width area B 2 Taper area C 1 to C 5 Edge part of edge line

Claims (3)

  A contact probe having a cantilever shape having a beam fixed at one end and a contact provided at the other end of the beam. It is a shape that combines a rectangular region that extends in the extending direction with a uniform width and a triangular region that widens toward the rectangular region, and the rectangular region is disposed on the other end side of the beam, A contact probe characterized in that a triangular region is arranged on one end side of the beam.   The contact probe according to claim 1, wherein the triangular region is a plurality of triangles, and a side of each triangle is in contact with the rectangular region.   The contact probe according to claim 1, wherein the triangular region is a single triangle, and a side in contact with the rectangular region is shorter than a side length of the rectangular region.

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