JP2010073827A - Probe apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a probe apparatus capable of reducing the cost per mounting table and footprint, and of suppressing the deterioration of throughput. <P>SOLUTION: This probe apparatus is provided with inspection sections 21A (21B) having wafer chucks 4A and 4B (4C and 4D), probe cards 6A and 6B, and an upper side image pick-up unit 5 and is also set to share the upper side image pick-up unit 5 and to overlap the moving regions of the wafer chucks 4A and 4B (4C and 4D). A wafer W is transported to the wafer chuck 4A of the inspection section 21A, the wafer chuck 4C of the inspection section 21B, the wafer chuck 4B of the inspection section 21A, and the wafer chuck 4D of the inspection section 21B in this sequence, and the image of the wafer W is picked up by the image pick-up unit 5 at one-level upper location. In this way, sharing the upper side image pick-up unit 5 can reduce the cost, and overlapping the moving regions of the wafer chucks 4A and 4B (4C and 4D) can reduce the physical size of cabinets 22a and 22b, thereby reducing the footprints. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a probe apparatus that performs electrical measurement of a test chip by bringing an electrode pad of a test chip on a substrate into contact with a probe of a probe card.

  Conventionally, a probe device for examining the electrical characteristics of an IC chip, which is an inspection chip formed on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer), includes a probe device main body (inspection unit), a loader chamber, and a FOUP in the loader chamber. Substrate transport means for transporting the substrate between the carrier and the wafer chuck of the inspection unit is provided.

  The inspection unit images the pad on the substrate surface on the lower wafer chuck with the upper imaging unit movable below the probe card, and images the probe on the upper probe card with the lower imaging unit on the wafer chuck side. Then, based on the imaging result, the coordinates (contact coordinates) at which each pad on the substrate contacts the corresponding probe is calculated, the wafer chuck is raised, the pad and the probe are brought into contact, and the IC chip is inspected. I have to. In order to improve the throughput, a probe apparatus is also considered in which two inspection units are connected to each other and a wafer is transferred between the wafer chuck of each inspection unit and the FOUP of the load port by a common substrate transfer arm. Yes.

  By the way, when imaging the probe by the lower imaging unit and imaging the wafer surface by the upper imaging unit, the wafer chuck moves over a wide range, and when the wafer size increases, the movement range of the wafer chuck becomes wider. Therefore, the inspection part becomes larger. In addition, when connecting a plurality of inspection units, the loader chamber is shared, so the loader chamber and the inspection unit have a smaller footprint than the one-to-one probe device, but the inspection unit itself is large. As a whole, the probe device becomes large.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 1 describes a probe device in which one housing is provided with one probe card, two mounting tables, and a dedicated imaging unit for each mounting table. This probe device is intended to reduce costs by sharing an expensive probe card, but while testing a wafer on one mounting table, the wafer on the other mounting table Because it cannot be tested, it is inferior in terms of throughput.

JP 2008-117897 A (paragraph numbers 0029 and 0030)

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a probe device that can be reduced in size to reduce the area occupied by the probe device and that can achieve high throughput. is there.

In the probe device of the present invention,
The substrate is taken out from the substrate storage unit by the substrate transport means and transferred to the mounting table in the inspection unit, and the upper imaging unit with the field of view facing down is used to image the surface of the substrate and is provided on the mounting table side. The probe of the probe card is imaged by the side imaging unit, the coordinate position where the electrode pad of the chip to be inspected on the substrate and the probe of the probe card contact is determined based on the imaging result by the control unit, In the device for inspecting the electrical characteristics of the chip to be inspected,
The inspection unit
Two probe cards arranged apart from each other in the plane direction;
A substrate is transferred by the substrate transport means, and can be moved vertically and horizontally on a plane and can be moved in the height direction;
An upper imaging unit that is configured to be movable in the arrangement direction of the two probe cards and is shared with respect to the substrates that are respectively mounted on the two mounting tables;
At least one of when imaging the surface of the substrate and when imaging the probe, a part of the moving area of one mounting table and a part of the moving area of the other mounting table overlap,
The control unit controls the mounting table and the imaging unit so that the substrate on the other mounting table is imaged while the substrate on the other mounting table is inspected by the probe card. It is characterized by having functions.

  Moreover, the probe apparatus of this invention is provided with the 1st test | inspection part and the 2nd test | inspection part as said test | inspection part, for example, The said control part is one mounting base of a 1st test | inspection part, a 2nd test | inspection part. And a function of controlling the substrate transport means so as to transport the substrate from the substrate storage unit in the order of the one mounting table, the other mounting table of the first inspection unit, and the other mounting table of the second inspection unit. Also good. In the probe device of the present invention, for example, the first and second inspection units are arranged such that the two probe cards of the first inspection unit and the two probe cards of the second inspection unit are in a line. It is preferable that the substrate transporting means is shared for these inspection units. In the probe device of the present invention, for example, in the inspection unit, when one mounting table performs an imaging operation in which parts of the moving regions overlap each other, the movement of the other mounting table of the inspection unit is prohibited. It may be.

  According to the present invention, since the upper imaging unit is shared for the two mounting tables, the number of parts can be reduced. Since the moving area of both mounting tables overlaps at least one of when imaging the surface of the substrate by the upper imaging unit and when imaging the probe of the probe card by the lower imaging unit provided on the mounting table side, the probe card, the mounting table The area occupied by the apparatus is narrower than in the case where two inspection units provided with the above are arranged. Furthermore, a first inspection unit and a second inspection unit each having two mounting tables are provided, one mounting table of the first inspection unit, one mounting table of the second inspection unit, and a first inspection. When the imaging work is performed using one of the mounting tables, the other mounting table of the second inspection unit and the other mounting table of the second inspection unit are transported in this order. While the movement is limited, a decrease in throughput can be suppressed.

  A probe apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the probe apparatus is configured to inspect the wafer W with a loader unit 1 for delivering a wafer W that is a substrate on which a large number of chips to be inspected are arranged (probe). And a probe device main body 2 corresponding to the inspection unit of the present invention for performing a test. First, the overall layout of the loader unit 1 and the probe device main body 2 will be briefly described.

  The loader unit 1 is loaded with FOUPs 100, which are sealed transfer containers (substrate storage units) in which a plurality of wafers W are stored, and are opposed to each other in the Y direction (left-right direction in the drawing). A load port 11 and a second load port 12 and a transfer chamber 10 disposed between the load ports 11 and 12 are provided. Each load port 11 (12) includes a casing 11a (12a), and the FOUP 100 is carried into the casing 11a (12a) from a carry-in port 11b (12b) provided in the X direction of the load port 11 (12). The The loaded FOUP 100 is removed by a lid opening / closing means (not shown) provided in the load port 11 (12) so that the lid is held on the side wall in the load port 11 (12). The FOUP 100 with the lid removed is rotated so that the opening is directed to the transfer chamber 10 side.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transfer chamber 10 is provided with a wafer transfer arm 3 as a substrate transfer means. The wafer transfer arm 3 is configured by providing two arm bodies 35 that can move back and forth on a transfer base 30 that is rotatable about a vertical axis, can be moved up and down, and can be moved in the Y direction in the drawing. Here, 33 is a base moving unit that moves along a rail extending in the Y direction in the figure, 32 is a base lifting unit 32 that moves up and down with respect to the base moving unit 33, and 31 is a rotation provided in the base lifting unit 32. Part. In addition, a pre-alignment mechanism 36 (see FIG. 4) that pre-aligns the wafer W placed on the arm body 35 on the transfer base 30 and adjusts the orientation of the wafer W and detects the center position. ) Is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the pre-alignment mechanism 36 includes a chuck portion 37, a shaft portion 37 a, and an optical sensor 38, and these members are mounted on the transport base 30. The chuck portion 37 is provided at the top of the shaft portion 37a that moves up and down through the conveyance base 30 and is rotatable, and normally fits into a concave portion on the surface of the conveyance base 30 to be flush with the surface. This is a rotating stage. The chuck portion 37 is set at a position corresponding to the center of the wafer W on the arm body 35 retracted on the transfer base 30, and is configured to be able to slightly lift the wafer W from the arm body 35 and rotate it. . The optical sensor 38 is a detection unit including a light emitting sensor and a light receiving sensor that detect the periphery of the wafer W rotated by the chuck unit 37. The optical sensor 38 is fixed via the transfer base 30 at a position laterally deviated from the movement region of the arm body 35, above and below the periphery of the wafer W lifted by the chuck portion 37, and the wafer W. Are disposed at positions that do not interfere with the wafer W during access. In the present embodiment, pre-alignment is performed only on the lower arm body 35 of the two arm bodies 35 provided so as to be aligned vertically.

  The pre-alignment of the pre-alignment mechanism 36 is performed as follows. First, the wafer W on the arm body 35 is slightly lifted by the chuck portion 37 to rotate the wafer W, and light is irradiated from the light emitting portion of the optical sensor 38 to the region including the peripheral portion (end portion) of the wafer W. . And the control part 15 mentioned later detects the direction reference | standard part, such as a notch of a wafer W, an orientation flat, and the center position of the wafer W based on the detection signal of the optical sensor 38, and a notch etc. based on the detection result, The orientation of the wafer W is adjusted by rotating the chuck portion 37 so that the arm body 35 has a predetermined orientation. Thereafter, the position of the arm body 35 is adjusted so that the eccentricity of the wafer W is corrected, and the wafer W is transferred from the chuck portion 37 to the arm body 35. Thereby, the orientation and eccentricity of the wafer W are adjusted. The pre-alignment mechanism 36 is not limited to being connected to the wafer transfer arm 3, but may be provided in the transfer path of the wafer transfer arm 3. However, the wafer transfer arm 3 must be transferred to the pre-alignment mechanism each time pre-alignment is performed. Since the wafer W has to be transferred between the pre-alignment stage and the arm 3, the configuration of this example is advantageous.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a control unit 15 that controls the probe device main body 2 is provided on the loader unit 1. The control unit 15 is composed of, for example, a computer and includes a data processing unit composed of a program, a memory, and a CPU. The program is such that the FOUP 100 is loaded into the load port 11 (12), the wafer W is loaded into the probe apparatus main body 2 from the FOUP 100, a probe test is performed, and then the wafer W is returned to the FOUP 100 and the FOUP 100 is unloaded. A group of steps is set up to control the operation of each part of the series. This program (including programs related to processing parameter input operations and display) is stored in a storage medium such as a flexible disk, a compact disk, an MO (magneto-optical disk), and a hard disk and installed in the control unit 15.

  Next, the probe apparatus main body 2 which is a main part of the present invention will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 2, the probe apparatus main body 2 is arranged adjacent to the loader unit 1 so as to be aligned with the loader unit 1 in the X direction, and the first inspection unit 21A and the second inspection unit aligned in the Y direction. Part 21B. In FIG. 2, the inspection unit 21 </ b> A (21 </ b> B) shows a state in which a head plate 7 described later is removed. Since the inspection unit 21A (21B) has the same structure, only the inspection unit 21A is shown in FIGS. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 6 schematically shows the inspection unit 21A.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the inspection unit 21A has one housing 22a corresponding to an exterior body that partitions and forms each unit. A table unit 24a, a table unit 24b, and the upper imaging unit 5 are provided. The table units 24a (24b) are arranged so as to be aligned in the Y direction in the figure, and are movable in the X, Y, and Z (up and down) directions, that is, vertically and horizontally on a plane and movable in the height direction. Furthermore, the upper part rotates around the vertical axis. On the upper part of the table unit 24a (24b) is a mounting table for mounting the wafer W, and two wafer chucks 4A and 4B having a vacuum suction function are stacked. The wafer chuck 4A (4B) is combined with a lower imaging unit 40A and a lower imaging unit 40B, a delivery position for delivering the wafer W to and from the wafer transfer arm 3, and a wafer surface described later. And the contact position (inspection position) where the wafer W is brought into contact with the probe 60 of the probe card 6A (6B).

  The lower imaging unit 40A (40B) is provided on the side opposite to the center line CL of the housing 22a when viewed from the wafer chuck 4A (4B) (see FIGS. 5 and 6). As shown in FIG. 5, the lower imaging unit 40A (40B) includes a lower camera 41, a macro camera 42, a target 43, and an advance / retreat mechanism 44, which are micro cameras, and moves together with the table unit 24a (24b). The probe 60 of the probe card 6A (6B) described later is imaged. The target 43 is a member for matching the focal point and the optical axis of both cameras in order to make the origin of the lower camera 41 and the upper camera 51 to be described later at the time of alignment work. It is configured to advance and retreat with respect to the position where the ejection is performed.

  Further, an upper imaging unit 5 that moves in the Y direction is disposed above the movement area of the wafer chuck 4A (4B). The upper imaging unit 5 is configured to be guided by guide rails 52 formed at both ends in the X direction of the housing 22a over the entire region in the Y direction of the housing 22a, and the wafer chuck 4A (4B). A line that moves freely in the Y direction and is perpendicular to the center line CL in the Y direction of the housing 22a shown in FIG. 5 (the midpoint of the straight line connecting the center points of probe cards 6A and 6B described later shown in FIG. 6) ) Is a reference standby position of the upper imaging unit 5. The upper imaging unit 5 is equipped with an upper camera 51, and the upper imaging unit 5 has a function as a moving support for the upper camera 51. The upper camera 51 includes a CCD camera or the like, and moves to the upper side of the wafer chuck 4A (4B) located at the imaging position by the upper imaging unit 5 to photograph the surface of the wafer W.

  Above the movement area of the wafer chuck 4A (4B) and the upper imaging unit 5, as shown in FIG. 6, a probe card 6A (6B) mounted on the head plate 7 forming the ceiling of the housing 22a is provided. Yes. The probe card 6A (6B) is mounted and held on the head plate 7. On the upper surface side of the probe card 6A (6B), a test head 8 is disposed via a pogo pin unit (not shown). Further, on the lower surface side of the probe card 6A (6B), a probe 60 of a vertical needle (wire probe needle) that is electrically connected to the electrode group on the upper surface side and extends perpendicularly to the surface of the wafer W, for example. Are provided on the entire surface of the probe card 6A (6B), for example, corresponding to the arrangement of the electrode pads on the wafer W. As shown in FIG. 2, the inspection unit 21B includes table units 24c and 24d, wafer chucks 4C and 4D, lower imaging units 40C and 40D, upper imaging unit 5, a probe card (not shown), and the like. It is configured in the same way.

  Next, the operation of the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 7 to 13. In FIGS. 7, 8, and 10 to 13, W1 to W5 indicate wafers, W1 is the first transferred wafer, W2 is the second transferred wafer, and so on. It is shown whether it is a processed wafer. The time required for the probe test performed by the wafer chucks 4A to 4D is assumed to be equal.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the standby positions (home positions) of the wafer chucks 4A to 4D are directly below the probe card 6A (6B). First, as shown in FIG. 7, the wafer W1 is unloaded from the FOUP 100 by the wafer transfer arm 3, and pre-alignment is performed by the pre-alignment mechanism 36 to adjust the orientation of the wafer W1 and detect the center position. Further, one wafer chuck 4A of the first inspection unit 21A moves to a delivery position where the wafer W1 is received from the wafer transfer arm 3. Then, the wafer transfer arm 3 enters the housing 22a from the transfer port 23a (see FIG. 3), and delivers the wafer W1 to the wafer chuck 4A.

  After delivering the wafer W1, as shown in FIG. 8, the wafer transfer arm 3 takes out the next wafer W2 from the FOUP 100, and pre-aligns the wafer W2 in the same manner as the wafer W1. Further, one wafer chuck 4C of the second inspection unit 21B moves to a delivery position for receiving the wafer W2 from the wafer transfer arm 3. Then, the wafer transfer arm 3 enters the housing 22b from the transfer port 23c (see FIG. 3), and delivers the wafer W2 to the wafer chuck 4C. On the other hand, after the wafer W1 is delivered to the wafer chuck 4A, as a pre-process for bringing the wafer W1 into contact with the probe card 6A, an operation for obtaining the coordinate position of the electrode pad on the surface of the wafer W1 and the probe 60 of the probe card 6A is called an alignment operation. Is done. This alignment operation is performed as follows.

  First, the upper imaging unit 5 of the first inspection unit 21A is moved to an imaging position for imaging the wafer W on the wafer chuck 4A, and the upper camera 51 of the upper imaging unit 5 and the table unit 24a of the wafer chuck 4A (in detail). Is the origin of the lower camera 41 of the lower imaging unit 40A provided in the portion that moves in the Z direction. As shown in FIG. 9A, the origin is determined by positioning the target 43 in a region between the lower camera 41 and the upper camera 51 so that the focal points and the optical axes of the lower camera 41 and the upper camera 51 coincide with each other. This is an operation of reading the X, Y, and Z coordinates after the movement of the wafer chuck 4A. When the wafer chuck 4A moves toward the outside in the Y direction of the housing 22a and moves to the limit of the moving region, the imaging position is set by the upper camera 51 on the inside of the wafer W1 in the Y direction (on the wafer chuck 4B side). This is the position where the end can be imaged. In this embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, a position moved 185 mm to the probe card 6A side from the intermediate point between the center point of the probe card 6A (see FIG. 6) and the center line CL is set as the imaging position. ing.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, in a state where the upper imaging unit 5 is fixed at the imaging position, one wafer chuck 4A is moved away from the other wafer chuck 4B, and the upper camera 51 uses, for example, the peripheral edge of the wafer W1. The four points and the center point of the part are imaged, and the position data of the electrode pads on the wafer W1 is acquired. When the imaging of the wafer W1 is completed, the upper imaging unit 5 moves to the retracted position set in the region between the side wall on the corner side (see FIG. 5) of the housing 22a and the probe card 6A as shown in FIG. 9C. Evacuate to. Then, the wafer chuck 4A is lifted in the Z direction by the table unit 24a, the focus of the lower camera 41 is adjusted to the tip of the probe 60 of the probe card 6A, and the wafer chuck 4A is moved toward the wafer chuck 4B to image the probe 60. Thus, the position data of the tip of the probe 60 is acquired.

  Since the origin of the lower camera 41 and the upper camera 51 is determined, when the imaging data of the surface of the wafer W1 and the imaging data of the probe 60 are acquired by the lower camera 41 and the upper camera 51, the wafer is captured by a common imaging device. The result is the same as acquiring the imaging data of the surface of W1 and the imaging data of the probe 60. Therefore, an accurate contact position between the probe 60 and the electrode pad can be obtained based on the imaging data of the probe 60 and the imaging data of the electrode pad of the wafer W1. Thereby, in the probe apparatus of this embodiment, the electrode pad and the probe 60 are brought into contact with each other, and the probe test of the wafer W1 is performed.

  In this embodiment, when the probe 60 is imaged by the lower camera 41, the wafer chuck 4 </ b> A rises and reaches the height position of the upper imaging unit 5. Then, the wafer chuck 4A moves toward the wafer chuck 4B while being in the height position, passes through the center line CL, and enters the region on the wafer chuck 4B side. Therefore, if the upper imaging unit 5 is stopped at the imaging position and the reference standby position (a central region including the center line CL in the Y direction of the housing 22a shown in FIG. 5), it interferes with the wafer chuck 4A and the probe 60. Cannot be imaged. Therefore, in the present embodiment, before imaging the probe 60 by the lower camera 41, the upper imaging unit 5 is retracted to an area (retracted position) between the corner side wall of the housing 22a and the probe card 6A. Is set. As a result, the wafer chuck 4 </ b> A can image the probe 60 by the lower camera 41 without interfering with the upper imaging unit 5.

  When the alignment operation is completed through the above-described steps, the wafer chuck 4A moves to the contact position obtained by the alignment operation as shown in FIG. At this time, the wafer chuck 4A first falls below the height level of the upper imaging unit 5, and then the upper imaging unit 5 passes through the upper area of the wafer chuck 4A and moves to the reference standby position. In the present embodiment, if the probe test is performed with the upper imaging unit 5 retracted to the retracted position, the upper imaging unit 5 is interfered with when the wafer chuck 4A is moved to the contact position. The housing 22a shown in FIG. 5 is moved to a reference standby position that is a central region including the center line CL in the Y direction. When the wafer chuck 4A reaches the lower region of the contact position and the upper imaging unit 5 reaches the reference standby position, the wafer chuck 4A moves up, and the electrode pad of the wafer W1 is based on the contact coordinates obtained during the alignment operation. And the probe 60 are brought into contact with each other, and a probe test using the test head 8 is started. In this example, all the pads on the wafer W1 and the probe 60 are in contact with each other.

  On the other hand, after delivering the wafer W2, the wafer transfer arm 3 takes out the next wafer W3 from the FOUP 100, and pre-aligns the wafer W3 in the same manner as the wafer W1. After the probe test is started on the wafer W1, the wafer chuck 4B moves to the delivery position for receiving the wafer W3 from the wafer transfer arm 3, and delivers the wafer W3 to the wafer chuck 4B. On the other hand, when the third wafer W3 is transferred from the wafer transfer arm 3 to the wafer chuck 4B of the first inspection unit 21A, the alignment work starts on the wafer W3 on the wafer chuck 4C of the second inspection unit 21B. Has been. This alignment operation is performed in the same manner as the above-described wafer W1, and the contact position between the probe card of the second inspection unit 21B and the electrode pad of the wafer W2 is obtained. Thereafter, the wafer chuck 4C moves to the lower region of the obtained contact position, and the upper imaging unit 5 moves to the reference standby position through the upper region of the wafer chuck 4C (see FIG. 11), and then the first inspection. The probe test is started in the same manner as the unit 21A.

  In the second inspection unit 21B, the reference standby position, the imaging position, and the retracted position of the upper imaging unit 5 are set as in the first inspection unit 21A. In the second inspection unit 21B, for example, a central region including a center line CL2 in the Y direction of the housing 22b shown in FIG. 10 (a straight line in the X direction passing through the center points of two probe cards (not shown) in the housing 22b). Is set as a reference standby position, and a position moved 185 mm to the probe card side from an intermediate point between the center point of the probe card and the center line CL2 is set as an imaging position. An area between the card and the card is set as a retreat position.

  The wafer transfer arm 3 delivers the wafer W3 to the wafer chuck 4B of the first inspection unit 21A, and then takes out the next (fourth) wafer W4 from the FOUP 100 as shown in FIG. Pre-alignment is performed in the same manner as the wafer W1. When the probe test is started on the wafer W2 placed on one wafer chuck 4C of the second inspection unit 21B, the other wafer chuck 4D of the second inspection unit 21B is moved from the wafer transfer arm 3 to the wafer. Move to the delivery position to receive W4. Then, the wafer transfer arm 3 delivers the wafer W4 to the wafer chuck 4D.

  As for the operation of the first inspection unit 21A, when the wafer W4 is transferred from the wafer transfer arm 3 to the other wafer chuck 4D of the second inspection unit 21B, An alignment operation has been started on the wafer W3, and the contact position between the wafer W3 on 4B and the probe 60 of the probe card 6B is obtained by this alignment operation. Thereafter, the probe test is started in the same manner.

  In the other wafer chuck 4B of the first inspection unit 21A, the positional relationship in the Y direction between the upper imaging unit 5 and the wafer chuck 4B is reversed. Therefore, when performing the alignment operation, the upper imaging unit 5 and the wafer chuck 4B. However, the basic movement is the same as that of one wafer chuck 4A.

  When the probe test is started on the wafer W3 placed on the other wafer chuck 4B of the first inspection unit 21A, the wafer chuck 4D performs an alignment operation on the wafer W4 in the same manner as the wafer W1. The contact position is determined. Thereafter, the wafer chuck 4D moves to a lower region of the obtained contact position, and the upper imaging unit 5 passes through the upper region of the wafer chuck 4D and moves to the reference standby position, so that the wafer chuck 4D moves to the lower region of the contact position. When the upper imaging unit 5 reaches the reference standby position (see FIG. 13), the probe test is started in the same manner as the wafer chuck 4A.

  Thereafter, when the probe test of the wafer W1 of the wafer chuck 4A is completed earliest, the wafer transfer arm 3 takes out the next (fifth) wafer W5 from the FOUP 100 as shown in FIG. Similarly, pre-alignment is performed. Then, the wafer chuck 4A moves to the wafer transfer position as shown in FIG. 7, transfers the inspected wafer W1 to the wafer transfer arm 3, and the wafer transfer arm 3 transfers the uninspected wafer W5. Next, the wafer transfer arm 3 carries the inspected wafer W1 into the FOUP 100, and when there is an uninspected next wafer W in the FOUP 100, the next wafer W is unloaded and pre-alignment is performed. Thereafter, the above-described steps are repeated, and the inspection unit 21A (21B) inspects the wafer W in the FOUP 100 until there is no uninspected wafer W in the FOUP 100.

  In the probe apparatus of the present embodiment, during the alignment work, the second inspection unit 21B is configured such that a part of each moving region of the one wafer chuck 4A and the other wafer chuck 4B of the first inspection unit 21A overlaps each other. A part of each moving area of the one wafer chuck 4C and the other wafer chuck 4D is set to overlap each other. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the alignment operation is performed using one of the wafer chucks 4A and 4C, the movement of the other wafer chucks 4B and 4D is prohibited, and the other wafer chucks 4B and 4D are used. When the alignment work is performed, the controller 15 controls the movement of one of the wafer chucks 4A and 4C to be prohibited.

  In the probe device of the present embodiment described above, two wafer chucks 4A, 4B (4C, 4D) are provided in each inspection section 21A (21B), and the wafer W on the wafer chucks 4A, 4B (4C, 4D) is provided. The upper imaging unit 5 is shared. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the cost as compared with the case where the upper imaging unit 5 is provided for each of the wafer chucks 4A, 4B (4C, 4D). The wafer chucks 4A and 4B (4C and 4D) are set so that the moving regions overlap in the housing 22a (22b), and one of the wafer chucks 4A and 4B moves in the first inspection unit 21A. When the other is moving, the other movement is prohibited. In the second inspection unit 21B, when one of the wafer chucks 4C and 4D is moving, the other movement is prohibited. For this reason, as compared with the case where two probe devices each including a probe card, a wafer chuck, and an upper imaging unit are connected by an amount corresponding to the overlapping area of the movement areas of the wafer chucks 4A, 4B (4C, 4D). The body 22a (22b) can be made small.

  Furthermore, since two inspection units 21A (21B) configured in this way are connected, further cost reduction effect and footprint reduction effect of the probe device can be obtained. Then, one wafer chuck (4A or 4B) in the first inspection unit 21A, one wafer chuck (4C or 4D) in the second inspection unit 21B, and the other wafer chuck in the first inspection unit 21A ( 4B or 4A), and the wafer W is transferred in the order of the other wafer chuck (4D or 4C) in the second inspection unit 21B, and the timing at which the alignment operation is performed in the first inspection unit 21A; The timing of transporting the wafer W to another inspection unit 21B overlaps. For this reason, when the next wafer W is to be transferred to the first inspection unit 21A thereafter, the above-described alignment operation in the first inspection unit 21A is completed or the remaining time is short, so that the next wafer W can be quickly transferred to the first inspection unit 21A to prepare for the alignment work. For this reason, there is no waiting time in each work or it can be kept short, and high throughput can be obtained while the work area is restricted by the overlapping movement areas of the two wafer chucks 4A, 4B (4C, 4D).

  The characteristic part of the present invention is that the substrate is transferred alternately between the first inspection unit and the second inspection unit and the other mounting table. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the wafer chuck 4A is used. The wafer W may be transferred in the order of the wafer chuck 4D → the wafer chuck 4B → the wafer chuck 4C, or the wafer W may be transferred in the order of the wafer chuck 4B → the wafer chuck 4C → the wafer chuck 4A → the wafer chuck 4D.

  In addition, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a configuration in which a probe apparatus main body is configured by combining a plurality of inspection units, and may be, for example, a probe device including one inspection unit of the above-described embodiment. . Even with such a probe device, it is possible to perform a probe test only by providing one upper imaging unit for two mounting tables. Therefore, the number of upper imaging units can be reduced and costs can be reduced compared to a probe device having an upper imaging unit for each mounting table, and the footprint of the mounting table can be set so that the moving areas of the mounting tables overlap. Can also be reduced. In the present embodiment, the probe test is performed by collective contact. However, the present invention can also be applied to a probe apparatus that performs a probe test using divided contacts. When performing a probe test using divided contacts, the range in which the mounting table moves during the probe test is set as the test area, and the stand-by position of the mounting table is set at the center of the test area. What is necessary is just to set the movement area of a mounting base so that it may not overlap with the movement area of a mounting base.

[Other Embodiments]
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, in carrying out the present invention, the probe apparatus main body can be configured as shown in FIG. In the probe apparatus shown in FIG. 14, a transfer chamber 110 having a wafer transfer arm 103 is disposed at the center of the apparatus, and load ports 111 and 112 are disposed at both ends of the transfer chamber 110 in the Y direction in the figure. Then, inspection units 21A and 21B having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment are arranged at both ends in the X direction of the transfer chamber 110 in the drawing. That is, in the probe device shown in FIG. 14, the probe device main body 121 is configured by arranging the inspection units 21 </ b> A and 21 </ b> B in parallel with the transfer chamber 110 interposed therebetween. Even in such a probe apparatus, the FOUP 100 containing the wafer W is placed on the load ports 111 and 112, and the wafers W1 to W4 are mounted on the inspection units 21A and 21B by the wafer transfer arm 103 as described above. It can be transported in the same manner as the form, and the cost and footprint can be reduced.

  In the probe device of the present invention, a part of the movement area of the two mounting tables overlaps during the alignment work. This overlap occurs when the substrate is imaged by the upper imaging unit and the probe by the lower imaging unit as in the above-described embodiment. It is not limited to happening at the time of imaging, but may be a case where the moving areas of both mounting tables overlap at the time of imaging of either one. The overlapping movement areas of the mounting table mean not only the mounting table itself but also the movement area of the table that moves the mounting table.

  Further, the embodiment of the present invention includes a configuration in which the probe apparatus main body is configured by arranging three or more inspection units of the above-described embodiments, for example, three inspection units in series. In the probe apparatus having such a probe apparatus main body, the order of transporting the substrates is as follows: one mounting table of the first inspection unit → one mounting table of the second inspection unit → one of the third inspection unit. Mounting table → the other mounting table of the first inspection unit → the other mounting table of the second inspection unit → the other mounting table of the third inspection unit. Even in such a probe apparatus, in the first inspection unit and the second inspection unit, one mounting table of the first inspection unit → one mounting table of the second inspection unit → first inspection unit The substrate is transported in the order of the other mounting table → the other mounting table of the second inspection unit. That is, the substrate is transported by the substrate transport method characteristic of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the right of the present invention includes a probe device including a probe device body having three or more inspection units.

  In the present invention, the movement control of the two mounting tables may be controlled using coordinates as shown in FIG. Here, 15A in FIG. 15A indicates a coordinate range in which the movement control of the wafer chuck 4A is performed, and 15B in FIG. 15B indicates a coordinate range in which the movement control of the wafer chuck 4B is performed. As shown in FIG. 15, in this embodiment, the origin G10 of the coordinate 15A for controlling the movement of the wafer chuck 4A and the origin G20 of the coordinate 15B for controlling the movement of the wafer chuck 4B are set at different positions. The origin G20 is a virtual point set at a position outside the housing 22a. The purpose of changing the positions of the origins G10 and G20 of the coordinates 15A and 15B and setting the origin of the coordinates 15B for controlling the wafer chuck 4B outside the housing 22a is as follows. When performing the movement control of 4A (4B), the distance L from the center point SA to the origin G10 when the wafer chuck 4A is stopped at the center of the test area, and the wafer chuck 4B at the center of the test area. This is to make the distance L from the center point SB to the origin G20 equal when stopped. That is, in the wafer chuck 4A (4B), the test areas are present at the same coordinate position when viewed from the origins G10 and G20. Thereby, it is possible to shorten the step at the time of movement control of the wafer chuck 4A (4B), and it is also possible to improve the control throughput of the wafer chuck 4A4 (B).

It is a perspective view which shows the outline of the probe apparatus of this embodiment. It is a top view which shows the outline of the probe apparatus of this embodiment. It is a side view which shows the outline of the probe apparatus of this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the outline of the wafer transfer arm 3 of this embodiment. It is a top view which shows the outline of 21 A of test | inspection parts of this embodiment. It is a side view which shows the outline of 21 A of test | inspection parts of this embodiment. It is the 1st explanatory view for explaining the probe test of this embodiment. It is the 2nd explanatory view for explaining the probe test of this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the alignment operation | work of this embodiment. It is the 3rd explanatory view for explaining the probe test of this embodiment. It is the 4th explanatory view for explaining the probe test of this embodiment. It is a 5th explanatory view for explaining the probe test of this embodiment. It is the 6th explanatory view for explaining the probe test of this embodiment. It is a top view which shows the outline of the probe apparatus of the other Example which concerns on this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the control method of the other Example which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

2 Probe body 3 Wafer transfer arm (substrate transfer means)
4A, 4B, 4C, 4D Wafer chuck (mounting table)
5 Upper imaging unit 6A, 6B Probe card 10 Transport chamber 11, 12 Load port 15 Control unit 21A, 21B Inspection unit 22a, 22b Cases 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d Table unit 35 Arm body 36 Pre-alignment mechanism 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D Lower imaging unit 41 Lower camera 43 Target 51 Upper camera 52 Guide rail 60 Probe 100 FOUP
W wafer

Claims (4)

The substrate is taken out from the substrate storage unit by the substrate transport means and transferred to the mounting table in the inspection unit, and the upper imaging unit with the field of view facing down is used to image the surface of the substrate and is provided on the mounting table side. The probe of the probe card is imaged by the side imaging unit, the coordinate position where the electrode pad of the chip to be inspected on the substrate and the probe of the probe card contact is determined based on the imaging result by the control unit, In the device for inspecting the electrical characteristics of the chip to be inspected,
The inspection unit
Two probe cards arranged apart from each other in the plane direction;
A substrate is transferred by the substrate transport means, and can be moved vertically and horizontally on a plane and can be moved in the height direction;
An upper imaging unit that is configured to be movable in the arrangement direction of the two probe cards and is shared with respect to the substrates that are respectively mounted on the two mounting tables;
At least one of when imaging the surface of the substrate and when imaging the probe, a part of the moving area of one mounting table and a part of the moving area of the other mounting table overlap,
The control unit controls the mounting table and the imaging unit so that the substrate on the other mounting table is imaged while the substrate on the other mounting table is inspected by the probe card. A probe apparatus having a function. As the inspection unit, a first inspection unit and a second inspection unit are provided,
The control unit includes one mounting table of the first inspection unit, one mounting table of the second inspection unit, the other mounting table of the first inspection unit, and the other mounting table of the second inspection unit. The probe apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a function of controlling the substrate transport unit so as to transport the substrate from the substrate storage unit.   The first and second inspection units are arranged so that the two probe cards of the first inspection unit and the two probe cards of the second inspection unit are arranged in a line. The probe apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the probe apparatus is shared with the inspection unit.   2. The inspection unit according to claim 1, wherein when one mounting table is performing an imaging operation in which a part of the moving region overlaps each other, movement of the other mounting table of the inspection unit is prohibited. The probe apparatus as described in any one of thru | or 3.

Images