JP2010175552A - Probe card and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a probe card capable of keeping highly needle location accuracy of probe pins to the external terminal of a semiconductor wafer or the connection terminal of a substrate, and a method for manufacturing the same. <P>SOLUTION: The probe card 1 includes: a plurality of probe pins 50 the one end side of which is a wafer-side plunger 51 and the other end side of which is a substrate-side plunger 52; a probe guide supporting a plurality of the probe pins 50 such that, while arranging a plurality of the probe pins 50 corresponding to arrangement of the external terminal of a semiconductor wafer, at least the wafer-side plunger 51 of the probe pins 50 is exposed, and a printed-circuit board 10 having a connection terminal 14 with which the substrate side plunger 52 of the probe pins 50 supported by the probe guide get into touch, while the probe guide is organized by stacking a substrate-side probe guide 30 at which the substrate-side plunger 52 of the probe pins 50 is located and a wafer-side probe guide 40 at which the wafer-side plunger 51 of the probe pins 50. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention provides a probe card that is electrically connected to a test head of a semiconductor wafer testing apparatus and that is in electrical contact with an external terminal of the semiconductor wafer to collectively test each integrated circuit of the semiconductor wafer. And a manufacturing method thereof.

  When an electronic component such as an IC device having a semiconductor integrated circuit is manufactured, in order to improve the manufacturing yield, the integrated circuit is usually used not only at the electronic component stage (post-process) but also at the semiconductor wafer stage (pre-process). An operation test is performed.

  A prober is usually used for such a test. A probe card having a large number of probe pins electrically connected to a test head is placed close to the semiconductor wafer to be tested, and the tip of the probe pin and the semiconductor wafer are connected to each other. An operation test of an integrated circuit has been performed by making electrical contact with an external terminal and exchanging electrical signals.

  However, the number of integrated circuits in a semiconductor wafer that can be tested with a single contact by a conventional probe card, particularly a probe card using vertical spring probe pins, is limited. Testing all the integrated circuits inside required multiple contacts and required a long time for testing.

  In addition, the price of digital electronic devices such as mobile phones and PDAs has been reduced, and along with this, there has been an increasing demand for lower prices for IC devices such as flash memory incorporated in the digital electronic device.

  In order to increase the test throughput and cost, it is conceivable to test all the integrated circuits in the semiconductor wafer at once. However, recent semiconductor wafers have been enlarged to 8 inches and 12 inches, and integrated circuits have become denser. Therefore, when manufacturing a probe card corresponding to such a semiconductor wafer, external terminals of the semiconductor wafer are used. Or the needle position accuracy of the probe pin with respect to the connection terminal of the board becomes a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and provides a probe card capable of maintaining high probe pin needle position accuracy with respect to an external terminal of a semiconductor wafer or a connection terminal of a substrate, and a method of manufacturing the same. For the purpose.

In order to achieve the above object, firstly, the present invention is electrically connected to a test head of a semiconductor wafer test apparatus and is in electrical contact with an external terminal of the semiconductor wafer. A probe card that can be collectively subjected to a test, wherein one end side is a wafer side probe portion and the other end side is a substrate side probe portion, and the plurality of probe pins are external terminals of a semiconductor wafer. A probe guide that supports the plurality of probe pins so that at least a wafer side probe portion of the probe pins is exposed, and a substrate for the probe pins supported by the probe guides. And a substrate having a connection terminal with which the side probe portion contacts, and the probe guide has a coefficient of thermal expansion (linear thermal expansion) of the semiconductor wafer. Providing a probe card which is characterized by being composed of a material having a coefficient) and substantially the same coefficient of thermal expansion (coefficient of linear thermal expansion) (invention 1).

  In the semiconductor wafer test apparatus, it is necessary to ensure the accuracy of the needle tip position between the probe card and the external terminal of the semiconductor wafer under various test conditions. In particular, when a semiconductor wafer heating test or the like is performed, the semiconductor wafer is heated to a temperature of about 85 ° C. as an example, and the probe card is similarly heated. Therefore, when the thermal expansion coefficients of the semiconductor wafer and the probe guide supporting the probe pins are different, a relative positional shift occurs between the external terminal of the semiconductor wafer and the probe pins during heating. This positional deviation increases as the probe area in the probe card increases, and a contact error between the probe pin and the external terminal of the semiconductor wafer occurs.

In the probe card of the above invention ( Invention 1), the probe guide is made of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient substantially the same as the thermal expansion coefficient of the semiconductor wafer. The terminal and the probe pin are not displaced in the wafer plane direction due to the difference in thermal expansion between the semiconductor wafer and the probe guide.

Secondly, the present invention is electrically connected to a test head of a semiconductor wafer testing apparatus and is in electrical contact with an external terminal of the semiconductor wafer to collectively test each integrated circuit of the semiconductor wafer. A plurality of probe pins each having a wafer-side probe portion and a substrate-side probe portion biased outwardly by elastic bodies at both ends, and the plurality of probe pins are external terminals of a semiconductor wafer. A probe guide that supports the plurality of probe pins so that at least a wafer side probe portion of the probe pins is exposed, and a substrate for the probe pins supported by the probe guides. The probe guide is connected to the probe pin on the substrate side of the probe pin. Parts in a state where the biasing on the substrate side, it provides a probe card, characterized in that fixed to the substrate at the periphery and the plane direction within the probe guide (invention 2).

In the probe card of the above invention ( invention 2), since the probe guide biases the substrate side probe portion of the probe pin toward the substrate side, the electrical connection between the substrate side probe portion of the probe pin and the connection terminal of the substrate Can be performed reliably. However, by adopting such a configuration, a preload is applied to the probe guide in the opposite direction of the substrate by the probe pin. When the number of probe pins is large, the preload increases and the probe guide floats from the substrate. I will try.

In the probe card of the above invention ( invention 2), since the probe guide is fixed to the substrate not only in the peripheral portion but also in the plane direction, the probe guide is prevented from warping or distortion due to preloading of the probe pins. In addition, the probe pin needle position accuracy with respect to the external terminal of the semiconductor wafer can be maintained high.

In the said invention ( invention 2), the reinforcement member is provided in the other side of the said probe guide in the said board | substrate, and it is preferable that the said probe guide is being fixed to the said board | substrate and the said reinforcement member ( invention 3). ).

According to the said invention ( invention 3), the curvature and distortion of a probe guide can be prevented more effectively.

In the said invention ( invention 3), it is preferable that the said probe guide is being fixed to the said board | substrate and the said reinforcement member with the screw inserted from the said reinforcement member side inside the planar direction of the said probe guide ( invention 4). ).

According to the above invention ( invention 4), the screw occupies only the space of the cross-sectional integral of the shaft portion, not the head portion thereof, so that it is possible to cope with a case where the space between the probe pins in the probe guide is narrow. It is.

Thirdly, the present invention is electrically connected to a test head of a semiconductor wafer testing apparatus and electrically contacts an external terminal of the semiconductor wafer to collectively test each integrated circuit of the semiconductor wafer. A plurality of probe pins, one end side of which is a wafer-side probe portion and the other end side is a substrate-side probe portion, and the plurality of probe pins are arranged corresponding to the arrangement of external terminals of the semiconductor wafer. A probe terminal supporting the plurality of probe pins so that at least the wafer-side probe portion of the probe pin protrudes, and a connection terminal that contacts the substrate-side probe portion of the probe pin supported by the probe guide A substrate side probe on which a substrate side probe portion of the probe pin is located. And id, provides a probe card, wherein the wafer-side probe portion of the probe pin formed by stacked and wafer-side probe guide located (invention 5).

Fourthly, the present invention is electrically connected to a test head of a semiconductor wafer testing apparatus and electrically contacted with an external terminal of the semiconductor wafer to collectively test each integrated circuit of the semiconductor wafer. A method for manufacturing a probe card, in which a board-side probe part of a probe pin is housed (including a case where it is guided) with respect to a board having a connection terminal with which the board-side probe part of the probe pin contacts. The substrate-side probe guide is fixed after the connection terminal of the substrate and the guide hole of the substrate-side probe guide are aligned, and then a guide hole for guiding the wafer-side probe portion of the probe pin is formed The wafer side probe guide is inserted into the guide hole of the wafer side probe guide, and the probe pin The substrate-side probe portion is inserted into the receiving hole of the substrate-side probe guide, and is stacked and fixed on the substrate-side probe guide, so that the substrate-side probe guide and the wafer-side probe guide Provided is a method of manufacturing a probe card, wherein the plurality of probe pins are arranged and supported so as to correspond to the arrangement of external terminals of a semiconductor wafer ( Invention 6).

Generally, the processing accuracy of the substrate as compared to the probe guide is low, but there is a case where the position or the like of the holes formed in the substrate is not always accurate, the present invention (invention 5, the invention 6) According to the substrate The board-side probe guide can be fixed to the board after the alignment of the receiving hole of the side probe guide and the connection terminal of the board is confirmed by visual inspection without being obstructed by the probe pins. It is possible to maintain high probe position accuracy of the probe pin with respect to the connection terminal.

  According to the probe card of the present invention, since the pin position accuracy of the probe pin with respect to the external terminal of the semiconductor wafer or the connection terminal of the substrate can be maintained high, a plurality of integrated circuits in the semiconductor wafer can be reliably tested collectively. Therefore, it is possible to achieve high throughput and low cost of the test.

It is a top view of the probe card which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the probe card shown in FIG. It is a reverse view of the probe card shown in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows each structural member of the probe card shown in FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing for demonstrating the basic structure of the probe card shown in FIG. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing an example of the simple substance structure of a probe pin.

Hereinafter, a probe card according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the probe card 1 according to the present embodiment includes a printed circuit board 10, a reinforcing member (stiffener) 20 provided on the test head side of the printed circuit board 10, and a test head of the printed circuit board 10. The upper and lower two probe guides 30 and 40 provided on the opposite side, and a plurality of probe pins 50 supported by the probe guides 30 and 40 are configured.

  The probe guide 30 is directly disposed on the surface (front surface) of the printed circuit board 10 opposite to the test head, and constitutes a substrate-side probe guide (hereinafter, the “probe guide 30” is referred to as “substrate side”). Sometimes referred to as “probe guide 30”). The probe guide 40 is stacked and fixed on the probe guide 30 and constitutes a wafer-side probe guide (hereinafter, the “probe guide 40” is sometimes referred to as “wafer-side probe guide 40”). is there).

  The probe guides 30 and 40 are provided with probe areas 31 and 41 corresponding to the semiconductor wafer to be tested, and a plurality of probe pins 50 are provided in the probe areas 31 and 41 so as to correspond to the arrangement of external terminals of the semiconductor wafer. Arranged.

  A plurality of through-holes 32 through which the screw 61 passes and a plurality of through-holes 33 through which the screw 62 passes are alternately formed in the peripheral portion of the substrate-side probe guide 30. One through hole 34 through which 63 penetrates is formed. Further, a plurality of through holes 42 through which the screw 61 passes are formed in the peripheral portion of the wafer side probe guide 40, and a screw hole 43 into which the screw 63 is screwed is formed on the back side of the center portion of the wafer side probe guide 40. One is formed.

  The two probe guides 30 and 40 are made of, for example, a material such as ceramics, silicon, or glass. In this embodiment, the thermal expansion coefficient is substantially the same as the thermal expansion coefficient (linear thermal expansion coefficient) of the semiconductor wafer to be tested. It is comprised from the material which has (linear thermal expansion coefficient).

  The printed circuit board 10 in the present embodiment has a thin disk shape having a larger diameter than the probe guides 30 and 40. A plurality of pads 13 as connection terminals are formed at the center of the surface of the printed board 10 so as to correspond to the arrangement of external terminals of the semiconductor wafer. In addition, a connection terminal 14 for transmitting and receiving an electrical signal with the test head is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the back surface of the printed circuit board 10.

  In the printed circuit board 10, the through holes 11 through which the screws 61 pass and the through holes 12 through which the screws 62 pass are alternately arranged at positions corresponding to the through holes 32 and 42 of the probe guides 30 and 40 and the through holes 33 of the probe guide 30. A plurality are formed. Further, one through hole 15 through which the screw 63 passes is formed at the center of the printed circuit board 10.

  The reinforcing member 20 is provided in the center of the back surface of the printed circuit board 10. In the present embodiment, the reinforcing member 20 has a substantially dish-like shape as a whole, and the peripheral portion forms a flange portion 23. The screw hole 25 into which the screw 61 is screwed and the screw hole 26 into which the screw 62 is screwed are located at positions corresponding to the screw holes 32 and 42 of the probe guides 30 and 40 and the screw hole 33 of the probe guide 30 in the flange portion 23. Are formed alternately.

  In addition, a concave portion 21 that accommodates the head of the screw 63 and a through hole 22 through which the screw 63 passes are formed in the central portion of the reinforcing member 20.

  Next, the probe pin 50 supported by the two probe guides 30 and 40 will be described.

  As the probe pin 50 in the present embodiment, a vertical spring probe (pogo pin) is used as shown in FIGS.

  The probe pin 50 is locked to the upper end portion of the tube 53 while being urged toward the wafer side by the cylindrical tube 53, the conductive coil spring 54 housed therein, and the elastic force of the coil spring 54. The conductive wafer side plunger 51 and the conductive substrate side plunger 52 which are urged toward the substrate side and are engaged with the lower end portion of the tube 53 are configured.

  Since such a vertical probe pin 50 can be handled by itself, it has excellent maintainability.

  The board-side probe guide 30 is formed with an accommodation hole 30 a for supporting the tube 53 of the probe pin 50 and for accommodating the board-side plunger 52 so as to penetrate the board-side probe guide 30. In addition, a support hole 40 a for supporting the tube 53 of the probe pin 50 and a guide hole 40 b for guiding the wafer side plunger 51 are formed in the wafer side probe guide 40 so as to penetrate the wafer side probe guide 40. Has been.

  The wafer-side plunger 51 of the probe pin 50 protrudes from the guide hole 40 b of the wafer-side probe guide 40 by a predetermined amount, and can be elastically retracted downward by the elastic force of the coil spring 54. On the other hand, the substrate-side plunger 52 of the probe pin 50 contacts the pad 13 of the printed circuit board 10 with a predetermined contact pressure by the elastic force of the coil spring 54 while being accommodated in the accommodation hole 30 a of the substrate-side probe guide 30. ing.

  In this state, the upper end portion of the tube 53 of the probe pin 50 is urged by the elastic force of the coil spring 54 and is in contact with the upper end surface of the support hole 40 a in the wafer side probe guide 40. Thus, the preload upward is applied to the wafer-side probe guide 40 by the probe pins 50.

  In order to manufacture the probe card 1 as described above, first, the board-side probe guide 30 is positioned on the upper surface of the printed board 10. At this time, the board-side probe guide 30 is formed with a storage hole 30 a penetrating the board-side probe guide 30, so that each pad 13 formed on the printed circuit board 10 extends from the storage hole 30 a of the board-side probe guide 30. The substrate-side probe guide 30 may be positioned so that it can be seen.

  Then, the screw 62 is inserted into the through hole 33 of the board-side probe guide 30 and the through-hole 12 of the printed board 10 and screwed into the screw hole 26 of the reinforcing member 20, whereby the board-side probe guide 30 is inserted into the printed board 10 and the printed board 10. Fix to the reinforcing member 20.

  Next, the wafer-side plunger 51 of the probe pin 50 is inserted into the guide hole 40b of the wafer-side probe guide 40, the tube 53 of the probe pin 50 is inserted into the support hole 40a of the wafer-side probe guide 40, and the probe pin 50 substrate. The wafer side probe guide 40 is stacked on the substrate side probe guide 30 such that the side plunger 52 is inserted into the accommodation hole 30 a of the substrate side probe guide 30. Then, the screw 61 is inserted into the through hole 42 of the wafer side probe guide 40, the through hole 32 of the substrate side probe guide 30 and the through hole 11 of the printed circuit board 10, and screwed into the screw hole 25 of the reinforcing member 20. 63 is inserted into the through hole 22 of the reinforcing member 20, the through hole 15 of the printed circuit board 10, and the through hole 34 of the substrate side probe guide 30, and screwed into the screw hole 43 of the wafer side probe guide 40. The guide 40 is fixed to the board-side probe guide 30, the printed board 10, and the reinforcing member 20.

  Generally, the processing accuracy of the printed circuit board 10 is lower than that of the probe guides 30 and 40, and the position of the through hole 32 formed in the printed circuit board 10 may not always be accurate. According to the first manufacturing method, after the alignment between the accommodation hole 30a of the substrate-side probe guide 30 and the pad 13 of the printed circuit board 10 is visually confirmed without being obstructed by the probe pins 50, the substrate Since the side probe guide 30 can be fixed to the printed circuit board 10, the needle position accuracy of the probe pin 50 with respect to the pad 13 of the printed circuit board 10 can be maintained high.

  Further, in the probe card 1 of the present embodiment, the wafer-side probe guide 40 is not limited to the peripheral portion but also in the central portion in the plane direction, by the screw 63 with the substrate-side probe guide 30, the printed board 10, and the reinforcing member 20. It is fixed to. If the wafer-side probe guide 40 is fixed to the substrate-side probe guide 30, the printed circuit board 10, and the reinforcing member 20 only at the periphery, the center of the wafer-side probe guide 40 is preloaded by a large number of probe pins 50. The wafer-side probe may be warped so as to be lifted, but the wafer-side probe is fixed to the substrate-side probe guide 30, the printed board 10, and the reinforcing member 20 at the center of the wafer-side probe guide 40 as described above. It is possible to prevent the central portion of the guide 40 from being lifted, and to maintain high accuracy of the probe pin 50 with respect to the external terminal of the semiconductor wafer. The warp prevention effect of the wafer-side probe guide 40 becomes more prominent due to reinforcement by the reinforcing member 20.

  The screw 63 screwed into the central portion of the wafer-side probe guide 40 is inserted from the reinforcing member 20 side, and the screw 63 does not move the probe guides 30 and 40 only in the space of the cross-sectional integral of the shaft portion instead of the head. Since it is not occupied, it is possible to cope with a case where the space between the probe pins 50 in the probe guides 30 and 40 is narrow.

  When a test is performed under heating using the probe card 1 of the present embodiment, the semiconductor wafer under test and the probe guides 30 and 40 are expanded by heat, respectively, but the probe guides 30 and 40 are thermally expanded of the semiconductor wafer. Since it is made of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is substantially the same as the coefficient, the external terminals of the semiconductor wafer and the probe pins 50 supported by the probe guides 30 and 40 are not displaced in the wafer plane direction. Therefore, it is possible to contact the two reliably.

  The embodiment described above is described for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and is not described for limiting the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiment is intended to include all design changes and equivalents belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.

  For example, the probe card 1 does not necessarily need to include the reinforcing member 20, and the probe guides 30 and 40 may be integrated. In addition, a plurality of screws 63 for fixing the probe guides 30 and 40 to the printed circuit board 10 inside the planar direction may be provided, may be provided from the surface side of the probe guide 40, or may be omitted. Good.

  Such a probe card of the present invention is useful for testing a semiconductor wafer with a single contact as a pre-process test of an IC device such as a flash memory.

1 ... Probe card
10 ... Printed circuit board
    11, 12, 15 ... through hole
    13 ... Pad
    14 ... Connection terminal
20 ... Reinforcing member
    21 ... Recess
    22 ... Through hole
    23 ... Flange
    25, 26 ... Screw holes
30, 40 ... Probe guide
    30a ... Storage hole
    40a ... support hole
    40b ... Guide hole
    31, 41 ... probe area
    32, 33, 34, 42, ... through hole
    43 ... Screw hole
50 ... probe pin
    51. Wafer side plunger
    52 .. Plunger on the substrate side
    53 ... Tube
    54 ... Coil spring
61, 62, 63 ... screw

Claims (1)

A probe card that is electrically connected to a test head of a semiconductor wafer testing apparatus and that is in electrical contact with an external terminal of the semiconductor wafer and can collectively test each integrated circuit of the semiconductor wafer,
A plurality of probe pins in which one end side is a wafer side probe portion and the other end side is a substrate side probe portion;
The probe guides that support the plurality of probe pins so that the plurality of probe pins are arranged corresponding to the arrangement of external terminals of the semiconductor wafer, and at least the wafer side probe portion of the probe pins is exposed,
A substrate having a connection terminal with which the probe portion of the probe pin supported by the probe guide contacts;
The probe guide is formed by stacking a substrate-side probe guide where the substrate-side probe portion of the probe pin is located and a wafer-side probe guide where the wafer-side probe portion of the probe pin is located. card.

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