JP2015001448A - Probe device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a probe device capable of adjusting the size of a contact mark as matched to the size of an electrode pad.SOLUTION: The probe device comprises a circuit board 12, a first contact probe 14 secured to the circuit board, a second contact probe 18 secured to the circuit board, a first signal wire 16 secured to the circuit board and electrically connected to the first contact probe, and a second signal wire 20 secured to the circuit board and electrically connected to the second contact probe while being isolated from the first signal wire. The shortest distance from the circuit board to the tip of the first contact probe is longer than the shortest distance from the circuit board to the tip of the second contact probe.

Description

  The present invention relates to a probe device for measuring electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a probe device in which a plurality of contact probes are fixed to a probe board (substrate). The contact probe is pressed against the electrode pad of the semiconductor device, and the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device are measured.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-306228 JP 2010-1222092 A

  There is a semiconductor device including a large area electrode pad and a small area electrode pad. In order to sufficiently reduce a small area electrode pad, a contact mark formed by applying a contact probe to a small area electrode pad is smaller than a contact mark formed by applying a contact probe to a large area electrode pad. It is preferable.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a probe device that can adjust the size of a contact mark in accordance with the size of an electrode pad.

  The probe device according to the invention of the present application includes a substrate, a first contact probe fixed to the substrate, a second contact probe fixed to the substrate, and an electrical connection between the first contact probe and the first contact probe. A first signal line connected to the substrate, and a second signal line fixed to the substrate, insulated from the first signal line and electrically connected to the second contact probe, and from the substrate The shortest distance to the tip of the first contact probe is longer than the shortest distance from the substrate to the tip of the second contact probe.

  Another probe device according to the present invention includes a substrate, a first contact probe fixed to the substrate, a second contact probe fixed to the substrate, a first contact probe fixed to the substrate, A first signal line electrically connected, and a second signal line fixed to the substrate and insulated from the first signal line and electrically connected to the second contact probe, The angle of the first contact probe with respect to the substrate is different from the angle of the second contact probe with respect to the substrate.

  According to the present invention, the size of the contact mark can be adjusted according to the size of the electrode pad.

It is a front view of the probe apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view of the test apparatus containing a probe apparatus. It is a top view of the electrode pad in which the contact trace was formed. It is a front view of the probe apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a top view of the probe apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a top view of the electrode pad in which the contact trace was formed. It is a front view of the probe apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a front view of the probe apparatus which concerns on a modification. It is a top view of the board | substrate which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a top view of the board | substrate which concerns on a modification. It is a front view of the socket which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is a front view of the socket which concerns on Embodiment 6 of this invention. It is a perspective view of the board | substrate which concerns on Embodiment 6 of this invention. It is a perspective view of the socket which concerns on Embodiment 6 of this invention.

  A probe apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description may be omitted.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a front view of the probe apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The probe device 10 includes a substrate 12 formed of an insulator. The substrate 12 includes an upper surface 12a and a lower surface 12b. A first contact probe 14 is fixed to the substrate 12. The first contact probe 14 includes a connection portion 14a. The connection portion 14 a is electrically connected to the first signal line 16 fixed to the upper surface 12 a of the substrate 12.

  The first contact probe 14 includes an installation portion 14b connected to the connection portion 14a. The installation part 14b is fixed to the substrate 12 with an adhesive, for example. A bending portion 14c is connected to the installation portion 14b. The flexible portion 14 c is a portion that occupies most of the first contact probe 14. The bending portion 14c bends when it receives a force from the outside. A distal end portion 14d is connected to the flexible portion 14c. The tip portion 14d refers to a portion including the tip 14e. The distal end portion 14d is drawn and has a needle shape. The first contact probe 14 is entirely made of a conductor.

  A second contact probe 18 is fixed to the substrate 12. The second contact probe 18 includes a connection part 18a, an installation part 18b, a flexure part 18c, a tip part 18d, and a tip part 18e. The significance of each of these elements is the same as that of the connection part 14a, the installation part 14b, the bending part 14c, the tip part 14d, and the tip part 14e of the first contact probe 14. The second contact probe 18 is entirely made of a conductor.

  The connecting portion 18 a is electrically connected to the second signal line 20 that is fixed to the upper surface 12 a of the substrate 12. The second signal line 20 is insulated from the first signal line 16. The first signal line 16 and the second signal line 20 are electrically connected to an external measuring device. For example, an electric wire or solder can be used for the connection between the first signal line 16 and the first contact probe 14 and the connection between the second signal line 20 and the second contact probe 18, but is not limited thereto.

  The first contact probe 14 and the second contact probe 18 are cantilever contact probes. As indicated by a broken line in FIG. 1, the shortest distance Z1 from the substrate 12 to the tip 14e of the first contact probe 14 (hereinafter referred to as the first shortest distance Z1) is from the substrate 12 to the tip 18e of the second contact probe 18. Longer than the shortest distance Z2 (hereinafter referred to as the second shortest distance Z2).

  The first contact probe 14 and the second contact probe 18 can be made of a metal material such as tungsten or beryllium copper, but are not limited thereto. The tips 14d and 18d including the tips 14e and 18e may be covered with, for example, gold, palladium, tantalum, or platinum to improve conductivity and durability.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a test apparatus including a probe apparatus. The test apparatus includes an arm 30 for moving the aforementioned substrate 12 in an arbitrary direction. The test apparatus further includes a chuck stage 32. The chuck stage 32 holds the semiconductor device 34 by, for example, vacuum chucking or electrostatic chucking. The semiconductor device 34 is, for example, a wafer on which a plurality of semiconductor chips are formed. A mechanism for moving the chuck stage 32 without moving the probe device with the arm 30 may be adopted.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view showing contact marks formed on the electrode pads of the semiconductor device 34 after measuring the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device. A first electrode pad 50 and a second electrode pad 52 are formed in the semiconductor device 34. When the probe device 10 is brought close to the semiconductor device 34, first, the tip 14e of the first contact probe 14 is in mechanical contact with the first electrode pad 50 to form a contact mark 54a. When the probe device 10 is further brought closer to the semiconductor device 34, the tip 18e of the second contact probe 18 is in mechanical contact with the second electrode pad 52 to form a contact mark 56a.

  When the probe device 10 is further brought closer to the semiconductor device 34, the bent portion 14c of the first contact probe 14 is bent and the contact mark extends to the right side of the contact mark 54a. Finally, a contact mark 54b is formed on the right side of the contact mark 54a. At the same time, the bent portion 18c of the second contact probe 18 is bent and the contact mark extends to the left side of the contact mark 56a. Finally, a contact mark 56b is formed on the left side of the contact mark 56a. In this way, the bending of the bent portions 14c and 18c ensures the connection between the first contact probe 14 and the first electrode pad 50 and the connection between the second contact probe 18 and the second electrode pad 52.

  The distance x1 from the center of the contact mark 54a to the center of the contact mark 54b is longer than the distance x2 from the center of the contact mark 56a to the center of the contact mark 56b. The width x3 of the contact mark by the first contact probe 14 is longer than the width x4 of the contact mark by the second contact probe 18. Further, the area of the contact mark 54 by the first contact probe 14 is larger than the area of the contact mark 56 by the second contact probe 18. The area of the contact mark 54 is larger than the area of the contact mark 56 because the first shortest distance Z1 is longer than the second shortest distance Z2.

  As described above, according to the probe device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, by adjusting the first shortest distance Z1 and the second shortest distance Z2, a plurality of contact marks having different areas are formed on the electrode pad. it can. Accordingly, the size of the electrode pad can be set to a desired size, and contact marks can be formed so as to fit within the electrode pad.

  For example, when the semiconductor device to be measured is a power semiconductor, a large area electrode pad that flows a large current of about several hundred amperes and a small area electrode pad that corresponds to a gate electrode are mixed. In this case, generally, a plurality of contact probes are brought into contact with the large area electrode pad, and one contact probe is brought into contact with the small area electrode pad. If the probe device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is used, the second contact probe 18 is applied to the small area electrode pad while the large contact mark is formed by applying the first contact probe 14 to the large area electrode pad. Small contact marks can be formed. Therefore, it is possible to form the contact mark so as to fit within the small area electrode pad while forming the small area electrode pad with a sufficiently small area. By reducing the area of the small area electrode pad, the chip size can be reduced and the cost of the semiconductor device can be reduced.

  The shapes of the first contact probe 14 and the second contact probe 18 are not particularly limited. For example, the multi-stage crank shape may be employed instead of the shape in which the tip portions 14d and 18d are inclined with respect to the flexible portions 14c and 18c. Further, the number of contact probes fixed to the substrate 12 is not particularly limited as long as it is two or more. These modifications can also be applied to the probe devices according to the following embodiments.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
Since the probe device according to the second embodiment of the present invention has much in common with the first embodiment, the description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view of the probe apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The first contact probe 60 includes a connection part 60a, an installation part 60b, a deflection part 60c, a tip part 60d, and a tip part 60e. The length of the first contact probe 60 is L1. The second contact probe 62 includes a connection part 62a, an installation part 62b, a deflection part 62c, a tip part 62d, and a tip part 62e. The length of the second contact probe 62 is L2 shorter than the aforementioned L1.

  The angle θ1 of the first contact probe 60 with respect to the substrate 12 is different from the angle θ2 of the second contact probe 62 with respect to the substrate 12. Specifically, the angle θ1 is smaller than the angle θ2. The first shortest distance Z1 and the second shortest distance Z2 are equal.

  When the probe device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is used, the same contact mark as that in FIG. 3 is formed. That is, the contact mark 54 is formed by the first contact probe 60, and the contact mark 56 is formed by the second contact probe 62. The difference in the length and area of the contact mark is because the deflection amount of the deflection portion 60c becomes larger than the deflection amount of the deflection portion 62c because the angle θ1 is smaller than the angle θ2.

  In order to adjust the difference between the deflection amount of the deflection portion 60c and the deflection amount of the deflection portion 62c, the thickness, hardness, or material of the deflection portion may be changed. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the first shortest distance Z1 and the second shortest distance Z2 are set to the same value, but the first shortest distance Z1 is made longer than the second shortest distance to increase the area difference between the contact marks. Also good.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
Since the probe device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention has much in common with Embodiment 1, differences from Embodiment 1 will be mainly described. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a probe apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Portions on the lower surface side of the substrate 12 of the first contact probe 14 and the second contact probe 18 are indicated by broken lines. The signal line is omitted.

  In plan view, the first contact probe 14 is not parallel to the second contact probe 18. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the semiconductor device showing contact marks formed on the electrode pads after using the probe device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. A first electrode pad 70 and a second electrode pad 72 are formed in the semiconductor device 34. A contact mark 74 is formed on the first electrode pad 70 by the first contact probe 14. A contact mark 76 is formed on the second electrode pad 72 by the second contact probe 18.

  As can be seen from the contact mark 76, the sliding direction of the second contact probe 18 has an x component and a y component. For this reason, the length (x2, x4) of the contact mark 76 in the x direction is much shorter than the length (x1, x3) of the contact mark 74 in the x direction. Therefore, the electrode pad 72 can be formed short in the x direction.

  Thus, when the first contact probe 14 and the second contact probe 18 are arranged non-parallel, the degree of freedom of the shape of the electrode pad can be increased. The first contact probe 60 and the second contact probe 62 according to the second embodiment may be arranged non-parallel in plan view.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
Since the probe device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention has much in common with the first embodiment, the description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a front view of a probe apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. The probe device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention is characterized by including a socket 100 fixed to the substrate 12.

  The socket 100 is made of a metal such as copper or aluminum, for example. The socket 100 and the substrate 12 may be bonded with an adhesive, or the socket 100 may be passed through a through hole formed in the substrate 12, but the method for fixing the socket 100 to the substrate 12 is not particularly limited. The connection part 100 a of the socket 100 is in contact with the second signal line 20.

  The socket 100 is installed to be inclined with respect to the substrate 12. The socket 100 is connected to the installation portion 18 b of the second contact probe 18. Although it does not specifically limit, the 2nd contact probe 18 is being fixed to the socket 100 by screwing, pinning, or fitting. The second contact probe 18 is connected to the second signal line 20 via the socket 100 and is detachably fixed to the socket 100.

  Since the second contact probe 18 is detachably fixed to the socket 100, the damaged second contact probe 18 can be replaced. Further, the second shortest distance Z2 can be easily adjusted by adjusting the insertion depth of the second contact probe 18 into the socket 100.

  FIG. 8 is a front view showing a modified example of the probe apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. The socket 110 is installed perpendicular to the substrate 12. A crank-type second contact probe 104 is inserted into the socket. The first contact probe 102 is also formed of a crank type contact probe.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a modification of the substrate according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. The substrate 12 has a plurality of through holes 12c. The socket 100 or the socket 110 described above passes through any one of the plurality of through holes 12 c and is fixed to the substrate 12. By changing the through hole through which the socket 100 or the socket 110 passes, various electrode pad arrangements can be accommodated.

  FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a modification of the substrate according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. The plurality of through holes 12d are arranged so that there is no gap between the through holes in a plan view and form one through hole. Since the distance between a through hole and a through hole adjacent to the through hole is very close, the position of the socket can be finely adjusted.

  In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the second contact probe is fixed to the socket. However, the first shortest distance Z1 may be adjusted by fixing the first contact probe to the socket.

Embodiment 5 FIG.
Since the probe device according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention has much in common with Embodiment 4, differences from Embodiment 4 will be mainly described. FIG. 11 is a front view of a socket according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

  The board | substrate 12 has the through-hole 12e shown with a broken line. The socket 200 penetrates the substrate 12 through the through hole 12e. The upper end 200 a of the socket 200 is on the upper surface 12 a side of the substrate 12. The lower end 200 b of the socket 200 is on the lower surface 12 b side of the substrate 12.

  The socket 200 has a plurality of grooves 200c on the side surface. The plurality of grooves 200 c are such that grooves formed in an annular shape continue in the longitudinal direction of the socket 200. A first ring 202 is wound around one of the plurality of grooves 200c. The second ring 204 is wound around a groove different from the groove around which the first ring 202 is wound of the plurality of grooves 200c. The first ring 202 and the second ring 204 are made of an elastic resin material such as rubber.

  The socket 200 is fixed to the substrate 12 by sandwiching the substrate 12 between the first ring 202 and the second ring 204. Then, the second contact probe 18 is inserted from the lower end 200b side of the socket 200.

  According to the probe device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the second shortest distance Z2 can be adjusted by changing the winding position of the first ring 202 and the second ring 204. In addition, the board | substrate 12 is pinched | interposed by the 1st ring 202 and the 2nd ring 204, penetrating the board | substrate 12 through either the several through-hole 12c of FIG. 9, or the several through-hole 12d of FIG. The socket 200 may be fixed to the substrate 12 of FIG. 9 or the substrate 12 of FIG.

Embodiment 6 FIG.
Since the probe device according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention has much in common with Embodiment 4, differences from Embodiment 4 will be mainly described. FIG. 12 is a front view of a socket according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

  The substrate 12 has a through hole 12e indicated by a broken line. The socket 300 penetrates the substrate 12 through the through hole 12e. The upper end 300 a of the socket 300 is on the upper surface 12 a side of the substrate 12. The lower end 300 b of the socket 300 is on the lower surface 12 b side of the substrate 12. The socket 300 has a plurality of convex portions on the side surface 300c. The plurality of convex portions are provided with convex portions 300d, 300e, 300f, and 300g.

  Then, the sockets 300 are fixed to the substrate 12 by the protrusions 300d, 300e, 300f, and 300g coming into contact with the substrate 12. Specifically, the socket 300 is attached to the substrate 12 by sandwiching the substrate 12 between the protrusions 300d, 300e, 300f, and 300g by matching the interval between the protrusions 300d and 300e and the protrusions 300f and 300g with the thickness of the substrate 12. Fix it.

  FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the substrate 12. Convex notches 12f and 12g are formed in a part of the through hole 12e. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the socket 300. The socket 300 is formed with a thickness that can penetrate the through hole 12 e of the substrate 12. The socket 300 passes through the board 12 so that the convex portion of the socket passes through the notches 12f and 12g, and the socket 300 or the board 12 is rotated at a desired position. Is fixed to the substrate 12.

  Since a plurality of convex portions of the socket 300 are provided in the longitudinal direction of the socket 300, the second shortest distance Z2 can be adjusted by selecting the convex portion sandwiching the substrate 12. The socket 300 is inserted into the substrate 12 through either the plurality of through holes 12c in FIG. 9 or the plurality of through holes 12d in FIG. You may fix to the board | substrate 12 or the board | substrate 12 of FIG.

  In the fifth and sixth embodiments of the present invention, the second contact probe 18 is fixed to the socket 300. However, the first shortest distance Z1 may be adjusted by fixing the first contact probe 14 to the socket 300.

  The features of the embodiments described so far may be combined as appropriate. Further, the present invention adjusts the size of the contact mark according to the optimized size of the electrode pad. Various modifications can be made without departing from this characteristic.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Probe apparatus, 12 Substrate, 12a Upper surface, 12b Lower surface, 12c, 12d A plurality of through holes, 12e Through hole, 14 First contact probe, 16 First signal line, 18 Second contact probe, 20 Second signal line, 32 Chuck stage, 34 semiconductor device, 50 first electrode pad, 52 second electrode pad, 54,56 contact mark, 60 first contact probe, 62 second contact probe, 100,110,200,300 socket, 102 first contact Probe, 104 second contact probe, 202 first ring, 204 second ring

Claims (13)

A substrate,
A first contact probe fixed to the substrate;
A second contact probe fixed to the substrate;
A first signal line fixed to the substrate and electrically connected to the first contact probe;
A second signal line fixed to the substrate and insulated from the first signal line and electrically connected to the second contact probe;
The probe apparatus characterized in that the shortest distance from the substrate to the tip of the first contact probe is longer than the shortest distance from the substrate to the tip of the second contact probe. A substrate,
A first contact probe fixed to the substrate;
A second contact probe fixed to the substrate;
A first signal line fixed to the substrate and electrically connected to the first contact probe;
A second signal line fixed to the substrate and insulated from the first signal line and electrically connected to the second contact probe;
The probe apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an angle of the first contact probe with respect to the substrate is different from an angle of the second contact probe with respect to the substrate.   The probe apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the shortest distance from the substrate to the tip of the first contact probe is longer than the shortest distance from the substrate to the tip of the second contact probe.   4. The probe device according to claim 1, wherein the first contact probe and the second contact probe are arranged non-parallel in plan view. 5. A socket fixed to the substrate;
5. The probe device according to claim 1, wherein the first contact probe or the second contact probe is fixed to the socket. 6.   The probe apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the socket is installed to be inclined with respect to the substrate.   The probe apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the socket is installed perpendicular to the substrate. The substrate has a plurality of through holes;
The probe apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the socket penetrates any one of the plurality of through holes.   The probe device according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of through holes are arranged so that there is no gap between the through holes in a plan view and form one through hole. The substrate has a through hole;
The socket has a plurality of grooves on a side surface;
A first ring wound around one of the plurality of grooves;
A second ring wound around a groove different from the groove around which the first ring is wound.
8. The socket is fixed to the substrate by sandwiching the substrate between the first ring and the second ring while the socket penetrates the substrate through the through hole. The probe device according to any one of the above. The socket has a plurality of grooves on a side surface;
A first ring wound around one of the plurality of grooves;
A second ring wound around a groove different from the groove around which the first ring is wound.
The socket is fixed to the substrate by sandwiching the substrate between the first ring and the second ring while the socket penetrates the substrate through any of the plurality of through holes. The probe device according to claim 8 or 9. The substrate has a through hole;
The socket has a plurality of convex portions on a side surface,
8. The socket according to claim 5, wherein the socket is fixed to the substrate by allowing the plurality of convex portions to contact the substrate while the socket penetrates the substrate through the through hole. The probe device according to item. The socket has a plurality of convex portions on a side surface,
The socket is fixed to the substrate by the plurality of protrusions coming into contact with the substrate while the socket penetrates the substrate through any of the plurality of through holes. 9. The probe device according to 9.

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