JP2023083568A - Prober and probe inspection method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a prober and a probe inspection method capable of grasping whether an appropriate amount of overdrive is secured, and realizing good contact between an electrode pad on a wafer and a probe.SOLUTION: In a state in which an internal space S is formed between a wafer chuck 34 and a probe card 32, the height position of the wafer chuck 34 is detected step by step by a distance sensor 38 while the pressure in the internal space S is stepped down by a vacuum electropneumatic regulator 54. Then, an overdrive amount calculator 115 detects the contact position between a probe 36 and an electrode pad from the detection result of the distance sensor 38.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a prober and a probe testing method for testing the electrical characteristics of a plurality of semiconductor devices (chips) formed on a semiconductor wafer, particularly a multistage prober and probe testing method having a plurality of measuring units. Regarding the method.

A semiconductor manufacturing process includes a large number of processes, and various inspections are performed in various manufacturing processes for quality assurance and yield improvement. For example, at the stage where a plurality of semiconductor device chips are formed on a semiconductor wafer, the electrode pads of the semiconductor devices of each chip are connected to the test head, power and test signals are supplied from the test head, and the semiconductor devices are output. Wafer-level testing is performed to electrically test for proper operation by measuring signals with a test head.

After wafer level inspection, the wafer is attached to a frame and cut into individual chips by a dicer. Of the diced chips, only chips that are confirmed to work properly are packaged in the next assembly process, and malfunctioning chips are removed from the assembly process. Furthermore, the packaged final product undergoes a shipping inspection.

Wafer level testing is performed using a prober that contacts the electrode pads of each chip on the wafer. The probes are electrically connected to the terminals of the test head, and power and test signals are supplied from the test head to each chip through the probes. to measure.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, in order to reduce the manufacturing cost, the size of the wafer is increased and further miniaturization (integration) is promoted, and the number of chips formed on one wafer is becoming extremely large. ing. Along with this, the time required for testing one wafer with a prober is also increasing, and an improvement in throughput is required. Therefore, in order to improve the throughput, multi-probing is performed in which a large number of probes are provided so that a plurality of chips can be inspected at the same time. In recent years, the number of chips to be inspected simultaneously has increased more and more, and attempts have been made to inspect all the chips on the wafer at the same time. For this reason, the allowable error in positioning the electrode pads and probes in contact with each other is becoming smaller, and there is a demand for increasing the positional accuracy of the movement of the prober.

On the other hand, one of the simplest ways to increase the throughput is to increase the number of probers. However, increasing the number of probers raises the problem that the installation area of the probers in the production line also increases. In addition, increasing the number of probers increases the cost of the device accordingly. Therefore, it is desired to increase the throughput while suppressing an increase in installation area and an increase in equipment cost.

Against this background, Patent Document 1, for example, proposes a multi-stage prober having a plurality of measuring units. In this prober, an alignment device for performing relative alignment between the wafer and the probe card is configured to be movable between the measuring sections. As a result, the alignment device can be shared by each measuring section, and space saving and cost reduction can be achieved.

Further, the prober disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-200001 employs a vacuum suction method in which the wafer chuck is held on the probe card side. In this vacuum suction method, the internal space (sealed space) formed between the wafer chuck and the probe card is decompressed by decompression means, and the wafer chuck is pulled toward the probe card side, whereby the wafer is attached to each probe of the probe card. A contact operation is performed to bring the electrode pads of each chip into contact with each other.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-032110

By the way, in the prober described in Patent Document 1, when the probes of the probe card are brought into contact with the electrode pads of the chips of the wafer by depressurizing the internal space, it is determined whether or not an appropriate amount of overdrive is ensured. is difficult. If an appropriate amount of overdrive cannot be ensured, the contact pressure necessary for achieving electrical continuity between the probe and the electrode pad cannot be ensured, and accurate inspection cannot be performed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to provide a prober and a probe inspection method that can

In order to achieve the above objects, the following inventions are provided.

A prober according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a wafer chuck that holds a wafer, a probe card provided to face the wafer chuck and having probes at positions corresponding to electrode pads of the wafer, a wafer chuck and probes. An internal space is formed by an annular sealing member that forms an internal space between itself and the card, a mechanical elevating means that detachably supports the wafer chuck and lifts and lowers the wafer chuck toward the probe card, and the sealing member. decompression means for performing step decompression for stepwise decompression by dividing the decompression of the internal space into a plurality of steps; Position detection means and overdrive amount calculation means for calculating an overdrive amount when the probe and the electrode pad are in contact based on the detection result of the height position detection means.

In the prober according to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the overdrive amount calculating means calculates the amount of the wafer chuck when the height position of the wafer chuck changes per step when the step pressure reduction is performed. is determined to be the contact position where the probe and the electrode pad start contacting each other, and the overdrive amount is calculated using the contact position as a reference position.

In the prober according to the third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect or the second aspect, the height position detecting means is a non-contact distance sensor arranged at a position away from the wafer chuck.

In a probe inspection method according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, step pressure reduction is performed in a state where an internal space is formed between a wafer chuck and a probe card. a height position detection step of detecting the height position of the wafer chuck at each step during step pressure reduction; an overdrive amount calculation step of calculating an overdrive amount when the electrode pads on the wafer held by the chuck are in contact with each other.

In the probe inspection method according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect, the overdrive amount calculation step is performed when the height position of the wafer chuck per step changes when step pressure reduction is performed. The height position of the wafer chuck is determined as the contact position where the probe and the electrode pad start contacting each other, and the overdrive amount is calculated using the contact position as a reference position.

A probe inspection method according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is, in the fourth aspect or the fifth aspect, wherein the height position detecting step uses a non-contact distance sensor arranged at a position separated from the wafer chuck to detect the wafer. Detects the height position of the chuck.

According to the present invention, it is possible to grasp whether or not an appropriate amount of overdrive is ensured, and to realize good contact between the electrode pads on the wafer and the probes.

An external view showing the overall configuration of the prober of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the prober of this embodiment; Schematic diagram showing the configuration of the measurement unit in the prober of the present embodiment. Schematic diagram showing the configuration of the measurement section in the measurement unit shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the prober control device of the present embodiment; 3 is a flow chart showing the contact operation in the prober of this embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the contact operation in the prober of this embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the internal pressure in the internal space and the height position of the wafer chuck when the contact operation is performed in the prober of the present embodiment;

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2 are an external view and a plan view showing the overall configuration of the prober 10 of this embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the prober 10 of this embodiment includes a loader section 14 that supplies and retrieves wafers W to be inspected (see FIG. 4), and a measurement unit 12 that is arranged adjacent to the loader section 14. and The measurement unit 12 has a plurality of measurement units 16. When the wafer W is supplied from the loader unit 14 to each measurement unit 16, each measurement unit 16 inspects the electrical characteristics of each chip of the wafer W. (wafer level inspection) is performed. The wafer W inspected by each measurement unit 16 is recovered by the loader unit 14 . The prober 10 also includes an operation panel 22 and a control device 60 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later.

The loader section 14 has a load port 18 on which the wafer cassette 20 is placed, and a transfer unit 24 that transfers the wafer W between each measurement section 16 of the measurement unit 12 and the wafer cassette 20 . The transport unit 24 includes a transport unit driving mechanism (not shown), and is configured to be movable in the X and Z directions and rotatable in the θ direction (around the Z direction). Further, the transport unit 24 includes a transport arm 26 which is configured to be telescopically forward and backward by the transport unit driving mechanism. A suction pad (not shown) is provided on the upper surface of the transfer arm 26, and the transfer arm 26 holds the wafer W by vacuum-sucking the rear surface of the wafer W with the suction pad. As a result, the wafer W in the wafer cassette 20 is taken out by the transfer arm 26 of the transfer unit 24 and transferred to each measurement section 16 of the measurement unit 12 while being held on its upper surface. In addition, the inspected wafer W which has been inspected is returned from each measuring section 16 to the wafer cassette 20 through the reverse route.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the measurement unit 12 in the prober 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the measurement section 16 in the measurement unit 12 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the measurement unit 12 has a laminated structure (multi-stage structure) in which a plurality of measurement sections 16 are laminated in multiple stages. Dimensionally arranged. In this embodiment, as an example, four measurement units 16 are stacked in the X direction in three stages in the Z direction.

The measurement unit 12 includes a housing (not shown) having a grid shape in which a plurality of frames are combined in a grid pattern. This housing is formed by combining a plurality of frames extending in the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction in a grid pattern. is placed.

Each measurement unit 16 has the same configuration, and includes a head stage 30, a probe card 32, and a wafer chuck 34, as shown in FIG. Each measurement unit 16 is provided with a test head (not shown). The test head is supported above the head stage 30 by a test head holding section (not shown).

The head stage 30 is supported by a frame member (not shown) forming part of the housing, and a probe card 32 is detachably attached and fixed. A probe card 32 mounted and fixed to the head stage 30 is provided so as to face the wafer holding surface 34 a of the wafer chuck 34 . The probe card 32 is replaced according to the wafer W (device) to be inspected.

The probe card 32 is provided with a plurality of probes 36 such as cantilevers and spring pins arranged corresponding to the positions of the electrode pads of each chip on the wafer W to be inspected. Each probe 36 is electrically connected to a terminal of a test head (not shown), a power supply and a test signal are supplied from the test head to each chip through each probe 36, and an output signal from each chip is detected by the test head. to see if it works properly. Since the connection configuration between the probe card 32 and the test head is not the main part of the present invention, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The probe 36 has a spring characteristic, and by elevating the contact point from the tip position of the probe 36, it contacts the electrode pad with a predetermined contact pressure. Also, when the probe 36 is brought into contact with the electrode pad in an overdrive state during an electrical test, the tip of the probe 36 sinks into the surface of the electrode pad, forming needle traces on the surface of the electrode pad. It is designed to Note that the overdrive means that the probes are driven so that the electrode pads and the probes 36 are surely in contact with each other, taking into consideration the inclination of the wafer W and the arrangement surface of the tips of the probes 36 and variations in the tip positions of the probes 36 . 36, that is, the surface of the wafer W is lifted by a distance α. Further, the amount of movement by which the surface of the wafer W is further raised from the tip position (contact position) of the probe 36, that is, the distance α is referred to as an overdrive amount.

The wafer chuck 34 holds the wafer W by vacuum suction. The wafer chuck 34 has a wafer holding surface 34a on which the wafer W to be inspected is placed, and the wafer holding surface 34a is provided with a plurality of suction ports 40 (only one is shown in FIG. 4). The suction port 40 is connected to a suction device (vacuum source) 44 such as a vacuum pump through a suction path 42 formed inside the wafer chuck 34 . A suction path connecting the suction device 44 and the suction path 42 is provided with a wafer suction electromagnetic valve 46 . The wafer chucking electromagnetic valve 46 is controlled by a wafer chucking electromagnetic valve control section 110 (see FIG. 5).

Outside the wafer holding surface 34a of the wafer chuck 34, an elastic ring-shaped sealing member (chuck seal rubber) 48 is provided so as to surround the wafer W held on the wafer holding surface 34a. When the wafer chuck 34 is moved (raised) toward the probe card 32 by the Z-axis movement/rotation unit 72, which will be described later, the ring-shaped seal member 48 contacts the lower surface of the head stage 30. An internal space S (see FIG. 7) surrounded by the probe card 32 and the ring-shaped sealing member 48 is formed. The ring-shaped sealing member 48 is an example of the annular sealing member of the present invention.

The head stage 30 is provided with a suction port 50 for depressurizing the internal space S formed between the probe card 32 and the wafer chuck 34 . The suction port 50 is connected to the suction device 44 via a suction path 52 formed inside the head stage 30 . A vacuum electropneumatic regulator 54 is provided in a suction path connecting between the suction device 44 and the suction path 52 . The vacuum electropneumatic regulator 54 is a control valve that adjusts the internal pressure (degree of vacuum) of the internal space S. The vacuum electropneumatic regulator 54 is controlled by a later-described suction controller 114 (see FIG. 5). The vacuum electropneumatic regulator 54 is an example of pressure reducing means of the present invention.

A heating/cooling source is provided inside the wafer chuck 34 so that the electrical characteristics of the wafer W to be inspected can be inspected at a high temperature (eg, 150° C. at maximum) or at a low temperature (eg, −40° C. at minimum). A heating and cooling mechanism (not shown) is provided as. As the heating/cooling mechanism, a known suitable heater/cooler can be adopted. Various heating/cooling devices are conceivable, such as a one-layer structure heating/cooling device in which a cooling pipe with a heater wound around a conductor is embedded. Alternatively, instead of electric heating, a thermal fluid may be circulated, or a Peltier element may be used.

The wafer chuck 34 is detachably supported and fixed to an alignment device 70 which will be described later. The alignment device 70 performs relative alignment between the wafer W held by the wafer chuck 34 and the probe card 32 by moving the wafer chuck 34 in the X, Y, Z, and θ directions.

The alignment device 70 includes a Z-axis moving/rotating unit 72 that detachably supports and fixes the wafer chuck 34, moves the wafer chuck 34 in the Z-axis direction, and rotates about the Z-axis in the θ direction; Equipped with an X-axis moving table 74 that supports the rotating part 72 and moves in the X-axis direction, and a Y-axis moving table 76 that supports the X-axis moving table 74 and moves in the Y-axis direction.

The Z-axis moving/rotating unit 72, the X-axis moving table 74, and the Y-axis moving table 76 are each configured to move or rotate the wafer chuck 34 in a predetermined direction by a mechanical driving mechanism including at least a motor. be. The mechanical drive mechanism is, for example, a ball screw drive mechanism combining a servomotor and a ball screw. Moreover, it is not limited to the ball screw drive mechanism, and may be configured by a linear motor drive mechanism, a belt drive mechanism, or the like. The Z-axis moving/rotating unit 72, the X-axis moving table 74, and the Y-axis moving table 76 are configured so that the moving distance, moving direction, moving speed, and acceleration of the wafer chuck 34 can be changed by respective control units, which will be described later. ing. Specifically, this embodiment has the following configuration.

The Z-axis moving/rotating unit 72 is an example of mechanical lifting means of the present invention, and includes a Z-axis drive motor 122 (eg, a stepping motor, a servo motor, a linear motor, etc.) for moving the wafer chuck 34 in the Z-axis direction. ) (see FIG. 5), and a Z-axis encoder (for example, a rotary encoder, a linear scale, etc.) (not shown) for detecting the movement distance of the wafer chuck 34 in the Z-axis direction. The Z-axis drive motor 122 is controlled based on a motor control signal from a Z-axis movement control section 106 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later, and drives the wafer chuck 34 to move to a target position at a desired movement speed or acceleration. . Also, the Z-axis encoder outputs encoder signals according to the movement of the wafer chuck 34 .

The Z-axis movement/rotation unit 72 also includes a rotation driving motor 124 (for example, a stepping motor, a servo motor, a linear motor, etc.) (see FIG. 5) for rotating the wafer chuck 34 in the .theta. A rotary encoder (for example, a rotary encoder) (not shown) is provided for detecting a rotation angle in the θ direction. The rotation drive motor 124 is controlled based on a motor control signal from a θ rotation control section 108 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later, and drives the wafer chuck 34 to move to a target position at a desired rotation speed or acceleration. Also, the rotary encoder outputs encoder signals according to the rotation of the wafer chuck 34 .

The X-axis moving table 74 includes an X-axis drive motor 118 (for example, a stepping motor, a servo motor, a linear motor, etc.) (see FIG. 5) for moving the wafer chuck 34 in the X-axis direction, and an X-axis drive motor for the wafer chuck 34 . An X-axis encoder (for example, a rotary encoder, a linear scale, etc.) (not shown) for detecting a moving distance in a direction is provided. The X-axis drive motor 118 is controlled based on a motor control signal from an X-axis movement control section 102 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later, and drives the wafer chuck 34 to move to a target position at a desired movement speed or acceleration. . Also, the X-axis encoder outputs encoder signals according to the movement of the wafer chuck 34 .

The Y-axis moving table 76 includes a Y-axis driving motor 120 (eg, stepping motor, servo motor, linear motor, etc.) (see FIG. 5) for moving the wafer chuck 34 in the Y-axis direction, A Y-axis encoder (for example, a rotary encoder, a linear scale, etc.) (not shown) for detecting a moving distance in a direction is provided. Y-axis drive motor 120 is controlled based on a motor control signal from Y-axis movement control section 104 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later, and drives wafer chuck 34 to move to a target position at a desired movement speed or acceleration. . Also, the Y-axis encoder outputs encoder signals according to the movement of the wafer chuck 34 .

Alignment device 70 is provided for each stage (see FIG. 3), and is configured to be mutually movable between a plurality of measurement units 16 arranged on each stage by an alignment device driving mechanism (not shown). . That is, the alignment device 70 is shared by a plurality of (four in this example) measuring units 16 arranged in the same stage, and is moved between the plurality of measuring units 16 arranged in the same stage. do. The alignment device 70 moved to each measurement unit 16 is fixed in a predetermined position by a positioning and fixing device (not shown), and the wafer chuck 34 is moved in the X, Y, Z, and θ directions to be held by the wafer chuck 34. Relative alignment between the wafer W and the probe card 32 is performed. Although not shown, the alignment device 70 includes a needle position detection camera, a and a wafer alignment camera. Further, the alignment device driving mechanism is configured by a mechanical driving mechanism such as a ball screw driving mechanism, a linear motor driving mechanism, or a belt driving mechanism.

A wafer chuck support surface 72a of a Z-axis moving/rotating unit 72 that constitutes the upper surface of the alignment device 70 is provided with an elastic ring-shaped seal member (Z-axis seal rubber) 78 that is annularly formed along the outer periphery. A suction port 80 is provided inside the ring-shaped seal member 78 of the wafer chuck supporting surface 72a. The suction port 80 is connected to the suction device 44 through a suction path 82 formed inside the wafer chuck 34 . A suction path connecting the suction device 44 and the suction path 82 is provided with a chuck fixing electromagnetic valve 84 and a throttle valve 86 in this order from the suction device 44 side. The chuck fixing solenoid valve 84 is controlled by a chuck fixing solenoid valve control section 112 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later.

A positioning pin 88 is provided outside the ring-shaped seal member 78 on the wafer chuck support surface 72a of the Z-axis moving/rotating unit 72 so that the relative positional relationship of the wafer chuck 34 with respect to the alignment device 70 is always constant. ing. The positioning pins 88 are provided at three locations at equal intervals along the circumferential direction about the central axis of the wafer chuck 34 (only two are shown in FIG. 4). V-blocks 90 as positioning members are provided on the lower surface of the wafer chuck 34 at positions corresponding to the respective positioning pins 88 . When the wafer chuck 34 is fixed by vacuum suction, the positioning pins 88 are engaged with the V-grooves of the V-blocks 90 to move the wafer chuck 34 in the horizontal direction (X-direction and Y-direction). ) are constrained to position the alignment device 70 and the wafer chuck 34 relative to each other.

In this embodiment, the alignment device 70 fixes the wafer chuck 34 by vacuum suction. It may be fixed.

The prober 10 in this embodiment further includes a distance sensor (length measurement sensor) 38 in addition to the above configuration. The distance sensor 38 is an example of height position detection means of the present invention, and detects the height position (position in the Z direction) of the wafer chuck 34 . As the distance sensor 38, various sensors, whether contact or non-contact, can be used as long as the height position of the wafer chuck 34 can be detected. A non-contact sensor that does not affect position is desirable. As the non-contact sensor, a non-contact distance sensor using a laser or ultrasonic wave (for example, a laser length measurement sensor or the like) is preferably used. The distance sensor 38 in this embodiment is a non-contact distance sensor and is attached to the sensor attachment portion of the Z-axis moving/rotating portion 72 . The distance sensor 38 detects the height position (position in the Z-axis direction) of the wafer chuck 34 by measuring the distance from the distance sensor 38 to the wafer chuck 34 .

Note that the placement location of the distance sensor 38 is not particularly limited to this embodiment, and may be placed on the head stage 30 side (for example, the head stage 30, the probe card 32, etc.).

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 60 of the prober 10 of this embodiment.

The control device 60 stores data necessary for operation and processing of each part of the prober 10 . The control device 60 is implemented by a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer or a microcomputer.

The control device 60 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an input/output interface, and the like. In the control device 60, various programs, such as a control program stored in the ROM, are developed in the RAM, and the programs developed in the RAM are executed by the CPU, so that each unit in the control device 60 shown in FIG. Functions are realized, and various arithmetic processing and control processing are executed via an input/output interface.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 60 includes a general control section 100, an X-axis movement control section 102, a Y-axis movement control section 104, a Z-axis movement control section 106, a θ rotation control section 108, a wafer adsorption electromagnetic valve control 110, a chuck fixing electromagnetic valve control unit 112, a suction control unit 114, and the like.

The overall control section 100 controls the respective sections that make up the prober 10 in an integrated manner. Specifically, the overall control unit 100 controls the operation (contact operation) of bringing the electrode pads of the chips on the wafer W to be inspected into contact with the probes 36 of the probe card 32 . In addition to the contact operation, the overall control unit 100 performs movement control for mutually moving the alignment device 70 between the measurement units 16, wafer level inspection operation control by the test head, and the like. Since the control other than the contact operation is not a characteristic part of the present invention, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The X-axis movement control unit 102 moves the X-axis moving table 74 in the X-axis direction by controlling the driving of the X-axis driving motor 118 provided on the X-axis moving table 74, thereby moving the wafer chuck 34 in the X-axis direction. move to The Y-axis movement control unit 104 moves the Y-axis moving table 76 in the Y-axis direction by controlling the driving of the Y-axis driving motor 120 provided on the Y-axis moving table 76, thereby moving the wafer chuck 34 in the Y-axis direction. move to The Z-axis movement control unit 106 controls driving of a Z-axis drive motor 122 provided in the Z-axis movement/rotation unit 72 to move the Z-axis movement/rotation unit 72 up and down, thereby moving the wafer chuck 34 in the Z-axis direction. move to The θ rotation control unit 108 rotates the Z-axis moving/rotating unit 72 in the θ direction by controlling the driving of the rotation driving motor 124 provided in the Z-axis moving/rotating unit 72, thereby moving the wafer chuck 34 in the θ direction. rotate to

The wafer adsorption electromagnetic valve control unit 110 controls ON/OFF (open/close) of the wafer adsorption electromagnetic valve 46 to adjust the suction pressure of the suction port 40 and fix/fix the wafer W to the wafer chuck 34 . Selectively switch non-fixed.

The chuck fixing electromagnetic valve control unit 112 controls the ON/OFF (open/close) of the chuck fixing electromagnetic valve 84 to adjust the suction pressure by the suction port 80 , and the wafer relative to the Z-axis moving/rotating unit 72 . To selectively switch between fixation and non-fixation of the chuck 34. - 特許庁

The suction control unit 114 adjusts the internal pressure (degree of vacuum) of the internal space S steplessly by controlling the operation of the vacuum electropneumatic regulator 54 .

Furthermore, the overall control unit 100 in this embodiment includes an overdrive amount calculation unit 115 . The overdrive amount calculator 115 functions as the overdrive amount calculator of the present invention, and calculates the overdrive amount when each probe 36 of the probe card 32 and the electrode pad of each chip of the wafer W are in contact with each other. do.

A distance sensor 38 is also connected to the overall control unit 100 . The distance sensor 38 detects the height position (position in the Z direction) of the wafer chuck 34 as described above. A detection result of the distance sensor 38 is stored in a storage device (not shown) of the control device 60 . The storage device is configured by a readable and writable storage device such as RAM or HDD.

The overdrive amount calculator 115 acquires the detection result of the distance sensor 38 from the storage device described above. Then, the overdrive amount calculator 115 calculates the overdrive amount based on the detection result of the distance sensor 38 . A method of calculating the overdrive amount will be described later.

Next, a contact operation (an example of a probe inspection method) in the prober 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG. Note that this operation is performed under the control of the overall control unit 100 .

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the contact operation in the prober 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the contact operation in the prober 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the internal pressure (negative pressure) in the internal space S and the height position of the wafer chuck 34 when the contact operation is performed in the prober 10 of this embodiment.

(pre-operation)
A pre-operation of the contact operation will be described.

First, as a pre-operation for the contact operation, the alignment device 70 is moved to the measuring section 16 to be inspected, and then the wafer chuck 34 is transferred to the alignment device 70 while being positioned and fixed by a positioning and fixing device (not shown). . The transfer operation of the wafer chuck 34 before the start of the contact operation is not the essential part of the present invention, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

After the wafer chuck 34 is transferred to the alignment device 70 , the chuck fixing electromagnetic valve control section 112 turns ON (open state) the chuck fixing electromagnetic valve 84 , and the wafer chuck supporting surface of the Z-axis moving/rotating section 72 is moved. The wafer chuck 34 is sucked and fixed to 72a (see FIG. 4). At this time, the alignment device 70 and the wafer chuck 34 are positioned relative to each other by engaging the positioning pins 88 of the Z-axis moving/rotating portion 72 in the V-grooves of the V-block 90 of the wafer chuck 34 .

After that, when the wafer W is supplied (loaded) to the wafer chuck 34 supported and fixed by the alignment device 70, the wafer adsorption electromagnetic valve control unit 110 turns ON (open state) the wafer adsorption electromagnetic valve 46, thereby The wafer W is fixed by suction to the holding surface 34a (see FIG. 4).

(Step S10: alignment step)
Next, the X-axis movement control unit 102, the Y-axis movement control unit 104, and the θ rotation control unit 108, under the control of the overall control unit 100, based on the results captured by the needle position detection camera and the wafer alignment camera, By controlling the X-axis drive motor 118 , the Y-axis drive motor 120 , and the rotation drive motor 124 , relative alignment between the wafer W held by the wafer chuck 34 and the probe card 32 is performed.

(Step S12: Z-axis rising process)
Next, as indicated by reference numerals 500A and 500B in FIG. 7, the Z-axis movement control section 106 controls the Z-axis drive motor 122 to raise the Z-axis movement/rotation section 72, thereby causing the ring-shaped seal member to move. 48 moves the wafer chuck 34 toward the probe card 32 to a height position where it contacts the lower surface of the head stage 30 . As a result, the ring-shaped sealing member 48 comes into contact with the lower surface of the head stage 30, and the internal space S formed between the wafer chuck 34 and the probe card 32 is sealed off from the outside.

(Step S14: decompression step)
Next, as indicated by reference numeral 500C in FIG. 7, the suction control unit 114 controls the operation of the vacuum electropneumatic regulator 54 to start depressurizing the internal space S via the suction port 50 (time 500C in FIG. 8). _t0 ). At this time, the suction control unit 114 performs step pressure reduction in which the pressure reduction of the internal space S is divided into a plurality of steps and the pressure is reduced in stages. Specifically, the internal pressure of the internal space S changes from the initial pressure _P0 to the set pressure _P1 , as shown in the upper graph of FIG. Control is performed such that the internal pressure (negative pressure) of the internal space S is increased stepwise by minute pressures ΔP at regular time intervals Δt.

Further, in the decompression process, the wafer chuck release process is performed at the same time as or after the decompression process is started. In the wafer chuck fixing release step, the chuck fixing electromagnetic valve control unit 112 turns off the chuck fixing electromagnetic valve 84 (closed state), and the wafer chuck is released by the suction port 80 (see FIG. 4) of the Z-axis moving/rotating unit 72. 34 is released. As a result, the wafer chuck 34 moves (rises) toward the probe card 32 according to the internal pressure of the internal space S when the decompression process is performed.

Here, in this embodiment, since the suction path connecting the suction path 82 of the Z-axis moving/rotating section 72 and the chuck fixing solenoid valve 84 is provided with the throttle valve 86, the decompression process is started. Even if the wafer chuck unfixing process is performed at the same time as or later than that, the negative pressure on the lower side of the wafer chuck 34 (Z-axis moving/rotating section 72 side) will not be suddenly lost. there is Therefore, the wafer chuck 34 is suddenly restrained from below (that is, the Z-axis moving/rotating unit 72 is Therefore, the abnormal vibration and abnormal contact caused by the rapid movement of the wafer chuck 34 can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wafer chuck 34 from suddenly detaching from the Z-axis moving/rotating unit 72 when the wafer chuck fixing release process is performed, so that the transfer operation of the wafer chuck 34 can be performed more stably. becomes possible.

In the present embodiment, as an example, a configuration in which the throttle valve 86 is provided in the suction path connecting the suction path 82 of the Z-axis moving/rotating section 72 and the chuck fixing electromagnetic valve 84 is shown. A throttle valve 86 may be provided in the path connecting the suction port 80 of the axial movement/rotation unit 72 and the suction device 44 . may be provided.

(Step S16: Height position detection step)
The distance sensor 38 detects the height position of the wafer chuck 34 at each step when the internal space S is depressurized step by step. The detection result of the distance sensor 38 is output to and stored in a storage device (not shown) of the control device 60 .

(Step S18: judgment step)
Next, the suction control unit 114 determines whether the internal pressure of the internal space S has reached the set pressure _P1 . If the internal pressure of the internal space S has not reached the set pressure _P1 (No in step S18), the process returns to step S14, and the processes after step S14 are repeated. On the other hand, when the internal pressure of the internal space S reaches the set pressure _P1 (Yes in step S18), the process proceeds to the next step S20.

The internal pressure of the internal space S may be directly detected by a pressure sensor provided in the wafer chuck 34 or the head stage 30, or may be detected by a pressure sensor built in or connected to the vacuum electropneumatic regulator 54, for example. It may be detected by a pressure sensor.

(Step S20: contact position detection step)
Next, the overdrive amount calculator 115 acquires the detection result of the distance sensor 38 from the storage device (not shown) of the control device 60 . Then, the overdrive amount calculator 115 detects the contact position (reference position) where the probe 36 and the electrode pad on the wafer W start to contact based on the detection result of the distance sensor 38 . Specifically, the contact position is detected as follows.

The graph shown in the lower part of FIG. 8 is a graph showing temporal changes in the height position of the wafer chuck 34 when the internal space S is stepped down (see the graph shown in the upper part of FIG. 8). As shown in this graph, when the internal space S is depressurized stepwise, the height position of the wafer chuck 34 changes by a minute height Δh each time the internal pressure of the internal space S changes by a minute pressure ΔP. . At this time, before and after contact between the probe 36 and the electrode pad on the wafer W, the amount of change in the height position of the wafer chuck 34 per step (minute height Δh) differs. That is, after the probes 36 and the electrode pads on the wafer W come into contact with each other, the wafer chuck 34 receives reaction force from each probe 36 (reaction force when the probes 36 are crushed). In comparison, the amount of change in the height position of the wafer chuck 34 per step is smaller.

The overdrive amount calculator 115 utilizes the characteristic that the amount of movement of the wafer chuck 34 per step changes before and after the electrode pads on the wafer W come into contact with the probes 36 when the internal space S is decompressed in steps. , the contact position where the probe 36 and the electrode pad on the wafer W begin to contact each other is detected.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the amount of change in the height position of the wafer chuck 34 per step changes at time t _s . In this case, the overdrive amount calculator 115 detects the height position H ₀ of the wafer chuck 34 at time t _s as the contact position. If the reaction force of the ring-shaped seal member 48 is very small, the amount of change in the height position of the wafer chuck 34 per step may change immediately after the step pressure reduction of the internal space S is started. .

(Step S22: Overdrive amount calculation step)
Next, the overdrive amount calculator 115 calculates the height position _H1 of the wafer chuck 34 when the internal pressure of the internal space S reaches the set pressure _P1 , and the contact position H detected in the contact position detection step. A difference from ₀ is calculated as an overdrive amount D.

The overdrive amount calculator 115 outputs the calculated overdrive amount D to a monitor (not shown). As a result, the overdrive amount D is displayed on the monitor. Therefore, the operator can grasp the overdrive amount D by checking the display on the monitor.

Under the control of the overall control unit 100, if the overdrive amount calculated by the overdrive amount calculation unit 115 is not appropriate, the suction control unit 114 adjusts the set pressure so that the overdrive amount is within an appropriate range. Control for changing _P1 may be performed. Alternatively, the operator may manually change the set pressure _P1 .

As described above, when the wafer chuck 34 is transferred from the alignment device 70 (Z-axis moving/rotating unit 72) to the head stage 30 (probe card 32 side), each probe 36 of the probe card 32 is applied with a uniform contact pressure. , the electrode pads of each chip on the wafer W are in contact with each other, and the wafer level inspection can be started. After that, power and test signals are supplied from the test head to each chip on the wafer W through each probe 36, and the signal output from each chip is detected to perform an electrical operation test.

After the wafer chuck 34 is transferred from the alignment device 70 (Z-axis movement/rotation unit 72) to the head stage 30 (probe card 32 side), the alignment device 70 moves to another measurement unit 16, and the measurement is performed. In the unit 16, the contact operation is performed in the same procedure, and the wafer level inspection is sequentially performed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the height position of the wafer chuck 34 can be detected for each step while the internal space S is stepped down, and the overdrive amount can be calculated from the detection results. Therefore, the operator can easily and accurately grasp whether or not an appropriate amount of overdrive is ensured, and good contact can be achieved between the electrode pads on the wafer W and the probes 36 .

In particular, in the present embodiment, the height position of the wafer chuck 34 per step when the internal space S is depressurized stepwise (the amount of movement of the wafer chuck 34 per step) is calculated based on the amount of change in the height position of the wafer chuck 34 per step. The contact position where the electrode pad and the probe 36 start contacting is detected, and the amount of overdrive is calculated based on the contact position. Therefore, even if there is an error between the design value of the probe card 32 and the actual product dimensions, it is possible to accurately grasp whether or not the appropriate overdrive amount is secured without being affected by the error. It becomes possible to As a result, the electrode pads on the wafer W and the probes 36 are reliably brought into contact with each other, and highly reliable inspection can be performed.

Although the prober and the probe inspection method according to the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Of course it is good.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Prober, 12... Measurement unit, 14... Loader, 16... Measurement part, 18... Load port, 20... Wafer cassette, 22... Operation panel, 24... Transfer unit, 26... Transfer arm, 30... Head stage, 32 Probe card 34 Wafer chuck 34a Wafer holding surface 36 Probe 38 Distance sensor 40 Suction port 42 Suction path 44 Suction device 46 Solenoid valve for wafer suction 48 Ring Seal member 50 Suction port 54 Vacuum electropneumatic regulator 56 Communication path 60 Control device 70 Alignment device 72 Z-axis movement/rotation unit 72a Wafer chuck support surface 74 X Axis moving base 76 Y-axis moving base 78 Ring-shaped seal member 78 Ring-shaped seal member 80 Suction port 82 Suction path 84 Electromagnetic valve for chuck fixing 86 Throttle valve 88 Positioning pin 90 V block 92 Z-axis movement mechanism 94 θ rotation mechanism 100 General control unit 102 X-axis movement control unit 104 Y-axis movement control unit 106 Z-axis movement control unit , 108 .theta.rotation control unit 110.wafer adsorption solenoid valve control unit 112.chuck fixing solenoid valve control unit 114.suction control unit 115.overdrive amount calculation unit 118.X-axis drive motor 120 ...Y-axis drive motor, 122...Z-axis drive motor, 124...Rotational drive motor, W...Wafer, S...Internal space

Claims (6)

a wafer chuck that holds the wafer;
a probe card provided to face the wafer chuck and having probes at positions corresponding to the electrode pads of the wafer;
decompression means for stepwise decompressing the internal space in a state where the internal space is formed between the wafer chuck and the probe card, dividing the internal space into a plurality of steps;
height position detection means for detecting the height position of the wafer chuck at each step when the step pressure reduction is performed;
contact position detection means for detecting a contact position where the probe and the electrode pad start contacting based on the detection result of the height position detection means;
a prober. Overdrive amount calculation means for calculating an overdrive amount based on the contact position detected by the contact position detection means,
The prober according to claim 1. The height position detection means is a non-contact distance sensor arranged at a position away from the wafer chuck,
The prober according to claim 1 or 2. a decompression step of stepwise decompressing the internal space in a state where the internal space is formed between the wafer chuck and the probe card;
a height position detection step of detecting the height position of the wafer chuck for each step while the step pressure reduction is being performed;
a contact position detecting step of detecting a contact position where the probe of the probe card and the electrode pad on the wafer held by the wafer chuck start to contact based on the detection result of the height position detecting step;
A probe inspection method comprising: an overdrive amount calculation step of calculating an overdrive amount based on the contact position detected by the contact position detection step;
The probe inspection method according to claim 4. The height position detection step detects the height position of the wafer chuck using a non-contact distance sensor arranged at a position separated from the wafer chuck.
The probe inspection method according to claim 4 or 5.

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