JP4641572B2 - Probe card - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a probe used for an energization test of a plate-shaped object to be inspected and a probe card using the probe.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A flat test object such as an integrated circuit or a liquid crystal substrate is subjected to a current test using a probe card. In this type of probe card, a plurality of probes are generally assembled in parallel with a wiring board directly or via a needle support such as a needle presser. Each probe has a needle tip portion bent from the tip of the needle main portion to one side, and the needle tip is pressed against the electrode portion of the object to be inspected.
[0003]
However, in the conventional probe and probe card, since the cross-sectional shape of the probe is circular, there is a limit to arranging the probes on the substrate at high density. For this reason, in the probe card used for the current-carrying test of the inspected object in which the electrode portions are arranged at high density, the probes must be arranged in multiple layers on the substrate.
[0004]
However, if the probe is arranged in multiple layers, the greater the number of probe layers, the greater the difference in length between the probe tip of the lowermost probe and the probe tip of the uppermost probe. Even if all the probes are applied uniformly, the needle pressure acting on the needle tip of the lowermost probe is greatly different from the needle pressure acting on the needle tip of the uppermost probe.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved]
Therefore, in the probe card used for the energization test of the plate-shaped object to be inspected, it is important to make the probe in a shape that can be arranged on the substrate with high density.
[0006]
[Solution, action and effect]
The probe card according to the present invention includes a board having electrical insulation and a plurality of first and second probes arranged alternately and in parallel on the board. Each of the first and second probes includes a needle main body and a needle tip bent to one side from the tip of the needle main body. The needle main body of the first probe has a region having a cross-sectional shape selected from a fan shape, a triangle shape, a rhombus shape, and a quadrilateral shape having a V-shaped portion that becomes narrower toward the one side, at least at a location behind the center. The needle main portion of the second probe has a region having a cross-sectional shape selected from a fan shape, a triangle shape, a rhombus shape, and a square shape having a V-shaped portion that becomes narrower on the side opposite to the one side, at least from the center to the rear side. Have in place.
[0008]
The needle main portions of the adjacent first and second probes have a region having a cross-sectional shape having a V-shaped portion that becomes narrower toward the opposite side, at least in the rear part from the center. Therefore, according to the probe card of the present invention, the probes can be arranged at a higher density than the conventional probe card.
[0009]
The front part of the V cross-sectional area of the probe can have a conical shape that becomes thinner toward the tip side.
[0010]
The probe card may further include one or more flat cables having a plurality of wiring portions, and each wiring portion may be electrically connected to a rear end portion of the first or second probe.
[0011]
The probe card further includes one or more needle supports arranged on the substrate so as to protrude from one surface thereof, and the needle support for arranging the first and second probes on the substrate, The needle support may have a rectangular plate shape and may be assembled to the substrate at one end edge in the width direction. Thus, after the plurality of probes are arranged on the needle support, the needle support can be assembled to the substrate, so that a needle stand operation for arranging the plurality of probes on the substrate is facilitated.
[0012]
The probe card further includes a plurality of third and fourth probes spaced from the first and second probes in the thickness direction of the substrate, and are alternately and parallelly arranged on the support. A plurality of third and fourth probes, wherein the third and fourth probes include a needle main body and a needle tip bent to one side from the tip of the needle main body, Each of the needle main portions of the third and fourth probes has a cross-sectional shape selected from a sector, a triangle, a rhombus, and a quadrangle having a V-shaped portion that is narrower toward the one side and the opposite side. Can be provided at least in the rear part from the center. Thereby, the probes can be arranged in multiple layers.
[0013]
The needle main portions of the first, second, third and fourth probes extend in the same direction, and the needle tips of the first and second probes and the needle tips of the third and fourth probes Can be spaced apart in the direction in which the needle main body extends. As a result, such a probe card is used for a current-carrying test of a planar object to be inspected having a plurality of electrode portions spaced in the same direction as the needle tip, such as adjacent integrated circuit chip portions on a semiconductor wafer. Can do.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, a probe card 10 includes a substrate 12 made of an electrically insulating material, a plurality of needle supports 14 arranged in a central region of the substrate 12, and a crank-like shape arranged on each needle support 14. A plurality of types of probes 16, 18, 20, 22 and a plurality of flat cables 24 are included.
[0015]
The substrate 12 is a wiring substrate formed of an electrically insulating material such as polyimide, and has a plurality of slots penetrating the substrate 12 in the thickness direction at the location where the needle support 14 is disposed.
[0016]
The board 12 also has a connection portion to which the connector 26 of the flat cable 24 is coupled around the slot, and has a plurality of tester lands connected to the tester on the outer peripheral portion, and the tester land and the connection portion are connected to each other. A plurality of wiring portions to be electrically connected are provided between the tester land and the connection portion.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 2, each needle support 14 has a rectangular plate shape, and has one end edge (in the width direction) by a plurality of screw members that pass through the substrate 12 and are screwed into the screw holes 28. In the illustrated example, the upper end edge) is assembled to the substrate 12 so as to protrude from one surface of the substrate 12 (the lower surface in the illustrated example).
[0018]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, each of the probes 16, 18, 20, and 22 includes a needle main body portion 30 a, a needle tip portion 30 b bent to one side from the tip of the needle main body portion 30 a, and a needle main body portion. The needle rear portion 30c is bent from the rear end of 30a to the side opposite to the needle tip portion 30b. Such a probe can be made of, for example, a conductive thin metal wire.
[0019]
The needle main body 30a of the probes 16 and 20 has a cross-sectional area (hereinafter referred to as “V cross-sectional area”) 30d forming a V-shaped portion that becomes narrower toward the needle tip 30b. The needle main body 30a of the probes 18 and 22 has a V-shaped portion that becomes narrower on the side opposite to the needle tip 30b. An area 30e having a cross-sectional shape to be formed (hereinafter referred to as “V cross-sectional area”) 30e is provided in an area extending from the longitudinal intermediate portion (near the center in the illustrated example) to the rear of the needle main body 30a.
[0020]
The V cross-sectional areas 30d and 30e can be formed by pressing. The front portions of the V cross-sectional areas 30d and 30e of each probe have a conical shape (in the illustrated example, a truncated cone shape) that becomes thinner toward the distal end side.
[0021]
In the probes 16, 18, 20, and 22, the needle main body portion extends below the other end edge in the width direction of the needle support body 14 in the thickness direction of the needle support body 14, and the needle tip portion is the needle support body. 14 on one side of the needle 14 extends to the side opposite to the substrate 12 (downward in the illustrated example), and the needle rear part extends toward the substrate on the other side of the needle support 14 at the needle rear part. It is bonded to the needle support 14 by an adhesive 32.
[0022]
The probes 16 and 18 are arranged alternately and in parallel in the longitudinal direction on the needle support 14 so as to form a first probe group whose needle tips are located on a common virtual straight line. Yes. Similarly, the probes 20 and 22 are arranged alternately and in parallel in the longitudinal direction on the needle support 14 to form a second probe group whose needle tips are located on a common virtual straight line. is doing. The probe tips of both probe groups are spaced apart in the thickness direction of the needle support 14.
[0023]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each flat cable 24 is a general cable in which a plurality of wiring portions 34 are formed in a belt-like film, and has flexibility, and further in the central region of the substrate 12. It penetrates the formed slot. The rear end part of the probe is connected to each wiring part 34 by solder.
[0024]
As shown in FIG. 3, the planar inspected object 36 to be subjected to an energization test using the probe card 10 has a plurality of electrodes each formed in a line like adjacent integrated circuit chip portions on a semiconductor wafer. It has two sets of electrode sections composed of sections 38 and 40.
[0025]
Each probe of the first probe group is pressed against the electrode part 38 of one electrode part group by its needle tip. On the other hand, each probe of the second probe group is pressed against the electrode part 40 of one electrode part group. At this time, the difference in the needle pressure acting on the needle tips of the probes 16, 18, 20, and 22 is significantly smaller than that of the conventional probe card.
[0026]
As shown in FIG. 5, the probes 16, 18, 20, 22 and the probe card 10 can make the adjacent probes remarkably approach by making the V cross-sectional areas of the adjacent probes of each probe group face each other. Can be arranged at high density. Further, even if the probes are arranged in multiple layers (two layers in the illustrated example), the difference in length between the probe tip portions of the lowermost layer and the uppermost probe is smaller than that in the prior art. The difference in stylus pressure acting on the uppermost probe is smaller than in the past.
[0027]
In the above embodiment, the probe is arranged in two layers, but the probe may be arranged in one layer as shown in FIG. 7, or may be arranged in three or more layers.
[0028]
Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the V cross-sectional regions of the probes 16, 20, and 18, 22 are fan-shaped cross-sectional shapes in which one part and the other part are V-shaped and the other part is arc-shaped, respectively. Have However, the V cross-sectional area is shown in FIG. 8 (A) as a rhombus area 44, as shown in FIG. 8 (B), a square-shaped area such as a square and a rectangle 46, and as shown in FIG. 8 (C). Thus, a region having another cross-sectional shape such as a triangular region 48 may be used.
[0029]
In the embodiment shown in the figure, the V cross-sectional areas 30d and 30e have a conical shape on the tip side of the probe from the needle main body 30a to the needle tip 30b, so that the V cross-sectional areas 30d and 30e extend from the vicinity of the center of the needle main body 30a to the rear thereof. Although it is formed in the region, it may be formed in a region extending from a position before or after the center of the needle main body 30a to the rear thereof, or may be formed in the entire needle main body. For example, when the needle main body 30a does not have a frustoconical shape, it may be formed on the entire needle main body.
[0030]
The present invention is not limited to a probe and a probe card used for an energization test of an integrated circuit chip on a semiconductor wafer, but to other flat test objects such as a cut integrated circuit chip, a package or a mounted integrated circuit, and a liquid crystal panel. It can also be applied to probes and probe cards used in the current test.
[0031]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The present invention can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of a probe card according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a needle support with a probe attached. FIG. 3 is a state in which the probe is attached to the needle support. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a left side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the probe. FIG. 8 is a view showing another arrangement example of the probe. FIG. 8 is a view showing another embodiment of the V cross-sectional area.

Claims (6)

A substrate having electrical insulation, and a plurality of first and second probes arranged alternately and in parallel on the substrate;
The first and second probes include a needle main body and a needle tip bent to one side from the tip of the needle main body,
The needle main portion of the first probe has a region having a cross-sectional shape selected from a fan shape, a triangle shape, a rhombus shape, and a quadrilateral shape having a V-shaped portion that becomes narrower toward the one side, at least at a location behind the center. ,
The needle main portion of the second probe has a region having a cross-sectional shape selected from a fan shape, a triangle shape, a rhombus shape, and a square shape having a V-shaped portion that becomes narrower on the side opposite to the one side, at least from the center to the rear side. Probe card in place.   The probe card according to claim 1, further comprising one or more flat cables having a plurality of wiring portions, wherein each wiring portion is electrically connected to a rear end portion of the first or second probe.   The needle support further includes one or more needle supports disposed on the substrate so as to protrude from one surface of the substrate, the needle supports disposing the first and second probes on the substrate. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein the probe card has a rectangular plate shape and is assembled to the substrate at one end edge in the width direction. Further, a plurality of third and fourth probes spaced apart from the first and second probes in the thickness direction of the substrate, and a plurality of second probes arranged alternately and in parallel on the support. 3 and a fourth probe,
The third and fourth probes include a needle main body and a needle tip bent to one side from the tip of the needle main body,
The needle main portion of the third probe has a region having a cross-sectional shape selected from a fan shape, a triangle shape, a rhombus shape, and a quadrilateral shape having a V-shaped portion that becomes narrower toward the one side, at least at a location behind the center. ,
The needle main portion of the fourth probe has a region having a cross-sectional shape selected from a fan shape, a triangle shape, a rhombus shape, and a quadrilateral shape having a V-shaped portion that becomes narrower on the side opposite to the one side at least from the center to the rear side. The probe card according to claim 1, 2 or 3, which is provided at a location.   The needle main portions of the first, second, third and fourth probes extend in the same direction, and the needle tips of the first and second probes and the needle tips of the third and fourth probes The probe card according to claim 4, wherein the probe main body is spaced in a direction in which the needle main body extends.   The probe card according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a portion in front of the tip of the region has a conical shape that becomes thinner toward the tip.

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