JP4944982B2 - Semiconductor wafer inspection method and semiconductor device manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for inspecting a semiconductor wafer using a probe card and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

  In recent years, the number of electrodes per chip has increased with the increase in the density of semiconductor devices. In particular, in the flip-chip device, the electrodes can be arranged in an array not only on the periphery of the semiconductor element but also on the entire surface of the semiconductor element, so that a larger number of electrodes can be arranged.

  In a flip chip device, bumps are formed on electrodes formed on a semiconductor element by a semiconductor process by printing, vapor deposition, plating, or the like. After dicing, this is reflow mounted on the package substrate and shipped.

  The semiconductor element needs to execute whether or not a desired operation can be performed in a wafer state. An LSI (Large Scale Integration) tester is an apparatus that applies an electric signal to a semiconductor wafer on which an LSI is formed, and determines whether or not a signal from the LSI to be inspected is a desired one. The probe card is a jig that is located between the LSI tester and the semiconductor wafer and transmits electrical signals. The normal probe card includes a probe card substrate for connection to an LSI tester and a probe that contacts an electrode on a semiconductor wafer.

  In the case of a flip chip device, the probes need to be arranged on the probe card substrate in an array at the same interval as the electrodes of the semiconductor wafer. Further, the pitch between the electrodes is narrow due to the large number of electrodes. When testing an LSI of such a flip chip device, electrical contact is ensured by pressing a probe against a bump formed on an electrode on a semiconductor wafer.

  The connection terminals connected to the LSI tester need to be arranged at a predetermined interval near the outer periphery of the surface of the probe card substrate. Further, the connection terminals with the probes need to be arranged in the same arrangement as the electrodes on the semiconductor wafer near the center of the back surface of the probe card substrate. Therefore, when the pitches of the connection terminals of the probe and the LSI tester are different from each other, it is necessary to perform pitch matching on the probe card substrate.

  Therefore, in order to perform pitch conversion, either a wiring method or a relay substrate method is adopted.

  In the wiring method, a wire is passed through a substrate having through holes in accordance with the pitch of electrode pads of a semiconductor device, the wire is cut and polished on the back surface of the substrate, and the cross section of the wire is used as an electrode pad on the probe side. The other end of the wire is connected to the probe card substrate to obtain a connection between the LSI tester and the probe.

  In the case of the wiring method, all wiring of wires is manually performed. For these reasons, according to the wiring method, the number of wirings is limited, and approximately 2000 pins is the limit.

  Therefore, when a larger number of pads is required, it is necessary to deal with the relay substrate method. In order to manufacture an electrode pad corresponding to a narrow pitch of several hundred μm units, in the relay substrate system, a ceramic substrate or a built-up substrate is generally used as a material. Electrode pads are formed on the back side of the relay substrate at the same pitch as the semiconductor device, electrode pads having a pitch of about 1 mm are formed on the front side, and the back side electrode pad and the front side electrode pad are formed inside the relay substrate. Make wiring connection between.

  As a probe card using a relay board system, the techniques of Patent Documents 1 to 3 are known.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-301642 JP 2007-171140 A Japanese translation of PCT publication No. 2002-531836

  However, the prior art described in the above literature has room for improvement in the following points. In other words, it is necessary to newly create a relay board for each product in accordance with the pad layout unique to the product. Ceramic substrates and built-up substrates are expensive, and the relay substrate format has been disadvantageous in terms of cost.

  Therefore, as a method for solving this problem, a technique of using a device package substrate as a relay substrate has been developed as in Patent Document 1 described above. By using the package substrate as a relay substrate, it is possible to reduce the cost generated for each device. FIG. 8 shows an example in which a package substrate is used as a relay substrate. In this example, a structure in which the product package substrate of the target device is used as the relay substrate is adopted.

  On the other hand, there is a problem that it is difficult to align the electrode pads of the device and the probe simply by using the device package substrate as a relay substrate.

  This will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 shows an example of a conventional relay board that uses a package board. FIG. 9A shows a cross-sectional view of a conventional relay board, and FIG. 9B is an enlarged view of a portion surrounded by a broken line in FIG. 9A. A resist 701 is applied to the inspection target side surface (the lower surface in FIG. 9) of the relay substrate 706. Since the resist 701 covers the outer periphery of the pad 303, the opening size that can be contacted by the probe is slightly smaller than the original pad size. As the electrode pad of the semiconductor element has been made narrower, the pad opening size has been reduced. Therefore, the accuracy required for alignment of the pads on the relay substrate and the probes has become very high and difficult.

  Further, due to the thickness of the resist 701, the pad 303 is depressed with respect to the surface of the package substrate. For this reason, the upper end of the probe may interfere with the resist 701, and the contact between the probe and the electrode pad may be deteriorated.

According to the present invention,
A method for inspecting a semiconductor wafer using a probe card comprising a relay substrate and a probe ,
Contacting the probe with an electrode provided on the semiconductor wafer on which the LSI to be inspected is formed, and electrically connecting the measurement apparatus for measuring the electrical characteristics of the LSI and the semiconductor wafer;
Applying an electrical signal from the measurement device to the semiconductor wafer via the probe card, and measuring electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer;
Including
The relay board is
A substrate body having a first surface and a second surface and having wiring formed therein ; a plurality of first electrode pads disposed on the first surface and including at least a first test-dedicated pad; A second electrode pad disposed on the second surface, and a package substrate comprising:
An insulating layer formed on the first surface of the package substrate;
A through hole formed at a position corresponding to the first electrode pad of the insulating layer;
A conductive member formed in the through hole;
A third electrode pad that covers the through-hole and whose upper surface and entire side surface are not covered with an insulating layer;
An external connection terminal formed on the second electrode pad;
A second dedicated test pad disposed on the second surface and having an external connection terminal formed thereon;
With
In the step of electrically connecting the measuring device and the semiconductor wafer,
By bringing the probe into contact with the electrode, the probe is electrically connected to the third electrode pad, and the first electrode pad and the second electrode pad are electrically connected via the wiring. And electrically connecting the first electrode pad and the third electrode pad via the conductive member, and further connecting the first test pad and the second electrode via the wiring. Electrical connection with the test pad
In the step of measuring the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer, an electrical signal is applied from the measuring device to the semiconductor wafer via the second test-dedicated pad. .

Moreover , according to the present invention,
A substrate body having a first surface and a second surface and having wiring formed therein ; a plurality of first electrode pads disposed on the first surface and including at least a first test-dedicated pad; Preparing two package substrates comprising: a second electrode pad disposed on the second surface;
A semiconductor wafer on which an LSI to be inspected is formed, and a measuring device that applies an electrical signal to the LSI formed on the semiconductor wafer and measures the electrical characteristics of the LSI formed on the semiconductor wafer. Inspecting the semiconductor wafer using a probe card having one package substrate of the two package substrates prepared and connected,
Separating the semiconductor element including the LSI from the semiconductor wafer;
Packaging the semiconductor element on another package substrate of the two package substrates prepared; and
Including
The probe card is
The one package substrate;
An insulating layer formed on the first surface of the one package substrate;
A through hole formed at a position corresponding to the first electrode pad of the insulating layer;
A conductive member formed in the through hole;
A third electrode pad that covers the through-hole and whose upper surface and entire side surface are not covered with an insulating layer;
An external connection terminal formed on the second electrode pad;
A relay board comprising a second test-dedicated pad disposed on the second surface and having an external connection terminal formed thereon ;
A probe that is electrically connected to the third electrode pad provided in the relay substrate and that contacts an electrode formed on the semiconductor wafer;
Have
The step of inspecting the semiconductor wafer includes
Electrically connecting the third electrode pad and the electrode by bringing the probe into contact with an electrode provided on the semiconductor wafer;
Applying an electrical signal to the semiconductor wafer from the measuring device via the second test-dedicated pad, and measuring electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer;
Including
In the step of electrically connecting the third electrode pad and the electrode, the probe is electrically connected to the third electrode pad, and the first electrode pad and the second electrode are connected via the wiring. And electrically connecting the first electrode pad and the third electrode pad via the conductive member, and further connecting the first electrode pad via the wiring. Electrically connecting the test pad and the second test pad;
The step of packaging the semiconductor element includes:
Mounting the semiconductor element on the first surface of the other package substrate and electrically connecting the semiconductor element to a first electrode pad of the other package substrate;
Forming an external connection terminal on the second electrode pad of the other package substrate;
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided.

  According to the present invention, by adding an insulating layer to the package substrate, a conductive member is formed in the through hole formed at a position corresponding to the first electrode pad of the insulating layer, and the through hole is formed into the third electrode. Can be covered with a pad. Accordingly, the third electrode pad can be supported by the insulating layer and the conductive member, and the first electrode pad and the third electrode pad can be connected via the conductive member. Therefore, while utilizing the first electrode pad formed on the package substrate, the contact area with the probe can be secured by the third electrode pad, the alignment between the probe and the electrode pad is facilitated, and It is possible to prevent displacement during the inspection. Therefore, even when the relay substrate method is employed, the cost can be reduced, and the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer on which the LSI is formed can be efficiently inspected.

  In the present invention, “formed on the first surface” means that the first surface on which the first electrode pad is disposed with the second surface on which the second electrode pad is disposed facing down. When the surface is the top, it means that it is formed on the first surface.

  In the present invention, “the upper surface is not covered with an insulating layer” means that the first surface on which the first electrode pad is disposed with the second surface on which the second electrode pad is disposed facing down. This means that the upper surface is not covered with an insulating layer.

  In addition, the various components of the present invention do not have to be individually independent, a plurality of components are formed as a single member, and a single component is formed of a plurality of members. It may be that a certain component is a part of another component, a part of a certain component overlaps a part of another component, and the like.

Further, the method of inspecting semi-conductor wafer of the present invention but are described several steps in sequence, the order of the description is not name intended to limit the order of execution of the plurality of processes.

Moreover, multiple steps of the inspection method of the semi-conductor wafer of the present invention is not limited to being performed at different timings individually. For this reason, another process may occur during execution of a certain process, or a part or all of the execution timing of a certain process and the execution timing of another process may overlap.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a relay board and a probe card that employ a relay board system, are inexpensive and easy to align, and suppress deterioration of contact between the probe and the electrode pad.

It is sectional drawing which showed typically the relay board | substrate which concerns on embodiment. It is the top view which showed typically the relay substrate which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing which showed typically the probe card which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the relay substrate which concerns on embodiment. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a semiconductor device according to an embodiment. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a semiconductor device according to an embodiment. It is sectional drawing which showed typically the modification of the probe card which concerns on embodiment. It is an example of the conventional relay board | substrate. It is a figure explaining the conventional relay board | substrate. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the semiconductor device which concerns on embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the relay substrate 1 of the present embodiment. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX ′ of FIG. The relay substrate 1 of the present embodiment includes a package substrate 300, an insulating resin layer 305 formed on the lower surface 1a of the package substrate 300, and pads 303 and 903 (first electrode pads) of the insulating resin layer 305. A through hole 308 formed at a position corresponding to each, a via 306 (conductive member) formed in the through hole 308, and a pad 307 (third electrode) that covers the through hole 308 and whose upper surface is not covered with an insulating layer. Electrode pad) and an external connection terminal 401 formed on the pad 904. The package substrate 300 has a first surface (lower surface 1a in FIG. 1) and a second surface (upper surface 1b in FIG. 1), and a substrate 301 (substrate body) in which wirings 402 and 902 are formed. ), Pads 303 and 903 disposed on the lower surface 1a, and a pad 904 (second electrode pad) disposed on the upper surface 1b. The pad 303 is electrically connected to the pad 904 through the wiring 402, and the pad 307 is electrically connected to the pad 303 through the via 306. The upper surface of the pad 307 is not covered with another insulating layer such as the insulating resin layer 305 or a solder resist.

  Further, the relay substrate 1 has a test-dedicated pad 905 (second test-dedicated pad) for applying an electric signal on the upper surface 1 b of the package substrate 300. Further, the package substrate 300 has a test dedicated pad 903 (first test dedicated pad) on the lower surface 1a. The test dedicated pad 903 and the test dedicated pad 905 are electrically connected via a wiring 902. An external connection terminal 901 is formed on the test dedicated pad 905. The test dedicated pad is a dedicated terminal that is indispensable for applying a specific electric signal from the LSI tester when the LSI test of the semiconductor wafer on which the LSI is formed is performed. The external connection terminals 401 and 901 can be, for example, solder bumps.

  The package substrate 300 can be, for example, a printed package substrate having a multilayer wiring layer. The substrate 301 can be made of various resins, and for example, glass epoxy resin can be used. Further, the upper surface 1 b of the substrate 301 can be covered with an insulating protective film 403. The insulating protective film 403 can be formed from, for example, a solder resist.

  The pad 307 can be covered with a conductive protective film 801. For example, the conductive protective film 801 can be a gold plating film. FIG.1 (b) is the figure which expanded the part enclosed with the broken line of Fig.1 (a). Examples of the material of the conductive protective film 801 include gold and silver. When gold is used, the contact property with the probe terminal in contact with the electrode on the semiconductor wafer is good. In addition, it does not oxidize and has excellent wear resistance. By appropriately selecting the gold plating material, it is possible to achieve excellent contact and wear resistance to copper and solder. The thickness is preferably 0.1 to 1 μm.

  The pads 303, 307, and 904 can be made of copper, nickel, or the like. Similarly, the test pads 903 and 905 can be made of copper or nickel.

  The pad 307 can have a protruding shape with respect to the surface of the insulating resin layer 305. The pad 307 can take a shape such as a circle or a rectangle.

  Further, the area of the pad 307 can be made larger than the area of the pad 303 as long as the pitch permits. The pitch of the pads 904 is wider than the pitch of the pads 303, and the pitch of the pads 307 can be set equal to the pitch of the pads 303. In this way, pitch conversion is performed between the package substrate 300, that is, the pad 904 and the pad 303, and the pad 307 is provided to facilitate alignment and prevent deterioration of contact between the probe and the electrode pad. Yes.

  The insulating resin layer 305 can be formed from polyimide, BCB (benzocyclobutene), an epoxy resin, a fluororesin, or the like. For example, a commercially available resin such as ABF resin or RCC (copper foil with resin) can be used. As the insulating resin layer 305, it is more preferable to select one having a small thermal expansion.

  An example using the relay substrate 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a probe card 2 using the relay board 1 of the present embodiment.

  The probe card 2 is a semiconductor wafer 601 on which an LSI to be inspected is formed, and a measuring device that applies an electrical signal to the LSI formed on the semiconductor wafer 601 and measures the electrical characteristics of the LSI formed on the semiconductor wafer 601. (Not shown) are electrically connected. The probe card 2 includes a relay substrate 1 and a probe 101 that is electrically connected to a pad 307 included in the relay substrate 1 and contacts an electrode 602 formed on the semiconductor wafer 601.

  The probes 101 are arranged at the same pitch as the electrodes 602 arranged on the semiconductor wafer 601 to be measured. The interval is about 250 μm to 125 μm. As the probe 101, an alloy made of a noble metal or a member having a spring property with a diameter of about 30 μm to 120 μm obtained by applying nickel or gold plating to an iron base material can be used.

  The probe card 2 further includes a probe card substrate 501. The probe card substrate 501 is attached to the upper surface 1 b side of the relay substrate 1.

  The probe card 2 is a jig used to apply a signal from the LSI tester to the semiconductor wafer 601 and vice versa. Therefore, the probe card 2 needs to be expanded from the pitch of the bumps 603 formed on the semiconductor wafer 601 to a pitch connectable to the LSI tester. The electrodes of the LSI tester have a pitch of about 1 to 2 mm. The probe card substrate 501 is directly connected to the LSI tester.

  The probe card substrate 501 can be a printed package substrate. This printed circuit board has a circular shape with a diameter of about 25 to 45 cm or a rectangular shape with a width of about 25 to 45 cm. The probe card substrate 501 can be formed by performing copper wiring in an organic material such as glass epoxy resin or polyimide resin. The connection terminals 502 connected to the LSI tester are arranged at intervals of about 1 to 2 mm pitch near the outer periphery of the surface of the probe card body. The probe card substrate 501 can perform pitch conversion up to a pitch of about 0.8 mm to 1.27 mm. Furthermore, the relay substrate 1 can perform conversion up to the same pad pitch as that of the semiconductor wafer 601.

  Pads 303 and 307 are arranged at the same pitch as the semiconductor wafer 601 on the lower surface 1 a side of the relay substrate 1. Pads 904 are arranged at the same pitch as the pads 502 on the probe card substrate 501 on the upper surface 1b side. The two are connected by wiring 402 inside the package substrate 300. Electrical connection between the package substrate 300 and the probe card substrate 501 is performed by connecting each of the pad 904 and the test dedicated pad 905 to the pad 502 by using a method such as solder reflow.

  The relay substrate 1 and the probe 101 are electrically connected by pressing the end portion (the upper end portion 2a in FIG. 3) of the probe 101 against the pad 307. The probe 101 is held by guide plates 102 and 104. A hole slightly larger than the diameter of the probe 101 is formed in the guide plates 102 and 104 at the same position as the probe 101. The probe 101 is held and positioned by passing the probe through the hole.

  The probe 101, the guide plates 102 and 104, and the spacer 103 are collectively referred to as a probe head. The probe head is used by being fixed to the plate 201 attached on the probe card substrate 501 with a screw or the like. It is necessary to position and fix the upper end portion 2a of the probe 101 to be the same as the position of the pad 307 on the package substrate 300. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, a structure in which the upper end portion 2 a of the probe 101 is pressed against the pad 307 can be adopted.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the probe card 2 is in a floating state before the probe is connected to the electrode of the semiconductor wafer, and is electrically connected to the pad 307 after the probe is connected to the electrode of the semiconductor wafer. It can also be connected. The floating state means that the probe 101 is not pressed against the pad 307.

  When the electrode pad 307 is covered with the conductive protective film 801, the contact with the probe 101 is improved. When gold is used as the conductive protective film 801, the contact property with the probe terminal that contacts the electrode on the semiconductor wafer is further improved.

  Further, a configuration in which the pad 307 protrudes in a convex shape with respect to the surface of the insulating resin layer 305 can be employed. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the end surface of the upper end portion 2a of the probe 101 and the surface of the pad 307 from shifting to a position where they do not completely overlap, so that the end surface of the upper end portion 2a and the surface of the pad 307 are open. Can be prevented. Therefore, the requirements for the accuracy of the needle position and the accuracy of the mounting position alignment between the pad and the probe are alleviated.

  Further, a configuration in which the area of the pad 307 is larger than the area of the pad 303 may be employed. By doing so, the area in contact with the probe 101 can be increased, and the positioning of the relay substrate 1 and the probe 101 can be facilitated on the probe card substrate 501 side. Further, even if the relative position changes due to a change with time, it is easy to ensure contact between the probe 101 and the pad 307.

  Further, the pitch of the pads 904 is wider than the pitch of the pads 303, and the pitch of the pads 307 can be set equal to the pitch of the pads 303. By doing so, the pitch conversion can be performed on the package substrate 300. In other words, the pitch conversion can be performed between the pad 904 and the pad 303. Then, the pad 307 can facilitate the alignment, and the deterioration of the contact between the probe 101 and the pad 307 can be prevented.

  Next, an inspection method for the semiconductor wafer 601 using the probe card 2 will be described. In this inspection method, the probe card 2 is used to bring the probe 101 into contact with the electrode 602 provided on the semiconductor wafer 601; the electrical signal is applied to the semiconductor wafer 601; and the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer 601 are measured. ,including. With this method, the pad 303 is electrically connected to the pad 904 through the wiring 402, and the pad 307 is electrically connected to the pad 303 through the via 306.

  Here, before bringing the probe 101 into contact with the electrode 602 provided on the semiconductor wafer 601, the probe 101 can be in a floating state as shown in FIG. 7 with respect to the pad 307. Thereafter, the probe 101 can be brought into contact with the electrode 602 by pressing the probe 101 against the pad 307.

  The procedure for performing this electrical inspection will be specifically described below. The semiconductor wafer 601 will be described by taking a wafer-state flip chip device as an example.

  The probe card 2 shown in FIG. 3 is attached to the upper surface of a device called a prober, and the LSI tester and the probe card 2 are electrically connected. The semiconductor wafer 601 (wafer) to be measured is placed on the prober stage, and the bump 603 formed on the electrode 602 of the semiconductor wafer 601 is positioned at the end of the probe 101 of the probe card (lower end 2b in FIG. 3). Is positioned in the XYZ directions. Thereafter, the bump 603 of the semiconductor wafer 601 is pressed against the probe 101 of the probe card by raising the stage. When the probe 101 is fixed in a floating state, the upper end portion 2a of the probe 101 is pressed against the pad 307 at this time to obtain electrical conduction. In this state, the LSI tester and the semiconductor wafer 601 are electrically connected via the bump 603 and the probe 101. As a result, the LSI tester can perform an inspection by applying / detecting an electric signal.

  An electrical signal input from the measurement apparatus is applied to the semiconductor wafer 601 via the test dedicated pad 905, the test dedicated pad 903, the via 306, and the pad 307. In addition, an electrical signal input from the measuring apparatus is applied to the semiconductor wafer 601 via the pad 904, the pad 303, the via 306, and the pad 307.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the relay substrate 1 will be described with reference to FIG. First, a package substrate is prepared (FIG. 4A). This package substrate includes a substrate 301 having a first surface (lower surface 1a in FIG. 4) and a second surface (upper surface 1b in FIG. 4), and wirings 402 and 902 formed therein, and a lower surface 1a. And a pad 904 disposed on the upper surface 1b. Further, a dedicated test pad 903 is formed on the lower surface 1a of the package substrate, and a dedicated test pad 905 is formed on the upper surface 1b. The test dedicated pad 903 is connected to the test dedicated pad 905 via the wiring 902.

  Here, when an LSI test of the semiconductor wafer 601 is performed, a dedicated test terminal (pad) may be used. The dedicated test terminals are not used on the final product and are not wired on the package substrate. Therefore, when the package substrate is used as a relay substrate, it is necessary to wire test-dedicated terminals on the package substrate in advance.

  Therefore, in the relay substrate 1, test dedicated pads 903 and 905 are formed in advance on the package substrate, and wirings 902 corresponding to the pads are created. However, the test-dedicated pads 903 and 905 are not originally necessary after the package is assembled. Therefore, it is desirable to place the test dedicated pad 905 on the upper surface 1b side (probe card board 501 side) at a position where bumps cannot be placed due to mounting reliability problems, for example, near the center of the package other than directly under the device or at the package corner. .

  Next, an insulating resin layer 305 is formed on the lower surface 1a (FIG. 4B).

  Thereafter, through-holes 308 are formed at positions corresponding to the pads 303 of the insulating resin layer 305 and the test-dedicated pads 903 by laser processing (FIG. 4C), and vias 306 are formed in the through-holes 308 (FIG. d)).

  Next, a pad 307 is formed by plating and covers the through hole 308 (FIG. 4E). The material of the pad 307 is, for example, copper, and the thickness can be about 10 μm.

  Finally, the surface of the pad 307 is plated by electrolytic plating to form a conductive protective film 801. For example, when a gold plating film is formed as the conductive protective film, the surface of the pad 307 can be subjected to a gold plating process by electrolytic plating to form a gold plating film having a thickness of about 1 μm. Then, the external connection terminal 401 is mounted on the pad 904, and the external connection terminal 901 is mounted on the test dedicated pad 905. Thereby, the relay substrate 1 is completed (FIG. 4F).

  When a semiconductor element is mounted on the package substrate 300, after the step of FIG. 4A, the pad 303 is subjected to solder plating, and a resist coating / forming step is performed. Although the test substrate pad 905 is provided on the package substrate 300 on which the semiconductor element is mounted, the external connection terminal 901 is not mounted on the test pad 905. Bumps are formed on the electrodes of the semiconductor element created by the semiconductor process by printing, vapor deposition, plating, or the like. After dicing, this is mounted on the package substrate by reflow, and an underfill resin is injected to complete a semiconductor device (flip chip device).

  A semiconductor device 3 in which the semiconductor element 30 is mounted on the package substrate 300 is shown in FIGS. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the semiconductor device 3, and FIG. 5 is a YY ′ sectional view of the semiconductor device 3 shown in FIG. FIG.5 (b) is the figure which expanded the broken-line part of Fig.5 (a). The semiconductor device 3 includes a package substrate 300 used in manufacturing the relay substrate 1 and a semiconductor element 30 mounted on the package substrate 300. The package substrate 300 has wirings 402 and 902 formed therein, a substrate 301 having a first surface (upper surface 3a in FIG. 5) and a second surface (lower surface 3b in FIG. 5), and an upper surface 3a. A pad 303 (first electrode pad) disposed, a pad 904 disposed on the lower surface 3b, and a test dedicated pad 903 on the upper surface 3a are provided. The pad 303 is electrically connected to the pad 904 via the wiring 402, but the test dedicated pad 903 on the upper surface 3 a and the test dedicated pad 905 on the lower surface 3 b electrically connected via the wiring 902 are connected to the pad 303. The external connection terminal 901 does not exist. The upper surface 3a is covered with a resist 701. The external connection terminal 401 can be a solder bump, for example.

  The semiconductor element 30 has a bump 603 connected to the pad 303. An underfill resin 32 is filled between the semiconductor element 30 and the resist 701. The semiconductor element 30 is a semiconductor chip obtained by dividing the semiconductor wafer 601 into pieces.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view of the lower surface 3 b side of the semiconductor device 3. Since the package substrate 300 is also used as the relay substrate 1, a test dedicated pad 903 and a test dedicated pad 905 corresponding thereto are prepared in advance. In the relay substrate 1, the external connection terminals 901 are formed on the test dedicated pads 905 as shown in FIG. 1, but the test dedicated pads 905 are not used after the package is assembled. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, a test-dedicated pad 905 is disposed in the empty portion of the pad 904. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the test-dedicated pad 905 from affecting the mounting reliability.

  Note that the package substrate 300 is configured not to mount the external connection terminals 401 only at one corner in order to prevent a mistake in the mounting direction when the semiconductor element 30 is mounted. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6B, when there is no space in the pad 904, the test dedicated pad 905 is mounted at a position corresponding to this one corner.

Specifically, the semiconductor device 3 can be manufactured by the following procedure.
(1) A step of preparing two package substrates shown in FIG. One is a package board for mounting a probe card, and the other is a package board for mounting a semiconductor element.
(2) A step of inspecting the semiconductor wafer 601 using the probe card 2 shown in FIG.
(3) A step of separating semiconductor elements including LSIs from the semiconductor wafer 601. The semiconductor element 30 can be produced by a semiconductor process. Bumps 603 are formed on the electrodes (not shown) of the semiconductor element 30 in the wafer state by printing, vapor deposition, plating, or the like. The semiconductor element 30 (semiconductor chip) is obtained by dicing and dicing this. In addition, the semiconductor element 30 can be packaged by selecting semiconductor elements including LSIs that are determined to be non-defective products in the electrical inspection of the semiconductor wafer 601.
(4) A step of packaging a semiconductor element on the package substrate for mounting the semiconductor element prepared in (1) above.

The step (4) of packaging the semiconductor element further includes the following steps.
(I) A step of mounting a semiconductor element on the lower surface 1a of the package substrate shown in FIG. 4A and electrically connecting the semiconductor element to the pad 303 and the test dedicated terminal 903 of the package substrate. Specifically, a solder plating 702 is applied to the pad 303 to form a resist 701 (FIG. 10A). Then, the semiconductor element 30 is reflow-mounted on the upper surface 3a side of the package substrate (FIG. 10B).
(Ii) A step of forming the external connection terminals 401 on the pads 904 of the package substrate without forming the external connection terminals 901 on the test pads 905 of the package substrate. Specifically, the underfill resin 32 is filled between the semiconductor element 30 and the resist 701 (FIG. 10C). Finally, the external connection terminal 401 is mounted on the pad 904 to complete the semiconductor device 3 (FIG. 10D). Note that the external connection terminal 401 is not mounted on the test dedicated pad 905.

  The semiconductor element 30 can be created by a semiconductor process. Bumps 603 are formed on the electrodes (not shown) of the semiconductor element 30 in the wafer state by printing, vapor deposition, plating, or the like. The semiconductor element 30 (semiconductor chip) is obtained by dicing and dicing this. In addition, the semiconductor element 30 can be packaged by selecting semiconductor elements including LSIs that are determined to be non-defective products in the electrical inspection of the semiconductor wafer 601.

  It continues and demonstrates the effect | action and effect of this embodiment. According to the relay substrate 1, by adding the insulating resin layer 305 to the package substrate 300, vias 306 are formed in the through holes 308 formed at positions corresponding to the pads 303 and the test dedicated pads 903 of the insulating resin layer 305. The through hole 308 can be covered with the pad 307 by being formed. Thereby, the pad 307 can be supported by the insulating resin layer 305 and the via 306, and the pad 303 and the pad 307 can be connected via the via 306. Therefore, the contact area with the probe 101 can be secured by the pad 307 while using the pad 303 and the test dedicated pad 903 formed on the package substrate 300, and the alignment between the probe 101 and the electrode pad 307 is facilitated. And it becomes possible to prevent the position shift during a test | inspection. Therefore, even when the relay substrate method is adopted, the cost can be reduced and the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer 601 can be efficiently inspected.

  In the conventional relay substrate 706 shown in FIG. 9, when the probe head is attached to the plate on the probe card substrate, the upper end 2a of the probe and the pad 303 are not normally in contact due to the positional deviation between the probe head and the plate. There is. When the diameter of the pad 303 of the package substrate 300 is small, if the resist 701 is applied to the outer periphery of the pad 303, the upper end portion 2a of the probe may come into contact with the resist 701 even if it is slightly displaced, and may not come into contact with the pad 303. Increases nature.

  Further, the test of the semiconductor wafer 601 may be performed at a high temperature or a low temperature. At this time, the positions of the pad 303 and the probe change due to expansion and contraction due to heat. For this reason, even if the pad 303 and the probe 101 can be aligned at room temperature, there is a possibility that they cannot be used at high and low temperatures.

  Further, in the conventional relay substrate 706, the resist 701 cannot be removed in order to protect the pattern wiring formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer from disconnection or short circuit. Further, since the resist 701 does not have a force to support the via, even if the solder layer 702 is removed and a through hole is formed in the resist 701, the via cannot be formed in the through hole. Therefore, a pad that is convex with respect to the resist 701 could not be formed.

  Furthermore, if the package substrate is used as it is, there is a problem in terms of preventing pad oxidation and ensuring contact. In order to perform flip chip mounting, as shown in FIG. 9, the surface treatment for the pad 303 is generally performed by forming a solder layer 702 using solder. When used as a relay substrate in this state, solder adhered to the end of the probe, and further oxidized, leading to poor contact and leading to measurement failure. In addition, the solder layer 702 is worn due to repeated contact, and the surface of the pad 303 may be exposed. In the case where the pad 303 is made of copper, oxidation proceeds when exposed to the outside air, so that the problem of contact deterioration has become more prominent.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the relay substrate 1 employs a configuration in which an insulating resin layer 305 is formed on the package substrate 300 and a resist is not used. Therefore, the shape of the pad 307 can be made as large as the pitch allows. Further, since the pad 307 is formed so as to be convex with respect to the surface of the package substrate 300, it does not open unless the upper end surface of the probe and the pad surface are completely overlapped. Therefore, the requirements for the needle position accuracy and the probe head mounting accuracy are relaxed.

  Further, according to the relay substrate 1, the conductive protective film 801 can be applied to the pad 307. Therefore, it is possible to select an appropriate material as the protective film and realize excellent contact and wear resistance. By adopting gold plating as the conductive protective film 801, it is possible to prevent pad oxidation and ensure contact.

  As described above, according to the relay substrate 1, the package substrate 300 for mounting a semiconductor element is used as a pitch expansion substrate of a semiconductor wafer 601, particularly a probe card used in a wafer test process of a flip chip device, and an insulating resin layer is used. By adding 305, the pad area can be expanded. Thereby, the tolerance with respect to the positional variation of the probe and the accuracy with which the head portion can be attached can be improved. In addition, since the material of the conductive protection film of the pad can be selected as appropriate, the durability of the pad 307 is improved and stable contact can be realized. Furthermore, since a package substrate for mounting a semiconductor can be used, it is more advantageous in terms of cost than creating a dedicated relay substrate.

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, these are the illustrations of this invention, Various structures other than the above are also employable. For example, the pad 307 may be individually formed for each pad 303, but the pads 307 may be continuously formed so as to be connected to a plurality of pads 303 as long as they have the same potential (GND or the like).
For example, the following configurations can also be applied to the present invention.
(1) A substrate body having a first surface and a second surface and having wiring formed therein; a first electrode pad disposed on the first surface; and a substrate disposed on the second surface. A second electrode pad, and a package substrate comprising:
An insulating layer formed on the first surface of the package substrate;
A through hole formed at a position corresponding to the first electrode pad of the insulating layer;
A conductive member formed in the through hole;
A third electrode pad that covers the through hole and whose upper surface is not covered with an insulating layer;
An external connection terminal formed on the second electrode pad;
Have
The first electrode pad is electrically connected to the second electrode pad via the wiring,
The relay substrate according to claim 3, wherein the third electrode pad is electrically connected to the first electrode pad through the conductive member.
(2) A second test-dedicated pad for applying an electric signal is provided on the second surface,
The first electrode pad includes a first test pad;
The first test-dedicated pad and the second test-dedicated pad are electrically connected via the wiring,
The relay board according to (1), wherein an external connection terminal is formed on the second test-dedicated pad.
(3) The relay substrate according to (1) or (2), wherein the third electrode pad is covered with a conductive protective film.
(4) The relay substrate according to (3), wherein the conductive protection film is a gold plating film.
(5) The relay substrate according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the third electrode pad protrudes in a convex shape with respect to the surface of the insulating layer.
(6) The relay substrate according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the third electrode pad has a larger area than the first electrode pad.
(7) The pitch of the second electrode pad is wider than the pitch of the first electrode pad,
The pitch of said 3rd electrode pad is equal to the pitch of said 1st electrode pad, The relay board | substrate in any one of (1) thru | or (6) characterized by the above-mentioned.
(8) a semiconductor wafer on which an LSI to be inspected is formed, and a measuring device that applies an electrical signal to the LSI formed on the semiconductor wafer and measures the electrical characteristics of the LSI formed on the semiconductor wafer; A probe card for electrically connecting
A substrate body having a first surface and a second surface and having wiring formed therein, a first electrode pad disposed on the first surface, and a first electrode disposed on the second surface A package substrate comprising: two electrode pads;
An insulating layer formed on the first surface of the package substrate;
A through hole formed at a position corresponding to the first electrode pad of the insulating layer;
A conductive member formed in the through hole;
A third electrode pad that covers the through hole and whose upper surface is not covered with an insulating layer;
An external connection terminal formed on the second electrode pad;
A relay board comprising:
A probe electrically connected to the third electrode pad and in contact with an electrode formed on the semiconductor wafer;
Have
The first electrode pad is electrically connected to the second electrode pad via the wiring,
The probe card, wherein the third electrode pad is electrically connected to the first electrode pad through the conductive member.
(9) A second test-dedicated pad for applying an electric signal is provided on the second surface,
The first electrode pad includes a first test-dedicated pad,
The first test-dedicated pad and the second test-dedicated pad are electrically connected via the wiring,
The probe card according to (8), wherein an external connection terminal is formed on the second test-dedicated pad.
(10) The probe card according to (8) or (9), wherein the third electrode pad is covered with a conductive protective film.
(11) The probe card according to (10), wherein the conductive protective film is a gold plating film.
(12) The probe card according to any one of (8) to (11), wherein the third electrode pad has a shape protruding in a convex shape with respect to the surface of the insulating layer.
(13) The probe card according to any one of (8) to (12), wherein the third electrode pad has a larger area than the first electrode pad.
(14) The pitch of the second electrode pads is wider than the pitch of the first electrode pads,
The probe card according to any one of (8) to (13), wherein a pitch of the third electrode pad is equal to a pitch of the first electrode pad.
(15) A substrate body having a first surface and a second surface and having wiring formed therein; a first electrode pad disposed on the first surface; and a substrate disposed on the second surface. A package substrate comprising: a second electrode pad formed; and
Forming an insulating layer on the first surface;
Forming a through hole at a position corresponding to the first electrode pad of the insulating layer;
Forming a conductive member in the through hole;
Covering the through hole with a third electrode pad;
Forming an external connection terminal on the second electrode pad;
Including
The first electrode pad is electrically connected to the second electrode pad via the wiring,
The third electrode pad is electrically connected to the first electrode pad through the conductive member, and the upper surface is not covered with an insulating layer.
(16) The prepared package substrate has a second test-dedicated pad on the second surface, and the first electrode pad includes a first test-dedicated pad, the first test-dedicated pad The pad and the second test-dedicated pad are connected via the wiring,
The external connection terminal is formed on the second test-dedicated pad, the method of manufacturing a relay board according to (15).
(17) a semiconductor wafer on which an LSI to be inspected is formed, and a measuring device that applies an electrical signal to the LSI formed on the semiconductor wafer and measures the electrical characteristics of the LSI formed on the semiconductor wafer; A semiconductor wafer inspection method using a probe card for electrically connecting
The probe card is
A substrate body having a first surface and a second surface and having wiring formed therein, a first electrode pad disposed on the first surface, and a first electrode disposed on the second surface A package substrate comprising: two electrode pads;
An insulating layer formed on the first surface of the package substrate;
A through hole formed at a position corresponding to the first electrode pad of the insulating layer;
A conductive member formed in the through hole;
A third electrode pad that covers the through hole and whose upper surface is not covered with an insulating layer;
An external connection terminal formed on the second electrode pad;
With
A relay substrate to which the first electrode pad and the second electrode pad are electrically connected;
A probe electrically connected to the third electrode pad and in contact with an electrode formed on the semiconductor wafer;
Have
Contacting the probe with an electrode provided on the semiconductor wafer;
Applying an electrical signal to the semiconductor wafer and measuring electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer;
A method for inspecting a semiconductor wafer.
(18) Before bringing the probe into contact with the electrode provided on the semiconductor wafer, the probe is brought into a floating state with respect to the third electrode pad, and the probe is pressed against the third electrode pad. The method for inspecting a semiconductor wafer according to (17), wherein the probe is brought into contact with an electrode.
(19) A substrate body having a first surface and a second surface and having wiring formed therein; a first electrode pad disposed on the first surface; and a substrate disposed on the second surface. Preparing two package substrates comprising: a second electrode pad formed;
A semiconductor wafer on which an LSI to be inspected is formed, and a measuring device that applies an electrical signal to the LSI formed on the semiconductor wafer and measures the electrical characteristics of the LSI formed on the semiconductor wafer. Inspecting the semiconductor wafer using a probe card having one package substrate of the two package substrates prepared and connected,
Separating the semiconductor element including the LSI from the semiconductor wafer;
Packaging the semiconductor element on another package substrate of the two package substrates prepared; and
Including
The probe card is
The one package substrate;
An insulating layer formed on the first surface of the one package substrate;
A through hole formed at a position corresponding to the first electrode pad of the insulating layer;
A conductive member formed in the through hole;
A third electrode pad that covers the through hole and whose upper surface is not covered with an insulating layer;
An external connection terminal formed on the second electrode pad;
A relay board comprising:
A probe that is electrically connected to the third electrode pad provided in the relay substrate and that contacts an electrode formed on the semiconductor wafer;
Have
The step of inspecting the semiconductor wafer includes
Electrically connecting the third electrode pad and the electrode by bringing the probe into contact with an electrode provided on the semiconductor wafer;
Applying an electrical signal from the measuring device to the semiconductor wafer and measuring electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer;
Including
The step of packaging the semiconductor element includes:
Mounting the semiconductor element on the first surface of the other package substrate and electrically connecting the semiconductor element to a first electrode pad of the other package substrate;
Forming an external connection terminal on the second electrode pad of the other package substrate;
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Relay substrate 1a Lower surface 1b Upper surface 2 Probe card 2a Upper end part 2b Lower end part 3 Semiconductor device 3a Upper surface 3b Lower surface 30 Semiconductor element 32 Underfill resin 101 Probe 102 Guide plate 103 Spacer 104 Guide plate 201 Plate 300 Package substrate 301 Substrate 303 Pad 305 Insulating resin layer 306 Via 307 Pad 308 Through hole 401 External connection terminal 402 Wiring 403 Insulating protective film 501 Probe card substrate 502 Connection terminal 601 Semiconductor wafer 602 Electrode 603 Bump 701 Resist 702 Solder layer 706 Relay substrate 801 Conductive protective film 803 Pad 805 Pad 901 External connection terminal 902 Wiring 903 Test dedicated pad 904 Pad 905 Test dedicated pad

Claims (3)

A method for inspecting a semiconductor wafer using a probe card comprising a relay substrate and a probe ,
Contacting the probe with an electrode provided on the semiconductor wafer on which the LSI to be inspected is formed, and electrically connecting the measurement apparatus for measuring the electrical characteristics of the LSI and the semiconductor wafer;
Applying an electrical signal from the measurement device to the semiconductor wafer via the probe card, and measuring electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer;
Including
The relay board is
A substrate body having a first surface and a second surface and having wiring formed therein ; a plurality of first electrode pads disposed on the first surface and including at least a first test-dedicated pad; A second electrode pad disposed on the second surface, and a package substrate comprising:
An insulating layer formed on the first surface of the package substrate;
A through hole formed at a position corresponding to the first electrode pad of the insulating layer;
A conductive member formed in the through hole;
A third electrode pad that covers the through-hole and whose upper surface and entire side surface are not covered with an insulating layer;
An external connection terminal formed on the second electrode pad;
A second dedicated test pad disposed on the second surface and having an external connection terminal formed thereon;
With
In the step of electrically connecting the measuring device and the semiconductor wafer,
By bringing the probe into contact with the electrode, the probe is electrically connected to the third electrode pad, and the first electrode pad and the second electrode pad are electrically connected via the wiring. And electrically connecting the first electrode pad and the third electrode pad via the conductive member, and further connecting the first test pad and the second electrode via the wiring. Electrical connection with the test pad
In the step of measuring the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer, an electrical signal is applied to the semiconductor wafer from the measuring device via the second test-dedicated pad . Before bringing the probe into contact with the electrode provided on the semiconductor wafer, the probe is brought into a floating state with respect to the third electrode pad, and the probe is pressed against the third electrode pad to thereby press the probe against the electrode. 2. The semiconductor wafer inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein a probe is brought into contact. A substrate body having a first surface and a second surface and having wiring formed therein ; a plurality of first electrode pads disposed on the first surface and including at least a first test-dedicated pad; Preparing two package substrates comprising: a second electrode pad disposed on the second surface;
A semiconductor wafer on which an LSI to be inspected is formed, and a measuring device that applies an electrical signal to the LSI formed on the semiconductor wafer and measures the electrical characteristics of the LSI formed on the semiconductor wafer. Inspecting the semiconductor wafer using a probe card having one package substrate of the two package substrates prepared and connected,
Separating the semiconductor element including the LSI from the semiconductor wafer;
Packaging the semiconductor element on another package substrate of the two package substrates prepared; and
Including
The probe card is
The one package substrate;
An insulating layer formed on the first surface of the one package substrate;
A through hole formed at a position corresponding to the first electrode pad of the insulating layer;
A conductive member formed in the through hole;
A third electrode pad that covers the through-hole and whose upper surface and entire side surface are not covered with an insulating layer;
An external connection terminal formed on the second electrode pad;
A relay board comprising a second test-dedicated pad disposed on the second surface and having an external connection terminal formed thereon ;
A probe that is electrically connected to the third electrode pad provided in the relay substrate and that contacts an electrode formed on the semiconductor wafer;
Have
The step of inspecting the semiconductor wafer includes
Electrically connecting the third electrode pad and the electrode by bringing the probe into contact with an electrode provided on the semiconductor wafer;
Applying an electrical signal to the semiconductor wafer from the measuring device via the second test-dedicated pad, and measuring electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer;
Including
In the step of electrically connecting the third electrode pad and the electrode, the probe is electrically connected to the third electrode pad, and the first electrode pad and the second electrode are connected via the wiring. And electrically connecting the first electrode pad and the third electrode pad via the conductive member, and further connecting the first electrode pad via the wiring. Electrically connecting the test pad and the second test pad;
The step of packaging the semiconductor element includes:
Mounting the semiconductor element on the first surface of the other package substrate and electrically connecting the semiconductor element to a first electrode pad of the other package substrate;
Forming an external connection terminal on the second electrode pad of the other package substrate;
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

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