JP5351453B2 - Contact probe complex - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a contact probe complex capable of readily manufacturing a probe card having a narrow-pitch contact probe, without being restricted of the material of a probe substrate. <P>SOLUTION: In this contact probe complex 1, each contact probe 10 and each insulating layer 20 are formed into an alternately laminating state. The contact probe 10 has a base part 10a fixed to a probe substrate 30, a beam part 10b having a cantilever structure, and a contact part 10c. The insulating layer 20 is formed only between adjacent base parts 10a of each contact probe 10. In the contact probe complex 1 mounted on the probe substrate 30, since an insulating layer is not formed, respectively between adjacent beam parts and between adjacent contact parts, each contact probe can be deformed elastically with the insulating layer left, as it is. The probe card can be readily manufactured by only mounting the contact probe complex on the probe substrate. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a contact probe complex in which two or more contact probes attached to a probe substrate are integrated, and a method for manufacturing the same. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a probe card having the contact probe complex.

  A probe card in which a large number of contact probes are formed on a probe substrate is used for inspection of electrical characteristics of a semiconductor wafer. This electrical characteristic inspection is performed by bringing the contact probe forming surface of the probe card close to the inspection object, bringing the tip of the contact probe into contact with the minute inspection object electrode on the inspection object, and electrically connecting the two. Is called.

  As the contact probe, one end is fixed to the probe substrate via the base portion, and the other end is a free-end cantilever-structured beam portion formed on the free end side of the beam portion, Some have a contact portion that is brought into contact with an inspection object.

  A large number of probe electrodes are formed on the probe substrate, and each contact probe is fixed on the probe substrate so as to be electrically connected to the corresponding probe electrode. When manufacturing such a probe card, the contact probes are generally attached to the probe substrate one by one by hand.

  By the way, semiconductor devices have been highly integrated due to a significant improvement in microfabrication accuracy due to advances in photolithography technology and the like. As a result, the number of electrode pads with respect to the chip area of a semiconductor device has increased dramatically. Recently, more than 1,000 electrode pads have been arranged on a semiconductor chip of several millimeters square at a narrow pitch. . In order to perform an electrical characteristic test on such a semiconductor chip, a probe card in which contact probes are arranged at the same pitch as the electrode pads is required.

  However, in the conventional manufacturing method in which the contact probes are fixed one by one, it becomes more difficult as the pitch of the electrode pads provided on the semiconductor chip becomes narrower, and there is a limit to the accuracy with which the contact probes are arranged on the probe substrate. There is a problem that it is not easy to narrow the pitch of the contact probe.

Under such circumstances, the present applicant formed a contact probe complex in which a plurality of contact probes are connected by a sacrificial layer made of a conductive material, and attached the contact probe complex on a probe substrate. Later, a method of manufacturing a probe card by removing the sacrificial layer was proposed (Patent Document 1). In this contact probe complex, the entire adjacent contact probes are connected by a sacrificial layer made of a conductive material. Further, the thickness of the sacrificial layer is determined so that the distance between the contact probes matches the pitch of the electrode pads on the probe substrate. If such a contact probe complex is used, it is not necessary to attach the contact probes to the probe substrate one by one, and the probe pitch can be further reduced.
JP 2008-026027 A

  However, since the sacrificial layer of Patent Document 1 is a conductive layer formed by electroplating, each contact probe in the contact probe complex is short-circuited through the sacrificial layer. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the sacrificial layer by performing an etching process after attaching the contact probe complex to the probe substrate. As a result, if the probe substrate reacts due to the etching process, the probe substrate is damaged, so that a material that reacts with the etching solution of the sacrificial layer cannot be used for the probe substrate.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and two or more contact probes are simultaneously formed on a probe substrate at a narrow pitch without performing an etching process for removing the sacrificial layer after the contact probes are attached to the probe substrate. It is an object to provide a contact probe complex that can be immobilized. Another object of the present invention is to provide a contact probe complex having a contact probe that does not easily fall when fixed to a probe substrate. In addition, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a contact probe complex in which two or more contact probes are arranged at a narrow pitch and there is no need to perform an etching process to remove the sacrificial layer after the contact probes are attached to the probe substrate. With the goal. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a probe card that can easily fix two or more contact probes to a probe substrate at a narrow pitch and hardly fall down.

A contact probe complex according to a first aspect of the present invention is formed by alternately laminating contact probes made of a conductive material and insulating layers made of an insulating material, and the contact probe has a base portion fixed to a probe substrate, A beam portion constituting a cantilever structure with the base portion as a fixed end, and a contact portion provided on a free end side of the beam portion, and the insulating layer is formed between adjacent base portions of the contact probe. The adjacent beam portions and the adjacent contact portions are opened . In addition, the process of forming the insulating layer on the contact probe, the process of forming a conductive thin film on the insulating layer, and the process of forming the contact probe on the thin film by electroplating are repeated. It is formed by.

  The contact probe complex of the present invention is formed by alternately laminating the contact probes and the insulating layers. The contact probes adjacent to each other are connected by the insulating layer at the base portion, and the adjacent beam portions are connected. In addition, since a space is formed between the adjacent contact portions and is not connected by the insulating layer, the beam portion can be elastically deformed even when the insulating layer is provided. As a result, by fixing the contact probe complex to the probe substrate, it is possible to simultaneously fix a large number of contact probes to the probe substrate at a narrow pitch, and after fixing the contact probe complex to the probe substrate, It is not necessary to remove the insulating layer, and the insulating layer can be left.

  Furthermore, since the contact probe complex of the present invention does not need to remove the insulating layer after being attached to the probe substrate, the material of the probe substrate is not restricted by the etching process of the insulating layer and is desired. A probe substrate made of the above material can be used.

  In addition, since the insulating layer can be left after the contact probe is attached to the probe substrate, the opposing surface of the beam portion of the adjacent contact probe is supported by the insulating layer, and the contact probe is It can be made difficult to fall.

  In addition, since the insulating layer can be formed between the contact probes fixed on the probe substrate, short-circuiting between the contact probes is unlikely to occur.

  In the contact probe complex according to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, a surface fixed to the probe substrate in each base portion is formed in the same plane, and a surface facing each probe substrate in each insulating layer Is formed so as to be positioned closer to the beam portion than the surface of the base portion fixed to the probe substrate. With such a configuration, the contact probe and the probe substrate can be reliably conducted only by attaching the contact probe complex to the probe substrate without partially removing the insulating layer.

  In the contact probe composite according to the present invention, the base portions adjacent to each other are connected by the insulating layer so that the beam portion can be elastically deformed. Therefore, after the contact probe composite is attached to the probe substrate, the insulating layer remains. You can leave. As a result, two or more contact probes can be simultaneously attached at a narrow pitch to a probe substrate formed of a desired material, and the attaching operation of the contact probe complex to the probe substrate is simplified.

  1 and 2 show an example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a contact probe complex 1, FIG. 2 is a front view of the contact probe complex 1, and FIG. 3 is a contact probe complex 1. FIG. This contact probe complex 1 has a plurality of contact probes 10 formed by laminating conductive materials, and an insulating layer 20 for connecting the contact probes is formed between the contact probes 10. The contact probes 10 and the insulating layers 20 are alternately stacked one by one.

  The contact probe 10 includes a base portion 10a joined to a probe electrode 31 formed on a probe substrate 30, a beam portion 10b constituting a cantilever structure with the base portion 10a as a fixed end, and the beam portion 10b. The contact portion 10c protrudes toward the inspection object near the free end. The beam portion 10b is elastically deformable with the base portion 10a as a fixed end.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the contact probe 10 includes a probe main body 11, a thin film portion 12, a bump portion 13, and a contact chip portion 14. The probe main body 11 and the thin film portion 12 are formed of the same conductive material.

  The base portion 10a of the probe main body 11 includes a fixing portion 15 that is bonded to the probe electrode 31 on the probe substrate 30 formed of silicon (Si) or the like. Further, a bump portion 13 is formed adjacent to the surface of the fixed portion 15 facing the probe substrate 31.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the contact portion 10 c of the probe main body 11 is configured in a shaft shape that protrudes toward the inspection object from the free end of the beam portion 10 b having a cantilever structure. The contact portion 10c protrudes in the vertical direction with respect to the probe substrate 30 in order to come into contact with the inspection object at the tip of the contact probe.

  The conductive material used for the probe body 11 and the thin film portion 12 is preferably formed of a highly elastic metal having a Young's modulus of 100 GPa or more. In the present embodiment, the probe main body 11 and the thin film portion 12 are made of nickel cobalt (Ni—Co). However, the probe main body 11 is not limited to nickel cobalt, and may be formed of other alloys including cobalt (Co) such as palladium cobalt (Pd—Co), or palladium nickel (Pd—Ni). A nickel-based alloy such as tungsten, tungsten (W), nickel-tungsten (Ni-W), or gold (Au) may be used.

  The bump portion 13 is formed adjacent to the fixed portion 15 on the surface of the base portion 10a of the contact probe 10 facing the probe substrate 30, and is used for bonding to a probe electrode 31 described later. The bump portion 13 is formed of a conductive metal material having a melting point lower than that of the material forming the contact probe 10 and the probe electrode 31, for example, solder or gold. When the contact probe complex 1 is attached to the probe substrate 30, the bump portion 13 is melted and then solidified to bond the base portion 10 a of the contact probe 10 and the probe electrode 31.

  The contact tip portion 14 formed on the distal end side of the contact portion 10c of the contact probe 10 is a portion made of a conductive material different from that of the probe body 11 and in contact with the inspection target electrode. In the present embodiment, the contact tip portion 14 is formed so as to cover the tip of the portion that becomes the contact portion 10 c in the probe main body 11. The contact tip portion 14 is preferably formed using a conductive material having a hardness higher than that of the material forming the probe body 11. For example, it is formed of a conductive material containing at least one element out of each element of ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), rhenium (Re), osmium (Os), and iridium (Ir). . As described above, the contact tip portion 14 is made of a conductive material having a high hardness different from that of the probe main body 11, so that the amount of the conductive material used for the tip portion is suppressed and the abrasion resistance of the probe tip portion is reduced. Abrasion can be improved.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the thin film portion 12 is formed as an outer layer of the contact probe 10 and includes a boundary surface with the insulating layer 20. The thin film portion 12 is made of a conductive material and is a thin film that is formed as a seed for electroplating when the probe main body 11 is laminated in the manufacturing process of the contact probe complex 1 described later. In the present embodiment, the thin film portion 12 is formed as one outer layer in the stacking direction with respect to the probe body 11 and is not formed on the other side in the stacking direction. Note that the material of the thin film portion 12 may be different from that of the probe body 11 as long as it has resistance to the sacrifice layer etching.

  The insulating layer 20 is formed of an insulating material such as a metal oxide film, and is formed only between the base portions 10 a of the adjacent contact probes 10 to connect two or more contact probes 10. That is, the insulating layer 20 is not formed between the adjacent beams 10b and between the adjacent contact portions 10c, and space portions are respectively formed. Furthermore, the insulating layer 20 is formed such that the surface of the insulating layer 20 facing the probe substrate 30 is positioned closer to the beam portion 10b than the surface of the fixing portion 15 facing the probe substrate 30. That is, in the contact probe complex 1 in the present embodiment, the fixing portion 15 in the base portion 10 a of each contact probe 10 is exposed together with the bump portion 13 without being covered with the insulating layer 20.

  The insulating layer 20 holds the contact probes 10 so that the interval between adjacent contact probes 10 matches the arrangement interval of probe electrodes 31 formed on a probe substrate 30 described later. Therefore, the pitch of each contact probe 10 is held by the insulating layer 20 so as to coincide with the pitch of each probe electrode 31. The insulating layer 20 holds the contact probes 10 without short-circuiting each other.

  The insulating layer 20 is formed by alternately stacking the contact probes 10 that are sequentially stacked. That is, after the metal layer of the contact probe 10 is laminated, the insulating layer 20 is laminated, and the metal layer of the next contact probe 10 is formed so as to partially contact the insulating layer 20. The insulating layer 20 is formed in the repeated steps. Since the thickness of the insulating layer 20 corresponds to the interval between adjacent contact probes 10, the contact probes 10 can be arranged at a narrow pitch by reducing the thickness of the insulating layer 20.

  The insulating material used for the insulating layer 20 is preferably formed of a material having a melting point higher than that of a bump portion 13 described later so as not to melt when the contact probe 10 is attached to the substrate.

  The contact between the contact portion 10c of the contact probe 10 and the inspection object is performed by bringing the probe card and the inspection object close to a predetermined distance. At this time, overdrive is performed to ensure that all the contact probes 10 are in contact with the inspection object. Overdrive refers to an operation of bringing the probe card and the inspection object closer from the state in which the contact probe 10 starts to contact the inspection object. By performing such overdrive, the contact probe 10 is brought into contact with the inspection object while being elastically deformed, thereby absorbing variations in the height of the inspection object and variations in the contact probe height, and all contact probes. 10 can be reliably brought into contact with the inspection object.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, since the insulating layer 20 connects the contact probe 10 only at the base portion 10a, each contact can be provided even if the insulating layer 20 remains. The beam portions 10b of the probe 10 can be elastically deformed independently of each other. By adopting such a structure, all the contact probes 10 can be elastically deformed according to the contact state with the object to be inspected, and all the contact probes 10 can be reliably brought into contact with each other.

  4 and 5 are explanatory views showing a method of attaching the contact probe complex 1 of the first embodiment to the probe substrate 30. FIG. FIG. 4 shows a state before the contact probe complex 1 is attached to the probe substrate 30, and FIG. 5 shows a state after the contact probe complex 1 is attached to the probe substrate 30.

  On the probe substrate 30, a probe electrode 31 to which the contact probe 10 is attached and an electrical wiring 32 for connecting the probe electrode 31 to the inspection machine are formed on the substrate body 33. The contact probe complex 1 is attached to the probe substrate 30 such that the fixed portion 15 in the base portion 10a of each contact probe 10 contacts the corresponding probe electrode 31. At that time, the fixing portions 15 of all the contact probes 10 can be easily connected to the corresponding probe electrodes 31 only by adjusting the positions of the contact probe complex 1 and the substrate body 33. Thereafter, the bump probe 13 is heated and melted and cooled and solidified, whereby the contact probe complex 1 is fixed on the probe substrate 30.

  4 and 5 show a case where one contact probe complex 1 including five contact probes 10 is fixed to one probe substrate 30. The contact probe complex 1 may be formed so as to be fixed.

  6 to 10 are process diagrams showing an example of a manufacturing process of the contact probe complex 1 shown in FIG. Each process drawing shows an AA cross-sectional view in FIG. The contact probe complex 1 is manufactured using a so-called MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) technique. The MEMS technique is a technique for creating a fine three-dimensional structure using a photolithography technique and a sacrificial layer etching technique. The photolithography technique is a fine pattern processing technique using a photosensitive resist used in a semiconductor manufacturing process or the like. The sacrificial layer etching technique is a technique for forming a three-dimensional structure by forming a lower layer called a sacrificial layer, further forming a layer constituting the structure thereon, and then etching only the sacrificial layer. is there.

  A well-known plating technique can be used for forming each layer including the sacrificial layer. For example, by immersing a substrate as a cathode and a metal piece as an anode in an electrolytic solution and applying a voltage between both electrodes, the metal ions in the electrolytic solution can be attached to the substrate surface. Such a process is called an electroplating process. Since such a plating process is a wet process in which the substrate is immersed in an electrolytic solution, a drying process is performed after the plating process. Further, after drying, a flattening process for flattening the laminated surface by a polishing process or the like is performed as necessary.

  In FIG. 10B, the contact probe 10 and the insulating layer 20 are alternately arranged in the order of the first contact probe 101, the first insulating layer 201, the second contact probe 102, the second insulating layer 202, and the third contact probe 103. 1 shows a contact probe complex 1 formed by sequentially laminating. Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 10B, a manufacturing process for manufacturing the contact probe complex 1 having three contact probes will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, when the first contact probe 101 is formed, first, a first sacrificial layer is formed on the laminated substrate 50 with a conductive material that can be removed by etching, for example, copper (Cu). 61 is formed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, a photoresist made of a photosensitive organic material is applied on the first sacrificial layer 61 to form a first resist layer 71. Thereafter, the first resist layer 71 is partially removed by selectively exposing the surface of the first resist layer 71.

  In the portion where the first resist layer 71 is removed in this way, as shown in FIG. 6C, a first metal layer 81 (probe body layer) that becomes the probe body 11 by electroplating is formed in this plate shape. The probe body 11 is laminated in the thickness direction. FIG. 6C shows a state where the contact portion 10 c is formed by the first metal layer 81 on the right side and the base portion 10 a is formed by the first metal layer 81 on the left side. Although not shown, the beam portion 10b is also laminated at the same time.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6D, the first resist layer 71 is completely removed. By removing the first resist layer 71, the first sacrificial layer 61 and the first metal layer 81 are exposed.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 6E, a photoresist made of a photosensitive organic material is applied on the exposed first sacrificial layer 61 and first metal layer 81 to form a second resist layer 72. Thereafter, the surface of the second resist layer 72 is selectively exposed to partially remove the second resist layer 72. In FIG. 6E, the second resist layer 72 is partially removed so that a part of the first metal layer 81 forming the tip side of the contact portion 10ca is exposed.

  Subsequently, in the portion where the second resist layer 72 is removed, as shown in FIG. 7A, a second metal layer 82 (contact chip layer) to be the contact chip portion 14 is laminated in the thickness direction by electroplating. It is formed. The second metal layer 82 is formed so as to cover the tip of the contact portion 10 c of the portion formed by the first metal layer 81. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, the second resist layer 72 is completely removed. By removing the second resist layer 72, the first sacrificial layer 61, the first metal layer 81, and the second metal layer 82 are exposed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7C, a photoresist made of a photosensitive organic material is coated on the exposed first sacrificial layer 61, first metal layer 81, and second metal layer 82 to form a third resist layer. 73 is formed. Thereafter, the surface of the third resist layer 73 is selectively exposed to partially remove the third resist layer 73. In FIG. 7C, the third resist layer 73 is partially removed so that a part of the first metal layer 81 forming the probe substrate side of the base portion 10a is exposed.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7D, a third metal layer 83 (bump layer) to be the bump portion 13 is laminated in the thickness direction on the portion where the third resist layer 73 is removed, as shown in FIG. The third metal layer 83 is formed so as to cover a part of the base portion 10 a formed of the first metal layer 81. In addition, the third metal layer 83 to be the bump portion 13 is laminated and formed only on the substrate side of the base portion 10a and forming a recess with respect to the probe substrate. By forming in this way, the fixed portion 15 is exposed to the probe substrate. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7E, the third resist layer 73 is completely removed, the surface is polished, and a smooth surface is formed, whereby the first contact probe 101 is formed on the first sacrificial layer 61. The

  Next, a process of forming the first insulating layer 201 that contacts the first contact probe 101 will be described. As shown in FIG. 8A, a photoresist made of a photosensitive organic material is applied on the exposed first sacrificial layer 61, first metal layer 81, second metal layer 82, and third metal layer 83. A fourth resist layer 74 is formed. Thereafter, the surface of the fourth resist layer 74 is selectively exposed to partially remove the fourth resist layer 74. In FIG. 8A, the fourth resist layer 74 is partially removed so that the base portion 10a of the first contact probe 101 in the first metal layer 81 is exposed.

  Then, the first insulating layer 201 is stacked in the thickness direction by filling the portion where the fourth resist layer 74 is removed with an insulating material. The first insulating layer 201 is resistant to the sacrificial layer etching process and is formed of a material that adheres to the probe main body 11 and the thin film portion 12. The first insulating layer 201 is not formed on the contact portion 10c and the beam portion 10b (not shown) of the first contact probe 101. Therefore, the contact probe 10 can be elastically deformed when contacting the inspection object electrode.

  Thereafter, when the fourth resist layer 74 is completely removed, the first contact probe 101 and the first insulating layer 201 are exposed on the first sacrificial layer 61 as shown in FIG.

  Subsequently, a process of forming the second contact probe 102 will be described. As shown in FIG. 8C, the second sacrificial layer 62 is formed so as to cover the upper surface of the first contact probe 101 by electroplating. At this time, since no electricity flows on the first insulating layer 201, the second sacrificial layer 62 is not formed, but the second sacrificial layer 62 may be formed so as to protrude from the first insulating layer 201. Therefore, the second sacrificial layer 62 is polished until the upper surface of the first insulating layer 201 is exposed and planarized. At that time, the interval between the contact probes 10 may be adjusted by further polishing to adjust the thickness of the first insulating layer 201. The second sacrificial layer 62 may be a different material from the first sacrificial layer 61 as long as it is a conductive material that can be etched, but the same material is preferable from the viewpoint of operability of etching. . In the present embodiment, the second sacrificial layer 62 is made of the same material as the first sacrificial layer 61.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 8D, a photoresist made of a photosensitive organic material is applied on the exposed second sacrificial layer 62 and first insulating layer 201 to form a fifth resist layer 75. Thereafter, the surface of the fifth resist layer 75 is selectively exposed to partially remove the fifth resist layer 75. The removal of the fifth resist layer 75 is performed so as to be the same as the surface shape of the probe main body 11 of the first contact probe 101. In FIG. 8D, the laminated first insulating layer 201 is exposed at the base portion 10a forming portion of the second contact probe 102, and the same surface as the probe main body 11 at the beam portion 10b and the contact portion 10c forming portion. The fifth resist layer 75 is partially removed so that the second sacrificial layer 62 is exposed in shape. Note that the second sacrificial layer 62 is not exposed in the portions where the contact chip portion 14 and the bump portion 13b are formed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8E, the upper surface of the fifth resist layer 75 where the first insulating layer 201 and the second sacrificial layer 62 are exposed is subjected to dry plating by sputtering or the like, and the fourth metal layer 84 is formed. After the formation, the fourth metal layer 84 formed on the fifth resist layer 75 is removed by polishing. The conductive material used for the fourth metal layer 84 may be the same metal as the probe main body 11b or another metal as long as it is suitable for dry plating. In the present embodiment, the fourth metal layer 84 is formed of nickel cobalt (Ni—Co), which is the same material as the probe main body 11.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9A, a fifth metal layer 85 (probe body layer) for forming the probe body 11 by electroplating is stacked on the exposed fourth metal layer 84 in the thickness direction. To do. After the fifth metal layer 85 is formed, the probe main body 11 of the second contact probe 102 is laminated on the thin film portion 12 by removing the fifth resist layer 75 as shown in FIG. 9B. The

  Thereafter, in the same manner as when the first contact probe 101 is formed, a photoresist layer is formed, a photoresist layer is selectively removed, a metal layer is formed, and a photoresist layer is formed to form the contact chip portion 14 and the bump portion 13. By sequentially performing the removal, the contact tip portion 14 and the bump portion 13 of the second contact probe 102 are formed as shown in FIG. 9C, and the second contact probe 102 is formed.

  Finally, a contact probe forming process after the third contact probe 103 and a process of removing the first sacrificial layer 61, the second sacrificial layer 62, and the third sacrificial layer 63 will be described. For the formation of the third contact probe 103 and the subsequent formation of the contact probe 10, the steps from the formation of the first contact probe 101 to the formation of the second contact probe 102 are repeated, and the contact probes 10 and the insulating layers 20 are alternately laminated. By forming.

  That is, after forming the second contact probe 102, by forming a photoresist layer, selectively removing the photoresist layer, forming an insulating layer, and removing the photoresist layer, as shown in FIG. A second insulating layer 202 is formed on the base portion 10a of the second contact probe 102, and a third sacrificial layer 63 is formed so that the second insulating layer 202 is exposed.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10A, the thin film layer 12 for forming the third contact probe 103 by the operations of forming a photoresist layer, selectively removing the photoresist layer, dry plating, and removing the resist layer. Is formed. Subsequently, the probe body 11 of the third contact probe 103 is laminated on the thin film layer 12 by operations of forming a photoresist layer, selectively removing the photoresist layer, and electroplating. Further, a third contact is formed by sequentially forming a photoresist layer, selectively removing the photoresist layer, forming a metal layer, and removing the photoresist layer in order to form the contact chip portion 14 and the bump portion 13. The contact chip portion 14 and the bump portion 13 of the probe 103 are formed, and the third contact probe 103 is formed as shown in FIG.

  When the third contact probe 103 is the last contact probe, as shown in FIG. 10B, the first sacrificial layer 61, the second sacrificial layer 62, and the third sacrificial layer 63 are removed by etching. By separating the first contact probe 101 from the laminated substrate 50, the contact probe complex 1 in which the contact probe 10 and the insulating layer 20 are sequentially laminated is formed.

  In the formed contact probe complex 1, two or more contact probes 10 are held and integrated by an insulating layer 20 that connects the base portions 10a of the contact probes 10, and the two or more contact probes are simultaneously combined with the probe substrate. 30 can be attached.

  In the contact probe complex 1 according to the present embodiment, the distance between the contact probes 10 can be determined by the thickness of the insulating layer 20. Therefore, the interval between the contact probes 10 can be narrowed by reducing the thickness of the laminated insulating layer 20, and the contact probes 10 can be arranged on the probe substrate 30 at a narrow pitch.

  Moreover, in the contact probe complex 1 according to the present embodiment, only the base portion 10a of the contact probe 10 is connected by the insulating layer 20, and a space portion is formed around the beam portion 10b and the contact portion 10c. Even if the insulating layer 20 remains on the substrate 30, the contact probe 10 can be elastically deformed. In addition, since the base portion 10 a of the contact probe can be firmly supported with respect to the probe substrate 30 by the insulating layer 20, the contact layer 10 can be prevented from being tilted by the insulating layer 20.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, each insulating layer 20 is formed such that the facing surface of the fixing portion 15 of the base portion 10a facing the probe substrate 30 protrudes from the position of the facing surface of each insulating layer 20 facing the probe substrate 30. Therefore, the fixed portion 15 is not covered with the insulating layer 20 and is completely exposed. As a result, when the contact probe complex 1 is attached to the probe substrate 30, each contact probe 10 can be reliably brought into contact with the probe electrode 31 of the probe substrate 30 in a conductive manner.

  FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which an electrical characteristic inspection is performed using the probe card 41 to which the contact probe complex 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached, and the state inside the probe device 40 is shown. ing. The probe device 40 includes a probe card 41, a movable stage 42 on which the inspection object 48 is placed, a drive device 43 that moves the movable stage 42 up and down, and a housing 44 in which the movable stage 42 and the drive device 43 are accommodated. Composed.

  The probe card 41 includes a probe substrate 30 formed in a rectangular shape and contact probe complexes 1 installed on the probe substrate 30 in two rows. Further, the probe card 41 includes a main board 45 attached to the opening of the housing 44, a connecting member 46 that electrically connects the contact probe 10 and the inspection machine, and a connector 47 formed on the main board 45. It has.

  The inspection object 48 includes a semiconductor device such as a semiconductor wafer, and a plurality of electronic circuits (not shown) are formed. Further, the inspection object 48 is placed such that the inspection object electrode 49 faces the probe card 41. The movable stage 42 is a mounting table having a horizontal mounting surface, and is driven up and down in the vertical direction while the inspection object 48 is mounted on the mounting surface by driving of the driving device 43. ing. The housing 44 has an opening formed in the upper center portion, and the probe card 41 is attached so as to seal the opening. The movable stage 42 is disposed below the opening.

  At the time of electrical characteristic inspection, the movable stage 42 is raised by the driving device 43 to bring the contact probe 10 into contact with the semiconductor wafer. As a result, signals are input / output between the tester device and the semiconductor wafer via each contact probe 10, and the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer are inspected.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the insulating layer 20 is provided on almost the entire base portion 10a has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the insulating layer 20 may be provided on a part of the base portion 10a as long as the beam portion 10b of the contact probe 10 is held so as to be elastically deformable. That is, the insulating layer 20 can be formed only at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 10a, or can be formed only at the center of the base portion 10a. In the case where the insulating layer 20 is formed on the entire facing surface between the base portions 10a, the support strength of each contact probe can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, the contact probe 10 having the contact tip portion 14 formed of a material different from the probe main body 11 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the contact tip portion 14 may not be formed. In this case, the tip of the contact portion 10c that comes into contact with the inspection object is formed by the probe body 11, and the tip is formed so as to be suitable for contact with the inspection object electrode.

  In the present embodiment, the contact probe complex 1 in which the thin film portion 12 is formed on the entire outer layer of the probe main body 11 has been described. However, the thin film portion 12 may be formed only on the boundary surface with the insulating layer 20.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, although the thickness of each insulating layer 20 was made into the same thickness altogether, it can also form in a different thickness for every layer. The thickness of each insulating layer can be determined according to the arrangement of electrode pads formed on the probe substrate.

It is the figure which showed an example of embodiment of the contact probe complex of this invention, and has shown the perspective view of the contact probe complex. It is the figure which showed an example of embodiment of the contact probe complex of this invention, and has shown the front view of the contact probe complex. It is the figure which showed an example of embodiment of the contact probe complex 1 of this invention, and has shown the right view of the contact probe complex 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of manufacturing a probe card using the contact probe complex 1 and the probe substrate 30 of FIG. 1, and shows a state before the contact probe complex 1 is attached to the probe substrate 30. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a method of manufacturing a probe card using the contact probe complex 1 and the probe substrate 30 of FIG. 1, and shows a state after the contact probe complex 1 is attached to the probe substrate 30. It is the figure which showed an example of the process of forming the contact probe complex. It is the figure which showed an example of the process of forming the contact probe complex 1, and has shown the continuation of FIG.6 (e). It is the figure which showed an example of the process of forming the contact probe composite_body | complex 1, and has shown the continuation of FIG.7 (e). It is the figure which showed an example of the process of forming the contact probe complex 1, and has shown the continuation of FIG.8 (e). It is the figure which showed an example of the process of forming the contact probe complex 1, and has shown the continuation of FIG.9 (d). It is explanatory drawing which showed a mode that an electrical property test | inspection was performed using the probe card 41 with which the contact probe complex 1 by embodiment of this invention was attached.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Contact probe complex 10 Contact probe 101 1st contact probe 102 2nd contact probe 103 3rd contact probe 10a Base part 10b Beam part 10c Contact part 11 Probe main body 12 Thin film part 13 Bump part 14 Contact chip part 15 Fixing part 20 Insulation Layer 201 First insulating layer 202 Second insulating layer 30 Probe substrate 31 Probe electrode 32 Electrical wiring 33 Substrate body 34 Probe card substrate surface 40 Probe device 41 Probe card 42 Movable stage 43 Drive device 44 Housing 45 Main substrate 46 Connecting member 47 Connector 48 Inspection object 49 Inspection object electrode 50 Multilayer substrate 61 First sacrificial layer 62 Second sacrificial layer 63 Third sacrificial layer 71 First resist layer 72 Second resist layer 73 Third resist layer 74 Fourth resist layer 75 First 5 resist layer 81 1st metal layer 82 2nd metal layer 83 3rd metal layer 84 4th metal layer 85 5th metal layer

Claims (2)

A contact probe complex in which contact probes made of a conductive material and insulating layers made of an insulating material are alternately stacked,
The contact probe has a base portion fixed to the probe substrate, a beam portion constituting a cantilever structure with the base portion serving as a fixed end, and a contact portion provided on the free end side of the beam portion,
The insulating layer is formed between adjacent base portions of the contact probe,
Between adjacent beam parts and between adjacent contact parts are opened,
By repeating the process of forming the insulating layer on the contact probe, the process of forming a conductive thin film on the insulating layer, and the process of forming the contact probe on the thin film by electroplating A contact probe complex which is formed .   A surface fixed to the probe substrate in each of the base portions is formed in the same plane, and a surface of each insulating layer facing the probe substrate is more than the surface of the base portion fixed to the probe substrate than the beam portion. The contact probe complex according to claim 1, wherein the contact probe complex is formed so as to be located on a side.

Images