JP5581234B2 - Probe card - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a probe card used for measuring electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device or the like.

  Conventional probe cards are used to measure various electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device or the like in a high temperature environment (for example, 80 to 150 ° C.) or a low temperature environment (for example, −20 to 40 ° C.). During this high temperature test or low temperature test, the probe card thermally expands or contracts, and the probe card is greatly warped, so that the height of the probe tip of the probe card fluctuates, resulting in poor contact with the electrodes of the semiconductor device. There was a problem such as.

  Means that can solve such problems include waiting until the thermal expansion or contraction of the probe card is saturated, and means for attaching the main reinforcing plate and the sub reinforcing plate on the main board of the probe card. . In the latter, the thermal expansion coefficient of the sub reinforcing plate is larger than the thermal expansion coefficient of the main reinforcing plate, and the thermal expansion coefficient of the main substrate is larger than the thermal expansion coefficient of the main reinforcing plate. When the probe card is used for a high-temperature test or a low-temperature test of a semiconductor device, the sub-reinforcement plate and the main reinforcement plate are deformed bimetallicly, on the side of the sub-reinforcement plate with a large amount of thermal expansion or the side of the main reinforcement plate with a small amount of heat shrink On the other hand, the main board and the main reinforcing plate are deformed into a bimetal shape, and warp to the main board side having a large thermal expansion amount or the main reinforcing plate side having a small heat shrinkage amount. By offsetting these warpages, fluctuations in the height position of the tip of the probe are suppressed (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-214732 A

  However, during the high temperature test or the low temperature test, not only the probe card, but also the card holder of the prober that holds the probe card is thermally expanded or contracted, which affects the warp of the probe card.

  The heat source for the high temperature test or the low temperature test is in a chuck that holds the semiconductor device. Since the main reinforcing plate and the sub reinforcing plate are located farthest from the heat source in the probe card, it takes time for the heat of the heat source to be transmitted to the main reinforcing plate and the sub reinforcing plate. Further, since the main board located between the heat source and the main reinforcing plate and the sub reinforcing plate functions as a heat insulating material, it is difficult for the heat of the heat source to be efficiently transmitted to the main reinforcing plate and the sub reinforcing plate. For this reason, it was difficult to suppress fluctuations in the height position of the probe tip of the probe card at an early stage during a high temperature test or a low temperature test.

  The present invention was devised in view of the above circumstances, and the object thereof is to be early even if the card holder is affected by thermal expansion or contraction during a high temperature test or a low temperature test. An object of the present invention is to provide a probe card that can suppress fluctuations in the height position of the tip of the probe.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a probe card according to the present invention is a probe card that can be held by a card holding unit, and includes a main board having a first surface and a second surface on the back side thereof, and a first card of the main board. A reinforcing plate fixed to one surface; a reinforcing member having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the reinforcing plate; and a fixing means for fixing the reinforcing member to the reinforcing plate on the second surface side of the main board. . When the reinforcing plate undergoes thermal expansion deformation larger than that of the reinforcing member, the probe card is warped in the direction opposite to the direction of fluctuation due to thermal expansion of the card holding portion on the reinforcing plate side. Yes. Alternatively, when the reinforcing member is thermally contracted to be smaller than the reinforcing plate, the probe card is warped in the direction opposite to the direction of fluctuation due to the thermal contraction of the card holding portion on the reinforcing member side. ing.

  In the case of such a probe card, the amount of thermal expansion of the reinforcing member during the high temperature test is smaller than the amount of thermal expansion of the reinforcing plate, so that the reinforcing member and the reinforcing plate fixed by the fixing means on both sides of the main board are bimetallic. Transforms into As a result, the entire probe card is warped toward the reinforcing plate having a large thermal expansion amount. Since the warpage of the probe card and the fluctuation due to the thermal expansion of the card holding portion of the prober cancel each other, fluctuations in the height position of the probe tip can be suppressed. Further, since the amount of heat shrinkage of the reinforcing member during the low temperature test is smaller than the amount of heat shrinkage of the reinforcing plate, the reinforcing member and the reinforcing plate fixed by the fixing means on both sides of the main board are deformed into a bimetal shape. As a result, the entire probe card is warped toward the reinforcing member with a small amount of heat shrinkage. This warpage of the probe card cancels the fluctuation due to the thermal contraction of the card holding portion of the prober, whereby the fluctuation of the height position of the probe tip of the probe card can be suppressed. Since the reinforcing member is located on the second surface side of the main board, it is closer to the heat source (chuck) of the high temperature test or the low temperature test than the main board. Therefore, during the high temperature test or low temperature test, the heat of the heat source is easily transmitted to the reinforcing member, and the reinforcing member can be thermally expanded or contracted at an early stage, so that the change in the height position of the probe tip of the probe card can be accelerated. Can be suppressed.

  The reinforcing member may be configured to hold a probe unit. Alternatively, a probe can be directly provided on the surface of the reinforcing member that is not facing the main substrate. In these cases, since the reinforcing member is a member that holds the probe unit or the probe, the reinforcing member is located near the heat source (chuck) of the high temperature test or the low temperature test. Therefore, the heat of the heat source can be more easily transmitted to the reinforcing member, and the fluctuation of the height position of the probe tip of the probe card can be further suppressed early.

  When the probe card is used in a high temperature test of a semiconductor device at a temperature of 80 to 150 ° C. or a low temperature test of a semiconductor device at a temperature of −20 to 40 ° C., the thermal expansion coefficient of the reinforcing member is 1 to 5 ppm / The thermal expansion coefficient of the reinforcing plate is preferably 10 to 25 ppm / ° C. Furthermore, when the probe card is used in a test of a semiconductor device at an ambient temperature of 80 to 100 ° C. or −20 to 30 ° C., the thermal expansion coefficient of the reinforcing member is 3 to 5 ppm / ° C., and the heat of the reinforcing plate The expansion coefficient is preferably 10 to 12 ppm / ° C.

It is a schematic front view of the probe card which concerns on embodiment of this invention. (A) is a schematic plan view of the probe card, and (b) is a schematic bottom view of the probe card. It is AA sectional drawing in FIG. 2 of the said probe card, Comprising: (a) is structure explanatory drawing in which the said card | curd is performing Z correction | amendment at the time of a high temperature test, FIG. It is structure explanatory drawing which is not correct | amending. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the probe card taken along the line AA in FIG. 2, where (a) is a structural explanatory diagram in which the card performs Z correction during a low temperature test, and (b) is a Z when the card is in a low temperature test. It is structure explanatory drawing which is not correct | amending.

  A probe card according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The probe card shown in FIG. 1 includes a main board 100, a reinforcing plate 200, a reinforcing member 300, a probe unit 400, and a plurality of fixing means 500. Hereinafter, each part will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, the reinforcing plate 200 is a stainless steel plate fixed to the first surface of the main substrate 100 with screws or the like. The reinforcing plate 200 is harder than the main board 100 and reinforces the mechanical strength of the main board 100. The reinforcing plate 200 has a disc-shaped main body 210 and four leg portions 220. The leg portions 220 are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the main body portion 210 at 90 ° intervals. The leg 220 is provided with a screw hole 221.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main board 100 is a disc-shaped circuit board having a first surface and a second surface on the back side thereof. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, four through holes 110 (two in the drawing) penetrating from the first surface to the second surface are provided in the outer peripheral portion of the main substrate 100 at intervals of 90 °. The through hole 110 communicates with the screw hole 221. A plurality of connection electrodes 120 are provided on the second surface of the main substrate 100. The outer peripheral portion of the first surface of the main substrate 100 is partially exposed from between the leg portions 220 of the reinforcing plate 200 as shown in FIG. A plurality of external electrodes (not shown) are provided on the exposed portion. This external electrode is connected to a test apparatus to which the probe card is attached. The electrode 120 and the external electrode are connected by a conductive line (not shown) provided on the first and second surfaces and / or the inside of the main substrate 100.

  The reinforcing member 300 is a ring-shaped member as shown in FIGS. The reinforcing member 300 is fixed to the reinforcing plate 200 by the fixing means 500, and is arranged in parallel with a gap on the second surface side of the main substrate 100. A ring-shaped flange 310 that protrudes inward is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the reinforcing member 300. The probe unit 400 is held on the flange 310. The reinforcing member 300 is provided with four screw holes 320 at intervals of 90 °. The center of the screw hole 320 is located in the vertical line of the center of the screw hole 221.

  The reinforcing member 300 is made of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the reinforcing plate 200. When the probe card of the present invention is used in a high temperature test of a semiconductor device at a temperature of 80 to 150 ° C. or a low temperature test of a semiconductor device at a temperature of −20 to 40 ° C., the thermal expansion coefficient of the reinforcing member 300 is 1 to 1. Preferably, the thermal expansion coefficient of the reinforcing plate 200 is 5 to 25 ppm / ° C., and the probe card is a high-temperature test of a semiconductor device under an ambient temperature of 80 to 100 ° C. or an ambient temperature of −20 to 30 ° C. When used in the low temperature test of the lower semiconductor device, the thermal expansion coefficient of the reinforcing member 300 is preferably 3 to 5 ppm / ° C., and the thermal expansion coefficient of the reinforcing plate 200 is preferably 10 to 12 ppm / ° C.

  The fixing unit 500 includes a spacer 510 and a screw 520. The spacer 510 is a cylindrical member whose outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the through hole 110 of the main board 100, and whose inner diameter is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the screw hole 221 and the screw hole 320. It is larger than the thickness dimension. The spacer 510 is inserted into the through hole 110 and is interposed between the reinforcing plate 200 and the reinforcing member 300, so that the gap is formed between the reinforcing member 300 and the main board 100. The screw 520 is inserted into the screw hole 320 and the spacer 510 of the reinforcing member 300 and screwed into the screw hole 221 of the leg portion 220 of the reinforcing plate 200.

  As shown in FIGS. 2B to 4, the probe unit 400 includes a probe substrate 410 and a plurality of probes 420. The probe substrate 410 is a disk-shaped substrate whose outer diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the reinforcing member 300 and larger than the inner diameter of the flange 310, and the outer peripheral portion is held by the flange 310 of the reinforcing member 300. Yes. The first surface of the probe substrate 410 is in surface contact with the second surface of the main substrate 100. A plurality of connection electrodes 411 are provided on the first surface of the probe substrate 410. The electrode 411 is disposed so as to contact the electrode 120 of the main substrate 100. A plurality of electrodes 412 are also provided on the second surface behind the first surface of the probe substrate 410. A cantilever probe 420 is provided on the electrode 412. The electrode 411 and the electrode 412 are connected by a conductive line (not shown) provided on the first and second surfaces and / or the inside of the probe substrate 410.

  Hereinafter, a procedure for assembling the probe card having the above-described configuration will be described. First, a main substrate 100 on which external electrodes and electrodes 120 are formed is prepared. Thereafter, the reinforcing plate 200 is fixed to the first surface of the main substrate 100. Thereafter, the main board 100 and the reinforcing plate 200 are placed on the work table with the reinforcing plate 200 facing down. Thereafter, the spacers 510 of the fixing means 500 are respectively inserted into the through holes 110 of the main substrate 100. Thereafter, the probe unit 400 in which the probe 420 is formed on the electrode 412 of the probe substrate 410 is prepared. Thereafter, the first surface of the probe substrate 410 of the probe unit 400 is brought into surface contact with the second surface of the main substrate 100, and the electrode 411 of the probe substrate 410 is brought into contact with the electrode 120 of the main substrate 100. In this state, the flange 310 of the reinforcing member 300 is brought into contact with the outer peripheral portion of the second surface of the probe substrate 410 and the reinforcing member 300 is placed on the spacer 510. Thereafter, the screw 520 is inserted into the screw hole 320 and the spacer 510 of the reinforcing member 300 and screwed into the screw hole 221 of the leg portion 220 of the reinforcing plate 200. In this way, the reinforcing member 300 is fixed to the reinforcing plate 200 and is arranged in parallel with a gap on the second surface side of the main board 100.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the probe card described above is held in a prober card holder 20 and used for a high temperature test or a low temperature test for measuring electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device 10. Specifically, when the test apparatus is turned on, the semiconductor devices 10 held by the chuck 30 are sequentially transported to the inspection position and are arranged to face the probe card. When the semiconductor device 10 is located at the inspection position, the semiconductor device 10 is heated or cooled by the chuck 30. When the heating temperature or the cooling temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, the prober operates to bring the probe card and the semiconductor device 10 relatively close to each other. Then, the tip of the probe 420 of the probe card comes into contact with the electrode 11 of the semiconductor device 10. In this state, various electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device 10 are measured by the test apparatus.

  Hereinafter, in the above high-temperature test under an ambient temperature of 80 ° C., the following materials are used as the materials for the main substrate 100, the reinforcing plate 200, and the probe substrate 410, while the following two materials are used as the materials for the reinforcing member 300. The amount of variation in the Z direction of the tip position of the probe 420 of the probe card (hereinafter referred to as Z variation amount) will be described. The Z variation amount at the tip position of the probe 420 is a value obtained by combining the variation amount in the Z direction of the probe holder card holding portion 20 and the variation amount in the Z direction of the probe card.

Main board 100: FR-4 (thermal expansion coefficient 14 ppm / ° C.)
Reinforcing plate 200: SUS303 (thermal expansion coefficient 17. ppm / ° C.)
Probe substrate: Ceramic (thermal expansion coefficient 6ppm / ° C)
Reinforcing member 300: 42 alloy (thermal expansion coefficient 4.2 ppm / ° C.)
A7075 (thermal expansion coefficient 23ppm / ° C)

  When 42 alloy is used as the material of the reinforcing member 300, the amount of thermal expansion of the reinforcing member 300 is smaller than the amount of thermal expansion of the reinforcing plate 200, so that the reinforcing member 300 fixed to the fixing means 500 on both sides of the main board 100. And the reinforcing plate 200 are deformed into a bimetal shape on the reinforcing plate 200 side having a large thermal expansion amount. As a result, the entire probe card warps in the upward direction as shown by the α line in FIG. Since the warp of the probe card cancels out the fluctuation due to the thermal expansion of the card holding portion 20 indicated by the broken line arrow in FIG. 3A, the Z fluctuation of the tip position of the probe 420 is changed from the start of the test as shown in Table 1 below. It stops at around 5 minutes and the Z variation remains at about -20 μm. That is, during the high temperature test, the Z variation of the tip position of the probe 420 can be suppressed early (Z correction).

  When A7075 is used as the material of the reinforcing member 300, the amount of thermal expansion of the reinforcing member 300 is larger than the amount of thermal expansion of the reinforcing plate 200. Therefore, the reinforcing member 300 fixed to the fixing means 500 on both sides of the main board 100 and The reinforcing plate 200 is deformed into a bimetallic shape on the side of the reinforcing member 300 having a large thermal expansion amount. As a result, the entire probe card is warped in the downward direction as shown by the line α 'in FIG. Since the warpage is in the same direction as the fluctuation of the card holding unit 20, the fluctuation cannot be offset (that is, Z correction cannot be performed). Therefore, as shown in Table 1 below, the tip position of the probe 420 continues to fluctuate in the Z direction until about 6 minutes when the thermal expansion amount of each member of the card holding unit 20 and the probe card is saturated, and the Z fluctuation amount is −40 μm.

  In the low temperature test under the environmental temperature of −20 to 30 ° C., when a material having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than that of the reinforcing plate 200 is used as the material of the reinforcing member 300, the thermal contraction amount of the reinforcing member 300 is the heat of the reinforcing plate 200. Since the shrinkage amount is smaller than the shrinkage amount, the reinforcing member 300 and the reinforcing plate 200 fixed to the fixing means 500 on both sides of the main substrate 100 are deformed into a bimetal shape toward the reinforcing member 300 side having a small heat shrinkage amount. As a result, the entire probe card warps in the downward direction as shown by the β line in FIG. The warp of the probe card cancels out the fluctuation caused by the thermal contraction of the card holding unit 20 indicated by the broken line arrow in FIG. For this reason, the Z variation of the tip position of the probe 420 stops at the initial stage of the test, and the Z variation amount can also be suppressed (Z correction).

  When a material having a thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the reinforcing plate 200 is used as the material of the reinforcing member 300, the amount of thermal contraction of the reinforcing member 300 is larger than the amount of thermal contraction of the reinforcing plate 200. The reinforcing member 300 and the reinforcing plate 200 fixed to the means 500 are deformed into a bimetal shape on the reinforcing plate 200 side with a small amount of heat shrinkage. As a result, the entire probe card is warped in the upward direction as shown by the β ′ line in FIG. Since the warpage is in the same direction as the fluctuation of the card holding unit 20, the fluctuation cannot be offset (that is, Z correction cannot be performed). Therefore, the tip position of the probe 420 continues to fluctuate in the Z direction until the thermal contraction amount of each member of the card holding unit 20 and the probe card becomes saturated, and the Z fluctuation amount also increases.

  As described above, since the reinforcing member 300 is made of a material having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than the reinforcing plate 200, the reinforcing plate 200 and the reinforcing member 300 fixed to the fixing means 500 are bimetallic due to thermal expansion or contraction. The deformation and the fluctuation due to thermal expansion or contraction of the card holding unit 20 can be canceled out each other. In other words, the reinforcing plate 200 and the reinforcing member 300 have heat that can cancel the deformation due to thermal expansion or thermal contraction of the fixed reinforcing plate 200 and reinforcing member 300 and the variation due to thermal expansion or thermal contraction of the card holding unit 20. It is made of a material having an expansion coefficient. Since the reinforcing member 300 is located closer to the chuck 30 that is a heat source for the high temperature test or the low temperature test than the main substrate 100, the heat of the heat source is easily transmitted to the reinforcing member 300, and the reinforcing member 300 is used during the high temperature test or the low temperature test. Can be expanded or contracted at an early stage. Therefore, Z variation of the tip position of the probe 420 can be suppressed at an early stage.

  The probe card described above is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be arbitrarily changed in design within the scope of the claims.

  In the above embodiment, the reinforcing member 300 has a ring shape, but is not limited thereto. For example, the reinforcing member can be formed in a ring shape other than the ring shape, a plate shape, or a lattice shape. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the probe unit 400 was hold | maintained with the flange 310, it is not limited to this. For example, the probe substrate 410 of the probe unit 400 may be fixed to the second surface of the reinforcing member with an adhesive or the like and held. Further, instead of holding the probe unit on the reinforcing member, it is possible to directly provide the probe on the surface of the reinforcing member. However, the reinforcing member is not limited to the probe unit or the member holding the probe, and any member may be used as long as it is a member closer to the heat source for the high temperature test or the low temperature test than the main substrate.

In the said embodiment, although the reinforcement member was comprised with the raw material with a smaller coefficient of thermal expansion than a reinforcement board, it is not limited to this. The reinforcing plate and the reinforcing member are made of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion that allows the deformation due to the thermal expansion or thermal contraction of the fixed reinforcing plate and the reinforcing member and the variation due to the thermal expansion or thermal contraction of the card holding part to cancel each other. It is possible to change the design as long as possible. Therefore, depending on the fluctuation due to thermal expansion or thermal contraction of the card holding part, the reinforcing member can be made of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the reinforcing plate. The material constituting the main board 100 and the probe board 410 can be arbitrarily changed in design.

  Although the fixing means 500 has the spacer 510 and the screw 520, the design can be arbitrarily changed as long as the reinforcing member can be fixed to the reinforcing plate. For example, you may fix a reinforcement member to a reinforcement board using a volt | bolt and a nut. Further, by changing the fixing state of the reinforcing member and the reinforcing plate by the fixing means, it is possible to adjust the bimetallic change between the reinforcing member and the reinforcing plate.

  In the probe unit 400, the first surface of the probe substrate 410 is in surface contact with the second surface of the main substrate 100, but there is a gap between the first surface of the probe substrate 410 and the second surface of the main substrate 100. May be open. It is also possible to fix the probe substrate 410 to the reinforcing plate 200 with screws that penetrate the main substrate 100.

  In the above embodiment, the materials, shapes, dimensions, arrangements, and the like constituting each part of the probe card have been described as examples, and the design can be arbitrarily changed as long as the same function can be realized. Is possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Main board 200 ... Reinforcement plate 300 ... Reinforcement member 400 ... Probe unit 500 ... Fixing means

Claims (6)

In the probe card that can be held in the card holding unit,
A main board having a first surface and a second surface behind the first surface;
A reinforcing plate fixed to the first surface of the main board;
A reinforcing member having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the reinforcing plate;
Fixing means for fixing the reinforcing member to the reinforcing plate on the second surface side of the main board ,
The probe card is warped in the direction opposite to the direction of fluctuation due to thermal expansion of the card holding portion on the side of the reinforcing plate when the reinforcing plate is thermally expanded larger than the reinforcing member . In the probe card that can be held in the card holding unit,
A main board having a first surface and a second surface behind the first surface;
A reinforcing plate fixed to the first surface of the main board;
A reinforcing member having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the reinforcing plate;
Fixing means for fixing the reinforcing member to the reinforcing plate on the second surface side of the main board,
The probe card is warped in the direction opposite to the direction of variation due to the heat shrinkage of the card holding portion on the side of the reinforcement member when the reinforcing member is thermally contracted smaller than the reinforcing plate . The probe card according to claim 1 or 2 ,
A probe card further comprising a probe unit held by the reinforcing member . The probe card according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The probe card further provided with the probe provided in the main board non-opposing surface of the said reinforcement member .   The probe card according to claim 1, which is used in a high-temperature test of a semiconductor device at a temperature of 80 to 150 ° C.
  The probe card whose thermal expansion coefficient of the said reinforcement member is 1-5 ppm / degrees C, and whose thermal expansion coefficient of the said reinforcement board is 10-25 ppm / degrees C.   The probe card according to claim 2, which is used in a low-temperature test of a semiconductor device under a temperature of -20 to 40 ° C.
  The probe card whose thermal expansion coefficient of the said reinforcement member is 1-5 ppm / degrees C, and whose thermal expansion coefficient of the said reinforcement board is 10-25 ppm / degrees C.

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