JP7345320B2 - Temperature adjustment method for inspection equipment and probe card - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to an inspection device and a method for adjusting the temperature of a probe card.

Patent Document 1 discloses an inspection apparatus that inspects a semiconductor circuit formed on a wafer surface by contacting a probe provided on a probe card while heating the wafer from the back surface. This inspection device includes a support stand that fixes the wafer, a first heater that heats the wafer provided on the support stand, and a second heater that heats a surface of the probe card that does not come into contact with the wafer. . Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, thermocouples are attached to both the front and back sides of the probe card, and based on the measurement results using the thermocouples, a second heater drive circuit is configured to reduce the temperature difference between the two sides of the probe card. It is disclosed that it controls.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-138268

The technology according to the present disclosure makes it possible to determine whether the tip position of the probe is stabilized during preliminary temperature adjustment of the probe card, even when a large number of probes are disposed on the probe card.

One aspect of the present disclosure is an inspection apparatus that inspects a board to be tested, wherein electricity related to testing is transmitted between a probe card having a probe that contacts the board to be tested and the board to be tested via the probe. a plurality of conductive lines electrically connecting the probe card and the tester and having at least a portion electrically connected to the probe; a resistance section formed on a probe card and functioning as an electrical resistor, and the tester is further configured to measure the resistance of the resistance section based on an electrical signal via the continuity line. has been done.

According to the present disclosure, even when a large number of probes are arranged on a probe card, it is possible to determine whether the tip position of the probe is stabilized during preliminary temperature adjustment of the probe card.

FIG. 1 is a top cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the inspection device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the inspection device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration within each divided region. 4 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged side view showing the configuration around the probe card located below the tester. It is a top view of an example of a short circuit line. It is a top view showing the circumference of a short circuit line. It is a flowchart for explaining an example of inspection processing using an inspection device. It is a top view which shows another example of a short circuit line. It is a top view which shows another example of a short circuit line. It is a top view which shows another example of a short circuit line. It is a top view which shows another example of a short circuit line.

In a semiconductor manufacturing process, a large number of semiconductor devices having circuit patterns are formed on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a "wafer"). The formed semiconductor devices are inspected for electrical characteristics and the like, and are sorted into non-defective products and defective products. Inspection of semiconductor devices is performed using an inspection apparatus, for example, on a wafer before it is divided into semiconductor devices.

The inspection device includes a mounting table on which a wafer is placed and a probe card having a large number of probes. When testing electrical characteristics, first, a wafer placed on a mounting table and a probe card are brought close to each other, and the probes of the probe card come into contact with each electrode of a semiconductor device formed on the wafer. In this state, an electrical signal is supplied from the tester provided above the probe card to the semiconductor device via each probe. Then, based on the electrical signals that the tester receives from the semiconductor device via each probe, it is determined whether the semiconductor device is defective or not.

In recent years, when testing the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device, the temperature of the mounting table is adjusted using a coolant flow path or a heater within the mounting table in order to reproduce the mounting environment of the semiconductor device. The temperature of the wafer placed on the wafer may be adjusted.

By the way, when testing the electrical characteristics of electronic devices at high or low temperatures, the wafer thermally expands or contracts. Further, since heat from the wafer is transferred to the probe card including the probe, the probe card also thermally expands or contracts. However, because the thermal expansion coefficients of the two are different, the relative position of the semiconductor device and the probe will shift between normal and high or low temperatures, making it impossible to accurately test electrical characteristics at high or low temperatures. There are cases.

Therefore, the temperature of the probe card may be adjusted (hereinafter referred to as "pre-temperature adjustment") before testing the electrical characteristics. In the pre-temperature adjustment of the probe card, for example, a pre-heated mounting table and a probe are brought close to each other, and the probe is heated until the position of the tip of the probe becomes stable.

Pre-temperature adjustment of a probe card requires a long time depending on the adjustment method and the type of probe card.
Furthermore, conventionally, since the inspection apparatus has not been equipped with a function to detect whether or not the tip position of the probe is stabilized, the above-mentioned preliminary temperature adjustment has been carried out over a certain amount of time. However, in this method, the above-mentioned preliminary temperature adjustment takes a longer time, resulting in a decrease in inspection throughput.
By providing a thermocouple on the probe card as in Patent Document 1, it is possible to determine whether the temperature of the probe card is stabilized and the tip position of the probe is stabilized based on the measurement results using the thermocouple. . However, if a large number of probes are arranged on the bottom surface of the probe card, it is not possible to provide thermocouples on the bottom surface of the probe card. Further, when a large number of probes are arranged on the lower surface of the probe card, electrode pads corresponding to the probes are provided on the upper surface of the probe card, and therefore thermocouples cannot be provided on the upper surface as well. Furthermore, in the case of an inspection device that suction-holds a probe card from above within the device, the probe card and the structural member directly above the probe card are very close to each other. Also from this point of view, it is difficult to provide a thermocouple on the top surface of the probe card.

Therefore, the technology according to the present disclosure makes it possible to determine whether the tip position of the probe is stabilized during preliminary temperature adjustment of the probe card, even when a large number of probes are arranged on the probe card.

Hereinafter, an inspection apparatus and a method for adjusting the temperature of a probe card according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals and redundant explanation will be omitted.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are a top cross-sectional view and a front vertical cross-sectional view, respectively, showing the outline of the configuration of an inspection device according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inspection device 1 has a casing 10, and the casing 10 is provided with a loading/unloading area 11, a transport area 12, and an inspection area 13. The loading/unloading area 11 is an area where wafers W as substrates to be inspected are loaded into/out of the inspection apparatus 1 . The transport area 12 is an area that connects the carry-in/out area 11 and the inspection area 13. Furthermore, the inspection area 13 is an area where the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device, which is a device to be inspected formed on the wafer W, is inspected.

The carry-in/out area 11 is provided with a port 20 that receives a cassette C containing a plurality of wafers W, a loader 21 that accommodates a probe card (described later), and a control unit 22 that controls each component of the inspection apparatus 1. The control unit 22 is configured by, for example, a computer equipped with a CPU, a memory, etc., and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores programs that control various processes in the inspection device 1. Note that the program may be one that has been recorded on a computer-readable storage medium, and may have been installed in the control unit 22 from the storage medium. Part or all of the program may be realized by dedicated hardware (circuit board).

A transport device 30 that can freely move while holding a wafer W, etc. is arranged in the transport area 12. This transport device 30 transports the wafer W between the cassette C in the port 20 of the loading/unloading area 11 and the inspection area 13 . Further, the transport device 30 transports probe cards that require maintenance among the probe cards fixed to a pogo frame 70 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, in the inspection area 13 to the loader 21 in the carry-in/out area 11. Further, the transport device 30 transports a new or maintained probe card from the loader 21 to the pogo frame 70 in the inspection area 13.

In the inspection area 13, a plurality of testers 40 are provided. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the inspection area 13 is vertically divided into three parts, and each divided area 13a has four testers 40 arranged in the horizontal direction (X direction in the figure). There are tester rows. Moreover, one aligner 50 and one camera 60 are provided in each divided area 13a. Note that the number and arrangement of the tester 40, aligner 50, and camera 60 can be arbitrarily selected.

The tester 40 transmits and receives electrical signals for testing electrical characteristics to and from the wafer W.
The aligner 50 moves a chuck top 51, which will be described later, as a mounting table on which the wafer W is mounted, and is provided so as to be movable within a region below the tester 40. Specifically, the aligner 50 is movable in the vertical direction (Z direction in the figure), the front-back direction (Y direction in the figure), and the left-right direction (X direction in the figure) with the chuck top 51 placed thereon. It is configured. Therefore, the aligner 50 functions as a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the positions of the chuck top 51 and the probe card. The aligner 50 is configured to be able to detachably hold a chuck top 51 by vacuum suction or the like, and includes a camera 61 for capturing an image of the probe card.
The camera 60 moves horizontally, is positioned in front of each tester 40 in the divided area 13a in which the camera 60 is provided, and images the wafer W placed on the chuck top 51 on the aligner 50.
By cooperation of the cameras 60 and 61, the probes of the probe card and the electrode pads of the semiconductor devices formed on the wafer W can be aligned.

In this inspection apparatus 1, while the transport device 30 is transporting the wafer W toward one tester 40, the other tester 40 tests the electrical characteristics of the electronic devices formed on the other wafer W. be able to.

Next, the configuration around the tester 40 will be described using FIGS. 3 to 5. FIG. 3 is a front longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration inside each divided region 13a. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged side view showing the configuration around the probe card located below the tester 40, omitting a pogo frame to be described later, and only showing pogo pins of the pogo block to be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tester 40 has a tester motherboard 41 provided horizontally at the bottom. A plurality of test circuit boards (not shown) are mounted on the tester motherboard 41 in an upright state. Further, a plurality of electrodes are provided on the bottom surface of the tester motherboard 41.
Furthermore, below the tester 40, one pogo frame 70 and one probe card 80 are provided in this order from above.

The pogo frame 70 supports the probe card 80 and electrically connects the probe card 80 and the tester 40, and is arranged to be located between the tester 40 and the probe card 80. . This pogo frame 70 has pogo pins 71 that electrically connect the tester 40 and the probe card 80, and specifically has a pogo block 72 that holds a large number of pogo pins 71. Further, the pogo frame 70 has a frame main body 73 in which a mounting hole 73a into which the pogo pin 71 is attached by inserting the pogo block 72 is formed.

A probe card 80 is supported on the lower surface of the pogo frame 70 in an aligned manner.
Further, a bellows 74 is attached to the lower surface of the pogo frame 70 so as to surround the attachment position of the probe card 80 as a mounting table support portion configured to be expandable and contractible in the vertical direction. The bellows 74 allows a sealed space containing the probe card 80 and the wafer W to be formed in a state where the wafer W on the chuck top 51 (described later) is in contact with a probe 82 (described later) of the probe card 80 during electrical characteristic testing. I can do it. Further, the bellows 74 can also seal the space between the probe card 80 and the chuck top 51 during preliminary temperature adjustment of the probe card 80 or the like.

Note that the tester motherboard 41 is vacuum-suctioned to the pogo frame 70 and the probe card 80 is vacuum-suctioned to the pogo frame 70 by an exhaust mechanism (not shown). Due to the vacuum suction force for vacuum suction, the lower end of each pogo pin 71 of the pogo frame 70 comes into contact with a corresponding electrode pad on the upper surface of the card body 81 (described later) of the probe card 80, and the upper end of each pogo pin 71 , are pressed against corresponding electrodes on the bottom surface of the tester motherboard 41.

The probe card 80 includes a disk-shaped card body 81 with a plurality of electrode pads provided on the upper surface, and probes 82 which are a plurality of needle-shaped terminals extending downward from the lower surface of the card body 81.
The plurality of electrode pads described above provided on the upper surface of the card body 81 are electrically connected to the corresponding probes 82, respectively. Further, during inspection, the probes 82 come into contact with electrode pads and solder bumps of semiconductor devices formed on the wafer W, respectively. Therefore, during electrical characteristic testing, electrical signals for testing are sent and received between the tester motherboard 41 and the semiconductor devices on the wafer W via the pogo pins 71, the electrodes provided on the top surface of the card body 81, and the probes 82. be done.
Note that in order for the inspection apparatus 1 to collectively inspect the electrical characteristics of a plurality of semiconductor devices formed on the wafer W, a large number of probes 82 are provided so as to cover substantially the entire lower surface of the card body 81.

A chuck top 51 is supported at a position below the probe card 80 described above via a bellows 74.
A wafer W is placed on the chuck top 51, and the chuck top 51 holds the placed wafer W by suction or the like. A temperature adjustment mechanism 52 is embedded in this chuck top 51. The temperature adjustment mechanism 52 adjusts the temperature of the chuck top 51 during the electrical characteristics inspection, thereby adjusting the temperature of the wafer W placed on the chuck top 51 during the electrical characteristics to, for example, -30° C. to +150° C. It can be adjusted etc. Note that the temperature adjustment mechanism 52 includes, for example, an electric heater that generates heat when energized, a refrigerant flow path through which a cooling medium flows, or a combination thereof.

When testing electrical characteristics, the chuck top 51 on which the wafer W is placed is lifted by the aligner 50, and the probes 82 of the probe card 80 and the wafer W are in contact with each other.
In addition, when the chuck top 51 is lifted during an electrical characteristic test, the lower surface of the bellows 74 is brought into close contact with the chuck top 51 by a sealing member (not shown), and the chuck top 51 and the pogo frame 70 are brought into close contact with the bellows. The inspection space S defined by 74 becomes a closed space. By evacuating this inspection space, releasing the hold on the chuck top 51 by the aligner 50, and moving the aligner 50 downward, the chuck top 51 is separated from the aligner 50 and adsorbed to the pogo frame 70 side.

In the inspection apparatus 1 having each of the above-mentioned constituent members, when there is a change in the set temperature of the wafer W during the electrical characteristic inspection, etc., the temperature adjustment mechanism 52 embedded in the chuck top 51 is used to adjust the temperature before the inspection. , preliminary temperature adjustment of the probe card 80 is performed.
At the time of this preliminary temperature adjustment, in order to determine whether the temperature of the probe card 80 has stabilized, that is, whether the tip position of the probe 82 has stabilized, the probe card A short circuit line 83 is formed at 80 as a resistance section. In other words, the aforementioned pogo pin 71 is a conduction line that electrically connects the probe card 80 and the tester 40, but the short circuit line 83 electrically connects between a pair of conduction lines, that is, between a pair of pogo pins 71. It is a conductive pattern that short-circuits, and also functions as an electrical resistor between a pair of conductive lines, that is, between a pair of pogo pins 71. The conductive pattern constituting the short line 83 is formed, for example, in the form of a thin film and line from the same material as the electrode pad with which the lower end of the pogo pin 71 comes into contact (for example, a metal material such as copper). The thickness of the short circuit line 83 is, for example, several μm to several tens of μm. Moreover, the formation position of the short circuit line 83 is, for example, on the upper surface of the card body 81 of the probe card 80, in the central region where the electrode pads are formed. A pair of pogo pins 71 short-circuited by short-circuit line 83 are not electrically connected to probe 82 .

When the probe card 80 expands and contracts during pre-temperature adjustment, specifically, when the card body 81 expands and contracts during pre-temperature adjustment, the short-circuit line 83 also expands and contracts, and the electrical resistance of the short-circuit line 83 changes. Further, as the temperature of the probe card 80 changes during preliminary temperature adjustment, the temperature of the short circuit line 83 also changes, so the electrical resistance of the short circuit line 83, which is temperature dependent, changes.
Therefore, in the inspection device 1 , the tester 40 measures the electrical resistance of the short-circuit line 83 based on the electrical signal via the pogo pin 71 short-circuited by the short-circuit line 83 . Specifically, the tester 40 measures the electrical resistance between the tester 40 side ends of the pair of pogo pins 71 whose ends on the probe card 80 side are short-circuited by the short-circuit line 83 . Then, the tester 40 determines whether the temperature of the probe card 80 has stabilized and the position of the tip of the probe 82 has stabilized, based on the measurement results of the electrical resistance. Note that a high-resistance conductor may be interposed within the short-circuit line 83 in order to make the electrical resistance of the short-circuit line 83 sensitive to temperature changes.

Furthermore, since the shorting line 83 is formed of a conductive pattern that is thin and can be formed small in plan view, even if a large number of probes 82 are formed on the probe card 80, the shorting line 83 can be formed on the probe card 80. be able to.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an example of the short line 83, and FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the vicinity of the short line 83.
As shown in FIG. 6, the short line 83 is formed so that its length is greater than the distance _L0 between the lower ends of the pogo pins 71. Specifically, the short line 83 has a folded pattern 83a that is repeatedly folded back in a plan view so that the length thereof is greater than the distance _L0 between the lower ends of the pogo pins 71. The folding direction of the folding pattern 83a is, for example, the radial direction of the card body 81 of the probe card 80. The dimensions of the card body 81 of the probe card 80 change more in the radial direction than in the circumferential direction during preliminary temperature adjustment. Therefore, as described above, by setting the folding direction of the folding pattern 83a in the radial direction of the card body 81, even if the temperature change of the card body 81 during preliminary temperature adjustment is small, the short circuit line 83 having the folding pattern 83a Its length changes greatly, and its electrical resistance also changes greatly. Therefore, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not the tip position of the probe 82 is stabilized based on the electrical resistance measurement result.

Furthermore, electrode pads 83b are provided at both ends of the folded pattern 83a, respectively, with which the lower ends of the pogo pins 71 come into contact.
Note that, as shown in FIG. 7, a large number of electrode pads P are regularly formed on the upper surface of the card body 81 of the probe card 80. This large number of electrode pads P includes those that are not electrically connected to the probe 82, and the electrode pad P that is not electrically connected to the probe 82 is used as the electrode pad 83b of the short line 83.
The dimensions of the electrode pads P are, for example, 0.6 mm x 0.6 mm in plan view, and the formation pitch of the electrode pads P is, for example, 3 mm. Further, the folded pattern 83a is formed within an area of, for example, 2 mm x 2 mm in plan view, and the line width of the folded pattern 83a is, for example, 0.1 mm.

Next, inspection processing using the inspection apparatus 1 will be explained using FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the above inspection process. In the following description, it is assumed that the process starts from a state in which the chuck top 51 on which no wafer W is placed is attached to all the testers 40, that is, to all the pogo frames 70.

(Temperature setting)
When inspecting electrical characteristics, first, the set temperature of the wafer W at the time of the inspection is newly set or changed based on a user's operation or the like (step S1). The set temperature of the wafer W during the electrical characteristic test is common to each divided region 13a.

(Pre-temperature adjustment)
Then, prior to the electrical characteristic test, preliminary temperature adjustment of the probe card 80 is performed under the control of the control unit 22 (step S2). Specifically, the temperature adjustment mechanism 52 is controlled by the control unit 22, and the chuck top 51, on which the wafer W is not placed and is attached to the pogo frame 70, reaches the set temperature of the wafer W at the time of electrical characteristic inspection. adjusted to the corresponding temperature. The temperature of the probe card 80 is adjusted by heating or cooling by the chuck top 51 whose temperature has been adjusted. During this temperature adjustment, the probe card 80 is heated or cooled by radiation while the chuck top 51 and the probe 82 are kept apart. Alternatively, the chuck top 51 and the probes 82 may be brought into contact with each other, and the probe card 80 may be heated or cooled by heat transfer via the radiation and the probes 82.

(Measurement of electrical resistance)
During temperature adjustment of the probe card 80, the electrical resistance of the short circuit line 83 is measured by the tester 40 (step S3). For example, the electrical resistance is measured by an electrical resistance measuring circuit provided on the tester motherboard 41 of the tester 40.

(judgement)
Then, based on the electrical resistance measurement result, the tester 40 determines whether the temperature of the probe card 80 has stabilized, that is, whether the tip position of the probe 82 has stabilized (step S4). For example, when the measured amount (absolute value) of change in resistivity per unit time becomes less than or equal to a threshold value, it is determined that the tip position of the probe 82 is stabilized.
Further, the temperature of the short circuit line 83 may be calculated based on the measurement result of the electrical resistance, and the temperature may be estimated to be the temperature of the probe card 80. Then, based on the temperature estimation result, it is determined whether the temperature of the probe card 80 has reached a predetermined temperature, and when it has reached the predetermined temperature, it is determined that the tip position of the probe 82 has become stable. You can.

If it is not determined that the tip position of the probe 82 is stable (in the case of NO), the process returns to step S2, and the preliminary temperature adjustment of the probe card 80 is continued.
On the other hand, if it is determined that the tip position of the probe 82 is stabilized (in the case of YES), the preliminary temperature adjustment of the probe card 80 is completed.

(Alignment)
After adjusting the temperature of the probe card 80, the wafer W to be inspected and the probe card 80 are aligned (step S5). Specifically, the transfer device 30 and the like are controlled by the control unit 22, and the wafer W is taken out from the cassette C in the port 20 of the carry-in/out area 11, carried into the inspection area 13, and placed on the chuck top on the aligner 50. 51. Next, the aligner 50 and the cameras 60 and 61 are controlled by the control unit 22, and the wafer W on the chuck top 51 and the probe card are controlled based on the imaging result of the wafer W by the camera 60 and the imaging result of the probe 82 by the camera 61. 80 is aligned in the horizontal direction. Subsequently, the chuck top 51 is raised until the probes 82 of the probe card 80 and the electrodes of the semiconductor devices formed on the wafer W come into contact. Thereafter, with the probe 82 and the electrode in contact, a vacuum mechanism (not shown) is driven and the aligner 50 is lowered, thereby separating the chuck top 51 and attaching the chuck top 51 to the pogo frame 70. It is adsorbed.
Note that, before the probe 82 and the electrode of the semiconductor device are brought into contact, the temperature adjustment mechanism 52 is controlled by the control unit 22, and the temperature of the wafer W is adjusted to the set temperature of the wafer W at the time of testing the electrical characteristics.
Further, when imaging the probe 82 with the camera 61, the imaging is performed multiple times, and based on the imaging results, it is determined whether the tip position of the probe 82 is actually stabilized. Good too. If it is actually not stable, the testing process may be interrupted.

(inspection)
After the above positioning, an electrical signal for electrical characteristic testing is input from the tester 40 to the probe 82 via the pogo pin 71 or the like, and electrical characteristic testing of the electronic device is started (step S6). During the inspection, the temperature adjustment mechanism 52 is controlled by the control unit 22, and the temperature of the wafer W placed on the chuck top 51 is adjusted to a set temperature.
The electrical resistance of the short circuit line 83 may also be measured during this electrical characteristic test. Based on the measurement results of this electrical resistance, the tester 40 and the control unit 22 can determine whether or not the temperature of the probe card 80 is changing due to abnormal heat generation of the semiconductor device, for example. Note that the abnormal heat generation described above occurs, for example, when a short circuit occurs within the semiconductor device.

When the electrical characteristic test is completed, the aligner 50, the transfer device 30, etc. are controlled by the control unit 22, and the wafer W is returned to the cassette C in the port 20.
Note that during the inspection by one tester 40, the aligner 50 transfers the wafer W to the other tester 40 and collects the wafer W from the other tester 40.

As described above, in this embodiment, the inspection apparatus 1 transmits and receives electrical signals related to inspection between the probe card 80 having the probe 82 that contacts the wafer W and the wafer W via the probe 82. A tester 40 configured as shown in FIG. Furthermore, the inspection device 1 includes a pair of pogo pins 71 that electrically connect between the probe card 80 and the tester 40, and a short circuit that is formed on the probe card 80 and serves as a resistor between the pogo pins 71. line 83. In the inspection apparatus 1, the tester 40 is further configured to measure the electrical resistance of the short circuit line 83 based on the electrical signal via the pogo pin 71. The electrical resistance increases or decreases due to expansion and contraction of the probe card 80 in response to temperature changes and changes in electrical resistivity. According to this embodiment, the temperature of the probe card 80 is stabilized based on the measurement results of the electrical resistance. In other words, it can be determined whether the tip position of the probe 82 has been stabilized. Further, since the resistance portions such as the short line 83 have a simple structure, the short line 83 can be formed on the probe card 80 even when a large number of probes 82 are arranged on the probe card 80. That is, according to the present embodiment, even when a large number of probes 82 are arranged on the probe card 80, it is determined whether the tip position of the probe 82 is stabilized during preliminary temperature adjustment of the probe card 80. be able to.
Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to determine whether or not the tip position of the probe is stabilized, so there is no need to allow for a margin in the time for pre-temperature adjustment of the probe card 80. Inspection throughput can be improved.
Furthermore, the shorting line 83 can be formed at the same time as the electrode pad P is formed, and there is no need to mount elements, so the manufacture of the probe card 80 does not become complicated.

Further, in this embodiment, the length of the short line 83 is longer than the shortest distance L ₀ between the ends of the pogo pins 71 on the probe card 80 side. Therefore, the electric resistance of the short circuit line 83 is large, and the change in the electric resistance of the short circuit line 83 appears larger when the probe card 80 expands and contracts. can be determined.
In addition, in this embodiment, the temperature of the probe card 80 may be estimated based on the measurement result of the electrical resistance of the short circuit line 83 as described above.

In the above description, the formation position of the short circuit line 83 is assumed to be, for example, within the central region of the upper surface of the card body 81 of the probe card 80 where the electrode pads P are formed. However, the formation position of the short circuit line 83 may be within a peripheral area surrounding the central area on the upper surface of the card body 81.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an example of the short circuit line 83 provided in the peripheral area.
When the short-circuit line 83 is provided in the peripheral area, it has a connection pattern 83c that connects the folded pattern 83a and the electrode pad 83b, as shown in the figure. Further, when provided in the peripheral region, the folded pattern 83a of the short circuit line 83 can be formed larger than when provided in the central region, and for example, can be formed within an area of 5 mm x 5 mm in plan view. Therefore, it is possible to lengthen the short circuit line 83 and increase its electrical resistance.

It is preferable that the electrical resistance of the short-circuit line 83 is large. This is because the higher the electrical resistance of the short-circuit line 83, the more accurately it is possible to determine whether or not the tip position of the probe is stable based on the measurement result of the electrical resistance. Furthermore, the larger the electrical resistance of the short-circuit line 83 is, the greater the rate of change in the electrical resistance with respect to temperature change of the short-circuit line 83, so that high measurement accuracy is not required for the electrical measurement circuit that measures the electrical resistance.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing another example of the short circuit line 83 provided in the peripheral area.
The illustrated short circuit line 83 has a circumferential pattern 83d extending in the circumferential direction of the probe card 80. In the short circuit line 83 of this example, the length can be increased with a simple shape, and the electrical resistance of the short circuit line 83 can be increased.

Note that when the shorting line 83 is a copper pattern with a width of 25 μm, a thickness of 10 μm, and a length of 150 mm, its electrical resistance is approximately 9.3 μΩ at room temperature (25° C.), and the temperature coefficient of its electrical resistance (electrical resistance with respect to temperature) is approximately 9.3 μΩ at room temperature (25° C.). rate of increase) is 0.04Ω/°C.

In the above description, the number of short-circuit lines 83, specifically, the number of sets of the short-circuit line 83 and a pair of pogo pins 71 short-circuited by the short-circuit line 83 (hereinafter referred to as line & pin set) is one. There was, but there could be more than one. When providing a plurality of line and pin sets, for example, the probe card 80 is divided into a plurality of areas, and each area is provided with the above set. By providing a plurality of line and pin sets in this way, it is possible to obtain the in-plane temperature trend of the probe card 80 based on the measurement results of the electrical resistance of each line during preliminary temperature adjustment. Further, when a plurality of the line and pin sets are provided, the sets may be provided in the central region and the peripheral region of the card body of the probe card 80. Thereby, temperature changes in both the central portion and the peripheral portion of the probe card 80 can be detected.
Furthermore, when line and pin sets are provided in each of the plurality of areas as described above, the following effects can be achieved by measuring the electrical resistance of the short circuit line 83 during the electrical characteristic test. . That is, since the temperature of the wafer W is reflected on the probe card 80 due to heat transfer from the wafer W, the in-plane tendency of the temperature of the wafer W during the electrical characteristic test is obtained based on the above-mentioned electrical resistance measurement results. be able to.

Note that when the in-plane tendency of the temperature of the probe card 80 is acquired as described above, the temperature of the probe card 80 may be locally controlled based on the in-plane tendency. This local temperature control can be performed, for example, by the temperature adjustment mechanism 52 of the chuck top 51.
Further, as described above, when the in-plane tendency of the temperature of the wafer W during the electrical characteristic inspection is obtained based on the measurement result of the electrical resistance of the short circuit line 83, the temperature is adjusted based on the in-plane tendency. The temperature of the wafer W may be locally controlled by the mechanism 52.

In the above, the short circuit line 83 was formed on the top surface of the card body 81 of the probe card 80, that is, on the tester 40 side, but as shown in FIG. good. In this case, the electrode pad P that the pogo pin 71 comes into contact with and the shorting line 83 are connected to each other via a conductive member 84 that is provided to penetrate the card body 81 of the probe card 80 in the board thickness direction (vertical direction in the figure). electrically connected. By providing the short circuit line 83 on the lower surface, the distance between the short circuit line 83 and the tip of the probe 82 becomes short, so that it is possible to more accurately determine whether the position of the tip of the probe 82 is stabilized.

Further, since the card body 81 is formed of a laminated substrate, the short circuit line 83 may be provided inside the card body 81 (between the layers), as shown in FIG. 12. In this case, the electrode pad P that the pogo pin 71 comes into contact with and the shorting line 83 are electrically connected via a conductive member 85 that extends in the board thickness direction (vertical direction in the figure) within the card body 81.

The short circuit line 83 may be formed on at least one of the probe 82 side, the tester 40 side, and the inside of the cart body 81 of the probe card 80; It may be formed throughout the interior. By forming it on all the surfaces, it is possible to determine whether the temperature of the probe card 80 is uniform in the vertical direction, that is, in the thickness direction, and to obtain the tendency of the temperature of the probe card 80 in the vertical direction. In addition, when forming short circuit lines 83 at multiple locations (for example, on the probe 82 side and on the tester 40 side), the probes provided with the short circuit lines 83 are based on the electrical resistance measurement results for all of the formed short circuit lines 83. The temperature of a portion of the card 80 may be estimated, and if all of the portions have reached a predetermined temperature, it may be determined that the tip position of the probe 82 is stabilized.

The pogo pin 71 connected to the short circuit line 83 may be Kelvin connected to the short circuit line 83. That is, the pogo pins 71 connected to the short-circuit line 83 may include two pogo pins 71 that serve as force lines for flowing current and two pogo pins 71 that serve as sense lines for measuring voltage. When the pogo pin 71 is connected to the short line 83 in Kelvin, even if the electric resistance of the short line 83 is small, the electric resistance can be accurately measured.

Further, the tester 40 estimates the temperature of the probe card 80 based on the measurement result of the electrical resistance of the short circuit line 83, and based on the estimation result, the tester 40 estimates the temperature of the probe card 80, ) may be predicted. Specifically, the details are as follows.
For example, there are various types of probe cards 80, and the thermal conductivity of the probe cards 80 may differ depending on the type. Furthermore, if the thermal conductivity of the probe card 80 differs, the rate of change in temperature of the probe card 80 over time during preliminary temperature adjustment of the pogo frame 70 will also differ. If the thermal conductivity of the probe card 80 differs, the final temperature of the pogo frame 70 located around the probe card 80 after preliminary temperature adjustment will also differ. Further, the pogo frame 70 deforms depending on its temperature.
Therefore, the tester 40 obtains, for example, the time rate of change in the temperature of the probe card 80 during the preliminary temperature adjustment of the pogo frame 70 based on the measurement result of the electrical resistance of the short circuit line 83, and based on the obtained result, The state of the pogo frame 70, that is, the temperature and shape may be predicted. Note that data indicating the relationship between the electrical resistance measurement results and the state of the pogo frame 70 is acquired in advance.

Further, the tester 40 may control the state of the pogo frame 70 based on the predicted state of the pogo frame 70 (that is, members around the probe card 80). For example, the tester 40 may control the temperature of the pogo frame 70 based on the predicted temperature of the pogo frame 70, and may control the inclination of the pogo frame 70 based on the predicted shape of the pogo frame 70. In other words, the horizontality may be controlled. Note that the temperature of the pogo frame 70 is controlled using, for example, a frame temperature adjustment mechanism (not shown) attached to the pogo frame 70, and the tilt of the pogo frame 70 is controlled by using a frame temperature control mechanism (not shown) attached to the pogo frame 70. This is done using a tilt adjustment mechanism (not shown) that can also be applied to other angles.

Furthermore, in the above description, the tester 40 has determined whether or not the tip position of the probe 82 has been stabilized, but this determination may be made by the control unit 22.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The embodiments described above may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Note that the following configurations also belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.
(1) An inspection device that inspects a board to be inspected,
a probe card having a probe that contacts the board to be inspected;
a tester configured to send and receive electrical signals related to testing to and from the board to be tested via the probe;
a plurality of conduction lines electrically connecting the probe card and the tester and at least a part of which is electrically connected to the probe;
a resistance section formed on the probe card and functioning as an electrical resistor;
The tester is further configured to measure the resistance of the resistance section based on the electrical signal via the conduction line.
According to (1) above, even when a large number of probes are arranged on the probe card, it is possible to determine whether the tip position of the probe is stabilized during preliminary temperature adjustment of the probe card.

(2) The inspection device according to (1), wherein the tester is further configured to determine whether the position of the probe is stabilized based on the measurement result of the resistance.

(3) The test device according to (1) or (2), wherein the tester is further configured to estimate the temperature of the probe card based on the measurement result of the resistance.

(4) The test according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the resistor section is formed on at least one of the probe side, the tester side, and the inside of the probe card. Device.

(5) The inspection device according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein a plurality of the resistance portions are formed.

(6) the probe card is divided into a plurality of areas;
The inspection device according to (5), wherein the resistance section is provided for each of the plurality of regions of the probe card.
According to (5) above, it is possible to obtain the in-plane temperature trend of the probe card during preliminary temperature adjustment.

(7) The inspection device according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the resistance section is a short-circuit line that is formed in a thin film shape and linear shape and short-circuits a pair of the conduction lines.

(8) The inspection device according to (7), wherein the length of the short circuit line is greater than the distance between the probe card side ends of the pair of conductive lines.
According to (8) above, since the electrical resistance of the short-circuit line is large, it is possible to more accurately determine whether the tip position of the probe is stabilized.

(9) The inspection device according to (8), wherein the short circuit line has a folded shape that is repeatedly folded back in the radial direction of the probe card.
According to (9) above, even if the temperature change of the probe card during pre-temperature adjustment is small, the length of the short circuit line changes greatly and its electrical resistance also changes significantly, so the probe based on the electrical resistance measurement results It is possible to more accurately determine whether or not the position of the tip is stable.

(10) The tester is further configured to predict the state of members around the probe card based on the resistance measurement results, Inspection equipment as described.

(11) The inspection device according to (10), wherein the tester is configured to control the member based on a predicted result of the state of the member.

(12) A probe card temperature adjustment method for adjusting the temperature of a probe card installed in an inspection device that inspects a board to be inspected before inspection, the method comprising:
The inspection device includes:
a tester configured to send and receive electrical signals related to testing to and from the board to be tested via probes included in the probe card;
a plurality of conduction lines electrically connecting the probe card and the tester and at least a part of which is electrically connected to the probe;
a resistance section formed on the probe card and functioning as an electrical resistor;
The temperature adjustment method is
heating or cooling the probe card;
Measuring the resistance of the resistance section based on the electrical signal via the conduction line;
A method for adjusting the temperature of a probe card, including the step of determining whether the temperature of the probe card is stabilized based on the resistance measurement result.

1 Inspection device 40 Tester 71 Pogo pin 80 Probe card 82 Probe 83 Short line P Electrode pad W Wafer

Claims (12)

An inspection device that inspects a board to be inspected,
a probe card having a probe that contacts the board to be inspected;
a tester configured to send and receive electrical signals related to testing to and from the board to be tested via the probe;
a plurality of conduction lines electrically connecting the probe card and the tester and at least a part of which is electrically connected to the probe;
a resistance part formed in the probe card and functioning as an electrical resistor;
The tester is further configured to measure the resistance of the resistance section based on the electrical signal via the conduction line. The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the tester is further configured to determine whether the position of the probe is stabilized based on the measurement result of the resistance. The inspection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tester is further configured to estimate the temperature of the probe card based on the measurement result of the resistance. 4. The testing device according to claim 1, wherein the resistance section is formed on at least one of the probe side, the tester side, and inside the probe card. The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of said resistance parts are formed. The probe card is divided into a plurality of areas,
The inspection device according to claim 5, wherein the resistance section is provided for each of the plurality of regions of the probe card. The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the resistance section is formed in a thin film shape and linear shape, and is a short-circuit line that short-circuits a pair of the conduction lines. The inspection device according to claim 7, wherein the length of the short circuit line is greater than the shortest distance between the ends of the pair of conductive lines on the probe card side.
The inspection device according to claim 8, wherein the short circuit line has a folded shape that is repeatedly folded back in the radial direction of the probe card. 10. The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the tester is further configured to predict the state of members around the probe card based on the measurement results of the resistance. The inspection device according to claim 10, wherein the tester is configured to control the member based on a predicted result of the state of the member. A probe card temperature adjustment method for adjusting the temperature of a probe card installed in an inspection device for inspecting a board to be inspected before inspection, the method comprising:
The inspection device includes:
a tester configured to send and receive electrical signals related to testing to and from the board to be tested via probes included in the probe card;
a plurality of conduction lines electrically connecting the probe card and the tester and at least a part of which is electrically connected to the probe;
a resistance part formed in the probe card and functioning as an electrical resistor;
The temperature adjustment method is
heating or cooling the probe card;
Measuring the resistance of the resistance section based on the electrical signal via the conduction line;
A method for adjusting the temperature of a probe card, including the step of determining whether the temperature of the probe card is stabilized based on the resistance measurement result.

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