JPH02278169A - Apparatus for inspecting semiconductor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform alignment and inspection with high accuracy by raising an inspection stage to bring the electrode terminal row of semiconductor elements into contact with a probe contact row. CONSTITUTION:This apparatus is constituted of a tray loader system 4 for loading or unloading a tray 3 having semiconductor elements (chips) 2 arranged and received, for example, in a lattice state therein and an inspection stage system 5 mounting the chips taken out of the tray 3 one at a time to feed the same to an inspection part. At the time of the inspection of the chips 2 in the inspection stage system 5, an inspection table 18 is raised to bring the lead row of the chips 2 into contact with the probe needle provided on the under surface of a test head 24 and, therefore, alignment becomes easy. Since pre-alignment and fine alignment can be directly performed on the inspection table 18, the generation of the positional shift at the time of the transfer of the inspection table after pre-alignment is eliminated and highly accurate alignment also becomes possible.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Purpose of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to a semiconductor inspection device.

(Prior art) Conventionally, in the process of inspecting the electrical characteristics of packaged semiconductors, various types of nodes and cages are used for semiconductor elements, so a dedicated testing device is required for each type of node and cage. (IC handler) was required, but in response to the recent trend toward high-mix, low-volume production of semiconductor devices, it is now possible to measure semiconductor devices of many shapes with one device by replacing the measuring unit, etc. So-called universal handlers have been developed.

A tray type is known as a simple method of supplying semiconductor elements to such a universal handler.

In this one-tray type IC handler, a large number of device housing sections are provided on the tray in a grid pattern, packaged semiconductor devices such as QFP, SOP, etc. are accommodated in the device housing sections, and the semiconductor devices are loaded from the tray one by one. Take them out one by one,
The IC handler is configured so that each semiconductor element on the tray is sequentially brought into contact with an inspection terminal such as a probe needle provided on the test head of the IC handler for inspection.

By the way, as semiconductor devices become more highly integrated, the number of terminals of these packaged semiconductor devices also increases, and the pitch of the terminals becomes narrower. 1) When performing IJ determination, highly accurate alignment is required, and there has been a demand for the development of a highly accurate inspection method.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, the conventional semiconductor inspection apparatus described above requires highly accurate alignment, and there is a desire to develop a highly accurate inspection method.

The present invention was made in response to these circumstances, and
It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor inspection device capable of performing highly accurate alignment and highly accurate inspection.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, a semiconductor inspection apparatus of the present invention raises an inspection stage on which a positioned semiconductor element is mounted to inspect the electrode terminals of the semiconductor element. and an inspection means for inspecting the semiconductor element after the contact means brings the electrode terminal of the semiconductor element into contact with the probe contact. .

(Function) In the semiconductor inspection apparatus of the present invention, the inspection stage is raised to bring the electrode terminal row of the semiconductor element into contact with the probe contact row, so that the alignment of the semiconductor element can be performed with high precision. Moreover, unlike the push-fit type, it is effective in speeding up inspection.

(Example) Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The apparatus main body 1 includes a tray loader system 4 for loading or unloading a tray 3 containing a large number of semiconductor devices (hereinafter referred to as chips) 2 arranged in a grid pattern, and a tray loader system 4 for loading or unloading a tray 3 containing a large number of semiconductor devices (hereinafter referred to as chips) 2 arranged in a grid pattern, and a tray loader system 4 for loading or unloading a tray 3 containing a large number of semiconductor devices (hereinafter referred to as chips) 2 arranged in a grid pattern. An inspection stage system 5 that mounts the chip 2 on an inspection table and transports the chip 2 to the inspection section.
It is composed of In addition, a chip transfer machine (146 is equipped.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the tray 3 used in this embodiment has dimensions of 280 x 220 m and a thickness of 8.5 mm.
Four accommodating parts 32 for accommodating the chips 2 are formed in a lattice shape of 5 rows and 6 columns on the surface of the tray body 3 made of conductive resin of III, and the chips 2 are accommodated in the accommodating recesses 32. . Also, from the four corners of the tray body 31, 2 rows 2
The four parts of the row form a holding plate 33 for holding the tray 2 by a holding section of a tray transport mechanism, which will be described later. Furthermore, chamfered portions 34 for defining the directionality of the tray 2 are formed at one of the four corners of the tray body 31.

Incidentally, the tray loader system 4 includes a sender mechanism 7 which can be raised and lowered in which a large number of trays 3 are stacked on shelves, a tray buffer mechanism 8 for temporarily storing empty trays, and trays 3 containing chips 2 that have been inspected. A large number of stacked receiver mechanisms 9 that can be raised and lowered are arranged in parallel along the chip transfer mechanisms 6, respectively. Below these sender mechanisms 7
, the tray buffer mechanism 8, and the receiver mechanism 9 are arranged side by side in the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular thereto is the X direction.

The structure of the chip transfer mechanism 6 is such that various mechanisms for chip transfer are developed around a base 0 placed at the boundary between the tray loader system 4 and the inspection stage system 5. On the side surface of the tray loader system 4 of No. 10, there is a tray transfer machine hllS that is movable in the Y-Z direction along the upper part of the sender mechanism 7, the tray buffer mechanism 8, and the receiver mechanism 9.
11 are arranged. The holding portion 1a of the tray transfer mechanism 11 attracts and holds the holding plate 33 of the tray 2 shown in FIG.

Also, perpendicular to the end of the base 10 on the side of the sender mechanism 7, a chip carry-in system is used to hold the chips 2 one by one from the tray 3 stacked on the top shelf of the sender mechanism 7 and transport them to the inspection stage system 5. A mechanism 12 is provided, which is perpendicular to the edge of the blade base 10 on the side of the receiver mechanism 9 and holds the chips 2 that have been inspected in the inspection stage system 5 and stacks them on the top stage of the receiver mechanism 9. A chip production mechanism 13 is provided for transporting chips onto the tray 3.

These chip loading mechanism 12 and chip loading mechanism 13 each include an X-Z stage 15 that is combined with an LM guide and a ball screw, etc., for moving the transport arm 14 protruding in the Y direction in the X-Z direction, and The holding portion 16 is provided on the side surface of the transfer arm 14 so as to be movable in the Y direction, and is used to hold the chip 2, for example, to hold the chip 2 by suction.

A pair of holding parts 17a and 17b are provided at a predetermined interval on the side surface of the base 10 on the side of the inspection stage system 5 for holding the chip 2, for example, by suction. At the same time, the chip 2 transported to the inspection stage system 5 is transferred onto the inspection table 18 of the inspection stage system 5, and at the same time, the chip 2 that has been inspected on the inspection table 18 is transferred to the chip unloading mechanism using the other holding section 17b. A double transfer mechanism 17 for transferring to the delivery section 13 is disposed so as to be movable in the Y-Z direction.

In addition, the inspection stage system 5 includes an inspection table 18 on which the chip 2 is placed, and an inspection table 18 on which the inspection table 18 is mounted.
-Z-θ direction] and the chip 2 on the inspection table 18, which is arranged on the movement trajectory of the inspection table 18.
and a fine alignment mechanism 20 that captures images of and provides alignment information at the time of final alignment (hereinafter referred to as fine alignment) to the drive control mechanism of one inspection table stage.

Here, the inspection table stage 19 includes, for example, as shown in FIG.
It is composed of an X-direction rail attached via a, and a moving shaft 39 that moves the inspection table 18 in the Z and θ directions.

The operation of the semiconductor inspection apparatus having such a configuration will be described below.

First, the X-Y stage of the chip loading mechanism 12 is driven to transport the transport arm 14 onto a predetermined chip row on the tray 3, and then the chip holding section 16 of the transport arm 14 is moved in the Y direction. The chip 2 is moved over the chip to be inspected, the transport arm 14 is lowered, and the chip 2 is held, for example, by suction, in the holding section 16 .

After that, the chip carrying mechanism 12 is driven to transport the sucked and held chip 2 onto the stage 21 for 1 positioning (hereinafter referred to as pre-alignment) on the inspection stage system 5 side, and Transfer it onto the mounting table 21.

On this pre-alignment mounting table 21, there is a mounting table 21.
A pre-alignment image recognition mechanism 22 that captures an image of the upper chip 2 and detects the amount of deviation from the regular reference position information.
is provided.

As a method for detecting position information in the pre-alignment image recognition mechanism 22, for example, the area of a predetermined part in the mold part of the chip 2 is imaged, a reference position in the imaging part, for example, the center of gravity 4I11 is determined, and the measured reference position is A suitable method is to compare the information with predetermined regular reference position information of the center of gravity to obtain the deviation amount information.

In this way, after the position information for pre-alignment is determined 4-1, one chip holding section 17a of the double transfer mechanism 17 is
The chip 2 on the pre-alignment mounting table 21 is held and transferred to the inspection table 18 of the inspection section 25 of the inspection stage system 5, and the chip 2 is transferred to the other chip holding section 17b of the double transfer mechanism 17. The inspected chip 2 on the inspection table 18 is transferred and transferred onto the delivery table 23 which is a delivery section to the chip delivery mechanism 13.

Here, from the pre-alignment mounting table 21 to the inspection table 18
During the chip transfer operation, the inspection table 18 waits in advance at a predetermined delivery position, for example, approximately at the center of the side surface of the inspection stage system 5 of the base 10. 22, when the positional deviation of the chip 2 is detected, based on this positional deviation information, the positional deviation needle movement is corrected so that the chip 2 is placed on a predetermined reference position on the examination table 18. Wait in state. In this way, the chip 2 is always mounted at a predetermined position on the inspection table 18.

The inspection table 18 on which the chip 2 is mounted temporarily stops below the fine alignment mechanism 20 while moving to the inspection section 25 where the test head 24 and the like are arranged, and a fine alignment operation of the chip 2 is performed here.

The fine alignment mechanism 20 of this embodiment is configured to perform the alignment using an image recognition mechanism, and its alignment method includes, for example, imaging a part of the lead rows on two orthogonal sides of the chip 2, and The center of gravity position of the imaging unit is calculated from the information obtained, and the calculated center of gravity position information is compared with predetermined standard center of gravity position information to determine the amount of positional deviation, and the chip is adjusted based on the information on the amount of positional deviation. It is preferable to move the examination table 18 so that the position 2 is at the normal position.

After finishing the fine alignment of the chip 2 in this way, the inspection table 18 is moved below the test head 24,
The inspection table 18 is raised and the lead array 2a of the chip 2 is brought into contact with the probe needle 27 provided on the lower surface of the test head 24 to perform inspection.

After the inspection is completed, the inspection table 18 is moved to the transfer position again, and here, one chip holding part 17b of the double transfer machine groove 17 holds the inspected chip 2 on the inspection table 18, and then the chip is removed. At the same time, the chip 2 for the next inspection on the pre-alignment stage 21 is transferred to the delivery stage 23, and the other chip holder 17a of the double transfer mechanism 17 transfers the chip 2 onto the delivery stage 23.
is held and transferred onto the inspection table 18.

After the inspected chip 2 is transferred onto the chip delivery/mounting table 23, the chip 2 is held by the chip holder 16 provided on the transport arm 14 of the chip unloading mechanism 13, for example, by suction. The chip 2 is moved onto the tray 3 of the receiver mechanism 9 and mounted at a predetermined position on the tray 3. At this time, the chip 2 that was determined to be defective by the inspection
are dropped into a defective product storage box 26 arranged below the movement track of the transport arm 14.

By repeating the above-described series of operations in the inspection section 25, the chips 2 accommodated in the tray 3 of the sender mechanism 7 are sequentially inspected and accommodated onto the tray 3 of the receiver mechanism 9.

Then, when all the chips 2 on the tray 3 of the sender mechanism 7 have been inspected and the tray 2 of the receiver mechanism 9 is fully loaded with chips 2, the tray transfer mechanism 1] is moved to the sender mechanism 7 by the tray holding portion 11a. The empty tray 3a is held, for example, by suction, and transferred onto the tray 3 full of chips 2 of the receiver mechanism 9, and is loaded thereon. Thereafter, the sender mechanism 7 raises the tray for the next inspection so that it is at the same position as the empty tray 3a, while the receiver mechanism 9 raises the tray for the next inspection so that it is in the same position as the empty tray 3a. The empty tray 3a is lowered so that the tray 3a is in the same position as the tray 3 full of chips 2.

In addition, if a defective chip occurs, the receiver mechanism 9
The sender mechanism 7 is activated before the tray 3 becomes fully loaded with chips.
The tray 3 becomes empty and it becomes impossible to set a tray for the next inspection. The empty tray 3a is temporarily put on standby. Then, when the tray 2 of the receiver mechanism 9 is full of chips, the empty tray 3a that has been waiting in the tray buffer mechanism 8 is loaded onto the receiver mechanism 9 in the same manner as the above operation, so that the next inspection of the sender mechanism 7 can be carried out. It is possible to prevent a situation in which the tray cannot be set due to an empty tray 3a, and continuous processing becomes possible.

In this embodiment, when testing the chip 2 on the test stage system 5, the test table 18 is raised and the lead array 2a of the chip 2 is brought into contact with the probe needle 27 provided on the lower surface of the test head 24. This makes positioning easier, and is a major change from the conventional inspection method of pushing the chip into the socket from above, which was not able to handle the inspection of chips with multiple terminals and narrow terminal pitches. It becomes possible to do so.

In addition, in this embodiment, since pre-alignment and fine alignment can be performed directly on the inspection table 18, the conventional pre-alignment is performed by an independent alignment mechanism and then transferred to the inspection table. Unlike the indirect method, there is no positional shift when transferring the examination table after pre-alignment, and highly accurate positioning is possible.

Furthermore, by using an alignment mechanism that performs all alignments on the inspection table 18, alignment speed is improved, and a chip transfer mechanism that simultaneously transfers inspected chips and next inspection chips improves conveyance efficiency. It is also possible to improve the device throughput by these actions.

Furthermore, since there is no need for an independent pre-alignment mechanism as in the prior art, the device can be simplified and costs can be reduced.

Further, in this embodiment, the inspection of a flat package IC has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to any rectangular device such as an IC chip or an LCI (LCI) board.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the semiconductor inspection apparatus of the present invention, highly accurate alignment and highly accurate inspection can be performed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a semiconductor inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a tray used in the embodiment of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an inspection of the semiconductor inspection device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side view showing the base stage. 1...Device body, 2...Chip, 3...Tray
4... Tray loader system, 5... Inspection stage system,
6...Chip transfer mechanism, 7...Sender mechanism, 8.
...Buffer mechanism, 9...Receiver mechanism, 10...
Base, 11... Tray transport mechanism, 12... Chip transport mechanism, 13... Chip transport mechanism, 14... Transport arm, 17... Double transfer mechanism, 18... Inspection table, 19
...Inspection table stage, 20... Fine alignment mechanism, 22... Image recognition mechanism for pre-alignment,
24...Test head, 25...Inspection section. Applicant Tokyo Electron Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Suyama Sa - (1 idiot) Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A contacting means for raising an inspection stage on which a positioned semiconductor element is placed and bringing the electrode terminals of the semiconductor element into contact with a probe contact; and the contacting means causes the electrode terminals of the semiconductor element to be brought into contact with the probe. 1. A semiconductor testing device comprising: testing means for testing the semiconductor element after it is brought into contact with a contactor.