JPH0310176A - Probing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To operate a inspection system without stopping by grinding a probe card so that a contact resistance value of the probe card measured automatically falls below a specified value to accomplish an online management. CONSTITUTION:A probing apparatus 1 is made up of a board 2 for testing characteristic and a board 6 for measuring contact resistances to be connected to a tester 12, wafer stages 5 which carry wafers 4 corresponding to the respec tive boards, a stage 9 for a grinding board where an aluminum plate 7 and a grinding plate 8 are fixed, a probe card detaching device 10 for attaching a probe card 3 to or detaching it from the boards and a controller 13 to control the boards and stages. A contact resistance value of the probe card 3 is mea sured automatically and the probe card 3 is ground so that the contact resis tance value falls below a specified value to manage the probe card 3 online. This enables the operating of an inspection system without stop.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is applicable when performing a characteristic test (hereinafter referred to as P/W check) of a semiconductor electronic circuit (hereinafter referred to as "veret") formed on a wafer in semiconductor device manufacturing. This invention relates to a probing device used for.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of probing device has been equipped with a device for reducing the contact resistance value of the probe card, such as a polishing plate for polishing the contact surface of the Brohm card6.
To measure the contact resistance value of this probe card during /W check, remove only the probe card from the probing device, take it to a contact resistance measuring device installed separately from this probing device, and measure the contact resistance of the probe card. When the resistance was measured and exceeded a predetermined contact resistance value, the probe card was polished and corrected using a polishing plate. Also, by regularly polishing this probe card,
Probing equipment was maintained in normal operation.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the above-mentioned conventional probing apparatus, checking the contact resistance value of the probe card is an off-line operation in which a person is involved, and the probing apparatus is stopped during that time. This has the disadvantage that the inspection system must be temporarily stopped.

Furthermore, even if polishing is performed periodically, the operating rate of the inspection system will decrease. The purpose of the present invention is to
To provide a probing device with high operating rate without stopping an inspection line.

[Means to solve the problem]

A probing apparatus of the present invention is a probing apparatus that is part of an inspection system for measuring characteristics of semiconductor electronic circuits formed on a wafer, and includes means for measuring a contact resistance value of a probe card, and a contact resistance value of the probe card. means for removing the probe card from the probing device when the value exceeds a predetermined value, means for mechanically polishing the probe card, means for attaching the polished probe card to the probe device, and these means and a control device that sequentially controls.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a probing device showing an embodiment of the present invention. This probing apparatus 1 includes a P/W board 2 and a contact resistance measurement board 6 connected to a tester 12, a wafer stage 5 on which a wafer 4 is loaded, an aluminum plate 7, and a polishing plate corresponding to each board. A polishing plate stage 8 is fixed thereto, a probe card detaching device 10 and a probe card attaching device 11 for attaching and detaching the probe card 3 from these boards, and a control device 13 for controlling these boards and the stage.

When polishing the probe card of the probing device, first remove the probe card from the P/W board 2 using the probe card removal device 10.
Push out the probe card 3 with the button and remove the probe card 3 onto the probe card mounting device 11. Next, the probe card 3 is attached to the contact resistance measurement board 6 using the probe card attaching device 11 . Next, the aluminum plate 7 is brought into contact with the probe card 3 by raising the polishing plate stage 9, and the contact resistance value is measured via the contact resistance measuring board 6. If the measured value exceeds a predetermined value, the contact surface of the probe card 3 is polished by moving the stage 9 with the polishing plate 8 up and down. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the probing device. First, in "Set standards and standards", set the standards (number of sheets or number of contacts) for measuring contact resistance. Next, “ST
A RT, 1 issues an instruction to the probing device to start work. Next, use "polishing" to polish the probe card 3.
Next, use "Counter Reset" to set probe card 3 to P.
/W board 2 and complete the preparations before P/W implementation. When the preparation is completed, the contact resistance of the probe card is measured using the "Measure contact resistance value" function of the device.

If this contact resistance value is within the predetermined value, use "Counter Reset" to repeat the P/W execution work again. If the contact resistance value exceeds the predetermined value, polish the probe card and Repeat contact resistance measurement and polishing until the value falls below the specified value. A series of P/W operations proceed as described above.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention automatically measures the contact resistance value of a probe card, polishes the probe card so that the contact resistance value is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and manages the probe card online for inspection. This has the effect of providing a probing device that can be operated without stopping the system.

Determine whether the set standards have been met or not in the cutting work.A simple explanation of the drawing is made.If the standards have been met,
Figure 1 is a block diagram of the previously described probing equipment in which probing/pre-work is stopped and shows an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the probing equipment.

1... Probing device, 2... P/W board,
3... Probe card, 4... Wafer, 5...
Wafer stage, 6... Board for contact resistance measurement, 7
... Aluminum plate, 8... Polishing plate, 9... Stage for polishing plate, 10... Probe card removal device, 11...
Probe card attachment device, 12...Tester, 13...
Control device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a probing device that is part of an inspection system for measuring the characteristics of semiconductor electronic circuits formed on a wafer, there is provided a means for measuring a contact resistance value of a probe card, and a means for measuring a contact resistance value of the probe card exceeding a predetermined value. At times, means for removing the probe card from the probing device; and means for mechanically polishing the probe card;
A probing device comprising means for attaching the polished probe card to the probe device, and a control device for sequentially controlling these means.