JPH0331078Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention relates to a semiconductor sample mounting device in a semiconductor inspection device or the like that performs inspection by irradiating a charged particle beam such as an electron beam.

[Conventional technology]

To test the electrical characteristics of semiconductors such as ICs,
There is a device that performs inspection by irradiating an electron beam or the like using a scanning electron microscope or the like. In such an apparatus, a sample mounting device is used for mounting a semiconductor sample from the atmosphere side into a sample chamber in a vacuum state.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional semiconductor sample mounting device.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view thereof. In the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a sample chamber maintained in a vacuum state, and a goniometer stage 2 is disposed therein so as to be able to move, tilt, and rotate in the X, Y, and Z directions. Pedestal 3 attached to goniometer stage 2
A planer stand 4 and a connector 5 are attached to the holder.

The holder 6 is mounted on the pedestal 3 so that its dovetail groove 7 engages with the planer mount 4, and a printed circuit board 9 is mounted on the upper part of the holder 6 via an insulator 8. IC socket 1 is installed on the printed circuit board 9.
0 is soldered and the sample IC 11 is attached. Leaf springs 12 are arranged vertically inside the connector 5, and a printed circuit board 9 is inserted into and comes into contact with the leaf springs 1.
A lead wire 13 is led out from 2 to the atmosphere through a hook seal 14.

In the above configuration, the sample IC 11 is installed by drawing out the goniometer stage 2, replacing it by hand, inserting the goniometer stage 2 into the sample chamber 1, and inserting the printed circuit board 9 between the leaf springs 12 of the connector 5. and touch it. After mounting the sample, the sample IC 11 is irradiated with the electron beam 15, and the signal is sent to the IC socket 10,
The printed circuit board 9, leaf spring 12, and lead wire 13 are taken out and inspected.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

In the conventional mounting device as described above, the printed circuit board 9 is inserted between the leaf springs 12 of the connector 5 and brought into contact with each other, so there is no possibility of misalignment in height or direction between the connector 5 and the printed circuit board 9, or in the front-back direction. If there is any misalignment, the contact will be incomplete and the signal cannot be reliably taken out, and the force of the leaf spring 12 will act on the printed circuit board 9, causing the printed circuit board 9 to
A large amount of force is required to insert and extract the sample, and there is a problem in that the sample cannot be exchanged smoothly from outside the vacuum, especially in the case of multiple pins.

This idea was developed to solve the above problems, and by providing a spring contact and a locking mechanism, the contact is perfect and the signal can be reliably extracted, and the holder can be easily inserted and removed for semiconductor sample mounting. The purpose is to propose a device.

[Means for solving problems]

This invention includes a holder for mounting a sample, a spring contact fixed to the holder so as to be connected to the sample, a pedestal provided in a sample chamber for mounting the holder, and a contact of the spring contact. a contactor fixed to a pedestal so as to make contact with the sample chamber; a sample exchange chamber formed on the side wall of the sample chamber; a gate valve provided in the sample exchange chamber that can be opened and closed; a locking member that is pushed by a spring and engages with the holder upon insertion of the holder held by the exchange rod and fixes the holder to the pedestal; The semiconductor sample mounting device is characterized by comprising a release mechanism that is pressed upon insertion to release the engagement of the locking member.

〔Example〕

This invention will be explained below with reference to embodiments of the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a semiconductor sample mounting device according to an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a part thereof, FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a spring contact, and FIGS. The same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Inside the sample chamber 1, the goniometer stage 2 is
It is inserted through the side wall to allow movement in the Y, Z directions, as well as tilting and rotational movements. A plane stand 4 is provided on the pedestal 3 attached to the goniometer stage 2, and is adapted to be inserted into and engaged with the dovetail groove of the holder 6, but is not shown. The printed circuit board 9 is fixed in an insulated state on the holder 6 via the insulator 8, and is connected to the IC socket 10 installed on the top of the holder 6, and the IC
A sample IC 11 is attached to the socket 10.

A block-shaped insulator 16 is fixed to the tip of the holder 6, and spring contacts 17 are arranged in multiple stages and rows at insulated intervals on this insulator 16, and are connected to the printed circuit board 9 via lead wires 13a. Connected. As shown in FIG. 3, the spring contact 17 is pressed by a spring 19 provided in a casing 18 so that a pin-shaped contact 20 protrudes. The contactor 20 is movable in the A direction.

A block-shaped insulator 21 is fixed to the tip of the pedestal 3 at a position opposite to the insulator 16, and a contact 22 with a flange-like tip corresponding to the spring contact 17 is arranged in multiple stages and in multiple rows while maintaining insulation intervals. The contacts 20 and 22 are arranged so that when the holder 6 is mounted on the pedestal 3, the contacts 20 and 22 come into contact with each other. A lead wire 13b is connected to the other end of the contactor 22, and is led out to the atmosphere through a hook seal 14.

A sample exchange chamber 23 is formed in the side wall of the sample chamber 1, and a gate valve 24 is provided so as to be openable and closable. A removable lid 2 provided at the front of the sample exchange chamber 23
A sheath-like shaft 26 and an exchange rod 27 inserted therein pass through the sample chamber 1 from the atmospheric side.
A male thread 28 is formed at the tip of the exchange rod 27, and the exchange rod 27 is adapted to be screwed into a female thread 29 formed on the entrance side of the holder 6. A spring 30 is provided between the ends of the shaft 26 and the exchange rod 27, and presses the shaft 26 in the B direction.

A locking plate 31 is rotatably attached to the pedestal 3 by a pin 32 provided at the tip thereof, and is pressed in the direction C in FIG. 2 by a spring 33. The engaging portion 34 is engaged with the engaging portion 35 of the holder 6, and the wedge-shaped portion 36 formed at the tip of the engaging portion 34 is engaged with the pin 37. The pin 37 protrudes from a shaft 38 that is slidably provided on the pedestal 3, and the shaft 38 is supported by a spring 40 that is provided between the tip of the shaft 26 and a flange 39 that is provided at a position where it engages. It is pressed in the direction B in FIG. 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45 are O-rings.

[Effect]

Figure 1 shows a state in which the sample IC 11 is in the microscope position, and the sample IC 11 is irradiated with the electron beam 15 to detect signals such as electromotive force inside the sample IC 11.
Socket 10, printed circuit board 9, lead wire 13
a, it can be taken out to the atmosphere through the spring contact 17, the contactor 22, and the lead wire 13b.

To install sample IC11 as shown in Figure 1,
With the gate valve 24 of the sample exchange chamber 23 closed, the sample IC 11 is fixed to the holder 6 attached to the IC socket 10 in the atmosphere by screwing the male thread 28 of the exchange rod 27, and the holder 6 is inserted into the sample exchange chamber 23. With the lid 25 closed, the sample exchange chamber 23 is evacuated by a vacuum pump (not shown), the gate valve 24 is opened, the exchange rod 27 is pushed in, and the holder 6 is mounted on the pedestal 3. . At this time, the holder 6 is mounted by pushing the locking plate 31 open in the counter-C direction, and in the mounted state, the locking plate 3
1 rotates in the C direction, the engaging portions 34 and 35 engage, and the holder 6 is locked on the pedestal 3.

In this state, the spring contact 17 comes into contact with the contact 22 as the contact 20 is pressed in the direction opposite to B by the spring 19. At this time, the tip position of the contactor 20 can be changed by the action of the spring 19, so even if there is a difference in the height, direction, or front and back of the contacts 20 and 22, or in the case of a multi-pin arrangement, all the contactors 20 and 22 are securely in contact and a signal is extracted. The reaction force of the spring contact 17 is suppressed by the locking plate 31.

To take out the sample IC11, push the shaft 26 in the direction opposite to B from the state shown in Figure 1.
6 presses the flange 39, which causes the shaft 3
8 and pin 37 move in the anti-B direction and push open the wedge-shaped portion 36, so that the locking plate 31 moves in the anti-C direction.
The locking portions 34 and 35 are disengaged by rotation in the direction shown in FIG. In this state, the exchange rod 27 is pulled out in the direction B, the holder 6 is housed in the sample exchange chamber 23, the gate valve 24 is closed, the lid 25 is removed, the holder 6 is taken out into the atmosphere, and the sample IC 11 is exchanged.

In the above description, the locking mechanism and release mechanism of the holder 6 are not limited to the locking plate 31 and the pin 37, but may be other similar mechanisms. The present invention can be used as a semiconductor sample mounting device in a semiconductor inspection device or other device that performs inspection by irradiating charged particles.

[Effect of idea]

According to this invention, the holder is inserted into the sample chamber with the exchange rod, contact is made with the spring contact, and at the same time, the holder is locked on the pedestal with the locking member, and the holder is pressed and locked with the insertion of the shaft. Since the locking of the parts is released, the holder can be separated from the exchange rod and locked on the pedestal, and it can also be used when there is a difference in the height, direction, front and back of the contacts, or when they are arranged in multiple stages. However, since contact can be made reliably and electrical signals can be extracted accurately, the spring force only acts when the sample is inserted, making it easier to insert and remove the sample.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a semiconductor sample mounting device according to an embodiment of this invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a part thereof, Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a spring contact, and Fig. 4 is a conventional semiconductor sample mounting device. Cross-sectional view of the device, No. 5
The figure is a perspective view thereof. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts, 1 is the sample chamber, 2 is the goniometer stage, 3 is the pedestal, 6 is the holder, 8, 16, 21 are the insulators, 9 is the printed circuit board, and 10 is the IC socket. ,1
1 is sample IC, 13a, 13b are lead wires, 14
is a hook seal, 17 is a spring contact, 20 and 22 are contacts, 23 is a sample exchange chamber, 2
6 is the shaft, 27 is the replacement rod, 30, 33, 40
31 is a spring, 31 is a locking plate, and 37 is a pin.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A holder for mounting a sample, a spring contact fixed to the holder so as to be connected to the sample, a pedestal provided in a sample chamber for mounting the holder, and a spring contact for contacting the contact of the spring contact. a contactor fixed to a pedestal,
a sample exchange chamber formed on a side wall of the sample chamber; a gate valve provided in the sample exchange chamber that can be opened and closed;
An exchange rod and a shaft that are provided to be able to enter and exit the sample chamber through this gate valve, and a lock that is pushed by a spring and engages with the holder when the holder held by the exchange rod is inserted, and fixes the holder to the pedestal. A semiconductor sample mounting device comprising: a member; and a release mechanism that is pressed by insertion of the shaft to release the engagement of the locking member.