JPH06216205A - Probe card interface device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure coaxiality of a path one to one wherein each inspection signal flows by making an outside tube of a coaxial pogo pin formed in at least one side of a ring main body and a return signal pin conductive through a conductor pattern. CONSTITUTION:A probe card interface device is installed between a probe card 2 and a test head part 16. An outside tube 48 is formed in a ring main body 26 consisting of an insulating material with an insulation layer 40 outside rising and setting pins 44, 46. A coaxial 'S7' pin 36 is provided to pass through it and a return signal pin 38 is also made to pass through it adjacent thereto. The return signal pin and the outside tube are connected by patterns 28, 30, an electric system is made a coaxial structure and coaxiality of a path wherein each inspection signal flows is ensured one to one. Thereby, it is possible to prevent inclusion of cross talk, noises, etc., between high frequency signals during measurement.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a probe card interface device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, electrode pads of each chich are used to efficiently test electric characteristics of electronic circuits (chips) such as ICs and LSIs formed on a wafer. A probe needle, which is a contactor, is automatically brought into contact with and a test signal is input from an external tester.

As shown in FIG. 7, this conventional inspection apparatus mounts a large number of probe needles 4 implanted in a probe card 2 on a mounting table 6 which is movable in the XY directions and the vertical direction in a horizontal plane. The inspection is performed by bringing the electrode pads on the held wafer W into contact with each other. And
This probe card 2 is removably attached to the base 8 side via a locking member 10, and this probe card 2 is exchanged according to the friction of the probe needle 4 and the difference in the electronic circuit on the wafer to be inspected. Has been made possible.

This probe card 2 has a pogo pin 14 of a pogo pin ring 12 which is detachably provided on the base 8.
Is electrically connected to a test head portion 16 that can be erected from the necessity for maintenance or the like, and the head portion 16 is connected to a tester through a wiring (not shown) to inspect an electric circuit. Be seen. Therefore, the above-mentioned pogo pin ring 12 is necessarily provided in order to secure the maintenance of the head portion 16 and to enable the replacement of the probe card 2 as described above.

[0005]

By the way, in order to improve the inspection efficiency and the inspection accuracy of the electronic circuit, the wiring between the probe card 2 and the test head portion 16 should be as short as possible, and It is necessary to prevent crosstalk between high-frequency signals and noise from entering during measurement.

However, in the above-mentioned conventional pogo pin mounting structure, the coaxial structure of the signal line is guaranteed up to the test head portion, but the pogo pin ring is not shielded at all. Since it is a structure that passes through the part of, the coaxial structure is interrupted here, as a result, mismatch of characteristic impedance in the electrical system after this occurs, and sufficient measures are taken against crosstalk etc. It was hard to say that In particular, the frequency of the inspection signal is increased in order to improve the inspection efficiency, the number of pogo pins increases as the electronic circuit configuration becomes complicated, and the pogo pins are densely provided. Therefore, it is strongly desired to solve the above problems. There is.

Therefore, in order to solve this problem, Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-43854 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-34871.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication, a pogo pin ring body is formed of a conductor, is insulated by an insulating sleeve and is provided with a pogo pin penetrating therethrough, and the pogo pin ring body made of the conductor is grounded to prevent crosstalk or Noise is prevented from being mixed in.

However, in this case, since all the return lines are grounded, there is an improvement that a general-purpose inspection cannot be performed. For example, when measuring a minute current in a signal line or when inspecting with a signal having a relatively high frequency of, for example, 200 MHz, accuracy is reduced due to a slight stray capacitance formed between this signal line and ground. It has the improvement that high measurement cannot be performed. The present invention has been made to pay attention to the above problems and to solve them effectively. An object of the present invention is to provide a probe card interface device capable of ensuring the coaxiality of the path through which each inspection signal flows, on a one-to-one basis.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises a probe card which comes into contact with an object to be inspected, and a test head section which relays an inspection signal and a return signal to the object to be inspected. In the probe card interface device, which is disposed between the two and is contacted by the test head portion so as to be contactable and separable, a ring main body made of an insulating material and the ring main body are provided so as to extend through the ring main body in the longitudinal direction thereof. A coaxial pogo pin having a pair of projecting and retracting pin portions that are elastically retractable and come into contact with the inspection signal pads of the probe card and the test head portion, and also have an outer tube formed on the outer periphery thereof via an insulating layer, The probe card and the return signal pads of the test head are elastically abutted on the coaxial pogo pin with a slight distance between them. A return signal pin, wherein formed on at least one surface of the ring body is obtained by so and a conductive pattern for conductive and said outer tube return signal pin of the coaxial pogo pins.

[0010]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the coaxial pogo pin is formed by the retractable pin portion through which the inspection signal flows and the outer tube that covers the outer periphery of the pin through the insulating layer.
The outer tube is electrically connected to the return signal pin through a conductor pattern formed on the surface of the ring body.
Therefore, the route through which the inspection signal flows is sealed coaxially, and the connection of the return signal pin can be individually connected to other than the ground as necessary, and the versatility of the inspection can be ensured. It will be possible.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the probe card interface device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view showing a probe card interface device of the present invention attached to a prober device, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a prober device to which the probe card interface device of the present invention is attached, and FIG. 3 is used for the present invention. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a coaxial pogo pin, FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a return signal pin used in the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a ring body used in the present invention. The same parts as those of the conventional device are designated by the same reference numerals.

As shown in the figure, the probe card interface device 18 is provided as a part of the inspection device and serves as an electrical relay between the test head portion 16 and the probe card 2, and is provided on the base 8 side. It is detachably attached. The probe card 2 is detachably attached by a locking member 10 extending from the base 8 so that it can be replaced when necessary. On the lower surface of the probe card 2, a large number, for example, several hundreds of probe needles 4 which are elastically contacted with the inspection pad of the electronic circuit in the semiconductor wafer W as the inspection object located below the probe card 2 are implanted. . The wafer W is mounted and held on a mounting table 6 which is movable in the XY direction and the height direction (Z direction) in a horizontal plane, and by moving this, a desired inspection pad can be mounted on the probe needle. Contact with 4.

On the other hand, the test head section 16 incorporates an oscillator, a relay and the like required for various inspections, and the probe card interface device 18 is provided below the oscillator.
A performance board 20 for relaying signals to and from the side is integrally attached. Further, up to the performance board 20, as shown in FIG. 1, each signal line is drawn out by a coaxial cable 24 or the like. The test head unit 16 is connected to the tester via a large number of wirings (not shown) and is adapted to inspect an electronic circuit.
The test head portion 16 is attached to the support column 22 via a hinge or the like so that the test head portion 16 can be erected so that the test head portion 16 and the probe card interface device 18 can be maintained. It has become.

The probe card interface device 18 according to the present invention has a ring body 26 formed in a ring shape from an insulating material such as Teflon or glass epoxy resin. Both sides of the ring body 26 are provided. As shown in FIG. 5, for example, printed board substrates 32 and 34, on which a large number of conductor patterns 28 and 30 having a desired shape made of copper are formed concentrically, are integrally attached and fixed to the ring body. And this ring body 2
6 and the respective printed board boards 32, 34 are penetrated to form a large number of coaxial pogo pins 36 and return signal pins 38.
They are provided as close to each other as possible.

In this case, each pair of the coaxial pogo pin 36 and the return signal pin 38 is provided so as to pass through one conductor pattern 28 and maintain a conductive state with each other.
Although only a few pins are shown in FIG. 5, several hundred pins are actually provided in correspondence with the number of probe needles or the number of signal lines.

As shown in FIG. 3, the coaxial pogo pin 36 has a hollow cylindrical insulating layer 40 made of an insulating material such as Teflon and having a diameter of about 3 mm and a length of about 30 mm. At the hollow central portion of the above, a retractable pin portion 44, 46 made of a pair of conductors plated with gold, for example, is attached at both ends thereof with a spring 42 plated with gold, for example, so as to be able to project and retract in the pin length direction. ing. Therefore, the two retractable pin portions 44 and 46 are
It is in a conductive state through 2. Also, each pin portion 4
For example, the tip portions of the portions 4, 46 are divided into four portions in order to increase a contact area or reduce friction between the tip portion and the pad to be in contact with the tip portions. The outside of the insulating layer 40 is covered with an outer tube 48 made of a conductor such as stainless steel.

The outer tube 48 of the coaxial pogo pin 36 is attached so that the outer tube 48 is in contact with the upper and lower conductor patterns 28 and 30, and the upper protruding / retracting pin portion 44 is
Signal line 50 of the coaxial cable 24 on the test head 16 side
The pad 52 for inspection signal connected to is elastically contacted. The signal line also includes a power line. Further, the protruding / retracting pin portion 46 on the lower side comes into elastic contact with the inspection signal pad 53 on the probe card 2 side.

As shown in FIG. 4, the return signal pin 38 is made of a conductor such as stainless steel and has a diameter of 3 mm.
It has a hollow cylindrical conductor tube 54 having a length of about 30 mm and a pair of, for example, gold plating is provided at both ends of the hollow central portion with a spring 55 having, for example, gold plating inside. The return projecting / retracting pin portions 56 and 58 made of the conductor are attached so that they can project and retract in the pin length direction. Therefore, the retractable pin part 5 for both returns
It is in a conductive state through 6, 58. The tip portions of the pin portions 56 and 58 are divided into four portions in order to increase the contact area or reduce friction with the pad that comes into contact with the pin portions.

The return signal pin 38 is attached with the conductor tube 54 thereof in contact with the upper and lower conductor patterns 28, 30, and the upper return projecting / retracting pin 56 is a covered wire 60 of the coaxial cable 24. Elastically contacts the return signal pad 62 connected to. Further, the lower return retractable pin 58 comes into elastic contact with the return signal pad 64 on the probe card 2 side. Therefore, the outer tube 4 of the coaxial pogo pin 36
Reference numeral 8 is electrically connected to the return signal pin 38 through both conductor patterns 28 and 30, and ensures the sealing property of the retractable pin portions 44 and 46 and the spring 42 through which the inspection signal flows. Also, the coaxial pogo pin 36 and the return signal pin 3
It is preferable that the center-to-center distance from 8 is as small as possible in order to achieve impedance matching, and in this embodiment, it is set to about 5 mm, for example.

Next, the operation of this embodiment configured as described above will be described. First, in the case of inspecting an electronic circuit formed on the semiconductor wafer W, the test head unit 1 on which the performance board 20 is integrally attached and fixed.
By tilting 6, the projecting and retracting pin portion 44 on the upper side of the coaxial pogo pin 36 elastically contacts the corresponding test signal pad 52 connected to the signal line 50, and the return signal pin 38.
The upper retracting pin portion 56 for return elastically contacts the return signal pad 62 connected to the covered wire 60.
In addition, with the probe card 2 attached to the base 8 side, the protruding / retracting pin portion 44 on the lower side of the coaxial pogo pin 36 elastically contacts the inspection signal pad 53 of the probe card 2, and
The return projecting / retracting pin portion 58 below the return signal pin 38 is elastically in contact with the return signal pad 64 of the probe card 2.

In this state, the mounting table 6 is appropriately moved in the X, Y, and Z directions to bring the desired electrode pad into contact with the probe needle 4, and the test head section 16 supplies a high frequency wave including a power source while the contact is maintained. Of the coaxial cable 24, the signal line 50 of the coaxial cable 24, the coaxial pogo pin 3
It is supplied to the wafer W side via the upper protruding / retracting pin portion 44, the spring 42, the lower protruding / retracting pin portion 46, and the probe needle 4.

On the other hand, the return signal is sent to the other probe needle 4
From the return signal pin 38, the return signal is returned via the return projecting and retracting pin portion 58, the spring 55, the conductor tube 54, the upper return projecting and retracting pin portion 56, and the covered wire 60. The path through which the return signal passes may be used as a ground line.

Here, the outer tube 48 of the coaxial pogo pin 36 has the conductor pattern 2 provided on both sides of the ring body 26.
Pogo pins 38 for return signals that are adjacent to each other via 8 and 30
Since it is electrically connected to the conductor tube 54, the electric system in this portion has a coaxial structure, and as a result, the characteristic impedance mismatch, the occurrence of crosstalk, and the influence of external noise can be significantly suppressed. Becomes

Since the characteristic impedance mismatch can be suppressed as described above, it can be applied to a high frequency signal for inspection having a higher frequency, for example, a high frequency signal of about 500 MHz, and the inspection efficiency can be improved. It is possible to greatly improve.

Further, in this embodiment, since one return signal pin 38 is provided corresponding to one coaxial pogo pin 36, each return signal pin 38 is used as a ground, or corresponding. The same electric potential as the coaxial pogo pin 36
Various measurements can be made.

In the above embodiment, the return signal pin 38 has a structure in which the return projecting / retracting pin portions 56 and 58 can be retracted and retracted by the spring 55. The return signal pin is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the conductive rubbers 64 and 66 may be made to project from the conductor patterns 28 and 30 in the vertical direction. Further, although the conductor patterns 28 and 30 are provided on both surfaces of the ring main body 26 in the above-mentioned embodiments, the conductor patterns may be provided on either one of the surfaces to secure the conduction. .

[0027]

As described above, according to the probe card interface device of the present invention, the following excellent operational effects can be exhibited. Since the electrical system penetrating the ring body can have a coaxial structure, the effects of characteristic impedance mismatch, crosstalk, and external noise can be significantly suppressed. Further, since the mismatch of the characteristic impedance can be suppressed, it is possible to perform the inspection with a high frequency signal having a larger frequency, and it is possible to significantly improve the inspection efficiency.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged view showing a probe card interface device of the present invention attached to a prober device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a prober device to which a probe card interface device of the present invention is attached.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a coaxial pogo pin used in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a return signal pin used in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a ring body used in the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a prober device to which a conventional probe card interface device is attached.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 probe card 4 probe needle 16 test head part 18 probe card interface device 20 performance board 26 ring body 28, 30 conductor pattern 36 coaxial pogo pin 38 return signal pin 40 insulating layer 44, 46 retractable pin part 48 outer tube 52, 53 inspection Signal pad 54 Conductor tube 56, 58 Return pin section 62 Return signal pad

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A contact is disposed between a probe card that comes into contact with an object to be inspected and a test head portion that relays an inspection signal and a return signal to the object to be inspected, and is contactable and separable by the test head portion. In the probe card interface device, the ring main body made of an insulating material and the ring main body are provided so as to penetrate through the ring main body and elastically project and retract in the center in the length direction thereof to inspect the probe card and the test head portion. A coaxial pogo pin having a pair of projecting and retracting pin portions that come into contact with a signal pad and an outer tube formed on the outer periphery of the probe through an insulating layer; And at least one of the ring body and a return signal pin that elastically abuts the return signal pad of the test head section. 2. A probe card interface device, comprising: a conductor pattern formed on the surface of the coaxial pogo pin to electrically connect the outer tube of the coaxial pogo pin and the return signal pin. 2. The return signal pin is provided with a pair of retractable pin portions that are elastically retractable in the length direction thereof and contact the return signal pad, and an outer tube that covers the periphery of the pin portions. The probe card interface device according to claim 1, wherein the probe card interface device is a coaxial pogo pin.