JPH06342014A - Measuring device for semiconductor chip - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a probe for measurement, to which a large current is allowed to flow, from deteriorating by the generation of heat due to the current. CONSTITUTION:In measuring the electric characteristics of a semiconductor chip 10, first probes 12a and second probes 12b for coming into contact in its tips with bonding pads 11a and 11b, electrodes formed on the chip, are provided, and the second probes 12b to which large currents are allowed to flow are made thicker than the first probes 12a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a measuring device for a semiconductor chip, and more particularly to a probe needle of the measuring device for a semiconductor chip which comes into contact with an electrode provided in the semiconductor chip.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An apparatus for measuring the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor chip measures by bringing a probe needle into contact with a metal electrode (bonding pad) provided on the surface of the semiconductor chip. 4 and 5 are schematic views of a top view of the semiconductor chip and a cross-sectional view taken along the line AB of FIG. 4, 1 is a semiconductor chip whose surface is covered with an insulator 1a, and 2 is provided in the semiconductor chip. A bonding pad made of a conductive material, and an insulator 1 is formed on the bonding pad 2 as shown in FIG.
A has an opening, and this opening is connected to a lead pin by a metal wire before being enclosed in a package. When the diameter of this wire is 25 μmφ, the size of the opening of the bonding pad is 90 μm × 90 μm. FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the semiconductor chip 1 and a probe card of a conventional semiconductor chip measuring device. In FIG. 6, all 3 are made of the same material and have the same thickness, and the tip portion is the semiconductor chip 1 described above.
In the measurement probe needle made of metal that comes into contact with the bonding pad 2 in, the diameter of the tip is about 50 μm. Reference numeral 4 is a doughnut-shaped supporting member made of an insulating material for fixedly supporting the probe needle 3, and forms a probe card with the measuring probe needle 3.

In such a semiconductor chip measuring device, as shown in FIG. 7, the probe needle 3 is brought into contact with the bonding pad 2 and a terminal for supplying a power supply voltage or an electric signal in the main body of the device is provided with a predetermined portion 3a of the probe needle 3. To the semiconductor chip 1 through the probe needle 3 to input / output electric signals, and to measure the electric characteristics such as the input / output level and timing of the electric signals.

[0004]

In the conventional measuring device for semiconductor chips as described above, the thickness of the probe needle 3 for measurement, that is, the cross-sectional area at a predetermined distance from the tip is the same for each probe needle 3. Since the resistance value from the tip to the predetermined portion 3a is the same, there is a problem that the probe needle 3 through which a large current flows, such as the probe needle 3 to which a power supply voltage is applied, deteriorates due to heat generation. Therefore, it is conceivable to bring two probe needles into contact with the same pad to halve the resistance value from the tip to the predetermined portion 3a. However, in this case, since the tip of the probe needle 3 protrudes as shown in FIG. 8, a rectangular pad 2a must be used to accommodate the two probe needles 3 as shown in FIG. If a large number of rectangular pads are arranged as shown in FIG. 10, there is a problem that the chip area becomes large. In view of the above points, the present invention reduces the resistance value from the tip of the probe needle 3 through which a large current flows to the predetermined portion 3a, suppresses heat generation due to this current, and lengthens one side of the pad to increase the chip area. The purpose is to suppress.

[0005]

In a semiconductor chip measuring device according to a first aspect of the present invention, a cross section between the tip and a predetermined portion at an arbitrary distance from the tip has a first predetermined area. The first probe needle has a second probe needle having a second predetermined area whose cross section at the above-mentioned arbitrary distance from the tip is larger than the first predetermined area. The semiconductor chip measuring device according to the second aspect of the present invention is provided with a first probe needle having a tip portion that comes into contact with a potential provided on the semiconductor chip surface in a predetermined area, and is provided on the semiconductor chip surface. The second probe needle is provided in contact with the electrode, and the contact area of the second probe needle is larger than the contact area of the first probe needle. Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor chip measuring device, wherein a cross section between the tip and a predetermined portion at a given distance from the tip has a predetermined shape and has a first predetermined area. 1. A probe needle having a second probe needle having a second predetermined area larger than the first predetermined area and having a cross section at a given distance from the tip similar to the predetermined shape. Is.

[0006]

In the first to third aspects of the present invention, since the second probe needle is made thicker than the first probe needle to reduce the resistance, the resistance of the pad through which a large current flows is small. By contacting the second probe needle, the heat generated in the probe needle can be suppressed more than in contact with the Hosoi probe needle, and deterioration of the probe needle can be suppressed.
Also, by making the second probe needle thicker, one side of the pad can be made shorter than when two thin probe needles are arranged side by side and brought into contact with the pad, which can suppress an increase in chip area.

[0007]

【Example】

Example 1. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a probe card and a semiconductor chip of a semiconductor chip measuring device according to the present invention. 10 is a semiconductor chip whose surface is covered with an insulating material, and 11 is a bonding pad which is an electrode provided in the semiconductor chip. Then, the insulator is opened on the bonding pad 11, and the pad 11a has the conventional size.
The opening has an area of 90 μm × 90 μm, the pad 11b through which a large current flows is wide, and the opening is 110.7 μm.
It has an area of × 110.7 μm (Fig. 2).

Reference numeral 12a designates a first probe needle made of metal for contacting with a pad 11a formed in the semiconductor chip 10 at its tip portion, which is thicker from the tip end to the rear end and has a sectional shape. The diameter of the tip of the circle is 50 μm as before. 12b has a larger current than that of the first probe needle 12a, and is thicker than the first probe needle 12, that is, the cross-sectional area at an arbitrary distance from the tip is the first probe needle 12a.
a second probe needle having a cross-sectional area larger than the above-mentioned arbitrary distance from the front end in a.
Is thicker at the same rate as that of the probe needles, and the cross-sectional shape is circular, and the contact area between the two first probe needles with a tip diameter of 50 μm and the bonding pad (2π (25 μm) ² =
The diameter of the tip is 70.7μm so that 1250πμm ² ) is the same.
Has become. Reference numeral 13 is a doughnut-shaped support member made of an insulating material for fixedly supporting the first probe needle 12a and the second probe needle 12b. The first probe needle 12a and the second probe needle 12b together form a probe card. Is forming.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic view of the semiconductor chip 10. As described above, the pad 11b through which a large current flows is larger than the pad 11a. By the way, since the diameter of the tip of the second probe needle 12b is 70.7 μm, it is not necessary to separately increase the area of the pad because the opening can be accommodated in a pad of 90 μm × 90 μm as usual. However, here, in order to compare how much the increase in the chip area is suppressed, as compared with FIG. 10 in which the probe needle has a margin of 20 μm, an example in which a margin of 20 μm is provided as shown in FIG. It was

In such a semiconductor chip measuring apparatus, the probe needles 12a and 12b are brought into contact with the pads 11a and 11b formed on the semiconductor chip 10 as in the conventional measuring method shown in FIG. The probe needle 12a is a terminal for supplying a power supply voltage and an electric signal.
And a predetermined portion 12c of the probe needle 12b, and the probe needle 1
A power supply voltage is applied to the semiconductor chip 10 via 2a and 12b, an electric signal is input / output, and electric characteristics such as an input / output level and timing of the electric signal are measured. In the above-described first embodiment of the present invention, the second probe needle 12b through which a large current flows is thickened so that the predetermined portion 1 extends from the tip.
Since the resistance value up to 2c is reduced, heat generation due to the current flowing through the second probe needle 12b is suppressed, and deterioration due to heat generation can be prevented. Further, as can be seen by comparing FIG. 2 and FIG. 10, the contact area with the pad is 50 μm in diameter, and the probe needle whose diameter is 50 μm in diameter is smaller than in the case of measuring with two probe needles whose diameter is 50 μm in diameter. Using one thick probe needle having the same contact area as two can suppress the increase of the chip area.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the probe needle from deteriorating due to heat generation due to the flow of a large current, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the chip area.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the semiconductor chip according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a pad margin according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a conventional semiconductor chip.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AB of the conventional semiconductor chip shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a conventional measuring device for semiconductor chips.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a contact portion between a probe needle and a bonding pad of a conventional semiconductor chip measuring device.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a contact portion when two probe needles are brought into contact with a pad of a conventional semiconductor chip.

FIG. 9 is a plan view when two probe needles are brought into contact with a rectangular pad of a conventional semiconductor chip.

FIG. 10 is a plan view when rectangular pads are arranged on a conventional semiconductor chip.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Semiconductor Chip 11a Bonding Pad 11b Bonding Pad 12a First Probe Needle 12b Second Probe Needle 12c Predetermined Part

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A first probe needle having a cross section at a given distance from the tip having a first given area between the tip and a given portion, and a cross section at the given distance from the tip being the first 1. A measuring device for semiconductor chips, comprising a second probe needle having a second predetermined area larger than the first predetermined area. 2. A first probe needle having a tip portion which comes into contact with a potential provided on a surface of a semiconductor chip at a predetermined area, and a first probe needle which comes into contact with an electrode provided on a surface of the semiconductor chip and has a contact area of the first A semiconductor chip measuring device comprising a second probe needle having a tip portion larger than the contact area at the tip portion of the probe needle. 3. A first probe needle having a predetermined cross-section at a given distance from the tip between the tip and the given portion, the first probe needle having a first given area, and at the above given distance from the tip. The semiconductor chip measuring device is provided with a second probe needle whose cross section is similar to the predetermined shape and has a second predetermined area larger than the first predetermined area.