JPH07321166A - Semiconductor inspecting method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a semiconductor inspecting method and apparatus for reducing the cost, improving the inspection efficiency and making it possible to inspect many types of and a great number of semiconductors. CONSTITUTION:The title apparatus comprises arm parts 5 having probes 4 to be contacted with electrodes of a semiconductor chip formed on a wafer, arm support members 6 which support the arm parts 5, stage 7 to mount the wafer 1, arm part support member mounts 11 to fix the support members 6, a measuring unit 8 which outputs specified signals on the basis of inspecting condition inputs, and a control unit 9 to automatically control the operations of the arm parts 5 and stage 7. Each arm part 5 is automatically controlled by the control unit 9 and the stage 7 is also controlled by this unit 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor inspection apparatus (prober) in the process of inspecting a semiconductor integrated circuit, and more particularly to a semiconductor inspection technique for controlling the operation of each prober by a control unit such as a personal computer. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The techniques described below have been studied by the present inventors in developing the present invention.

Semiconductor wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as wafer)
There are a card type auto-prober and a manual prober as a semiconductor inspection device, which is a so-called prober, for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor chip formed on the top.

A semiconductor chip inspection technique relating to the auto-prober and the manual prober is, for example, "VLSI manufacturing / testing equipment guidebook (electronic material extra volume)" issued by the Industrial Research Society, November 1981, supplement, Showa. Issued November 10, 1981, introduced on pages 221-225.

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned technique is characterized in that the auto prober uses a probe card and inspects a large amount of one type (pattern type).

That is, since there is a one-to-one relationship between the probe card and the product type, it is necessary to increase the type of the probe card when testing a large number of products, which causes a problem of cost increase.

Further, since the manual prober is characterized by a high-mix low-volume inspection, it takes time to adjust each prober when a large amount of inspection is performed, which causes a problem of lowering inspection efficiency.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor inspection method and apparatus which can reduce the cost and improve the inspection efficiency, and further enable the inspection of a large number of various products.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0010]

Among the inventions disclosed in the present application, a brief description will be given to the outline of typical ones.
It is as follows.

That is, in the semiconductor inspection method according to the present invention, the chip inspection information of the semiconductor chip formed on the wafer and the electrode inspection information of the electrodes on the semiconductor chip are input to the control unit in advance to perform the control. The unit automatically controls each of the plurality of arm units provided with the stylus, and further automatically controls the stage on which the wafer is placed.

Further, as the chip inspection information, the inspection number of the semiconductor chips in the vertical and horizontal directions along the scribe line on the wafer is input to the control unit, and the electrode position information is used as the electrode inspection coordinates. And the inter-electrode pitch are input to the control unit.

Further, the arm portion is moved in the horizontal and vertical directions with respect to the wafer mounting surface of the stage, and the stage is moved in the horizontal direction of the wafer mounting surface so that the arm not used at the time of inspection. The unit is arranged at a standby position vertically separated from the wafer on the wafer mounting surface.

[0014]

According to the above-mentioned means, the control section causes the individual arm sections of the plurality of arm sections provided with the stylus,
By automatically controlling the stage on which the wafer is placed, the speed of inspection can be increased and the efficiency of inspection can be improved.

The number of semiconductor chips inspected in the vertical and horizontal directions along the scribe line on the wafer,
By inputting the position coordinates of the electrodes on the semiconductor chip and the pitch between the electrodes to the control unit and automatically controlling the arm unit or the stage, it is possible to perform inspection in accordance with the pattern of each product type. .

Further, the arm portion is moved in the horizontal and vertical directions with respect to the wafer mounting surface of the stage, and the stage is moved in the horizontal direction of the wafer mounting surface so that the arm not used at the time of inspection. By arranging the part at a standby position vertically separated from the wafer on the wafer mounting surface, it is possible to prevent the stylus from accidentally touching an electrode unrelated to the inspection.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a structural conceptual view and a partial sectional view showing an example of the structure of a semiconductor inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial plan view showing an example of semiconductor chips and electrodes on a wafer to be inspected by using the semiconductor inspection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

First, the structure of the semiconductor inspection apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. An arm portion 5 having a stylus 4 for contacting an electrode 3 of a semiconductor chip 2 formed on a wafer 1 and the arm portion 5 are provided. An arm supporting member 6 for supporting, a stage 7 on which the wafer 1 is placed, an arm supporting member mounting base 11 for fixing the arm supporting member 6, and a predetermined signal are output based on input of inspection conditions. Measuring instrument 8
And a control section 9 for automatically controlling the operation of the arm section 5 and the stage 7, for inspecting the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor chip 2 formed on the wafer 1.

Further, in the semiconductor inspection apparatus, the plurality of arm portions 5 are installed on the arm portion supporting member mounting base 11 via the arm portion supporting members 6, and each of the arm portions 5 is installed.
Are automatically controlled individually by the control unit 9.

Further, the arm 5 moves horizontally and vertically with respect to the wafer mounting surface 10 of the stage 7, and the stage 7 moves horizontally with respect to the wafer mounting surface 10. Then, it is automatically controlled by the control unit 9.

The control unit 9 according to this embodiment is a relatively small unit such as a personal computer.

Next, the semiconductor inspection method according to this embodiment will be described. First, in the inspection, in the semiconductor chip 2 formed on the wafer 1, chip inspection information of the semiconductor chip 2 to be inspected, for example, on the wafer 1. Of the semiconductor chips 2 in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction along the scribe line 12 (here, as an example, the direction perpendicular to the orientation flat 13 of the wafer 1 is the vertical direction, and the parallel direction is the horizontal direction). The number of electrodes is input to the control unit 9, and the electrodes 3 to be inspected on the semiconductor chip 2
The electrode inspection information of, for example, the position coordinates of the electrodes 3 and the pitch between the electrodes are input to the control unit 9.

As a result, the control section 9 can recognize the product type (pattern type) to be inspected, the number of semiconductor chips 2 to be inspected, and the like.

After that, the control unit 9 selects the arm unit 5 to be used for the inspection based on the chip inspection information and the electrode inspection information inputted in advance, and the arm unit 5 is brought into contact with the predetermined electrode 3. Send a signal.

As a result, the arm portion 5 receiving the signal can move horizontally and vertically with respect to the wafer mounting surface 10 of the stage 7, so that the stylus 4 is brought into contact with a predetermined electrode 3. be able to.

At this time, the other arm portion 5 not used for the inspection
Is placed at a standby position vertically separated from the wafer 1 on the wafer mounting surface 10.

Then, the measuring instrument 8 sets a predetermined current value and voltage value in accordance with the inspection conditions, and performs the inspection.

Here, regarding the inspection result, the inspection result is once stored in the measuring instrument 8, the inspection result is further fetched into the control unit 9, and data processing is performed there. , Raw data, etc.).

When the inspection is completed, the arm 5 used is moved in the direction in which the stylus 4 moves away from the electrode 3 in response to a signal from the controller 9, and the arm 5 is placed in a standby state like the other arms 5.

In the case of inspecting a large number of the same products, the stage 7 can move in the horizontal direction with respect to the wafer mounting surface 10, so that the chip inspection information and the electrode inspection that have been input in advance are input. It is possible to inspect the electrical characteristics of a large number of semiconductor chips 2 on the wafer 1 by repeating automatically moving only the stage 7 by a predetermined amount in response to a signal from the control unit 9 using the information.

Next, according to the semiconductor inspection method and apparatus of this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, the control unit 9 of the semiconductor inspection device is
To increase the speed of inspection and improve the efficiency of inspection by automatically controlling each individual arm portion 5 in the plurality of arm portions 5 provided with the stylus 4 and the stage 7 on which the wafer 1 is placed. You can

In addition, the scribe line 12 on the wafer 1
The number of inspections of the semiconductor chips 2 in the vertical and horizontal directions along with, the position coordinates of the electrodes 3 on the semiconductor chip 2 and the pitch between the electrodes are input to the control unit 9, respectively, and the arm unit 5 or the stage 7 is automatically controlled. By doing so, the inspection can be performed according to the pattern of each product type.

Therefore, compared with increasing the number of types of probe cards, the cost can be reduced, and as a result, a large number of different types of products can be inspected.

Further, the arm portion 5 is moved horizontally and vertically with respect to the wafer mounting surface 10 of the stage 7, and the stage 7 is moved horizontally with respect to the wafer mounting surface 10 so that the arm not used at the time of inspection. By disposing the portion 5 on the wafer mounting surface 10 at the standby position vertically separated from the wafer 1, it is possible to prevent the stylus 4 from accidentally touching the electrode 3 unrelated to the inspection. . As a result, erroneous inspections can be prevented and the reliability of data can be improved.

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Needless to say.

For example, the control unit of the semiconductor inspection apparatus according to the above-mentioned embodiment takes in the inspection result, and after processing the inspection result data, not only outputs the raw data but also processes the data to obtain the characteristic data. (For example, dependency data) may be output.

The stylus of the arm portion of the semiconductor inspection apparatus according to the above embodiment may be replaceable.
In this case, the life of the semiconductor inspection device can be extended by replacing only the stylus.

[0040]

The effects obtained by the typical ones of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows.
It is as follows.

(1). The control unit automatically controls the individual arm units of the plurality of arm units including the stylus and the stage on which the wafer is placed, thereby speeding up the inspection and improving the efficiency of the inspection. it can.

(2). The inspection number of semiconductor chips in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction along the scribe line on the wafer, and the position coordinates of the electrodes on the semiconductor chip and the inter-electrode pitch are input to the control unit, respectively, and the arm unit or the stage is set. By automatically controlling, the inspection can be performed according to the pattern of each product type.

Therefore, compared with increasing the number of types of probe cards, the price can be reduced, and as a result, a large number of different types of products can be inspected.

(3). The arm portion is moved in the horizontal and vertical directions with respect to the wafer mounting surface of the stage, and the stage is moved in the horizontal direction of the wafer mounting surface so that the arm portion not used at the time of inspection is The stylus can be prevented from accidentally touching an electrode unrelated to the inspection by arranging the stylus at a standby position vertically separated from the wafer on the mounting surface. As a result, erroneous inspections can be prevented and the reliability of data can be improved.

(4). When a large number of identical products are inspected by the stage being automatically controlled by the control unit, it is possible to efficiently inspect the electrical characteristics of a large number of semiconductor chips by repeatedly moving only the stage by a predetermined amount. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural conceptual view and a partial cross-sectional view showing an example of the structure of a semiconductor inspection device that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view showing an example of semiconductor chips and electrodes on a wafer to be inspected by using the semiconductor inspection apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wafer 2 Semiconductor chip 3 Electrode 4 Stylus 5 Arm part 6 Arm part supporting member 7 Stage 8 Measuring instrument 9 Control part 10 Wafer mounting surface 11 Arm part supporting member mounting base 12 Scribe line 13 Orientation flat

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Reference number within the agency FI Technical indication location G01R 31/28 (72) Inventor Nobuaki Hirano 5-20-1 Kamimizumoto-cho, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo Date Tatsucho LSI Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masahiko Tomizawa 5-20-1, Kamimizuhonmachi, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo Hitsuritsu LLS Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroshi Ichikawa 5-20-1 Kamimizuhoncho, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo Inside Hitsuritsu ELS Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takayuki Yoshitake 5-20-1 Kamimizuhoncho, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo Hitsudate Super LSI Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor, Yoka Miura 5-20-1 Kamimizuhonmachi, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo Es Ai Engineering Co., Ltd. in

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A semiconductor inspection method for inspecting electrical characteristics of a semiconductor chip formed on a wafer, wherein chip inspection information of the semiconductor chip and electrode inspection information of electrodes on the semiconductor chip are controlled in advance. The semiconductor inspection method is characterized in that the control section automatically controls each of the plurality of arm sections provided with the stylus by inputting to the section, and further automatically controls the stage on which the wafer is placed. 2. The semiconductor inspection method according to claim 1, wherein, as the chip inspection information, an inspection number of the semiconductor chips in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction along a scribe line on a wafer is input to the control unit. The semiconductor inspection method, wherein the position coordinates of the electrodes and the pitch between the electrodes are input to the control unit as the electrode inspection information. 3. The semiconductor inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the arm is moved horizontally and vertically with respect to a wafer mounting surface of the stage, and the stage is mounted on the wafer mounting surface. In the horizontal direction, and at the time of inspection, the unused arm portion is arranged at a standby position vertically separated from the wafer on the wafer mounting surface. 4. A semiconductor inspection device for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor chip formed on a wafer, comprising an arm portion having a stylus for contacting an electrode of the semiconductor chip.
A stage on which the wafer is placed, a measuring device that outputs a predetermined signal according to inspection conditions, and a control unit that automatically controls the operation of the arm unit and the stage,
A semiconductor inspection apparatus, wherein a plurality of the arm portions are provided, and each of the arm portions is automatically controlled individually by the control portion.