JPH0752209B2 - Semiconductor element inspection equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus for inspecting characteristics of semiconductor elements, and is particularly suitable for inspecting high-speed electrical characteristics of high-density, ultra-multipin semiconductor elements. Regarding the device.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, for inspection of semiconductor elements, electrodes 3 formed by vapor deposition, sputtering or plating on the edge of the surface of each chip-shaped semiconductor element 2 of the wafer 1 as shown in FIG.
2 to 3, the probe 5 such as a tungsten needle licked out from the probe card 4 is used.
A method of inspecting the electrical characteristics of the element by rubbing the electrode 3 with the electrode 3 to bring it into conduction by contact pressure utilizing the deflection of the probe 5 has been used.

As the density of semiconductor elements increases, the chip-shaped semiconductor element 2 having solder balls 6 for solder melting connection on its electrodes as shown in FIG. 4 is formed by solder melting as shown in FIG. The method of connecting with the electrodes 8 on the surface of the wiring board 7 such as a ceramic multilayer board is high-density mounting,
Attention has been paid to the point that it is suitable for batch connection with high yield, and its application is expanding.

As an inspection method and an inspection apparatus capable of inspecting the characteristics of a semiconductor element having a solder ball for solder melting connection on its electrode, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-73 by Hirota et al.
In the invention of No. 129, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a probe card comprising a multilayer substrate in which the signal conductor wiring 9 is formed as a line having a constant characteristic impedance with the power supply conductor layer 10 as a reference layer. A protrusion electrode 12 made of nickel-plated tungsten or the like is formed on the surface of 11 at a position corresponding to the electrode of the semiconductor element 2, and the probe card 11 is provided on a surface opposite to the surface having the protrusion electrode 12. After heating from a heat source 13, the protruding electrodes 12 are pressed against the solder balls 6, the solder is melted to establish conduction, signals are exchanged, semiconductor devices are inspected, and then the probe card 11 is heated again. A semiconductor element inspection technique has been proposed in which solder is melted and the protruding electrodes 12 are separated.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the inspection method using the conventional probe card shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the concentrated inductance is large due to the shape of the probe 5, and there is a limit to the inspection with high-speed signals.
That is, assuming that the characteristic impedance of the signal line on the probe card is R and the concentrated inductance of the probe is L, the time constant L / R is 1 ns when R = 50Ω and L = 50nH, and a high-speed signal of this level is obtained. If handled, the waveform will be blunted and accurate characteristic inspection cannot be performed. Therefore, it is usually limited to DC characteristic inspection. Further, in the above-mentioned probing method, there is a limit to the spatial arrangement of the probes, and it is not possible to cope with the high density of electrodes of the semiconductor element and the increase in the total number.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, inspection is performed with the probe card composed of a multi-layer substrate in which the semiconductor element electrode and the protruding electrode are electrically connected by melting the solder and the signal line is formed into a line having a constant characteristic impedance. Although it is possible to inspect high-speed electrical characteristics, it is necessary to melt the solder balls on the electrodes of the semiconductor element, which gives thermal stress to the semiconductor element, and also the workability is poor and the inspection time is long. It has the drawback of being long. In addition, if there are obstacles during probing such as cooling fins of semiconductor elements or repair wiring of electrode pads of a substrate on which semiconductor elements are mounted, or if there is a step on the contacted surface of the probe, Inspection is difficult with a probe.

In other words, when inspecting a semiconductor element, stress is not applied to the semiconductor element in a short time, a high density of a large number of electrodes, electrodes with steps or electrodes with a plurality of spatial arrangements can be handled, and high-speed electrical There is a need for an inspection device capable of measuring characteristics.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide an apparatus capable of inspecting semiconductor elements efficiently and with high reliability.

[Means for solving problems]

The above-mentioned object is to provide a plurality of probe core wires that send and receive an inspection signal by contacting the electrodes of the semiconductor element to be inspected,
A plurality of insulating material tubes in which the probe core wires are movably inserted one by one, and a pair of first and second fixed substrates having through holes in which both ends of the insulating material tubes are inserted and fixed, respectively; A conductive material that wraps around the plurality of insulating material tubes fixed between the first and second fixed substrates and is grounded in common, and the end of the insulating material tube opposite to the inspection target. A plurality of coaxial cables formed by respectively covering the derived probe core wires with an insulating material and further covering the outer periphery of the insulating material with a shield material, and through holes in which the coaxial cables are movably inserted one by one. A third fixed substrate having
A flange provided at each end of the coaxial cable, a spring provided between the flange and the third fixed substrate and on the outer circumference of the coaxial cable, and the coaxial cable is movable, This is achieved by having a configuration including an inspection circuit connected to the coaxial cable.

[Action]

The semiconductor element inspecting apparatus of the present invention uses a core wire of a coaxial cable in which a core wire is covered with an insulating material, and the outer periphery of the core wire is covered with a shield material so as to have a specific characteristic impedance, as a probe. The end exposed from the cable is passed through a plurality of insulating material tubes fixed between a pair of fixed substrates one by one, and the tips of the probe core wires correspond to the electrodes of the semiconductor element that is the inspection object. Since the tube of the insulating material fixed between the pair of fixed substrates is wrapped with a conductive material and this is grounded in common, the probe core wire is shielded up to the vicinity of the tip, The impedance of the entire probe to the inspection circuit can be matched, and the disturbance of the waveform of the high-speed signal can be prevented.

Further, the probe core wires are movable with a proper clearance between the probe core wire and the insulating material tube and between the coaxial cable and the third fixed substrate, and each probe core wire is moved by a spring. Since the electrodes are pressed individually toward the electrodes to be contacted, it is possible to contact electrodes with a certain level difference without hindrance, and by providing the coaxial cable that constitutes the probe with appropriate flexibility, cooling is possible. It is possible to deal with electrodes with complicated spatial arrangements such as fins by obstructing the coaxial cable.

With the above operation, it is possible to realize a probing head capable of performing an operation test with a high-speed signal, in which an electrode for measuring the electrical characteristics of a high-density, ultra-multipin semiconductor element is contacted, and it is efficient and reliable in a short time. It is possible to check the sex.

〔Example〕

 Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of main components of a semiconductor device inspection apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a detailed sectional view of a probing head portion thereof. Note that FIG. 1A shows an embodiment in which the electrode 15 formed on the surface of the substrate 14 on which the semiconductor element 2 is mounted is an object to be contacted for probing, and FIG. An example will be described in which the electrode 16 formed of a solder ball or the like on the surface of is used as a contact target of probing.

For the probe core wire 17, a tungsten wire having an appropriate flexibility is used, and one end of an insulating material tube 18 such as Teflon having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the probe core wire 17 is made of brass or copper. Inserted and fixed in one of the through holes provided in the fixed substrate 19 made of a conductive material such as, and the other end is similarly made into one of the through holes provided in the fixed substrate 20 made of a conductive material such as brass or copper. Insert and fix. Fixed board 19
The through hole is an electrode for measuring the electrical characteristics of semiconductor devices.
Or fixed board provided at the position corresponding to 16 respectively
The through holes 20 are provided at a pitch larger than that of the electrodes 15 or 16, and the insulating material tube 18 is bent by an appropriate length so that the insulating material tube 18 is bent to the pair of fixed substrates 19 It is fixed between 20 and 20. Around the insulating material tube 18 fixed between the fixed substrates 19 and 20, a pair of fixed substrates 19 made of a conductive material is filled with a conductive material 21 such as a conductive paint in which an epoxy resin is mixed with silver powder. It is assumed that the shield is grounded in common through 20 and 20. Also, instead of filling the conductive material 21,
A conductive material paint may be applied to the outer circumference of the insulating tube 18 or a braided conductor may be coated to form a shield. The probe core wires 17 are movably inserted one by one into the shielded insulating material tube 18, and the tip of the core wire 17 drawn out from the end portion of the insulating material tube 18 on the fixed substrate 19 side is formed into a needle shape. The coaxial cable 24 is processed into a probe, and the core wire 17 led out from the end of the fixed substrate 20 is covered with an insulating material 22 such as Teflon, and the outer periphery thereof is further covered with a shielding material 23 such as a stainless pipe. Form. A hole having a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the coaxial cable 24 is provided in the third fixed board 27 made of a conductive material such as brass or copper at a position corresponding to the through hole of the board 20, respectively. The coaxial cables 24 are movably inserted one by one, and a spring 26 is provided between the flange 25 provided at the end of the coaxial cable 24 and the fixed substrate 27 so as to surround the coaxial cable 24, and a probe core wire 17 is provided. Is pressed in the direction of contact with the electrode 15 or 16. The coaxial cable 24 is connected to a coaxial connector 28, and is connected to an inspection circuit (not shown) via the connector.

The above-mentioned embodiment is an example applied to a signal probe, but an embodiment in the case where a power supply probe and a ground probe are mixed in addition to the signal probe is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, instead of the fixed substrate 27 made of a conductive material shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, a fixed substrate 29 made of an insulating material such as ceramic or glass is used for thick film printing of a conductor paste or the like. As a result, a thick film wiring 30 for power supply which can apply a predetermined voltage to the probe B for power supply and a probe for signal
For the shield material 23 and the grounding probe C of A, a grounding thick film wiring 31 capable of forming a common ground is used. Similar to the signal probe A , the power supply probe B has a probe core wire 17 movably inserted into a pipe 18 made of an insulating material fixed between a pair of fixed substrates 19 and 20 made of a conductive material. A tube 32 of a conductive material such as a stainless steel pipe is covered around the probe core wire 17 drawn out from the end portion of the fixed substrate 20 of 18 and one end is contacted with a flange 25 provided at the end of the tube 18 of the conductive material. A voltage may be applied to the probe core wire 17 via a spring 26 mounted so that its end contacts the thick film wiring 30 for power supply on the fixed substrate 29. Also, grounding the probe C, using a tube 32 of conductive material stainless steel pipe or the like instead of the insulating material of the tube 18, the probe core 17 is inserted into the movable therein, otherwise the power supply probe B The same configuration may be used.

In order to stabilize the power supply voltage, thick film wiring for power supply
A bypass capacitor or a structure 34 equivalent thereto may be connected between 30 and the thick film wiring 31 for grounding.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, a core wire of a coaxial cable having a specific characteristic impedance is used as a probe, and the tip of the probe core wire exposed from the coaxial cable is movably inserted one by one into a shielded insulating tube. To a position corresponding to the electrode to be contacted, and since the contact pressure with the electrode is applied to the probe core wire by the spring, the impedance from the probe to the detection circuit can be matched,
The effect that high-speed electrical characteristics of semiconductor elements can be measured, and even if there is a step on the contacted electrode or there is an obstacle, the semiconductor element can be inspected efficiently in a short time with high reliability. There is.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of main components of a semiconductor inspection device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional inspection probe, FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a semiconductor element provided on an electrode, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a mounted state of a semiconductor element connected by melting and soldering, and FIG.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the state of use of a probe card including a multilayer electrode having a protruding electrode and a heat source, FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a probe card having a protruding electrode and a multilayer substrate, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of electrode arrangement of a semiconductor element. FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the probing head portion according to the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the probing head portion according to the present invention. 2 ... Semiconductor element, 14 ... Substrate 15,16 ... Electrode, 17 ... Probe core wire 18 ... Insulating material tube 19, 20 ... Conductive material fixed substrate 21 ... Conductive material, 22 ... Insulating material 23 ... Shielding material, 24 ... Coaxial cable 25 ... Flange, 26 ... Spring 27 ... Conductive material substrate, 28 ... Coaxial connector 29 ... Insulating material substrate, 30 ... Power supply thick film wiring 31 ... Grounding thick film wiring, 32, 33 ... Conductive material tube 34 ... Bypass capacitor

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Minoru Tanaka Minoru Tanaka, 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Inside the Hitachi, Ltd. Institute of Industrial Science (72) Inventor Yokonaka 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa (56) Reference JP-A-58-175273 (JP, A) JP-A-56-148071 (JP, A) JP-A-62-257066 (JP, A) Jitsuko Sho 45-24076 (JP, Y1)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of probe core wires for contacting and receiving an inspection signal by contacting electrodes of a semiconductor element to be inspected, and a plurality of insulating material tubes in which the probe core wires are movably inserted one by one. A pair of first and second fixed substrates having through holes in which both ends of the insulating material tube are inserted and fixed, respectively, and the plurality of insulating materials fixed between the first and second fixed substrates. The conductive material that is wrapped around the tube, and is grounded in common, and the probe core wires that are led out from the end of the tube of the insulating material that is opposite to the inspection target are covered with the insulating material. A plurality of coaxial cables formed by covering the outer circumference with a shield material, a third fixed substrate having through holes through which the coaxial cables are movably inserted one by one, and provided at respective ends of the coaxial cables. Flange and the franc And a third fixed substrate, and a spring provided on the outer circumference of the coaxial cable, and the coaxial cable is movable, and an inspection circuit connected to the coaxial cable. Semiconductor device inspection device.