JPH0915262A - Probe card - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To perform the measurement of a probe card accurately to uniformize the displacement of a probe needle floating end due to the bend deformation of an insulating substrate in the time of measurement by adding a dummy needle in elastic contact with each flat surface of electronic parts to the probe needle. CONSTITUTION: Dammy needles 13 are added to probe needles 8, and the number of their pieces is set to the same number of that of probe needles 9 being much in array pieces, and they are symmetrically set up on an insulating substrate 6. In this probe card 14, each floating end of the probe needles 8, 9 and dammy needles 13 comes into contact with electronic parts, and further comes into elastic contact with them by more load imposed. With this contact, if bend deformation is produced in the insulating substrate 6, they are symmetrically deformed. Therefore, each load of these prove needles 8 and 9 can be equalized, thereby, contact pressure to an electrode pad of the electronic parts can be made constant, and thus, stable measurement is performable. In addition, since each contact pressure of these prove needles 8 and 9 is almost uniformized, an abrasive state can be also equalized, and this probe card is usable for a long period of time.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a probe card used for inspecting electrical characteristics of electronic parts having a large number of electrodes such as a TAB type semiconductor device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A TAB type semiconductor device is used as an electronic component having a large number of electrodes. An example of this will be described with reference to FIG.
In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a long insulating film, and feed holes 1a and 1a are formed along both sides, and rectangular through holes 1b are formed at predetermined intervals in the middle of the width direction in the longitudinal direction. .
Reference numeral 2 is a conductive pattern formed by etching a conductive foil laminated on the insulating film 1, and includes several other inner leads 2a extending in the through hole 1b. In addition, the conductive pattern on the insulating film 1 has an outer lead 2b which is externally connected,
A conductive pad 2c for inspection, which is connected to the outer lead and used for electrical inspection, is formed. The insulating film 1 and the conductive pattern 2 form a TAB tape 3. 4
Has a large number of electrodes (not shown) on the surface of the TAB tape 3
2 shows a semiconductor pellet which is disposed in the through hole 1b and is electrically connected by superposing the electrode and the free end portion of the inner lead 2a.

In this TAB type semiconductor device 5, after connecting a semiconductor pellet 4 to a TAB tape 3, an electrode pad 2c is formed.
A power source, a load, a measuring device, etc. are connected to the device and an electrical test is performed to determine whether the product is good or bad. The non-defective part is punched out from the TAB tape 3 into a predetermined shape, and the outer lead 2b is externally connected and used. Here, an example of a probe card for connecting a power supply, a load, and a measuring device to the electrode pads 2c of the electronic component 5 in order to inspect the electrical characteristics of the TAB semiconductor device 5 (hereinafter referred to as an electronic component) is shown in FIG. And it demonstrates from FIG. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 3 are designated by the same reference numerals, and overlapping description will be omitted. In the figure, 6 is a circular insulating substrate,
Rectangular through holes 6a and 6b are provided in parallel below the moving path of the long electronic component 5 and in the center thereof, the rectangular through holes 6a and 6b are seen through the electrode pad 2c of the electronic component 5. 7
a and 7b are insulating plates arranged in parallel outside the through holes 6a and 6b, 8 and 9 are a set of a plurality of probe needles, and one ends 8a and 9a thereof are arranged in parallel to the insulating substrate 6. Fixed, the middle parts 8b, 9b
Are supported by the insulating plates 7a and 7b and are inclined with respect to the insulating substrate, and the free ends 8c and 9c elastically contact a large number of electrode pads 2c arranged in parallel on a flat surface of the electronic component 5. .

Reference numeral 10 denotes a connection pad formed on the surface of the insulating substrate 6 opposite to the surface on which the probe needle is attached, which is electrically connected to the probe needles 8 and 9 by connecting means (not shown). A probe needle 8 is attached to the insulating substrate 6,
The probe card 11 configured by fixing 9 is fixed to a supporting member (not shown), is externally connected via the connection pad 10, and moves up and down. Reference numeral 12 denotes a pressing member that is arranged at a fixed position above the electronic component 5 and moves up and down to lock the electronic component 5. The operation of this device will be described below. First, the electronic component 5 is stopped at a predetermined position, and the probe card 11 is raised to move the free ends 8a and 9a of the probe needles 8 and 9, respectively.
Is brought into contact with the electrode pads 2c, 2c of the electronic component 5 locked by the pressing member 12. After this, a few hundred μ more
A predetermined distance of about m is raised to ensure electrical connection by the elastic force of the probe needles 8 and 9. In this state, the power supply is turned on, the measuring device is operated, the predetermined measurement is performed, and the quality determination and grade selection are performed based on the measurement result. When the measurement is completed, the probe card 11 is lowered and the pressing member 1
2 is raised, the electronic component 5 is fed by one pitch, and the above operation is repeated to continue the measurement. A mark is attached to an electronic component or a measurement result is recorded in a memory according to the result of this measurement, and a predetermined work is performed by this result in a later step.

[0005]

By the way, the TAB type semiconductor device which is an electronic component is compatible with multiple electrodes. For example, in the case of a driving semiconductor device of a liquid crystal display device, there are about 30 input signal lines and an output signal line. The number of lines is about 300, and the arrangement is such that the input / output signal lines are separated from the viewpoint of mountability and the electrode pads 2c of the respective signal lines are arranged substantially in parallel on one another. On the other hand, the electrode pad 2c and the probe needles 8 and 9
In order to ensure the connection, the elastic force is generated and a load of several tens to several 100 g is applied to each probe needle. Therefore, a load of 300 g to 3 kg on the input signal line side and a load of 3 kg to 30 kg on the output signal line side are applied to the insulating substrate 6.

In order to endure such a large load, a glass epoxy substrate having a diameter of 200 mm and a thickness of about 5 mm is used as the insulating substrate 6, but the load is unevenly applied and the difference is large, so that the probe card 11 is parallel. Even if the probe needle 8 is raised to above, the insulating substrate 6 is unevenly bent, the contact of the probe needles 8 and 9 with the electrode pad 2c is also uneven, and the measurement becomes unstable. Since the wear states of Nos. 8 and 9 are also non-uniform, there is a problem that the life of the probe card 11 is shortened. This problem becomes more remarkable as the electronic components 5 have higher functionality and higher packaging density.
1 is provided with a reinforcing plate on the back surface thereof, or a support member for supporting the probe card 11 is provided with a reinforcing means for supporting and reinforcing the insulating substrate 6. (For example, see Japanese Patent Application Nos. 7-8657 and 7-103843)
The attachment of such a reinforcing plate or reinforcing means causes problems such as the probe card 11 becoming heavy and complicated to handle, and requiring a large space for storage. Therefore, a better solution has been desired.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed for the purpose of solving the above-mentioned problems. One end is fixed to an insulating substrate, an intermediate portion is inclined with respect to the insulating substrate, and a free end is an electronic component. In a probe card having a large number of probe needles elastically contacting a large number of external electrodes arranged in a plurality of rows on a flat surface, the probe needles corresponding to the arrangement of the electronic component on the side having a small number of electrodes Provided is a probe card characterized by adding a dummy needle that elastically contacts a flat surface of an electronic component on an extension of an array line of the probe needle.

[0008]

By the means for solving the above problems, even if the number of arrayed electrode pads is not uniform, the load applied to the insulating substrate can be made uniform, and the displacement of the probe needle free end due to the bending deformation of the insulating substrate during measurement is made uniform. As a result, the probe needles can contact each other with a substantially uniform load, so that the measurement can be performed accurately.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. The present invention is only that the dummy needle 13 is added to the probe needle 8 side in the illustrated example, of which the number of arranged probe needles 8 and 9 is small. The dummy needles 13 are added to the probe needles 8, are set to be approximately the same in number as the probe needles 9 having a large number of arrays, and are arranged symmetrically on the insulating substrate 6. In the probe card 14, the free ends of the probe needles 8 and 9 and the dummy needle 13 are brought into contact with the electronic component 5, and a load is further applied to elastically contact the electronic component 5.
Even if the insulating substrate 6 is flexibly deformed, it can be deformed symmetrically, so that the load of each probe needle 8 and 9 can be made uniform, and the contact pressure of the electronic component 5 to the electrode pad 2c can be made constant and stable. You can measure.

Further, since the contact pressures of the respective probe needles 8 and 9 are almost uniform, the wear state can be made uniform, there is no uneven wear, and the probe card 14 can be used for a long period of time.
Can be provided. Further, since the insulating substrate 6 is deformed symmetrically, reinforcement using a reinforcing plate or a reinforcing member can be easily performed, and the weight of the reinforced probe card 14 can be reduced. still,
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the dummy needles 13 are not made of the same material as the probe needles 8 and 9, and the number of additional needles can be increased or decreased by elastic force. Can also be different from the arrangement pitch of the probe needles 8 and 9,
The dummy needle 13 may be arranged apart from the array end of the probe nidle 8. The electronic component to which the probe card 14 is applied is not limited to the TAB type semiconductor device, but can be generally applied to electronic components having multiple leads and multiple electrodes.

[0011]

According to the present invention, when the probe card is raised and the free end of the probe needle comes into contact with the electronic component and is further raised, even if the insulating substrate 6 is bent, the bending state is made uniform and each probe needle is Since the difference in load between the rows can be reduced, the contact between the probe needle and the electrode pad can be made uniform and reliable, stable measurement can be performed, and erroneous determination can be eliminated. Further, the wear state of all probe needles becomes uniform, so that the probe card can be used for a long period of time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a probe card showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a BB sectional view of the probe card in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a TAB semiconductor device.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional probe card.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the probe card in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 6 Insulating Substrate 8 Probe Needle 9 Probe Needle 13 Dummy Needle 14 Probe Card

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An end is fixed to an insulating substrate, an intermediate portion is inclined with respect to the insulating substrate, and a free end is elastic to a large number of external electrodes arranged in a plurality of lines in a substantially straight line on a flat surface of an electronic component. In a probe card having a large number of contacting probe needles, the probe needle corresponding to the arrangement of the electronic component on the side having a small number of electrodes is elastically contacted with the flat surface of the electronic component on the extension of the alignment straight line of the probe needle. A probe card with a dummy needle added. 2. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein dummy needles are added so that the number of probe needles in each row including dummy needles is substantially equal. 3. The probe card according to claim 2, wherein the arrangement interval of the free ends of the dummy needles is made substantially equal to the arrangement interval of the probe needles to which the dummy needles are added. 4. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein the dummy needle is stronger than the elastic force of the probe needle. 5. The probe card according to claim 4, wherein the dummy needles are arranged apart from the probe needles.