JPH09329627A - Probe card - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance elasticity of each probe card while facilitating manufacture thereof. SOLUTION: The probe card 10 being used for conduction test of a planar object, e.g. an integrated circuit, includes a planar support 12 having one or more through hole in the direction of thickness, and one or more elastically deformable probe unit 14. The probe unit 14 is provided with an elastically deformable sheet member supported by the support 12, a plurality of electric wirings 24 formed on one side of the sheet member and a plurality of probes including metal wires connected electrically with the electric wirings 24. The sheet member 22 penetrates the support 12 from one side to the other side thereof and the probe is disposed at the position of the sheet member 22 corresponding to the other side of the support 12.

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 the electrical characteristics of a flat plate-like inspected object such as an integrated circuit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An energization test of an integrated circuit is generally performed by using a test head. Many conventional inspection heads or probe cards are used for a probe in which a plurality of metal wires are attached to an electrically insulating support and each metal wire contacts an electrode of an integrated circuit. In such a probe card, since the spring force of the metal wire is large, the degree of electrical contact between the probe and the terminal of the integrated circuit is high, but a large number of metal wires must be accurately attached to the support at a fine pitch. Are difficult and therefore tedious to manufacture and expensive.

As one of the probe cards that does not use a plurality of metal wires, a plurality of electric wirings formed on one surface of a film having electric insulation and flexibility by a printed wiring technique and each electric wiring are formed. A probe card using a probe unit provided with a probe sheet having a hemispherical protrusion (measuring contactor) and a disc-shaped support for supporting the probe sheet has been proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 6-68242).
2-18267, JP-A-2-126160, and JP-B-3-45541).

In all of these probe cards, since a protrusion is formed on each electric wire and a part of the electric wire is used as a probe, the probe sheet can be easily manufactured and the cost is reduced. On the other hand, since the probe sheet is only attached to the support in a plane, the elasticity of the probe portion is low, and therefore sufficient electrical contact can be obtained between the probe and the terminals of the integrated circuit. No, you cannot do the correct test.

A probe unit has been proposed in which a cushioning material is arranged between the probe portion of the probe sheet and the support as described above to increase the apparent spring force of the probe portion (Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-105416). Gazette). But,
In this probe unit, the spring force of the entire probe portion is large, but when one probe portion is deformed, a plurality of probes in the vicinity thereof are deformed, so that the apparent spring force of each probe portion is actually small.

A plate-shaped spring material is arranged on the probe sheet,
A probe unit has been proposed in which adjacent probe portions are physically separated by slits formed in a probe sheet to form independent probes (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-363).
No. 671). However, also in this probe unit, since the probe sheet is only attached flatly to the support, the elasticity of each probe is low, and sufficient electrical contact can be obtained between the probe and the terminals of the integrated circuit. I can't.

[0007]

An object of the present invention is to increase the elasticity of each probe, though it is easy to manufacture.

[0008]

SOLUTION, ACTION, EFFECT The probe card of the present invention is
It includes a plate-shaped support having one or more holes penetrating in the thickness direction and one or more elastically deformable probe units. The probe unit includes an elastically deformable sheet-shaped member supported by a support, a plurality of electric wires formed on one surface of the sheet-shaped member, and a metal wire electrically connected to the electric wires. And a plurality of probes. The sheet-shaped member extends through the hole from one surface side of the support to the other surface side, and the probe is arranged at a portion of the sheet-shaped member corresponding to the other surface of the support.

The electric wiring can be formed on the sheet-like member by a printed wiring technique, and the probe can be formed by soldering a metal wire such as a tungsten wire to the electric wiring. Therefore, by disposing the required number of probes in a plurality of probe units in one probe card, the number of probes to be disposed in each probe unit can be reduced. The probe unit can be easily and accurately mounted, and as a result, the probe unit can be easily manufactured, which in turn makes the probe card easier to manufacture than a conventional probe card in which a probe formed of a metal wire is arranged on a substrate. Further, since the probe is formed of a metal wire, the elasticity of the probe is higher than that when a part of the electric wiring formed on the probe sheet is used as the probe.

As described above, according to the present invention, a sheet-like member having a plurality of electric wires connected to a probe formed of a metal wire is provided on a plate-like support body from one surface side to the other surface. Since I placed it with the hole penetrating on the side of,
Despite the ease of manufacture, the probe has high elasticity.

It is preferable that the probe unit further includes a conductive layer formed on the other surface of the sheet-shaped member. With this configuration, by connecting the conductive layer to the ground, the conductive layer acts as a shield for the electric wiring, so that the frequency characteristic is improved and the method can be applied to the inspection using high frequency.

The sheet-like member has a main body having, for example, a fan shape or a rectangular shape, and an extension portion continuing from the main body portion and extending through the hole. It is preferable that the conductive layer is disposed at the end portion and the conductive layer is formed up to the tip of the extension portion. If you do this,
The conductive layer can also act as a shield for the probe.

The sheet-like member is adhered to the support at the portion where the probe is arranged so that the probe is on the side opposite to the other surface side of the support, and the probe is adhered to the sheet-like member. Further, the adhesive for adhering the sheet-shaped member and the probe to the support and the sheet-shaped member respectively passes through a plurality of through holes formed in the sheet-shaped member, and one surface side of the sheet-shaped member and the other surface. It is preferable to extend to the side of. With this configuration, the adhesive for adhering the sheet-shaped member to the support and the adhesive for adhering the probe to the sheet-shaped member are integrated with each other, so that the sheet-shaped member and the probe are surely supported by the support. be able to.

In a preferred embodiment, the probe unit further includes a connecting portion electrically connected to each electric wiring at a portion corresponding to one surface of the support, the connecting portion being testani-connected. The sheet-shaped member is fixed to one surface of the support at one or more places.

A plurality of probe units can be arranged around an axis perpendicular to the support. Also, a plurality of probe units may be arranged in a state of being overlapped with each other at intervals in the direction of an axis line perpendicular to the support.

When a plurality of probe units are provided, the support body further has a peephole penetrating the support body in the thickness direction, and each probe unit has a probe tip portion on the one surface of the support body. It is preferably arranged so as to be visible from the side through the peephole. With this configuration, the positional relationship between the probe and the terminal of the device under test can be confirmed through the peephole.

[0017]

1 to 3, an inspection head, that is, a probe card 10 is used for an electric conduction test of an object to be inspected in which a large number of electrodes or terminals are arranged at a fine pitch like an integrated circuit. To be The probe card 10
It includes a disc-shaped support body 12 and four flexible probe units 14 sequentially arranged on the support body around its axis. The probe card 10 is attached to an inspection device (not shown) such that the thickness direction of the support 12 is the vertical direction.

The support 12 is formed of a conductive plate material such as a metal plate or a non-conductive plate material such as a synthetic resin plate. The support 12 has a first through hole, that is, a peep hole 1.
6 in the middle, and four second through holes or slots 18 and four grooves 20 around the peephole 16. The peep hole 16 has a quadrangular shape formed by four sides that are continuous in an arc shape. Each elongated hole 18 and each groove 20 extends along the side of the peephole 16. Each groove 20 is formed on the lower surface of the support 12 between the peep hole 16 and the elongated hole 18.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, each probe unit 14 includes an elastically deformable sheet-shaped member 22 and a plurality of electric wirings 24 formed on one surface of the sheet-shaped member.
And the conductive layer 2 formed on the other surface of the sheet-like member 22.
6, a plurality of probes 28 made of a metal wire electrically connected to the electric wiring, and a connector 30 electrically connected to each electric wiring 24.

The sheet-like member 22 is made of an electrically insulating synthetic resin film such as polyimide, and as shown in FIG. 4, a fan-shaped main body 22a.
And an extension portion 22b continuing from the main body portion. The electric wiring 24 has a narrow and thin strip shape, and is formed on the lower surface of the sheet-shaped member 22 from the main body portion 22a to the extension portion 22b.
It is formed to extend to. The electric wiring 24 can be formed by a printed wiring technique. The conductive layer 26 is
It can be formed by coating the entire other surface of the sheet-shaped member 22 with a conductive material.

The sheet member 22 may be formed of a sheet material made of a metal such as stainless steel in a film shape and an insulating film formed of a material having an electrically insulating property such as polyimide. In this case, the electric wiring 24 is formed on the insulating film, and the sheet material acts as a conductive layer.

Each probe 28 is soldered to the tip of the electric wire 24 at its rear end so as to extend from the tip of the electric wire 24 below the extension 22b of the sheet-like member 22. The tip of the probe 28 is bent to the side opposite to the sheet-like member 22 so as to surely contact the terminal of the device under test. Instead of connecting the probe 28 to the electric wiring 24 by soldering, the probe 28 may be connected to the electric wiring 24 by a conductive adhesive.

As shown in FIG. 5, each connector 30 has a conductive pin 32, a conductive cylindrical case 34 arranged coaxially with the pin, and a relative movement between the pin 32 and the case 34. And a non-conductive bonding material 36 such as a synthetic resin that cannot be bonded together. The pin 32 projects to one side from the bonding material 36 by a dimension corresponding to the thickness dimension of the electric wiring 24. One end of the bonding material 36 protrudes from the case 34 by a dimension corresponding to the thickness dimension of the sheet-shaped member 22, but the other end is retracted into the case 34.

Each connector 30 is arranged on the outer peripheral portion of the main body portion 22a of the sheet-like member 22, and the connecting material 36 is also provided.
Penetrates through the conductive layer 26 and the sheet-like member 22, and the pin 3
When the sheet 2 passes through the electric wiring 24, the sheet-shaped member 22
Is attached to the side of the conductive layer 26. The pins 32 and the case 34 are respectively connected to the electrical wiring 24 by soldering.
And to the conductive layer 26.

In the sheet-shaped member 22, the extension portion 22b extends through the elongated hole 18 from one surface (upper surface) side of the support 12 to the other surface (lower surface) side, and the electric wiring 24 and the probe. 28 is arranged on the support body 12 in a state of being on the lower side.

The main body portion 22a of the sheet-like member 22 is attached to the support body 12 by a plurality of stoppers 38 so that the main body portion 22a extends above the support body 12 with a gap.
The extension portion 22 b of the sheet-shaped member 22 is formed in the groove 2 of the support 12.
It is adhered to the lower surface of the support body 12 by the adhesive 40 that is received from the support body 12 so as to extend from the lower surface of the support body 12 at a distance. When the support 12 is made of a conductive material,
In order to prevent the electrical wiring 24 from being electrically short-circuited to the support 12, a film of a non-conductive material may be formed on both upper and lower surfaces of the support 12 or on the surface of the sheet-shaped member 22 on the electrical wiring 24 side. preferable.

The probe 28 has an extension portion 2 of the sheet-shaped member 22 by means of an adhesive 40 which penetrates through a plurality of holes 42 formed in the extension portion 22b of the sheet-shaped member 22 and projects downward.
It is adhered to the lower surface of the extension portion 22b of the sheet-like member 22 so as to extend from 2b at a distance. The holes 42 are formed at the portions corresponding to the grooves 20 of the support 12 and between the probes 28. Since the adhesive that bonds the sheet-shaped member 22 to the support 12 and the adhesive that bonds the probe 28 to the sheet-shaped member 22 are integrated with each other, the sheet-shaped member 22 and the probe 28 are fixed to the support 12.
Can be surely supported.

When conducting an energization test on an object to be inspected such as an integrated circuit, the probe card 10 is pressed against the object to be inspected so that the tips of the probes 28 come into contact with the terminals of the object to be inspected. At this time, the probe 28 for the terminal of the inspection object
The position of the tip of the can be confirmed from the peephole 16.

When the tip of each probe 28 is pressed against the terminal of the device under test, the probe 28 elastically deforms. Since the probe 28 is formed of a metal wire, the elastic force, that is, the spring force of the probe 28 is larger than that when a part of the electric wiring formed on the probe sheet is used as the probe.

The elastic deformation of the probe 28 having a large spring force relatively displaces the tip of the probe 28 and a terminal such as a wafer pad in a pressed state. As a result, a part of the oxide film of the terminal is scraped off by the tip of the probe 28, so that sufficient electrical contact can be obtained between the tip of the probe 28 and the terminal.

On the other hand, the elastic deformation of the probe having a small spring force only causes a slip between the tip of the probe and the terminal, and the tip of the probe does not act to scrape a part of the oxide film of the terminal. Therefore, it is not possible to obtain sufficient electrical contact for the energization test between the tip of the probe and the terminal of the device under test.

At the time of inspection, the connector 30 is connected to a tester (not shown). At this time, the electric wiring 24 is connected to the signal output terminal of the tester, and the conductive layer 26 is connected to the ground terminal. Thereby, the conductive layer 26 acts as a shield for the electrical wiring 24 and the probe 28 during the energization test. Therefore, the probe card 10 has good frequency characteristics and is suitable as a probe card using a high frequency test.

According to the probe card 10, since the plurality of probe units 14 are provided, the number of probes to be arranged in each probe unit is small, and the probes can be accurately and easily attached to the sheet-shaped member at a fine pitch. As a result, the electric wiring can be formed by the printed wiring technique, which facilitates the production of the probe unit, and thus the probe card formed by the metal wire can be used as compared to the conventional probe card arranged on the substrate. Easy to make.

Although four probe units 14 are used in the above embodiment, one or more probe units 14 may be used. Further, instead of arranging the plurality of probe units around the central hole, the plurality of probe units may be arranged in one row or in a plurality of rows. Further, although the plurality of probe units 14 are arranged in substantially the same plane, instead of this, or in addition, the plurality of probe units 14 and 14 are overlapped in a double or more as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Good. In this case, in the probe units 14, 14 to be stacked, the probe 28 of one probe unit 14 is the other probe unit 1.
4 probes 28 are arranged.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, instead of connecting the electric wiring 24 to the connector 30, it may be connected to the electric wiring of the flat cable by using, for example, a round method. Further, when not used for the high frequency test, the conductive layer 26 may not be formed. further,
The hole through which the probe unit penetrates may be an elliptical hole instead of the elongated hole 18. Furthermore, the main body portion 22a of the sheet-shaped member 22 may have another shape such as a rectangle.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the probe card of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing an embodiment of the probe unit.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged bottom view of the tip of the probe unit.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the probe unit and is a cross-sectional view showing the tip end portion of the probe unit.

FIG. 8 is a left side view of the probe unit shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 probe card 12 support 14 probe unit 16 peep hole 18 hole through which probe unit penetrates 20 groove 22 sheet-like member 24 electric wiring 26 conductive layer 28 probe 30 connector 40 adhesive 42 hole formed in sheet-like member

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A head used for electrical inspection of an object to be inspected, comprising a plate-shaped support having one or more holes penetrating in a thickness direction, and one or more elastically deformable probe units. The probe unit is elastically deformable sheet-shaped member supported by the support, a plurality of electric wirings formed on one surface of the sheet-shaped member, and electrically connected to the electric wirings. A plurality of probes made of metal wires, the sheet-shaped member extends through the hole from one surface side of the support to the other surface side, the probe is the support of the support. A probe card arranged at a portion of the sheet-like member corresponding to the other surface. 2. The probe unit further includes a conductive layer formed on the other surface of the sheet-shaped member,
The probe card according to claim 1. 3. The sheet-shaped member has a main body portion and an extension portion that is continuous with the main body portion and extends through the hole.
The probe card according to claim 2, wherein the tip of the probe is arranged at the tip of the extension, and the conductive layer is formed up to the tip of the extension. 4. The sheet-shaped member, so that the probe is on the side opposite to the other surface side of the support,
The probe is adhered to the support at a portion where it is arranged, and the probe is adhered to the sheet-like member, and the sheet-like member and the probe are respectively attached to the support and the sheet-like member. 4. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive to be bonded extends to one surface side and the other surface side of the sheet-shaped member through a plurality of through holes formed in the sheet-shaped member. card. 5. The probe unit further includes a connecting portion electrically connected to each of the electric wirings at a portion corresponding to one surface of the support body, the connecting portion being testee-connected, The probe card according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sheet-shaped member is fixed to one surface of the support at one or more locations. 6. The plurality of probe units are arranged around an axis perpendicular to the support.
The probe card according to any one of 1. 7. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of probe units are arranged in a state of being superposed at intervals in a direction of an axis line perpendicular to the support. . 8. The supporting body further has a peephole penetrating the supporting body in a thickness direction, and each probe unit has a tip portion of the probe from a side of the one surface of the supporting body. The probe card according to claim 6 or 7, which is arranged to be visible through the peephole.