JPH0964125A - Probe card - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the deformation of a needle holder resulting from the thermal expansion, etc., of a wiring board by forming a reinforcing section between a pair of parallel needle fixing sections of the slender needle holder. SOLUTION: The base ends of probe needles 10 are fixed onto the wiring pattern of a wiring board 12 by soldering, and the intermediate sections of the probe needles 10 are bonded and fixed onto the base (a pair of mutually parallel needle fixing sections) of a needle holder 40 with adhesives 24. A support plate 18 is bonded and fastened onto the top face of the needle hold-down 40, and both end sections in the longitudinal direction of the support plate 18 are screwed onto the wiring board 12. Seven reinforcing sections 42 are formed between a pair of the needle fixing sections at regular intervals. Eight IC chips can be inspected simultaneously in the form of the execution.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a probe card characterized by a needle pressing structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG.
FIG. 10 is a plan view of a conventional probe card for simultaneously inspecting IC chips such as chips and 16 chips. FIG. 6 shows FIG.
6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 7, and FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the probe card of FIG. 5. In FIG. 6, a large number of probe needles 10
The base end of the probe is fixed to the wiring pattern of the wiring board 12 by soldering 13, and the needle presser 14 is provided in the middle of the probe needle 10.
It is adhesively fixed to the bottom of the. The bottom surface of the needle presser 14 is inclined with respect to the wiring board 12, and the probe needle 10 is adhesively fixed to the inclined bottom surface with an adhesive 24. The needle presser 14 is disposed inside the opening 16 of the wiring board 12 and projects below the wiring board 12. A support plate 18 is adhesively fixed to the upper surface of the needle presser 14.
The needle presser 14 is not directly fixed to the wiring board 12, but is fixed via the support plate 18. As shown in the plan view of FIG. 5, the frame-shaped elongated support plate 18 is screwed to the wiring board 12 only at both longitudinal ends thereof. Support plate 1
The tip of the probe needle 10 is visible through the central opening of the probe needle 8, and the middle of the probe needle 10 is visible through the gap between the support plate 18 and the opening 16.

As shown in the bottom view of FIG. 7, the wiring board 12
The elongated rectangular frame-shaped needle holder 1 having a smaller peripheral dimension than the opening 16 is provided inside the elongated rectangular opening 16.
4 is arranged with a slight gap between its periphery and the opening 16. The support plate 18 has the same width as the needle presser 14 but is fixed by the screw 22 so that the needle presser 1 is fixed.
It is longer than 4. The midpoint of the probe needle 10 is fixed by an adhesive 24 to a pair of parallel needle fixing portions on the bottom surface of the needle retainer 14. In this example, the probe needles 10 are arranged so that eight IC chips 26 can be inspected at the same time.

[0004]

FIG. 8 (A) is a front sectional view when inspecting an IC chip on a wafer at a high temperature using the above-mentioned conventional probe card. The outer peripheral portion of the wiring board 12 of the probe card is attached to the holder 28 of the prober. The wafer 30 is held on the heat chuck 32 and heated to a high temperature. The probe needle 10 is attached to the electrode pad of the IC chip on the wafer 30.
To inspect the IC chip.

During such high temperature measurement, the temperature on the lower surface side of the wiring substrate 12 becomes higher than that on the upper surface side due to the radiant heat and the conductive heat from the heat chuck 32 and the wafer 30. Therefore, as shown by the arrow 34 in FIG. 8B, the wiring board 12 is deformed by thermal expansion so as to be convex downward. At this time, the needle presser 14 maintains substantially the same height without lowering. Because, as shown in FIG.
The needle presser 14 is provided only at the vicinity of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the opening 16 via the support plate 18 adhered and fixed thereon.
This is because it is screwed to the center of the wiring board 12 (the downward displacement is large).
Away from.

As described above, the base end of the probe needle 10 is fixed near the center of the wiring board 12 which is displaced so as to be convex downward, while the probe needle 10 is almost at the same height in the middle. Since the wiring board 12 is lowered, the probe needle 10 exerts a force to push the needle presser 14 inward as shown by an arrow 36, as shown in FIG. 8B. . As a result, as shown in the bottom view of FIG. 9, the pair of parallel probe needle fixing portions (the portions with the adhesive 24) of the needle presser 14 are deformed to be convex inward (note that The amount of deformation is exaggerated in FIG. 9). As a result, the probe needle 10 fixed to the needle presser 14 advances inward as shown by the arrow 38.
Such a forward movement phenomenon is particularly remarkable in the vicinity of the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the needle holder. Further, the longer the needle presser is (that is, the larger the number of chips in one row to be inspected at the same time), the more remarkable this advance phenomenon. If the tip of the probe needle moves forward in this way, the needle tip of the probe needle and the electrode pad of the IC chip are displaced, which adversely affects the inspection.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to prevent deformation of a needle holder in a probe card for simultaneously inspecting a plurality of chips arranged in a row at high temperature. To do.

[0008]

The probe card of the present invention is characterized in that, in the elongated needle retainer, a reinforcing portion perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof is formed. That is, the probe card of the present invention is a probe card in which the base ends of a large number of probe needles are fixed to the wiring board, and the middle of the probe needles is fixed to the needle presser. It has characteristics. (A) An elongated opening is formed in the center of the wiring board.
(B) A slender needle holder is arranged inside the opening. (C) Near both ends of the opening in the longitudinal direction, both ends of the needle retainer in the longitudinal direction are fixed to the wiring board. (D) The needle retainer includes a pair of elongated needle fixing portions arranged in parallel with each other with a gap.
(E) One or more reinforcing portions extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the needle retainer are formed between the pair of needle fixing portions at positions other than both ends in the longitudinal direction of the needle retainer.

When the reinforcing portion is formed in this way, even if the needle retainer is deformed due to thermal expansion of the wiring board or the like,
Supported by the reinforcing part, the distance between the pair of parallel needle fixing parts is kept constant. Therefore, the displacement of the probe tip and the electrode pad does not occur.

When fixing the needle retainer to the wiring board, both longitudinal ends of the needle retainer itself may be directly fixed to the wiring board, or a support plate may be fixed to the needle retainer and both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the support plate may be fixed. The part may be fixed to the wiring board. That is, the positions where the needle presser is fixed to the wiring board may be the both ends in the longitudinal direction of the needle presser, and either the direct fixing or the indirect fixing via another supporting member may be used.

At least one reinforcing portion is required to be formed between the pair of needle fixing portions of the needle presser, and when only one reinforcing portion is provided, it is effective to provide it at the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the needle presser. Target. It is preferable to provide a plurality of reinforcing portions, and if possible, arrange them at equal intervals. In that case, a group of probe needles arranged between the adjacent reinforcing portions may correspond to one IC chip on the substrate to be inspected.

[0012]

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the probe card of the present invention. The basic structure of this probe card is the same as that of the conventional probe card shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, except that the reinforcing portion 42 is formed in the needle holder 40. The other parts are the same as those of the conventional example, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the conventional example shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

In FIG. 1, the base ends of a large number of probe needles 10 are fixed to the wiring pattern of the wiring substrate 12 by soldering, and the probe needles 10 are provided on the bottom surface of the needle holder 40 (a pair of parallel needles). It is adhesively fixed to the (fixed portion) with an adhesive 24. Inside the elongated rectangular opening 16 formed in the wiring board 12, there is provided an elongated rectangular frame-shaped needle presser 40 having a peripheral dimension smaller than that of the opening 16 and a slight distance between the periphery and the opening 16. It is arranged with a gap. The support plate 18 is adhesively fixed to the upper surface of the needle presser 40. Only the longitudinal ends of the frame-shaped elongated support plate 18 are screwed to the wiring board 12. In this example, probe needles are arranged so that eight IC chips can be inspected at the same time.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the needle presser 40. The needle retainer 40 has an elongated rectangular frame shape and includes a pair of parallel needle fixing portions 44 for fixing the probe needle midway. An adhesive can be used for the needle fixing portion 44 to fix the middle of the probe needle. Seven reinforcing portions 42 are integrally formed between the needle fixing portions 44. The reinforcing portions 42 extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the needle retainer 40, and the reinforcing portions 42 are parallel to each other. And
The reinforcing portions 42 are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the needle retainer 40. Due to the presence of the seven reinforcing portions 42, the needle presser 4
Eight hollow portions are formed at 0. This hollow portion 46
One IC chip is inspected by a group of probe needles protruding in the direction. One IC chip corresponds to one hollow portion 46. Therefore, the probe card including the needle holder 40 can inspect eight IC chips at the same time. Of course, other numbers of IC chips may be inspected at the same time. In that case, a needle presser having a length corresponding to that may be prepared, and at the same time, a reinforcing portion having one less than the number of chips to be inspected at the same time. By forming 42, the same number of hollow portions 46 as the number of chips are formed.

In the needle holder 40, the reinforcing portions 42 are formed at equal intervals between the pair of parallel needle fixing portions 44, so that the needle fixing is caused by the thermal expansion of the wiring board during the high temperature inspection. Even when the portion 44 receives a pushing force from the probe needle inward, the needle fixing portion 44 is supported by the reinforcing portion 42 and is hardly deformed. Therefore, the displacement of the probe tip and the electrode pad does not occur.

FIG. 3A is a sectional view taken along the line 3A-3A in FIG. 1, and shows a section of the reinforcing portion 42. FIG.
FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along line 3B-3B in FIG.
Sections other than the above are shown. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. The reinforcing portion 42 is visible through the central opening of the frame-shaped support plate 18.

[0017]

In the probe card of the present invention, since the reinforcing portion is formed between the pair of parallel needle fixing portions of the elongated needle retainer, the needle retainer may be deformed due to thermal expansion of the wiring board. Also, the distance between the pair of parallel needle fixing portions is kept constant by being supported by the reinforcing portion. Therefore, the displacement of the probe tip and the electrode pad does not occur.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a needle retainer used in the embodiment of FIG.

3 is a sectional view taken along line 3A-3A and a sectional view taken along line 3B-3B of FIG.

4 is a plan view of the probe card of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a conventional probe card.

6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the probe card of FIG.

FIG. 8: I on a wafer using a conventional probe card
It is a front sectional view when inspecting a C chip in a high temperature state.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of a conventional probe card in a high temperature use state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Probe Needle 12 Wiring Board 16 Opening 18 Support Plate 22 Screw 24 Adhesive 40 Needle Retainer 42 Reinforcing Part 44 Needle Fixing Part 46 Hollow Part

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A probe card in which the base ends of a large number of probe needles are fixed to a wiring board, and the middle of the probe needles is fixed to a needle holder, and the probe has the following characteristics (a) to (e): card. (A) An elongated opening is formed in the center of the wiring board. (B) A slender needle holder is arranged inside the opening. (C) Near both ends of the opening in the longitudinal direction, both ends of the needle retainer in the longitudinal direction are fixed to the wiring board. (D) The needle retainer includes a pair of elongated needle fixing portions arranged in parallel with each other with a gap. (E) One or more reinforcing portions extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the needle retainer are formed between the pair of needle fixing portions at positions other than both ends in the longitudinal direction of the needle retainer. 2. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the reinforcing portions are formed at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the needle retainer. 3. The probe card according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing portions are formed at equal intervals. 4. The probe card according to claim 3, wherein the group of probe needles arranged between the adjacent reinforcing portions correspond to one IC chip on the substrate to be inspected.