JPH11260871A - Probe device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a probe device with superior frequency characteristic in which a pin load on a probe card can be reduced, the flatness of the probe card can be maintained, and a thermal effects can be prevented moreover even at high temperature inspection. SOLUTION: In this probe device, lower contact electrodes 13A of a performance board 13 are arranged to be gathered at the central part, and a spacer 16 having through-holes corresponding to the lower contact electrodes 13A is mounted on the performance board 13. Also an interval δ is interposed between a probe card 12 and the spacer 16, and a pogo pin 18 elastically brought into contact with each bump 12A and the lower contact electrode 13A corresponding to them is mounted on the through-hole of the spacer 16.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a probe device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor manufacturing process, before IC chips formed on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as "wafer") are packaged, an electrical characteristic test of each IC chip is performed in a wafer state, and the semiconductor chip is manufactured in advance. An inspection step for screening non-defective IC chips is provided. In this inspection process, for example, a probe device is used. The probe device generally includes a loader chamber for transporting a wafer, and a prober chamber adjacent to the loader chamber for inspecting electrical characteristics of the wafer transported from the loader unit. As shown in FIG. 8, a main chuck 1 for mounting a wafer W and moving in the X, Y, Z and θ directions is disposed in the prober chamber, and a probe card facing the main chuck 1 is provided on the upper surface of the prober chamber. 2 is fixed. The probe card 2 is connected to a tester (not shown) via a connection ring 3 and a performance board 4.
Is electrically connected to the test head 5 connected to the tester 5, and an electrical characteristic test of the wafer W is performed based on a signal from the tester. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 6 denotes a pogo pin.

When performing inspection using a probe device, the main chuck 1 is placed on the main chuck 1 while the wafer W transferred from the loader chamber is placed on the main chuck 1, and the X, Y, Z, and .theta.
After moving in the direction to align the electrode pads (for example, formed of aluminum) of the respective IC chips of the wafer W with the probe needles 2A of the probe card 2, the main chuck 1 is moved upward in the Z direction to move The electrode pads and the respective probe needles 2 </ b> A are in electrical contact with each other, and the electrical characteristics of each IC chip are inspected.

[0004] In recent years, the integration degree of IC chips has rapidly increased, and the wiring structure of IC chips has become extremely fine, so that the pitch of electrode pads has become increasingly narrower. Accompanying this, the pitch of the probe needles 2A of the probe card 2 becomes narrower, the number of pogo pins 6 for conducting with the test head 5 increases rapidly, and the signal current becomes smaller.

[0005]

However, in the case of the conventional probe device, the probe card 2 is electrically connected to the connection ring 3, the performance board 4 and the test head 5 at the peripheral portion as shown in FIG. In addition, since the pogo pins 6 are provided corresponding to all types of probe cards 2, some of the pogo pins 6 are not used depending on the probe card 2, and the number of used pogo pins 6 increases. For example, more than 4000 pogo pins 6 are mounted. I have. Assuming that the pin load per pin is 20 g,
The pin load applied from all the pogo pins 6 to the periphery of the probe card 2 reaches 80 kg. Further, when the main chuck 1 is overdriven at the time of inspection and a stylus pressure is applied to the wafer W from the probe needles 2A, the probe card 2 is slightly bent at the center due to the reaction force, and the flatness of the probe card 2 is reduced. May adversely affect the inspection. And one
When measuring a high temperature exceeding 00 ° C., the probe card 2 may be affected by thermal expansion or the like. Further, when a stylus pressure is applied from the probe card 2 to the peripheral portion of the wafer W, the main chuck 1 is slightly inclined, so that the stylus pressure of the probe needles 2A of the horizontally arranged probe card 2 must be kept constant. Was difficult.

Further, in the case of the conventional probe device, the connection ring 3 and the performance board 4 are interposed between the probe card 2 and the test head 5, so that the wiring from the test head 5 to the probe card 2 is long and noise is easily picked up. Therefore, there is a problem that the frequency characteristics are deteriorated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and can reduce the pin load on the probe card, maintain the flatness of the probe card, and is less likely to be thermally affected even during a high-temperature inspection. It is another object of the present invention to provide a probe device having excellent frequency characteristics.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a probe apparatus which mounts a device to be inspected in X, Y, Z and .theta. A probe card having a plurality of contacts arranged in the probe card, and a performance board electrically connected to the probe card. In the probe device for inspecting the electrical characteristics of the body, the contact electrodes on the probe card side of the performance board are collected at the center and arranged in a matrix, and the through holes in the matrix corresponding to the contact electrodes are formed. Mounting the spacer having the spacer to the performance board, and mounting the probe card to the performance board with a gap interposed between the probe card and the spacer. Both is characterized in that both the elastic-contact with the elastic intermediate terminal of the contact electrode corresponding to each contact and their above was mounted in the through hole of the spacer.

A probe device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the probe device according to the first aspect, wherein the elastic relay terminal is detachable.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the probe device according to the first or second aspect, the contact electrode of the performance board is larger than the outer diameter of the elastic relay terminal. It is characterized by the following.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a probe device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein a pogo pin is provided as the elastic relay terminal. Things.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a probe device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the substrate of the probe card is formed of ceramic. Is what you do.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the probe device according to the first aspect, the contact of the probe card is moved from a base end to a tip end. It is characterized by being gradually narrowed across.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 7, for example, a probe device 10 of the present embodiment is provided with a main chuck 11 that is movable in X, Y, Z, and θ directions provided in a prober chamber, and is disposed above the main chuck 11. A probe card 12 having a rectangular shape, and a performance board 13 formed of a printed wiring board connected to the probe card 12. The probe card 12 transmits an inspection signal between the probe card 12 and a test head 14 via the performance board 13. The wafer W, which is an object to be inspected, is inspected for electrical characteristics.

The probe card 12 and the performance board 13 of the present embodiment are configured as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, for example. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the probe card 12 includes a plurality of contacts (for example, bumps) 12.
A, a ceramic (for example, quartz) substrate 12B having a small coefficient of thermal expansion and excellent heat resistance having these bumps 12A on the lower surface, and a plurality of contacts formed in a matrix on the upper surface of the ceramic substrate 12B. Electrode 12C,
It has a plurality of layers of wiring patterns 12D (only one layer is shown in FIG. 1) formed in a plurality of upper and lower stages for connecting these contact electrodes 12C and the bumps 12A. The performance board 13 includes a plurality of lower surface contact electrodes 13A formed in a matrix at the center of the lower surface, and a plurality of upper surface contact electrodes 13B arranged in a ring shape on the outer peripheral edge of the upper surface. , These two electrodes 1
And a wiring pattern (not shown) for electrically connecting 3A and 13B.

A rectangular spacer 16 slightly larger than the probe card 12 is fixed to the lower surface of the performance board 13 via a first mounting member 17. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of through holes 16A for mounting the pogo pins 18 are arranged in a matrix on the entire surface of the spacer 16, and these through holes 16A are formed.
Are formed in the same number as that of the lower surface contact electrodes 13A of the performance board 13. These through holes 16A are located directly below the lower surface contact electrode 13A with the spacer 16 fixed to the performance board 13. And probe card 1
2 and the performance board 13 are electrically connected to each other via a pogo pin 18 mounted in the through hole 16A.

However, since the performance board 13 is configured to correspond to all kinds of probe cards 12, the number of the lower surface contact electrodes 13A is the same as the number of the contact electrodes 12C of the various probe cards 12. Or more than these. Therefore, depending on the type of the probe card 12, all the lower surface contact electrodes 13A may be used, or some of the lower surface contact electrodes 13A may not be used. For this reason, the pogo pins 18 are detachable. If there are unused lower surface contact electrodes 13A, the pogo pins 18 are not mounted in the through holes 16A corresponding to these lower surface contact electrodes 13A, and the lower surface contact electrodes used are not used. Pogo pins 18 are mounted in the through holes 16A corresponding to the electrodes 13A. In addition, by making the outer diameter (for example, 700 to 800 μm) of the lower surface contact electrode 13A larger than the outer diameter (for example, 20 to 30 μm) of the pogo pin 18, the positioning of the pogo pin 18 with respect to the performance board 13 is easily performed. I can do it.

Also, as shown in FIG.
The lower surface of the second mounting member 1 used when mounting the probe card 12 to the performance board 13
9 is attached. A gap δ is formed between the probe card 12 mounted on the performance board 13 via the second mounting member 19 and the spacer 16, and the pogo pins 18 mounted on the spacer 16 are connected to the contact electrodes 12 C of the probe card 12. And the lower surface contact electrode 13A of the performance board 13
Electrical continuity between 2 and 13 is achieved.

As shown in FIG. 1, positioning pins 20 for positioning the contact electrodes 12C of the probe card 12 and the through holes 16A of the spacer 16 with respect to the performance board 13 are provided on the lower surface of the performance board 13. It is attached to four places. These positioning pins 20 hang down from the lower surface of the performance board 13 and penetrate through the positioning holes 12E and 16B formed at four corners of the probe card 12 and the spacer 16, respectively. It is made to abut. Therefore, when the probe card 12 and the spacer 16 are attached to the performance board 13 with the positioning pins 20 as reference,
A pogo pin 18 mounted on A will resiliently contact both the contact electrode 12C of the probe card 12 and the lower surface contact electrode 13A of the performance board 13, and a gap δ will be formed between the probe card 12 and the spacer 16 as described above. It has become. Further, the recess 13 is formed at the center of the lower surface of the performance board 13 and
C and 16C are formed, and a ball 21 is interposed between these concave portions 13C and 16C so that the center of the performance board 13 and the center of the spacer 16 are aligned via the ball 21.

Further, since the gap δ is formed between the probe card 12 and the spacer 16 as described above, if the main chuck 11 is overdriven during the inspection, the probe card 12 is positioned against the elasticity of the pogo pin 18 while the positioning pin 20 And the positioning pin 2
0 also has a function as a lifting guide of the probe card 12.

For example, the first mounting member 17 is formed with a ventilation hole 17A communicating the gap δ with the outside, and a gas pipe (not shown) for supplying a cooling gas such as air is formed in the ventilation hole 17A. It is connected. When a high-temperature inspection is performed, cooling air is supplied into the gap δ via a gas pipe to cool the probe card 12.

The bump 1 of the probe card 12
2A is formed, for example, as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b) and FIG. As shown in each figure, the bump 12A is formed in a truncated quadrangular pyramid shape that gradually becomes thinner from the base end to the tip and has a substantially square flat surface at the tip. As shown in FIG. 4, the bump 12A has a core portion 12F formed of a material having a higher hardness than the electrode pad, for example, an ore such as diamond, sapphire, quartz, or the like, and a truncated pyramid shape, and gold, rhodium, Alternatively, it is formed of a conductive film 12G coated with a good conductive metal such as an alloy thereof. Then, the base end of the conductive film 12G is connected to the wiring pattern 12D, and conduction with the electrode pad is achieved via the conductive film 12G. The height H of the bump 12A from the wiring pattern 12D is, for example, 120 to 250 μm as shown in FIG.
m, and the side length L of the flat surface at the tip is, for example, 10
１５15 μm. In particular, the side length of the flat surface is 3
If the thickness is 0 μm or more, the biting of the bump 12A into the electrode pad is insufficient, and it is difficult to sufficiently secure the contact resistance between the peripheral surface of the bump 12A and the electrode pad. If the thickness exceeds 40 μm, the biting into the electrode pad may be difficult.
When the side length of the flat surface is 8 μm or less, the bump 12A bites into the electrode pad, but it is difficult to sufficiently secure the contact resistance between the peripheral surface of the bump 12A and the electrode pad.
The contact of the probe card 12 is shown in FIG.
The bump 12′A having a truncated cone shape shown in FIG.

Next, the operation will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the wafer W is placed on the main chuck 11, and after performing predetermined alignment, if the main chuck 11 is overdriven, the wafer W rises in the Z direction and the bump of the probe card 12 is raised. 12A and the wafer W
Rises. As a result, the probe card 12 is pushed up by the wafer W while resisting the elasticity of the pogo pins 18, and rises within the gap δ according to the positioning pins 20 while maintaining parallel to the surface of the wafer W. At this time, the probe card 1
In FIG. 5, as shown in FIG. 5, a stylus force is applied to the inspection electrode pad P of the wafer W from the bump 12A, and a shear force acts on the electrode pad P from the edge around the flat surface at the tip of the bump 12A, and The surface of P is cut at the edge, and the bump 12A starts to bite into the electrode pad P. As the wafer W rises thereafter, the electrode pad P is gradually pushed into the peripheral surface of the bump 12A while being spread to the surroundings, and reaches the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. In this state, the flat surface of the bump 12A is in contact with the oxide film O and is insulated from the electrode pad P.
The peripheral surface of the electrode pad P is completely adhered to solid aluminum, which is a cut surface of the electrode pad P,
Good conduction with the electrode pad P is ensured. If an inspection is performed in this state, signals can be reliably transmitted and received between the bump 12A and the electrode pad P, and a highly reliable inspection can be performed. Moreover, since the probe card 12 and the wafer W are always kept parallel, the stylus pressure between each bump 12A and each electrode pad P becomes constant, so that a more reliable inspection can be performed.

According to the present embodiment as described above,
The lower surface contact electrodes 13A of the performance board 13 are gathered in a central portion and arranged in a matrix, and the matrix through holes 16 corresponding to the respective lower surface contact electrodes 13A are arranged.
A, a spacer 16 having an A is attached to the performance board 13, and the probe card 12 is attached to the performance board 13 with a gap δ interposed between the spacer 16 and each contact electrode 12C and a corresponding lower surface contact electrode. Pogo pin 1 that makes elastic contact with both 13A
The probe card 12 is electrically connected to the wafer W when the main chuck 11 is overdriven at the time of inspection, so that the probe card 12 is at the center of the performance board 13 while resisting the elasticity of the pogo pins 18. It rises within the gap δ according to the positioning pin 20,
The stylus pressure of all the bumps 12A can be kept uniform by keeping the flatness at all times, and the electrical connection between the probe card 12 and the performance board 13 can be secured via the pogo pins 18, A stable and reliable inspection can be performed. According to the present embodiment, since the connection ring is omitted, the wiring between the probe card 12 and the test head 14 is shortened, electric loss is reduced, and noise is reduced. It is possible to perform an inspection with reduced frequency and excellent high frequency characteristics.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the lower surface contact electrodes 13A of the performance board 13 are gathered at the center and arranged in a matrix, and the pogo pins 18 are made detachable, so that the performance board 13 can be standardized. One type of performance board 13 can be used regardless of the type of the probe card 12. Also,
Since the outer diameter of the lower surface contact electrode 13A of the performance board 13 is made larger than the outer diameter of the pogo pin 18, even if the positioning of the spacer 16 with respect to the performance board 13 with respect to the positioning pin 20 is somewhat coarse, the lower surface contact electrode 13A The pogo pin 18 can be reliably brought into contact with the contact. Further, since the probe card 12 is formed of ceramic, it is hardly affected by heat, and a stable and reliable high-temperature inspection can be performed. Furthermore, since the bump 12A of the probe card 12 is formed into a truncated square pyramid or a truncated cone that is gradually narrowed from the base end to the tip end, the bump 12A is electrically connected to the electrode pad of the wafer W reliably. Inspection reliability can be improved.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments at all, and even if there are some design changes, etc., without departing from the gist of the present invention, the present invention is included in the present invention.

[0027]

According to the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, the pin load on the probe card can be reduced and the flatness of the probe card can be maintained. It is possible to provide a probe device which is hardly affected and has excellent frequency characteristics.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view showing a relationship between a probe card and a performance board, which are main parts of an embodiment of a probe device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a spacer shown in FIG.

3 is an enlarged view of a part of the probe card shown in FIG. 1, (a) is a cross-sectional view, and (b) is a perspective view.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view of the bump shown in FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are views showing bumps in another form of the probe card, wherein FIG. 6A is a plan view and FIG. 6B is a side view.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship among a main chuck, a probe card, a performance board, and a test head of the probe device of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view corresponding to FIG. 7 showing a conventional probe device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 Probe device 11 Main chuck (mounting table) 12 Probe card 12A Bump (contact) 13 Performance board 13A Lower surface contact electrode 16 Spacer 16A Through hole 18 Pogo pin (elastic relay terminal)

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A mounting table on which an object to be inspected is mounted, the mounting table being movable in X, Y, Z, and θ directions, a probe card having a plurality of contacts disposed above the mounting table, and the probe card And a performance board electrically connected to the probe, and a probe device for performing an electrical characteristic test of the device under test by contacting the contact and the test electrode of the device under test, The contact electrodes on the probe card side are gathered at the center and arranged in a matrix, and a spacer having a matrix-shaped through hole corresponding to each contact electrode is attached to the performance board, and the probe card is attached to the spacer. Are attached to the performance board with a gap therebetween, and the contacts and the corresponding contact electrodes corresponding to the contacts are mounted. The elastic relay terminal contact preparative bullet probe apparatus being characterized in that attached to the through hole of the spacer. 2. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein said elastic relay terminal is detachable. 3. The probe device according to claim 1, wherein a contact electrode of the performance board is larger than an outer diameter of the elastic relay terminal. 4. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein a pogo pin is provided as the elastic relay terminal. 5. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein a substrate of said probe card is formed of ceramic. 6. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein a contact of the probe card is gradually narrowed from a base end to a front end.