JPS6231148A - Semiconductor device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain the sure measurement of semiconductor chips by providing the inspection pads which the probes for a sensor of a probe card are brought in contact with and the conductors which said pads are connected to, in the peripheral part of the semiconductor chip. CONSTITUTION:On the dicing run 12 extending longitudinally on a substrate 11, the inspection pads 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d are arranged, which the probes for a sensor of a probe card are brought in contact with. Conductors 15 and 16 are arranged between the pads 14a and 14b, and between the pads 14c and 14d, respectively. A voltage is applied between the probes 17 and 18 for a sensor of the probe card in advance and when the probes 17 and 18 are brought in contact with the pads 14a and 14b respectively, a current flows. Even if one probe is not in contact with the pad, a current does not flow and the function of the sensor can be effected. Accordingly, the measurement of semiconductor chips can be made surely.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly to a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor chip in a wafer state can be tested using a probe card needle.

[Technical background of the invention]

In general, the sensor section of a book card consists of a long hand 1 and a short hand 2, for example as shown in FIG. When a voltage is applied between the long hand 1 and the short hand 2 in this state, a current naturally flows. Next, as these gradually approach the semiconductor chip 4, the long hand 1 comes into contact with the semiconductor substrate (wafer) 4, and at the same time, the long hand 1 and the short hand 2 separate. At this time, even if a voltage is applied between the long hand 1 and the short hand 2, no current flows. In this way, it is determined whether the probe card is in contact with the semiconductor substrate 4 by whether or not current flows between the long hand 1 and the short hand 2. Incidentally, the sensor sections are usually set in two sets, one set of which is shown in FIG.

[Technical background of the invention]

However, according to the prior art, when a probe card is used for a long time, an oxide film, rust, etc. are formed on the contact portion 3 of the long hand 1 and the short hand 2, and the long hand 1 comes into contact with the semiconductor substrate 4 even though it is not in contact with it. This may result in a decrease in the number of contacts, such as when it is detected that the semiconductor substrate 4 is not in contact with the semiconductor substrate 4, or vice versa. Therefore, a highly reliable and high performance sensor cannot be obtained from the semiconductor substrate 4, and time is wasted. In addition, as chip sizes tend to increase in the future, problems such as wafer warping and non-parallel signal needles will cause
In the future, more and more high-performance sensors will be required.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is achieved by providing test pads for contacting probe card sensor needles and conductors for connecting these on the periphery of a semiconductor chip or on a dicing line. It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device that can reliably measure semiconductor chips and thereby provide a highly reliable and high-performance sensor.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention provides a semiconductor substrate including a plurality of semiconductor chips;
A plurality of test pads for contacting bonding pads provided on the periphery of the semiconductor chip with sensor needles of a probe card provided on the periphery of the semiconductor chip or on the dicing line near the chip. pad and
The probe card is characterized in that the test pads are connected to a conductor that connects the test pads, so that the sensor part of the probe card can surely come into contact with the test pad of the semiconductor chip, and the semiconductor chip can be reliably measured, resulting in high reliability and The aim is to obtain a high-performance sensor.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

11 in the figure is a semiconductor substrate (wafer).

This substrate 11 has a plurality of semiconductor chips 13a11 formed by dicing lines (single-dot chain lines 12...) running vertically and horizontally.
It is divided into 3b, 13c, and so on. On the dicing run 12 running in the vertical direction of the substrate 11, there is a test pad 14a on which the needle of the sensor section of the probe card comes into contact.
, 14b, 14C.

14d are provided respectively. Note that these test pads 14a to 14d have the same shape as bonding pads (not shown) normally provided on the semiconductor chips 13a... A conductor 15 is provided between the test pads 14a and 14b, and a conductor 16 is provided between the test pads 14G and 14d.

When measuring a semiconductor device having such a structure using a probe card, the measurement is performed as shown in FIG. 2, for example. That is, a voltage is applied between the sensor needles 17 and 18 of the probe card, and the needle 17 and the test pad 14a1 needle 18
When the test pad 14b and the test pad 14b are brought into contact with each other, a current flows,
When even one wire is not in contact, no current flows and it can function as a sensor.

According to the present invention, the test pads 14a to 14a are used to bring the sensor needles 17 and 18 of the probe card into contact with the dicing line 12 running in the vertical direction of the semiconductor substrate 11.
14d and conductors 15 and 16 for connecting these pads 14a to 14d, there is no oxide film or the like formed on the sensor needle as in the conventional case.
Each semiconductor chip 13a, 13b, 13c, etc. can be reliably measured, and a highly reliable and high-performance sensor can be obtained. Moreover, since the test pads 14a to 14d are provided on the dicing line 12, the same number of elements can be secured in the same area as a conventional semiconductor chip without adversely affecting the element area of the semiconductor chip. Furthermore, since the test pads 14a to 14d can be formed simultaneously with bonding pads that are normally formed on semiconductor chips, no special process is required. Furthermore, the sensor needle 17.18
can be the same as that used in a normal signal section.

Further, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the test pads are provided on a dicing line running in the vertical direction of the semiconductor substrate, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, although not shown, it may be on a dicing line running in the horizontal direction of the substrate or on a dicing line running in the vertical and horizontal directions. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, it may be provided at the periphery of the semiconductor chip 21.

[Effects of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a semiconductor device that can reliably measure a semiconductor chip and provide a highly reliable and high-performance sensor.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for testing a semiconductor chip using a probe card sensor, FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a conventional semiconductor chip testing method, and FIG. 4 is another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a semiconductor device according to FIG. 11... Semiconductor substrate (wafer), 12... Dicing line, 13a to 13c, 21... Semiconductor chip,
14a to 14d...Testing pads, 15.16...
Conductor, 17.18...needle.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A semiconductor substrate consisting of a plurality of semiconductor chips, a bonding pad provided on the periphery of the semiconductor chip, and a probe provided on the dicing line on the periphery of the semiconductor chip or near the chip. a plurality of test pads for contacting the card's sensor needle;
A semiconductor device comprising: a conductor connecting the test pads to each other. (2) There are two test pads and one conductor that connects these pads, and these are used as one set to form multiple sets in the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, or the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the semiconductor chip. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, characterized in that: