JPS6381941A - Inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve reliability by installing a closed type vessel housing a stage supporting a wafer and a probe brought into contact with each electrode for a semiconductor chip while mounting a gas feeder feeding a high pressure gas into the vessel. CONSTITUTION:Probes set up to a probing card 5 are brought into contact with each electrode for a semiconductor chip formed onto a semiconductor wafer 1 forwarded up to a stage 2 through a loader section 3 from a wafer cassette 4 by properly moving the stage 2 in the upper and X and Y directions. Monitoring at that time is conducted through a microscope 7. An inert gas at high pressure is introduced into a high-pressure system vessel 8 from a high- pressure gas feeder 10, and pressure is applied to the semiconductor wafer 1 in the high-pressure system vessel 8 so as to be brought to the same conditions as the time of actual usage. Various tests of a semiconductor integrated circuit shaped into the semiconductor chip are performed under the state, and nondefective or defective semiconductor chips are discriminated on the basis of the result of the inspection.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a technique that is particularly effective when applied to an inspection device for determining whether semiconductor chips are good or bad. The present invention relates to a technique that is effective for use in an inspection device that inspects the characteristics of a semiconductor integrated circuit by bringing a probe into contact with each electrode of a chip.

[Prior Art] Regarding probe inspection equipment for semiconductor chips, for example,
It is described on page 150 of "Nikkei Microdevices" published by Nikkei McGraw-Hill in December 1985. The outline is as follows.

FIG. 2 shows an example (front view) of a conventional inspection device.

In the figure, 1 represents a semiconductor wafer, and this semiconductor wafer 1 is supported on a stage 2. This stage 2 is configured to be able to be moved up and down by a drive means (not shown), and is

It is designed to be able to move in the Y direction. Further, a loader section 3 is provided on the side of the stage 2, and the semiconductor wafer 1 can be supplied from the loader section 3 to the stage 2 by a transport means (not shown). Further, on the side of the stage 2, a wafer cassette 4 is provided that supports a plurality of semiconductor wafers 1 in multiple stages at predetermined intervals. Semiconductor wafers 1 can be fed one by one from this wafer cassette 4 to the loader section 3 by a transport means (not shown).

On the other hand, above the stage, a probe card 5 is provided which has a large number of probes 5a that come into contact with each electrode of a semiconductor chip formed in a semiconductor wafer.

This probe card 5 is attached to the lower part of the head 6.

Further, a microscope la6 is provided above the probe card 5.

Note that in this inspection apparatus, driving means and the like are provided below the stage 2.

Next, the operation of the inspection device configured as described above will be explained.

Each electrode of the semiconductor chip in the semiconductor wafer 1 sent from the wafer cassette 4 to the stage 2 via the loader section 3 is removed from each electrode provided on the probe card 5 by raising the stage 2 and moving it in the X and Y directions. It is brought into contact with the probe 5a. In this state, various tests are performed on the semiconductor integrated circuit formed within the semiconductor chip.
Based on this inspection result, it is determined whether the semiconductor chip is good or bad. These operations are performed on all semiconductor chips formed within the semiconductor wafer 1.

Thereafter, the semiconductor wafer 1 on which all semiconductor chips have been inspected is sent to the next process via an unloader section (not shown).

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, such conventional inspection devices have a drawback in that inspection cannot be performed under the same conditions as actual usage conditions.

In other words, conventional inspections of this type are carried out under normal pressure, but in actual products, for example, semiconductor chips are housed in packages made of resin, so stress is applied to the semiconductor chips due to shrinkage caused by the effect of the resin. join. and,
This stress affects the access time and the like of the semiconductor integrated circuit. Therefore, conventional inspection apparatuses that perform inspections under normal pressure are unable to accurately determine product characteristics, and as a result, highly reliable inspections cannot be performed.

The present invention was made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an IC testing device that can perform highly reliable testing.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A summary of typical inventions disclosed in this application is as follows.

That is, a closed container is provided that houses a stage that supports a wafer and a probe that contacts each electrode of a semiconductor chip, and a gas supply device that supplies high-pressure gas into the container is provided.

[Operation] According to the above-described means, the high-pressure gas supply device introduces high-pressure gas into the container and applies pressure to the semiconductor chip during chip inspection, thereby inspecting the semiconductor chip under the same conditions as in actual use. As a result, the above objective of performing highly reliable inspection can be achieved.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows a front view of an embodiment of an inspection device according to the present invention.

In the inspection apparatus of this embodiment, a stage 2 that supports a semiconductor wafer 1, a probe card 5 disposed above the stage 2, and a test head 6 that supports the probe card 5 are provided in a high-pressure system container 8. ing. Furthermore, this inspection apparatus is configured such that the lower end of the microscope 7 disposed above the probe card 5 faces into the high-pressure system container 8 . Further, a high pressure gas supply pipe 9 is connected to the high pressure system container 8, and a high pressure gas supply bag [10] provided outside the high pressure system container 8 is further connected to the high pressure gas supply pipe 9. In this respect, the inspection apparatus of the embodiment differs from conventional inspection apparatuses.

Other points are similar to the conventional inspection apparatus (FIG. 2), so the same members as those in the conventional apparatus are given the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the inspection device configured as described above will be explained.

By appropriately moving the stage 2 upward and in the The probe provided at 5 is brought into contact with the probe.

Monitoring at this time is performed through the microscope 7.Next, high-pressure inert gas is introduced into the high-pressure system container 8 from the high-pressure gas supply device 10, and the inside of the high-pressure system container 8 is kept under the same conditions as in actual use. Pressure is applied to the semiconductor wafer 1. Note that the introduction of high-pressure gas by the high-pressure gas supply device 10 may be performed immediately after the semiconductor wafer 1 is placed on the stage 2, and in this state, various types of semiconductor integrated circuits formed in the semiconductor chip A test is conducted, and based on the test results, it is determined whether the semiconductor chip is good or bad. These operations are performed on all semiconductor chips formed within the semiconductor wafer 1.

After all the semiconductor chips have been inspected, the semiconductor wafer 1 is sent to the next stage via an unloader section (not shown).

According to the inspection apparatus of the embodiment configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, since the semiconductor chips formed on the semiconductor wafer 1 are inspected for good or bad, under high pressure conditions,
Due to the ability to inspect the semiconductor wafer 1 and even the semiconductor chips under the same conditions as when they are actually used,
It is possible to obtain the effect that it becomes possible to conduct a highly reliable test.

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically explained above based on Examples, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above Examples and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the installation space for the loader section 3 and wafer cassette 4 may also be provided within the high-pressure system container.

[Effects of the Invention] The effects obtained by typical inventions disclosed in this application are briefly explained below.

In other words, since the quality of semiconductor chips formed on semiconductor wafers is inspected under high-pressure conditions, the semiconductor wafer and ultimately the semiconductor chips can be inspected under the same conditions as when they are actually used. This action makes it possible to perform highly reliable tests.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of an inspection device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view of a conventional inspection device. 1... Semiconductor wafer, 2... Stage, 3...
...Loader section, 4...Wafer cassette, 5...
Probe card, 4...Microscope. Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An inspection device for determining whether a semiconductor chip in a wafer supported on a stage is good or bad, which includes a large number of probes that come into contact with each electrode of the semiconductor chip. An inspection device comprising: a closed container that houses the stage and the probe; and a gas supply device that supplies high-pressure gas into the container. 2. The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein an inert gas is supplied from the gas supply device.