KR20030025293A - Probe contact system having plane adjusting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

A probe contact system that simply adjusts the distance between the contactor tip and the contact target by a low cost mechanism, the planar adjustment mechanism forming an electrical connection between the contact substrate having a plurality of contactors and the test head of the contactor and the semiconductor test system. 3 points on the probe card for the probe card, the probe card ring interposed therebetween for mechanically coupling the frame of the probe card and the probe contact system, and the probe card and probe card ring. It is comprised by the connecting member which connects and rotates so that the distance between a probe card and a probe card ring can be adjusted. In another aspect, a thin member (seam) is inserted as many times as necessary to adjust the distance between the probe card and the probe card ring.

Description

PROBE CONTACT SYSTEM HAVING PLANE ADJUSTING MECHANISM}

When testing high-density, high-speed electronics such as LSI and VLSI circuits, high performance contact structures mounted on the probe card must be used. The contact structure is basically composed of a large number of contactors or probe elements and a contact substrate (also referred to as a "space transformer") on which they are mounted. The contact substrate is mounted on a probe card (also referred to as a "PCB substrate"), and is used for testing LSIs, VLSI chips, testing of semiconductor wafers, burning of semiconductor wafers and dies, testing of burned semiconductor devices, etc., printed circuit boards, etc. It is used to test it.

When the semiconductor device under test is in the form of a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor test system such as an IC tester is connected to a substrate handler such as an automatic wafer prober to automatically test the semiconductor wafer. As such a configuration example is shown in Fig. 1, a semiconductor test system generally has a test head 100 formed as a separate housing. The test head 100 and the test system main body are electrically connected by a cable bundle 110. The test head 100 and the substrate handler 400 are mechanically and electrically connected to each other by, for example, a manipulator 500 operated by a motor 510. The semiconductor wafer under test is automatically supplied to the test position of the test head 100 by the substrate handler 400.

On the test head 100, a test signal generated by the semiconductor test system is supplied to the semiconductor wafer under test. The signal output as a result of applying the test signal from the semiconductor wafer under test (for example, an IC circuit formed on the semiconductor wafer) is transmitted to the semiconductor test system. The semiconductor test system compares the output signal with expected data to verify whether the IC circuit on the semiconductor wafer is functioning correctly.

In FIG. 1, the test head 100 and the substrate handler 400 are connected to each other via an interface unit 140. The interface unit 140 (also referred to as a "test fixture" or "pin fixture") includes a performance board 120 (FIG. 2), which is a printed circuit board having an electric circuit connection inherent in wiring formation of a test head, a coaxial cable, It is comprised by pogo pins, a connector, etc.

In Fig. 2, the test head 100 has a plurality of printed circuit boards 150 (also called "pin cards"), and the number of those circuit boards corresponds to the number of test channels (test pins) of the semiconductor test system. have. Each of the printed circuit boards 150 has a connector 160 for connecting with a corresponding contact terminal 121 (connection terminal) provided in the performance board 120. On the performance board, a floc ring 130 is also mounted to accurately determine the contact position for the substrate handler 400. The plug ring 130 has a plurality of contact pins 141, such as a ZIF connector or a pogo pin, for example, and is connected to the contact terminal 121 of the performance board 120 via the coaxial cable 124. .

As shown in FIG. 2, the test head 100 is disposed on the substrate handler 400, and is connected to the substrate handler 400 mechanically and electrically via the interface unit 140. In the substrate handler 400, the semiconductor wafer under test 300 is mounted on the chuck 180. In this example, the probe card 170 is provided on the semiconductor wafer 300 under test. The probe card 170 has a plurality of probe contactors (cantilevers or needles) 190 for contacting a contact target such as a circuit terminal or a contact pad of an IC circuit on the semiconductor wafer under test 300.

The electrical terminal (contact pad) of the probe card 170 is electrically connected to the contact pin 141 provided in the flock ring 130. The contact pin 141 is connected to the contact terminal 121 on the performance board 120 via the coaxial cable 125. Each contact terminal 121 is connected to a corresponding printed circuit board 150 in the test head 100. The printed circuit board 150 is also connected to the semiconductor test system main body via a cable bundle 110 having several hundred internal cables.

Under this configuration, the probe contactor 190 contacts the surface (contact target) of the semiconductor wafer 300 on the chuck 180, and applies a test signal to the semiconductor wafer 300 from the semiconductor test system. The semiconductor test system also receives the resulting output signal from the semiconductor wafer 300. As described above, the semiconductor test system verifies whether the circuit on the semiconductor wafer 300 is functioning correctly by comparing the resultant output signal from the semiconductor wafer under test 300 with the expected value formed in advance.

In testing such semiconductor wafers, many contactors, such as hundreds or thousands, must be used. In such a configuration, it is necessary to equalize (flatten) the plane height of each contactor tip so that all the contactors simultaneously contact the contact targets at the same pressure. If the contactor tip cannot be flattened, only some of the contactors make electrical connections with the corresponding contact targets, and other contactors do not form electrical connections, so that the test of the semiconductor wafer can be performed accurately. It becomes impossible. In this case, in order to connect all the contactors to the contact target, the semiconductor wafer must be strongly pressed by the probe card. As a result, there arises a problem that the chip on the semiconductor wafer subjected to excessive pressure by the contactor is physically damaged.

US Patent No. 5861759 discloses a probe probing planarization system for a probe card. The system flattens the first surface defined by the plurality of contact points of the probe card to the second surface defined by the top surface of the semiconductor wafer supported on the probe. This planarization process is briefly described. For at least three points selected as contact points on the probe card with reference to the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer, the height is measured with the camera interposed. And the position of the 1st surface based on a 2nd surface is calculated based on the measured value.

Using this calculation result information and geometric position information of the prober and the tester, the height variable is determined for two points for height adjustment, and the first surface relative to the second surface is flattened. This prior art requires a camera for visually confirming the height in order to flatten the height of the contact point, thus increasing the cost and lowering the reliability as a whole system.

US Patent No. 5974662 discloses a method for flattening the tip of a probe element of a probe card assembly. The probe element is attached directly to the space transformer (contact substrate). The direction of the space transformer, and thus the direction of the probe element, is configured to be adjusted based on the probe card, that is, without changing the direction of the probe card. In this method, an electrically conductive metal plate (virtual wafer) is used as a reference plane instead of the target semiconductor wafer. In addition, a cable and a computer are installed, and on the screen of the computer, whether or not each of the probe tip portions has formed an electrically conductive metal plate and an electric passage is indicated by, for example, a black and white dot.

Based on the visual image on this display screen, the differential (differential) screw is rotated so that the plane height of the probe tip is in contact with the metal plate at the same time as the entire probe tip. However, this prior art uses a conductive metal plate to establish the conductive passageway of the whole probe element, and therefore requires a sufficient time for adhering the metal plate and replacing it with a semiconductor wafer of the intended purpose. Further, this method requires an indicator such as a computer to display the state of contact or non-contact of the probe element with the semiconductor metal plate, so that the cost inevitably increases as a whole.

In such a situation, there is a need for a probe contact system that can more easily and inexpensively adjust the flat surface of the contactor tip to the surface of the semiconductor wafer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor test system having a plurality of contactors for establishing an electrical connection with a semiconductor device under test, and in particular, provides a uniform distance between a tip of a plurality of contactors and a contact target such as a contact pad of a semiconductor wafer under test A probe contact system having a planar adjustment mechanism for adjustment to release.

1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a semiconductor test system having a test head and a substrate handler.

2 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration example for connecting a test head of a semiconductor test system to a substrate handler.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing an example of a contact structure having a beam-shaped (silicon finger) contactor mounted on a probe card of the probe contact system of the present invention.

4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a bottom surface of the contact structure of FIG. 3 having a plurality of beam shaped contactors.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing an entire assembly configuration of a probe contact system in which the contact structure of FIGS. 3 and 4 is configured as an interface between the semiconductor device under test and the test head of FIG.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing a configuration example of a probe contact system having a planar adjustment mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a top surface of a probe card and a probe card ring used in the probe contact system of FIG.

8A to 8C are top, front and bottom views, respectively, of the rotation adjustment device used with the planar adjustment mechanism of the present invention.

9A to 9G are exploded views showing the components used for the rotation adjusting device of the present invention and their assembling structure.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the top surface of a probe card having the structure of the rotation adjustment device and plane adjustment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing another example of a probe contact system having a planar adjustment mechanism of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the top surface of a probe card, probe card ring, and intermediate ring for use in the probe contact system of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a sectional view showing yet another example of a probe contact system having a planar adjustment mechanism of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view showing still another example of a probe contact system having a planar adjustment mechanism of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the top surface of a probe card and a probe card ring used in the probe contact system of Fig. 14;

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a probe contact system having a planar adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the distance between the tip height plane of all the contactors and the surface of the semiconductor wafer under test.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a probe contact system having a probe card mounted with a contact structure constituted by a contact substrate having a plurality of contactors, and a planar adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the tip of the contactor. have.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a probe contact system having a planar adjustment mechanism for adjusting the distance between the contact substrate and the semiconductor wafer under test so that all of the contactors provided on the contact substrate simultaneously contact the surface of the semiconductor wafer. There is.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a planar adjustment mechanism for adjusting the distance between the contact substrate and the semiconductor wafer under test so that each contactor exerts the same pressure on the surface of the semiconductor wafer when the contactor contacts the semiconductor wafer. To provide a probe contact system.

In the present invention, a planar adjustment mechanism equipped with a probe contact system for making an electrical connection with a contact target includes a contact substrate having a plurality of contactors, and an electrical connection between the contactor and a test head of a semiconductor test system. Probe card, means for fixing a contact substrate on the probe card, probe card ring for connecting the probe card to the frame of the probe contact system, probe card and probe card ring It is a member which connects in three or more positions on a card, and each is comprised by the several connecting member which rotates the gap between a probe card and a probe card ring so that adjustment is possible.

In the planar adjustment mechanism according to another aspect of the present invention, the target substrate is a semiconductor wafer under test or a reference plate for adjusting flatness, and at a predetermined position of the contact substrate, a gap between the target substrate and the contact substrate is formed. It further comprises a gap sensor to measure and a rotation adjusting device for controlling the gap between the probe card and the probe card ring to adjust the connection member so that the distance between the tip of the contactor and the contact target is equal to each other. have.

The probe contact system of the present invention preferably includes a conductive elastomer provided therebetween for electrically connecting the contact substrate and the probe card, and a support frame provided between the contact substrate and the conductive elastomer for supporting the contact substrate. It is constructed with more.

Moreover, in another aspect of this invention, the connection member which connects a contact substrate and a probe card is comprised by the bolt and the nut, the nut is rotatably supported by the surface of a probe card, and the said rotation adjustment apparatus is It has a bottom opening for engaging with the nut, and in each of the three positions, the bottom opening and the nut are engaged to rotate the connection member so that the gap between the contact substrate and the target substrate is equal to each other.

Moreover, in another function of this invention, a planar adjustment apparatus is an automatic system which adjusts the distance between a contact substrate and a target substrate. The plane adjusting device has a motor for rotating the nut based on a control signal from the controller. The controller calculates the measured gap value to form a control signal.

Moreover, in another function of this invention, in order to adjust the distance between a contact board | substrate and a target board | substrate, the planar adjustment apparatus superimposes and inserts a thin piece (seam) between a probe card and a probe card ring, and inserts the shim. By adjusting the number, the inclination of the probe card with respect to the probe card ring is adjusted so that the distance between the tip of the contactor and the contact target becomes equal to each other. As a result, the plane adjusting device can be realized at low cost.

According to the present invention, the probe contact system can adjust the distance between the tip of the contact and the surface of the semiconductor wafer under test or the reference plate. By adjusting the distance between the contact substrate and the semiconductor wafer using the planar adjustment mechanism, all of the contactors mounted on the contact substrate can simultaneously contact the surface of the semiconductor wafer at the same pressure.

The planar adjustment mechanism used in the probe contact system of the present invention has a rotation adjustment device that rotates the nut on the probe card in fine steps, whereby the distance between the contact substrate and the semiconductor wafer can be easily and accurately adjusted. The plane adjustment mechanism of this invention can also be comprised as an automatic system by using the motor which drives a nut to a probe card, and the controller which sends a control signal to a motor based on the gap value measured by the gap sensor. Further, in the case of a method of adjusting the height by overlapping and inserting a thin piece (seam) between the probe card and the probe card ring, a plane adjustment mechanism can be realized at a very low cost.

An example of a contact structure used in the probe contact system of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. Many other types of contact structures can also be realized with the probe contact system of the present invention. The contact structure 10 of FIG. 3 has a beam-shaped contactor 30 formed through a semiconductor manufacturing process.

The contact structure 10 is basically composed of a contact substrate 20 (space transformer) and a plurality of silicon finger contactors 30. The contact structure 10 is positioned on a contact target such as a contact pad 320 on the semiconductor wafer 300 under test, and when the contactor 30 and the semiconductor wafer 300 are pressed, an electrical connection therebetween. Is established. Although only two contactors 30 are shown in FIG. 3, in actual applications such as testing of semiconductor wafers, a plurality of contactors 30, such as hundreds or thousands, are arranged and used on the contact substrate 20. FIG. In addition, the shape of the contactor 30 is various, and is not limited to the beam shape of FIG.

Many such contactors are simultaneously formed on a silicon substrate by a semiconductor manufacturing process such as a photolithography (photo-making) process, and made of, for example, a contact made of ceramic, silicon, alumina, glass fiber, or another material. The pitch between the contact pads 320 on the semiconductor wafer is 50 micrometers or less, for example, and the contactor 30 mounted on the contact substrate 20 is a semiconductor wafer ( Since it is formed by a semiconductor manufacturing process such as 300, it can be easily arranged in an equal pitch size.

The silicon finger contactor 30 is mounted directly on the contact substrate 20 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 to form a contact structure, and the contact structure is mounted on the probe card 170 of FIG. have. Since the silicon finger contactor 30 can be formed in a very small size, it is possible to easily increase the operable frequency range of the contact structure and thus the probe card equipped with the contactor of the present invention to 2 kHz or more. In addition, because of the small size, the number of contactors of the probe card can be increased to 2000 or more, whereby, for example, testing of 32 or more memory devices can be performed in parallel.

In FIG. 3, each contactor 30 has a finger (beam) conductive layer 35. In addition, the contactor 30 further has a base 40 for fixing to the contact substrate 20. At the bottom of the contact substrate 20, the conductive trace 35 and the connection trace 24 are connected to each other. Such interconnect trace 24 and conductive layer 35 are connected via handball 28, for example. The contact substrate 20 further has a via hole 23 and an electrode 22. The electrode 22 connects the contact substrate 20 to an external structure such as a pogo pin block or an IC package via a wire or a conductive elastomer.

Therefore, when the semiconductor wafer 300 moves upward, the silicon finger contactor 30 and the contact target 320 on the semiconductor wafer 300 are mechanically and electrically connected to each other. As a result, a signal path is formed from the contact target 320 to the electrode 22 on the contact substrate 20. The interconnect traces 24, via holes 23, and electrodes 22 simultaneously fan out (enlarge) the micro pitch of the contactor 30 to suit the pitch of external structures such as pogo pin blocks or IC packages. Exerted.

Since the beam-shaped silicon finger contactor 30 has a spring force, when the semiconductor wafer 300 is pressed against the contact substrate 20, the contact force of the conductive layer 35 is sufficiently exerted. When the tip portion of the conductive layer 35 is pressed by the contact target 320, the tip portion is preferably sharply formed so as to achieve a cutting action (scraping effect) penetrating the metal oxide layer on the target. For example, when the aluminum oxide layer is provided on the surface of the contact target 320 on the semiconductor wafer 300, the aluminum oxide layer is cut in order to realize electrical connection with low contact resistance.

The spring force generated by the beam-shaped contactor 30 results in an appropriate contact force on the contact target 320. In addition, due to the elasticity exerted by the spring force of the silicon finger contactor 30, the size or plane unevenness in the contact substrate 20, the contact target 320, the semiconductor wafer 300, and the contactor 90, respectively. Can compensate. However, it is necessary to use the planar adjustment mechanism according to the present invention in order to simultaneously connect all of the plurality of contactors at approximately the same pressure with respect to the contact target.

Examples of the material of the conductive layer 35 are nickel, aluminum, copper, nickel palladium, rhodium, nickel gold, iridium, or a material which can be deposited differently. Examples of silicon finger contactor 30 sizes in the case of semiconductor test applications include contact targets 320 having an overall height of 100-500 μm, a horizontal length of 100-600 μm, and a pitch of 50 μm or more. Beam width of about 30-50 μm.

4 shows a bottom view of the contact substrate 20 of FIG. 3 with a plurality of silicon finger contactors 30. In a practical system a number of contactors, such as hundreds, are arranged as shown in FIG. The interconnect trace 24 extends the pitch of the contactor 30 to the pitch of the via hole 23 or the electrode 22, as shown in FIG. The adhesive 33 is supplied to the contact point (area inside the contactor 30) of the base 40 of the contactor 30 and the contact substrate 20. The adhesive 33 is also supplied to the lateral side of the contactor 30 (upper and lower portion of the contactor 30 in FIG. 4). Examples of the adhesive 33 are thermosetting resin adhesives such as epoxy, polyimide and silicone, thermoplastic resin adhesives such as acrylic, nylon, phenoxy, and olefin, ultraviolet curable adhesives and the like.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an overall assembly configuration when forming a probe contact system using the contact structures of FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. This probe contact system is used as an interface between the semiconductor device under test and the test head of FIG. In this example, the interface portion of the conductive elastomer 50, the probe card 60, and the pogo pin block (flock ring) 130 are disposed on the contact structure 10 in the order shown in FIG. have.

The conductive elastomer 50, the probe card 60, and the pogo pin block 130 are mechanically and electrically connected to each other. Thus, an electrical passage is formed between the tip of the contact 30 and the test head 100 via the cable 124 and the performance board 120 (FIG. 2). In such a configuration, when the semiconductor wafer 300 and the probe contact system are pressed, electrical communication is established between the device under test (contact pad 320 on the semiconductor wafer 300) and the semiconductor test system.

The pogo pin block (flock ring) 130 is the same as the pogo pin block 130 of FIG. 2, and has a plurality of flexible pins such as a pogo pin, and between the probe card 60 and the performance board 120 Interface. A cable 124 such as a coaxial cable is connected to the upper end of the pogo pin, and transmits a signal to the printed circuit board (pin card) 150 of the test head 100 of FIG. 2 via the performance board 120. The probe card 60 has a plurality of electrodes, that is, contact pads 62 and 65 on its top and bottom surfaces. The electrodes 62 and 65 are connected via an interconnect trace 63 and fan out (enlarge) the pitch of the contact structure to match the pitch of the pogo pins of the pogo pin block 130.

The conductive elastomer 50 is provided between the contact structure 10 and the probe card 60. The conductive elastomer 50 compensates for the nonuniformity or nonuniformity in the vertical direction between the electrode 22 of the contact structure and the electrode 62 of the probe card, thereby ensuring electrical communication therebetween. The conductive elastomer 50 is an elastic sheet, and has a plurality of conductive wires in the vertical direction, thereby forming electric conduction in a single direction. For example, the conductive elastomer 50 is composed of a silicone rubber sheet and a plurality of longitudinally arranged metal filaments. The metal filament (wire) is provided in the vertical direction in Fig. 5, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal sheet of the conductive elastomer 50. The pitch between the metal filaments is, for example, 0.02 mm, and the thickness of the silicone rubber sheet is, for example, 0.2 mm. Such a conductive elastomer is manufactured by, for example, Synkoshi Polymer Co., and can be obtained on the market.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing a configuration example of a probe contact system having a planar adjustment mechanism of the present invention. The contact substrate 20 (space transformer) on which the plurality of contactors 30 are mounted is attached to the probe card 60 via the support frame 55 and the conductive elastomer 50. The support frame 55 which supports the contact substrate 20 is connected to the probe card 60 by the fixing means comprised by the screw 250. As shown in FIG. It is also possible to use other fastening means instead of the screws 250. As described above with reference to FIG. 5, the conductive elastomer 50 realizes electrical conduction only in the vertical direction, and thus between the contact substrate 20 and the probe card 60. Although it is preferable to use this conductive elastomer, it is also possible to connect between the electrode 22 provided on the upper surface of the contact substrate 20 and the electrode 62 provided on the bottom surface of the probe card 60 using other means. .

On the bottom surface of the contact substrate 20, an electrode 29 is provided as part of the gap sensor. Instead of the surface (bottom surface) of the contact substrate, this electrode 292 can also be formed on the bottom surface of the support frame 65. The electrode 292 is disposed on the bottom surface of the contact substrate 20, for example, at three points. Each position of the electrode 292 is preferably a position close to the end of the contact substrate 20 so as to form a triangular or polygonal vertex.

6 also shows a gap sensor 290 provided on the semiconductor wafer 300 and a gap meter 280 that receives a signal from the gap sensor 290. The gap sensor 290 is basically an electrode, and on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 300 a position opposite to the electrode 292 provided on the bottom surface of the contact substrate 20, thus, for example, the three points It is located at the position. In this example, each gap sensor constitutes a capacitor (capacitive) by a pair of electrodes 290 and 292.

The relationship between the gap sensor 290 and the electrode 292 may be reversed. That is, the gap sensor 290 is provided on the bottom surface of the contact substrate 20, and the electrode 292 is provided on the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer 300. A conductive pad formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 300 may be used as the electrode 292. In addition, a reference plate made of metal, ceramics, alumina, or the like may be used in place of the semiconductor wafer 300 in order to flatten the system before shipping the probe contact system to the customer.

The probe card 60 is mounted on the frame 204 of the probe contact system via the probe card ring 242. The probe card ring 242 is connected to the frame 240 by fixing means such as a screw 254. A connecting member by the nut 260 and the bolt 262 is provided for adjusting the gap between the probe card 60 and the probe card ring 242. This configuration is a main part of the planar adjustment mechanism of the present invention.

The connection member can use other various structures, such as a differential screw. This connection member (nut 260) is provided in three or more positions on a probe card. Each position of this nut 260 is a position which forms a vertex of a triangle or a polygon, and is connected to the outer end of the probe card 60. In the plane adjustment of the contactor tip, it is preferable to use the rotation adjustment device 220 to easily and accurately rotate the nut 260. The rotation adjusting device 220 is a tool specially created for rotating the nut 260 in fine steps as will be described in detail later.

The semiconductor wafer under test 300 is mounted on the chuck 180 of the substrate handler 400 (FIGS. 1 and 2) such as a wafer prober. Although not shown, it is already known that the frame 240 of the probe contact system and the housing of the substrate handler are mechanically connected to each other. Thus, in this example, the angle or inclination of the probe card 60 and the contact structure 20 is adjusted relative to the probe card ring 242 (and thus the frame 240 of the probe contact system), thereby contacting the contactor. (30) The flatness of the tip portion is adjusted.

Since the bolt 262 is operated in the vertical direction by the rotation of the nut 260, the gap between the probe card 60 and the probe card ring 242 is changed, resulting in the contact substrate 20 and the semiconductor. The gap between the wafers 300 is changed. In this configuration, since the vertical position of the probe card 60 is changed at three or more positions, the height of the tip of the contactor 30 mounted on the contact substrate 20 is uniform with respect to the surface of the semiconductor wafer 300. Can be adjusted to That is, since the probe card 60 and the contact substrate 20 are fixed to each other, by changing the inclination of the probe card with respect to the probe card ring 242, for example, the frame 240 of the probe contact system. The tip plane of the contactor 30 is adjusted.

The gap sensor 290 is, for example, a capacitance sensor as described above, and measures the capacitance between the gap sensor 290 and the electrode 292 (gap) opposite. The value of the measured capacitance is a function of the distance between the sensor and the electrode. An example of such a gap sensor is the model HPT-500-V, which is provided by Capac., Mass., USA. By observing the gap between the gap sensor 290 and the electrode 292 measured by the gap meter 280, the system user uses the rotation adjusting device 220 to make each gap of three or more positions equal to each other. To rotate the nut 260.

7 is a perspective view showing the top surface of the probe card 60 and the probe card ring 242 of the probe contact system of the present invention. The probe card ring 242 is fixed to the frame 240 of the probe contact system by fastening means such as screws 254. The nut (connection member) 260 which adjusts flatness is provided in the position of at least 3 points of the outer end parts of the probe card 60. As shown in FIG. Each position of such a nut 260 corresponds to each vertex of an equilateral triangle, for example. 7 also shows a screw 250 for fixing the contact substrate 20 to the probe card 60.

In FIG. 10, the structural example of the nut 260 formed in the surface of the probe card 60 is shown. The bottom of the rotation adjusting device 220 has an opening suitable for the nut 260 on the probe card 60 (see Fig. 8C). The probe card 60 has a radial scale 262 or mark around the nut 260 so that the amount of rotation by the rotation adjusting device 220 can be easily observed. The probe card 60 also has a peg hole 264 into which the pegs (protrusions) 225 of the rotation adjusting device 220 can be inserted.

8A to 8C are top, front and bottom views, respectively, of the rotation control device 220 of the present invention. As shown in the front view of FIG. 8B, the rotation adjustment device 220 is basically composed of an upper knob 221, a lower knob 222, and a knob base 223. As shown in the top view of Fig. 8A, the top surface of the upper knob 221 is combined with a radial scale 262 (see Fig. 10) provided on the probe card 60 to allow the user to know the degree of rotation. Mark is installed. The upper knob 221 and the lower knob 222 are fixed through the coupling hole 221a with a screw etc., for example. In order to prevent slipping, it is preferable to provide an incision (notch) or a gripping tape on the transverse surface of the upper knob 221.

As shown in Figs. 8B and 8C, the knob base 223 and the lower knob 222 are rotatably connected to each other. The knob base 223 has a peg 225 at the bottom, and the peg 225 is inserted into a peg hole 264 (Fig. 10) of the probe card 60. Thus, in use, the knob base 223 is fixed to the probe card 60 and the upper knob 221 and the lower knob 222 rotate on the knob base 223 to adjust the rotation of the nut 260. . The upper knob 221 has a portion 221b extending downwards and an opening 221c. The nut 260 engages with this opening 221c and is rotated by the rotation of the upper knob 221 and the lower knob 222.

9A to 9G are analysis diagrams showing details of a configuration example of the rotation adjustment device 220 of the present invention. The upper knob 221 of FIG. 9A has a portion 221b extending downward, and is intended to reach the nut 260 on the probe card 60 when flattening. The lower knob 222 of FIG. 9D has a plurality of holding holes 235 into which the flanger 233 of FIG. 9C and the spring 232 of FIG. 9B can be inserted. Although not shown, the diameter of the bottom of the holding hole 235 is decreasing so that the tip of the flanger 233 protrudes from the bottom surface of the lower knob 222. The flanger 233 is made of, for example, low-precise plastic or lubrication plastics such as acetel and dirin, which are provided from DuPont.

The knob base 223 of Fig. 9F has a plurality of radial grooves 236 on its top surface. When assembled, the tip of the flanger 233 engages with this radial groove 236 by downward pressure by the spring 232. The pitch of the holding hole 235 of the lower knob 222 and the peripheral pitch of the radial groove 236 of the knob base 223 are configured to be slightly different from each other. Therefore, when rotating the nut 260, the rotation adjusting device 220 forms a very small rotation step by engaging the flanger 233 of the radial groove 236, while giving the user a click sound.

The knob base 223 is attached to the lower knob 222 by the upper retaining ring 234 of FIG. 9E and the lower retaining ring 238 of FIG. 9G. The upper retaining ring 234 with the flange 237 is inserted from the opening of the lower knob 222 and is retained at the bottom of the lower knob 222. The knob base 223 is connected by connecting the upper retaining ring 234 and the lower retaining ring 238 while the knob base 223 is sandwiched between the lower knob 222 and the lower retaining ring 238. Is rotatably fixed to the lower knob 222 and the upper knob 221.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the probe contact system of the present invention having the planar adjustment mechanism. In this example, an intermediate ring 246 is provided between the probe card 60 and the probe card ring 242. The intermediate ring 246 and the probe card 60 are connected to each other by fixing means such as a screw 258 (see Fig. 12). The planar adjustment mechanism (for example, the connecting member constituted by the nut 260 and the bolt 262) of the present example is provided so that the intermediate ring 246 and the probe card ring 242 are connected to each other at three or more positions. It is.

6 and 7, the bolt 262 is moved in the vertical direction by the rotation of the nut 260, so that the intermediate ring 246 (probe card 60) and the probe card ring 242 are moved. ), Thereby changing the gap between the contact substrate 20 and the semiconductor wafer 300. In this configuration, the vertical position of the intermediate ring 246, for example, the outer end of the probe card 60, is changed at the three-point position. Therefore, the tip height of the contactor 30 mounted on the contact substrate 20 is adjusted to be uniform with respect to the surface of the semiconductor wafer 300. In this example, the probe card 60 and the contact substrate 20 are fixedly connected to each other, and the probe card 60 and the intermediate ring 246 are fixedly connected to each other. Thus, the probe card 60 in which the flatness of the tip of the contactor 30 is fixed to the intermediate ring 246 against the surface of the probe card ring 242, for example the frame 240 of the probe contact system. It is adjusted by changing the slope of.

12 is a perspective view showing the top surface of the probe card 60, the intermediate ring 246, and the probe card ring 242 in the probe contact system according to the embodiment of FIG. The probe card ring 242 is connected to the frame 240 of the probe contact system by fixing means such as a screw 254. The nut (connection member) 260 for flatness adjustment is formed in the position on the intermediate ring 246 so that it may correspond to the triangle vertex position. The nut 260 connects the intermediate ring 246 and the probe card ring 242 to adjust the gap amount during the rotation.

As shown in FIG. 10, the nut 260 may be provided on the intermediate ring 246 with the radial scale of the nut 260 and the peg hole 264. It can be easily and accurately rotated.

Figure 13 is a sectional view of yet another embodiment of the probe contact system of the present invention having a planar adjustment mechanism. The planar adjustment mechanism of this example is an automatic system for adjusting the distance between the contact substrate and the semiconductor wafer or reference plate. The plane adjustment mechanism has a motor 420 for rotating the nut 260 based on a control signal from the controller 430. The controller 430 generates a control signal that determines the amount of rotation of the nut 260 by the motor 420 by calculating the gap measurement from the gap meter 280.

14 and 15 show another configuration example of the probe contact system having the planar adjustment mechanism of the present invention. Fig. 14 is a sectional view thereof, and Fig. 15 is a top perspective view thereof.

As in the case of the embodiment of Figs. 6 to 13, the contact substrate 20 (space transformer) on which the plurality of contactors 30 are mounted is connected to the probe card 60 via the support frame 55 and the conductive elastomer 50. Is attached to. The support frame 55 supporting the contact substrate 20 is connected to the probe card 60 by fixing means such as a screw 350. As described above with reference to FIG. 5, the conductive elastomer 50 realizes electrical connection only in the vertical direction between the contact substrate 20 and the probe card 60.

An electrode 292 is provided on the bottom surface of the contact substrate 20 or on the bottom surface of the support frame 55. The electrode 292 is disposed at three or more positions on the bottom surface of the contact substrate 20. Each position of the electrode 292 is preferably close to the end of the contact substrate 20 so as to form a vertex of a triangle or a polygon.

Probe card 60 is provided in frame 340 of the probe contact system via probe card ring 360. The probe card ring 360 is fixedly connected to the frame 340 by fixing means such as a screw 352. In order to adjust the flatness of the contactor 30 between the probe card 60 and the probe card ring 360, at least one shim 70 (thin member) such as a thin plate or film is inserted. Examples of the shim 70 are a teflon film, a mylar film, a metal film, a metal plate, and the like. The semiconductor wafer under test 300 is disposed on the chuck 18 of the substrate handler 400 (FIG. 1), such as a wafer prober. Although not shown, as is known, the frame 340 of the probe contact system and the housing of the substrate handler are mechanically connected to each other.

In the example of FIG. 14, there is also a gap sensor 290 provided on the semiconductor wafer 300, and a gap meter 280 that receives a signal from the gap sensor 290. The gap sensor 290 is basically an electrode, and on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 300, at a position facing the upper electrode 292 provided on the bottom surface of the contact substrate 20, for example, at the positions of the three points. It is arranged. The relationship between the gap sensor 290 and the electrode can be reversed. That is, the gap sensor 290 may be provided on the bottom surface of the contact substrate 20, and the electrode 292 may be provided on the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer 300. In addition, instead of the semiconductor wafer 300, a substrate made of ceramic, alumina, or the like may be used as the reference plate in order to flatten the system before shipping the probe contact system to the customer.

As described above with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the gap sensor 290 is a capacitance sensor that measures the capacitance between the gap sensor 290 and the electrode 292 facing the gap (gap). The value of the measured capacitance is a function of the distance between the sensor and the electrode. As can be seen from the capacitance value, the number of shims 70 to be inserted between the probe card 60 and the probe card ring 360 is determined so that the respective gap values of the three point positions are equal to each other. Adjust

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a top surface of the probe card 60 of the probe contact system of the present invention according to the embodiment of FIG. The shim 70 is inserted at, for example, three or more positions between the probe card 60 and the probe card ring 360, as shown in FIG. When using such a three point position, it is preferable that each respond | corresponds to each vertex of an equilateral triangle. By the number of shims 70 to be inserted, the angle of the probe card, and thus the angle of the contact substrate 20 fixed to the probe card, is adjusted. Such adjustment is performed based on the result of measuring the distance between the electrode 290 and the electrode 292 by the gap sensor and the gap measuring device 280 at each of the three point positions.

In the present invention, in the above description, the probe card ring 242 and the intermediate ring 246 have a circular shape, but these may be any other shape such as a square or the like. What is needed is to couple the probe card 60 to the housing of a substrate handler such as a wafer prober or to a frame of a probe contact system via an adjustment mechanism.

According to the present invention, the probe contact system can adjust the distance between the tip of the contact and the surface of the semiconductor wafer under test or the reference plate. By adjusting the distance between the contact substrate and the semiconductor wafer using the planar adjustment mechanism, all of the contactors mounted on the contact substrate can be simultaneously brought into contact with the surface of the semiconductor wafer at the same pressure.

The planar adjustment mechanism used for the probe contact system of the present invention has a rotation adjustment device for rotating the nut on the probe card in a fine step, whereby the distance between the contact substrate and the semiconductor wafer can be easily and accurately adjusted. . The plane adjustment mechanism of this invention can also be comprised as an automatic system by using the motor which drives a nut to a probe card, and the controller which sends a control signal to a motor based on the gap value measured by the gap sensor.

In the planar adjustment mechanism used for the probe contact system of the present invention, when a shim (thin member) is used as the planar adjustment, a planar adjustment sufficient for practical use can be realized by an inexpensive member.

Although only preferred embodiments are specified, various forms and modifications of the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention within the scope of the appended claims based on the foregoing disclosure.

Claims (36)

A planar adjustment mechanism for use in a probe contact system for forming an electrical connection with a contact target, A contact substrate having a plurality of contactors on its surface; A probe card for forming an electrical connection between the contactor and the test head of the semiconductor test system, Means for securing a contact substrate on the probe card; A probe card ring fixed to the frame to mechanically connect the frame of the probe card and the probe contact system, It is a member for connecting a probe card and a probe card ring in three or more positions on a probe card, and each is comprised by the connection member which adjustablely rotates the distance between a probe card and a probe card ring. Characterized in that the planar adjustment mechanism of the probe contact system. 2. The semiconductor wafer or reference plate according to claim 1, further comprising a gap sensor for measuring a gap between the contact substrate and the target substrate at a predetermined position of the contact substrate, wherein the target substrate is for flattening adjustment. Planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system characterized by the above-mentioned. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rotation adjusting device for adjusting the connecting member, wherein the connecting member is rotated by the rotating adjusting device to make the gap between the probe card and the probe card ring constant. And consequently adjusting the distance between the tip of the contactor and the contact target to be uniform. 2. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system of claim 1, further comprising a conductive elastomer for forming an electrical connection between the contact substrate and the probe card. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system according to claim 1, wherein the connection member for connecting the contact substrate and the probe card is composed of a bolt and a nut. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system according to claim 1, wherein the connection member for connecting the contact substrate and the probe card is made of a differential screw. 3. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system according to claim 2, wherein the gap sensor determines the gap between the contact substrate and the target substrate by measuring capacitance between the gap sensor and an electrode opposite thereto. . 3. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system of claim 2, wherein the gap sensor is installed on an upper surface of the target substrate or a bottom surface of the contact substrate. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system according to claim 2, wherein the reference plate is made of a ceramic substrate or an alumina substrate provided with an electrode at a position opposite to the gap sensor. 3. The profile of claim 2, wherein the reference plate is a metal plate that uniforms the planar height of each contactor tip such that all contactors mounted on the contact substrate simultaneously contact with the same pressure with respect to the surface of the reference plate. Plane adjustment mechanism of woob contact system. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system according to claim 1, wherein the positions of the three points having the connection members correspond to respective vertices of an equilateral triangle. The said connecting member which connects the said probe card and a probe card ring is comprised by the bolt and the nut, The nut is rotatably supported by the surface of the said probe card, and the said rotation adjustment The apparatus has a bottom opening for engaging the nut, and in each of the three-point positions, the bottom opening and the nut are joined so that the gap between the contact substrate and the target substrate is equal to each other. A plane adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system, characterized by rotating the connecting member. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the rotation adjusting device is constituted by an upper knob, a lower knob, and a knob base, the upper knob and the lower knob being mechanically connected to each other, and the lower knob and the knob base are rotatably attached to each other. The upper knob base is fixedly coupled to the probe card, and the upper knob has a lower extension having an opening at the bottom, and the connecting member at each of the three-point positions is rotated by the rotation. And adjust the gap by rotating the planar adjustment mechanism of the probe contact system. The lower knob of the rotation adjusting mechanism device has a plurality of holding holes for mounting the flanger and the spring, and the lower tip of the flanger is driven by the spring force of the spring. It is mounted in the holding hole so as to protrude from the bottom surface, the knob base of the rotation adjusting device is provided with a plurality of radial grooves, the lower tip of the flanger in the groove when the upper knob and the lower knob rotates; And a pitch of the holding hole and a circumferential pitch of the radial grooves are formed differently from each other. 15. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said flanger is made of low-precise plastic or lubricated plastic. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a support frame for supporting the contact substrate between the contact substrate and the conductive elastomer, wherein the connection member is passed between the probe card and the support frame. Plane adjustment mechanism of the probe contact system. 5. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system according to claim 4, wherein the conductive elastomer is constituted by a metal filament installed in a vertical direction with the silicone rubber sheet, thereby forming electrical communication only in the vertical direction. A planar adjustment mechanism for use in a probe contact system for forming an electrical connection with a contact target, A contact substrate having a plurality of contactors on its surface; A probe card for forming an electrical connection between the contactor and the test head of the semiconductor test system, Means for securing a contact substrate to the probe card; An intermediate ring attached to the outer periphery of the probe card, A probe card ring fixedly attached to the frame for mechanically coupling the probe card and the frame of the probe contact system via the intermediate ring; A member for connecting the intermediate ring and the probe card ring at a three-point position on the intermediate ring, each of which is constituted by a plurality of connecting members that adjustably adjust the distance between the intermediate ring and the probe card ring. Characterized in that the planar adjustment mechanism of the probe contact system. 19. The test target according to claim 18, further comprising a gap sensor for measuring a gap between the contact substrate and the target substrate at a predetermined position of the contact substrate, wherein the target substrate is under test for adjusting the flatness of the tip of the contactor. A planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system, characterized in that the semiconductor wafer or the reference plate. 19. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a rotation adjusting device for adjusting the rotation of the connecting member, by making the gap between the intermediate ring and the probe card ring constant, resulting in a distance between the tip of the contactor and the contact target. Planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system, characterized in that it adjusts to be equal. 19. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system of claim 18, further comprising a conductive elastomer for forming an electrical connection between the contact substrate and the probe. 20. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system of claim 19, wherein the gap sensor determines the gap between the contact substrate and the target substrate by measuring a capacitance between the gap sensor and an electrode opposite thereto. 20. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system of claim 19, wherein the gap sensor is installed on an upper surface of the target substrate or a bottom surface of the contact substrate. 20. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system according to claim 19, wherein the reference plate is made of a ceramic substrate or an alumina substrate provided with electrodes at a position opposite to the gap sensor. The connecting member according to claim 20, wherein the connecting member for connecting the intermediate ring and the probe card ring is constituted by a bolt and a nut, and the nut is rotatably supported on the surface of the intermediate ring. A bottom opening for engaging with the nut, and at each of the three points, the bottom opening and the nut are engaged to rotate the connection member so that the gap between the contact substrate and the target substrate becomes equal to each other. A plane adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system. 22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a support frame for supporting the contact substrate between the contact substrate and the conductive elastomer, wherein the connection member is passed between the probe card and the support frame. Flat adjustment mechanism of the probe contact system. A planar adjustment mechanism for use in a probe contact system for forming an electrical connection with a contact target, A contact substrate having a plurality of contactors on its surface; A probe card for forming an electrical connection between the contactor and the test head of the semiconductor test system, Means for securing a contact substrate to the probe card; A probe card ring fixed to the frame for mechanically coupling the frame of the probe card and the probe contact system, A connecting member which is a member for connecting the probe card and the probe card ring at three or more positions on the probe card, each of which is capable of adjusting an adjustable distance between the probe card and the probe card ring; A gap sensor for measuring a gap between the contact substrate and the target substrate at a predetermined position of the contact substrate; A controller for generating a control signal indicative of a gap value between the contact substrate and the target substrate based on the detection signal of the gap sensor; And a motor for driving the connecting member based on a control signal of the controller. 28. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system of claim 27, wherein the gap sensor determines the gap between the contact substrate and the target substrate by measuring a capacitance between the gap sensor and an electrode opposite thereto. 28. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system of claim 27, wherein said gap sensor is installed on an upper surface of said target substrate or a bottom surface of a contact substrate. A planar adjustment mechanism for use in a probe contact system for forming an electrical connection with a contact target, A contact substrate having a plurality of contactors on its surface; A probe card for forming an electrical connection between the contactor and the test head of the semiconductor test system, Fixing means for fixing the contact substrate on the probe card; A probe card ring fixed to the frame to mechanically connect the frame of the probe card and the probe contact system, 3 or more positions, which are inserted between the probe card and the probe card ring, and configured by shims for adjusting the number of insertions so that the surface distance of the contactor tip and the contact target becomes uniform. Characterized in that the planar adjustment mechanism of the probe contact system. 31. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system according to claim 30, further comprising a gap sensor for measuring a gap between the contact substrate and the target substrate at a predetermined position of the contact substrate. 31. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system of claim 30, further comprising a conductive elastomer for forming an electrical connection between the contact substrate and the probe card. 32. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system of claim 31, wherein the gap sensor determines the gap between the contact substrate and the target substrate by measuring capacitance between the gap sensor and an electrode opposite thereto. 31. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system according to claim 30, wherein said target substrate is constituted by a semiconductor wafer under test or a reference plate for adjusting flatness. The planar adjustment mechanism of a probe contact system according to claim 34, wherein the reference plate is made of a ceramic substrate or an alumina substrate provided with an electrode at a position opposite to the gap sensor. 33. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising a support frame for supporting the contact substrate between the contact substrate and the conductive elastomer, wherein the fixing means is passed between the probe card and the support frame. Flat adjustment mechanism of the probe contact system.