US20120216559A1 - Mounting device - Google Patents
Mounting device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20120216559A1 US20120216559A1 US13/403,430 US201213403430A US2012216559A1 US 20120216559 A1 US20120216559 A1 US 20120216559A1 US 201213403430 A US201213403430 A US 201213403430A US 2012216559 A1 US2012216559 A1 US 2012216559A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- heat
- cooling
- unit
- mounting device
- mounting
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67098—Apparatus for thermal treatment
- H01L21/67109—Apparatus for thermal treatment mainly by convection
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L22/00—Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment; Reliability measurements, i.e. testing of parts without further processing to modify the parts as such; Structural arrangements therefor
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/683—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a mounting device having a cooling mechanism for cooing a substrate to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer or the like to a predetermined temperature in the case of processing the substrate at a low temperature; and, more particularly, to a mounting device capable of achieving cost reduction by simplifying the cooling mechanism.
- a conventional mounting device is used for various processing apparatuses in a semiconductor manufacturing field.
- a mounting device used for an inspection apparatus for inspecting electrical characteristics of a semiconductor wafer will be described as an example.
- a conventional inspection apparatus E includes a loader chamber L for transferring a semiconductor wafer W, a prober chamber P for inspecting electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer W transferred from the loader chamber L, and a control unit (not shown).
- the inspection apparatus E is configured to transfer the semiconductor wafer W from the loader chamber L to the prober chamber P, and inspect electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer W in the prober chamber L, and then return the semiconductor wafer W to the original location, under the control of the control unit.
- the prober chamber P has a temperature-controllable wafer chuck 1 for mounting thereon a semiconductor wafer W, an XY table 2 for moving the wafer chuck 1 in X and Y directions, a probe card 3 provided above the wafer chuck 1 moved by the XY table 2 , and an alignment mechanism 4 for precisely aligning a plurality of probes 3 A of the probe card 3 with a plurality of electrode pads of the semiconductor wafer W on the wafer chuck 1 .
- a test head T of a tester is rotatably provided on a head plate 5 of the prober chamber P, and is electrically connected to the probe card 3 through a performance board (not shown). Further, the inspection of the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer W is performed by setting an inspection temperature of the semiconductor wafer W on the wafer chuck 1 at a low temperature range or a high temperature range, for example, and sending signals from the tester to the probes 3 A through the test head T.
- a coolant is cooled by a cooling unit 6 connected to the wafer chuck 1 and the semiconductor wafer W is cooled to a low temperature range of, e.g., about several tens of minus degrees, by circulating the cooled coolant through a coolant path in the wafer chuck 1 , as can be seen from FIG. 5 .
- a cooling/heating unit as the cooling unit 6 . As shown in FIG.
- this cooling/heating unit 6 includes: a coolant tank 61 for storing a coolant; a first coolant circulation path 62 for circulating the cooing liquid between the wafer chuck 1 and the coolant tank 61 through a first pump 62 A; a second coolant circulation path 63 for circulating the coolant in the coolant tank 61 through a second pump 63 A; a temperature sensor 61 A for detecting a temperature of the coolant; a temperature controller 64 operating based on the detection value of the temperature sensor 61 A; a heat engine driving inverter (hereinafter, simply referred to as an “inverter”) 65 operating based on the signal from the temperature controller 64 ; and a Stirling engine 66 (see FIG. 2 ) operating based on the signal from the inverter 65 .
- the coolant circulating in the second coolant circulation path 63 is heated or cooled by the Stirling engine 66 .
- the coolant in the coolant tank 61 circulates between the first coolant circulation path 62 and the wafer chuck 1 by the operation of the first pump 62 A, thereby cooling the wafer chuck 1 .
- the temperature of the coolant returned to the coolant tank 61 is increased.
- the temperature of the coolant in the coolant tank 61 is detected by the temperature sensor 61 A, and the detection signal is sent to the temperature controller 64 .
- the temperature controller compares a preset temperature with the detection temperature and drives the inverter 65 based on the temperature difference therebetween.
- the inverter 65 drives the Stirling engine 66 at a predetermined frequency based on the instruction signal from the temperature controller 64 .
- the coolant circulating in the second coolant circulation path 63 by the second pump 63 A is cooled by a heat exchanger 67 .
- the cooling/heating unit 6 shown in FIG. 5 has a simple line structure without using valves, so that machine breakdown and power consumption can be reduced.
- the mounting device using the cooling/heating unit 6 shown in FIG. 5 requires the installation space for the coolant tank 61 , the first and the second coolant circulation paths 62 and 63 , the first and the second pump 62 A and 63 A, the Stirling engine 66 and the like. Accordingly, the cooling unit used in the mounting device cannot achieve space saving.
- the present invention provides a mounting device capable of achieving cost reduction and space saving of a cooling mechanism for cooling a target object, e.g., a semiconductor wafer or the like, mounted on a mounting body.
- a mounting device including: a mounting body for mounting thereon a target object to be subjected to a predetermined process; and a cooling mechanism for cooling the target object via the mounting table, wherein the cooling mechanism includes a heat exchanger provided at a bottom surface of the mounting table, and a cooling unit having a heat absorbing unit for absorbing heat from a heat transfer medium of the heat exchanger, and wherein the cooling unit is fixed to the heat exchanger through the heat absorbing unit.
- FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view showing an embodiment of a mounting device of the present invention
- FIG. 2 schematically shows a cooling unit applied to the mounting device shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view showing another embodiment of the mounting device of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 shows an internal structure of an inspection apparatus having a conventional mounting device
- FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a mounting device used in the inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 4 .
- a mounting device 10 of the present embodiment includes a mounting body (wafer chuck) 11 for mounting thereon a semiconductor wafer W, a cooling mechanism 12 for cooling the semiconductor wafer W, a support body 13 for supporting the wafer chuck 11 at an outer periphery thereof, and an elevation mechanism 15 for supporting and vertically moving the support body 13 on a base 14 at a plurality of locations.
- the elevation mechanism 15 may be configured as, e.g., a cylinder mechanism, but not limited thereto.
- the mounting device 10 can be applied to an inspection apparatus for inspecting electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer W, for example.
- a probe card 20 is provided above the wafer chuck 11 .
- the probe card 20 is installed at a head plate 30 forming a top surface of the prober chamber of the inspection apparatus via a card holder 20 A.
- An alignment mechanism (not shown) is provided in the prober chamber to perform alignment between the semiconductor wafer W on the wafer chuck 1 and the probes 21 of the probe card 20 .
- the semiconductor wafer W on the wafer chuck 11 is cooled to a predetermined temperature in a low-temperature range, e.g., several tens of minus degrees, by the cooling mechanism 12 .
- a predetermined temperature in a low-temperature range, e.g., several tens of minus degrees
- the alignment between the electrode pads of the semiconductor wafer W on the wafer chuck 11 and the probes 21 of the probe card 20 is performed by the alignment mechanism.
- the wafer chuck 11 is raised by the elevation mechanism 15 , and the electrode pads of the semiconductor wafer W are brought into electrical contact with the probes 21 of the probe card 20 . In that state, the electrical characteristics of the devices formed on the semiconductor wafer W are inspected at a predetermined low temperature.
- the cooling mechanism 12 includes a heat exchanger 121 provided at a central portion of a bottom surface of the wafer chuck 11 , a cooling unit 122 having a heat absorbing unit 122 A inserted into the heat exchanger 121 at the side surface of thereof.
- the cooling unit 122 is horizontally fixed to the side surface of the heat exchanger 121 through the heat absorbing unit 122 A.
- the heat exchanger 121 has a heat transfer medium 121 A, and a housing body 121 B accommodating therein the heat transfer medium 121 A.
- the heat transfer medium 121 A is made of metal having high thermal conductivity
- the housing body 121 B is made of a heat insulating material. As shown in FIG.
- the cooling unit 122 has the heat absorbing unit 122 A, and a driving unit 122 B extending in a horizontal direction of the heat absorbing unit 122 A.
- the heat absorbing unit 122 A and the driving unit 122 B are formed as one unit in a housing.
- the heat absorbing unit 122 A includes a first cylinder 122 C, a displacer 122 D capable of reciprocally moving within the first cylinder 122 C, a regenerator 122 E provided at an outer peripheral surface of the first cylinder 122 C, and a first housing member 122 F accommodating therein the above components.
- An operation gas is filled in the first housing member 122 F.
- the driving unit 122 B has a second cylinder 122 G disposed directly below the first cylinder 122 C, a piston 122 H configured to be reciprocally moved within the second cylinder 122 G, a driving mechanism 122 I for reciprocally moving the piston 122 H, and a second housing member 122 J for accommodating the above components.
- the piston 122 H reciprocally moves within the second cylinder 122 G by the driving mechanism 122 I.
- the first housing member 122 F and the second housing member 122 J are formed as a single housing. Further, the first housing member 122 F and the second housing member 122 J are partitioned outside the second cylinder 122 G.
- the first cylinder 122 C and the second cylinder 122 G have the same outer diameter and the same inner diameter. Moreover, the first cylinder 122 C and the second cylinder 122 G may be formed as one unit, and a through hole may be formed at the lower end of the heat absorbing unit 122 A.
- the stirling cycle in which the operation gas is repeatedly compressed and expanded is performed.
- Heat is absorbed at the leading end portion of the heat absorbing unit 122 A and is radiated from a place between the displacer 122 D and the piston 122 H. Since the heat absorbing unit 122 A is inserted into the heat exchanger 121 as shown in FIG. 1 , the heat absorbing unit 122 A absorbs heat from the heat transfer medium 121 A.
- the wafer chuck 11 is cooled through the heat transfer medium 121 A, so that the semiconductor wafer W on the wafer chuck 11 can be cooled.
- the cooling mechanism 12 used in the present embodiment is directly attached to the bottom surface of the wafer chuck 11 .
- the wafer chuck is cooled by using a coolant
- FIG. 1 the example in which the cooling unit 122 is horizontally attached to the side surface of the heat exchanger 121 is illustrated.
- the cooling unit 122 may be vertically attached on the bottom surface of the heat exchanger 121 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
- a central axis of the cooling unit 122 coincides with that of the wafer chuck 11 , so that the mounting device 10 can be moved horizontally while maintaining balance.
- the driving unit 122 B is supported so as to be vertically movable by an elevation mechanism 16 .
- the wafer chuck 11 of the mounting device 10 is previously cooled by the cooling mechanism 12 .
- the driving mechanism 122 I of the driving unit 122 B of the cooling unit 122 is driven to reciprocally move the piston 122 H along the second cylinder 122 G, as shown in FIG. 2 .
- the displacer 122 D in the heat absorbing unit 122 A reciprocally moves along the first cylinder 122 C while maintaining the specific phase difference with respect to the piston 122 H.
- the operation gas is expanded at the upper side of the displacer 122 D, and heat is absorbed from the heat transfer medium 121 A of the heat exchanger 121 via the heat absorption fin. Meanwhile, the operation gas is compressed at a space between the displacer 122 D and the piston 122 H and has an increased temperature, so that heat is radiated outside the housing through the heat radiation fin.
- the heat absorbing unit 122 A gradually absorbs heat from the heat transfer medium 122 A of the heat exchanger 121 , and the wafer chuck 11 is cooled. The heat absorbed by the heat absorbing unit 122 A is radiated outside the housing from the space between the displacer 122 D and the piston 122 H via the heat radiation fin.
- the pre-aligned semiconductor wafer W is mounted on the wafer chuck 11 .
- the semiconductor wafer W is aligned with respect to the probe card 20 by the alignment mechanism.
- the elevation mechanism 15 is driven to raise the wafer chuck 11 cooled to a predetermined temperature (e.g., about ⁇ 50° C.), and the electrode pads of the semiconductor wafer W and the probes 21 of the probe card 20 electrically contact with each other. In that state, the inspection is performed at a predetermined low temperature.
- the semiconductor wafer W is returned from the wafer chuck 11 to the original location, and a next semiconductor wafer W is subjected to a low-temperature inspection.
- the cooling mechanism 12 installed at the mounting device 10 includes: the heat exchanger 121 provided at the bottom surface of the wafer chuck 11 ; and the cooling unit 122 having the heat absorbing unit 122 A for absorbing heat from the heat transfer medium 121 A of the heat exchanger 121 . Since the cooling unit 122 is fixed to the heat exchanger 121 through the heat absorbing unit 122 A, the conventionally required components such as the coolant for cooling the wafer chuck 11 , the coolant tank, the coolant circulation line and the like become unnecessary. Therefore, the structure of the cooling mechanism 12 is very simplified, and the space saving of the cooling mechanism 12 is achieved. Furthermore, the cost reduction can be achieved.
- the present invention may be properly modified, if necessary, without being limited to the above-described embodiments.
- a mounting device used in an inspection apparatus has been described.
- the present invention can be widely applied to a mounting device having a function of cooling a target object.
- the heat transfer medium 121 A of the heat exchanger 121 may be made of a material other than metal.
- a Stirling cooler used as the cooling unit 122 is not limited to one described in the above-described embodiments. If necessary, the components thereof may be properly modified.
Abstract
A mounting device includes a mounting body for mounting thereon a target object to be subjected to a predetermined process; and a cooling mechanism for cooling the target object via the mounting table. The cooling mechanism includes a heat exchanger provided at a bottom surface of the mounting table, and a cooling unit having a heat absorbing unit for absorbing heat from a heat transfer medium of the heat exchanger. Further, the cooling unit is fixed to the heat exchanger through the heat absorbing unit.
Description
- The present invention relates to a mounting device having a cooling mechanism for cooing a substrate to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer or the like to a predetermined temperature in the case of processing the substrate at a low temperature; and, more particularly, to a mounting device capable of achieving cost reduction by simplifying the cooling mechanism.
- A conventional mounting device is used for various processing apparatuses in a semiconductor manufacturing field. Here, a mounting device used for an inspection apparatus for inspecting electrical characteristics of a semiconductor wafer will be described as an example.
- As shown in
FIG. 4 , for example, a conventional inspection apparatus E includes a loader chamber L for transferring a semiconductor wafer W, a prober chamber P for inspecting electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer W transferred from the loader chamber L, and a control unit (not shown). The inspection apparatus E is configured to transfer the semiconductor wafer W from the loader chamber L to the prober chamber P, and inspect electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer W in the prober chamber L, and then return the semiconductor wafer W to the original location, under the control of the control unit. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , the prober chamber P has a temperature-controllable wafer chuck 1 for mounting thereon a semiconductor wafer W, an XY table 2 for moving the wafer chuck 1 in X and Y directions, aprobe card 3 provided above the wafer chuck 1 moved by the XY table 2, and analignment mechanism 4 for precisely aligning a plurality ofprobes 3A of theprobe card 3 with a plurality of electrode pads of the semiconductor wafer W on the wafer chuck 1. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , a test head T of a tester is rotatably provided on ahead plate 5 of the prober chamber P, and is electrically connected to theprobe card 3 through a performance board (not shown). Further, the inspection of the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer W is performed by setting an inspection temperature of the semiconductor wafer W on the wafer chuck 1 at a low temperature range or a high temperature range, for example, and sending signals from the tester to theprobes 3A through the test head T. - When the semiconductor wafer W is subjected to low-temperature inspection, a coolant is cooled by a
cooling unit 6 connected to the wafer chuck 1 and the semiconductor wafer W is cooled to a low temperature range of, e.g., about several tens of minus degrees, by circulating the cooled coolant through a coolant path in the wafer chuck 1, as can be seen fromFIG. 5 . In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-240035, the present inventors have suggested a cooling/heating unit as thecooling unit 6. As shown inFIG. 5 , this cooling/heating unit 6 includes: acoolant tank 61 for storing a coolant; a firstcoolant circulation path 62 for circulating the cooing liquid between the wafer chuck 1 and thecoolant tank 61 through afirst pump 62A; a secondcoolant circulation path 63 for circulating the coolant in thecoolant tank 61 through asecond pump 63A; atemperature sensor 61A for detecting a temperature of the coolant; atemperature controller 64 operating based on the detection value of thetemperature sensor 61A; a heat engine driving inverter (hereinafter, simply referred to as an “inverter”) 65 operating based on the signal from thetemperature controller 64; and a Stirling engine 66 (seeFIG. 2 ) operating based on the signal from theinverter 65. The coolant circulating in the secondcoolant circulation path 63 is heated or cooled by the Stirlingengine 66. - When the coolant is cooled by the cooling/
heating unit 6, the coolant in thecoolant tank 61 circulates between the firstcoolant circulation path 62 and the wafer chuck 1 by the operation of thefirst pump 62A, thereby cooling the wafer chuck 1. The temperature of the coolant returned to thecoolant tank 61 is increased. The temperature of the coolant in thecoolant tank 61 is detected by thetemperature sensor 61A, and the detection signal is sent to thetemperature controller 64. The temperature controller compares a preset temperature with the detection temperature and drives theinverter 65 based on the temperature difference therebetween. Theinverter 65 drives the Stirlingengine 66 at a predetermined frequency based on the instruction signal from thetemperature controller 64. In the Stirlingengine 66, the coolant circulating in the secondcoolant circulation path 63 by thesecond pump 63A is cooled by aheat exchanger 67. The cooling/heating unit 6 shown inFIG. 5 has a simple line structure without using valves, so that machine breakdown and power consumption can be reduced. - However, the mounting device using the cooling/
heating unit 6 shown inFIG. 5 requires the installation space for thecoolant tank 61, the first and the secondcoolant circulation paths second pump engine 66 and the like. Accordingly, the cooling unit used in the mounting device cannot achieve space saving. - In view of the above, the present invention provides a mounting device capable of achieving cost reduction and space saving of a cooling mechanism for cooling a target object, e.g., a semiconductor wafer or the like, mounted on a mounting body.
- In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mounting device including: a mounting body for mounting thereon a target object to be subjected to a predetermined process; and a cooling mechanism for cooling the target object via the mounting table, wherein the cooling mechanism includes a heat exchanger provided at a bottom surface of the mounting table, and a cooling unit having a heat absorbing unit for absorbing heat from a heat transfer medium of the heat exchanger, and wherein the cooling unit is fixed to the heat exchanger through the heat absorbing unit.
- The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments, given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view showing an embodiment of a mounting device of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 schematically shows a cooling unit applied to the mounting device shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view showing another embodiment of the mounting device of the present invention. -
FIG. 4 shows an internal structure of an inspection apparatus having a conventional mounting device; and -
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a mounting device used in the inspection apparatus shown inFIG. 4 . - Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on embodiments shown in
FIGS. 1 to 3 . - As shown in
FIG. 1 , amounting device 10 of the present embodiment includes a mounting body (wafer chuck) 11 for mounting thereon a semiconductor wafer W, acooling mechanism 12 for cooling the semiconductor wafer W, asupport body 13 for supporting thewafer chuck 11 at an outer periphery thereof, and anelevation mechanism 15 for supporting and vertically moving thesupport body 13 on abase 14 at a plurality of locations. Theelevation mechanism 15 may be configured as, e.g., a cylinder mechanism, but not limited thereto. Themounting device 10 can be applied to an inspection apparatus for inspecting electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer W, for example. - A
probe card 20 is provided above thewafer chuck 11. Theprobe card 20 is installed at ahead plate 30 forming a top surface of the prober chamber of the inspection apparatus via acard holder 20A. An alignment mechanism (not shown) is provided in the prober chamber to perform alignment between the semiconductor wafer W on the wafer chuck 1 and theprobes 21 of theprobe card 20. - When the semiconductor wafer W is subjected to low-temperature inspection, the semiconductor wafer W on the
wafer chuck 11 is cooled to a predetermined temperature in a low-temperature range, e.g., several tens of minus degrees, by thecooling mechanism 12. While the semiconductor wafer W is being cooled, the alignment between the electrode pads of the semiconductor wafer W on thewafer chuck 11 and theprobes 21 of theprobe card 20 is performed by the alignment mechanism. Next, thewafer chuck 11 is raised by theelevation mechanism 15, and the electrode pads of the semiconductor wafer W are brought into electrical contact with theprobes 21 of theprobe card 20. In that state, the electrical characteristics of the devices formed on the semiconductor wafer W are inspected at a predetermined low temperature. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , thecooling mechanism 12 includes aheat exchanger 121 provided at a central portion of a bottom surface of thewafer chuck 11, acooling unit 122 having aheat absorbing unit 122A inserted into theheat exchanger 121 at the side surface of thereof. Thecooling unit 122 is horizontally fixed to the side surface of theheat exchanger 121 through theheat absorbing unit 122A. Theheat exchanger 121 has aheat transfer medium 121A, and a housing body 121B accommodating therein theheat transfer medium 121A. Theheat transfer medium 121A is made of metal having high thermal conductivity, and the housing body 121B is made of a heat insulating material. As shown inFIG. 1 , thecooling unit 122 has theheat absorbing unit 122A, and adriving unit 122B extending in a horizontal direction of theheat absorbing unit 122A. Theheat absorbing unit 122A and thedriving unit 122B are formed as one unit in a housing. - The
cooling unit 122 will be described with reference toFIG. 2 . As shown inFIG. 2 , theheat absorbing unit 122A includes afirst cylinder 122C, adisplacer 122D capable of reciprocally moving within thefirst cylinder 122C, aregenerator 122E provided at an outer peripheral surface of thefirst cylinder 122C, and afirst housing member 122F accommodating therein the above components. An operation gas is filled in thefirst housing member 122F. As shown inFIG. 2 , thedriving unit 122B has asecond cylinder 122G disposed directly below thefirst cylinder 122C, apiston 122H configured to be reciprocally moved within thesecond cylinder 122G, a driving mechanism 122I for reciprocally moving thepiston 122H, and asecond housing member 122J for accommodating the above components. In thesecond housing member 122J, thepiston 122H reciprocally moves within thesecond cylinder 122G by the driving mechanism 122I. Thefirst housing member 122F and thesecond housing member 122J are formed as a single housing. Further, thefirst housing member 122F and thesecond housing member 122J are partitioned outside thesecond cylinder 122G. In thiscooling unit 122, thefirst cylinder 122C and thesecond cylinder 122G have the same outer diameter and the same inner diameter. Moreover, thefirst cylinder 122C and thesecond cylinder 122G may be formed as one unit, and a through hole may be formed at the lower end of theheat absorbing unit 122A. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , in the housing, when the driving mechanism 122I is driven, thepiston 122H reciprocally moves along thesecond cylinder 122G, and thedisplacer 122D provided thereabove reciprocally moves within thefirst cylinder 122C while maintaining a specific phase difference with respect to thepiston 122H. At this time, the operation gas reciprocally moves through theregenerator 122E in directions indicated by arrows. As a consequence, an expanded space and a compressed space are formed at an upper and a lower side of thedisplacer 122D, respectively. In the expanded space, the temperature of the operation gas is decreased, so that heat is absorbed from the outside. In the compressed space, the temperature of the operation gas is increased, so that heat is radiated to the outside. In the expanded space, heat is absorbed through a heat absorbing fin. In the compressed space, heat is radiated through a heat radiation fin. - Therefore, while the displacer and the piston are reciprocally moving within the first and the second cylinder while maintaining the specific phase difference therebetween, the stirling cycle in which the operation gas is repeatedly compressed and expanded is performed. Heat is absorbed at the leading end portion of the
heat absorbing unit 122A and is radiated from a place between thedisplacer 122D and thepiston 122H. Since theheat absorbing unit 122A is inserted into theheat exchanger 121 as shown inFIG. 1 , theheat absorbing unit 122A absorbs heat from theheat transfer medium 121A. Thewafer chuck 11 is cooled through theheat transfer medium 121A, so that the semiconductor wafer W on thewafer chuck 11 can be cooled. - The
cooling mechanism 12 used in the present embodiment is directly attached to the bottom surface of thewafer chuck 11. Hence, unlike the conventional case in which the wafer chuck is cooled by using a coolant, it is possible to omit the coolant tank, the coolant circulation line, the circulation pump and the like. Since the installation space of such components becomes unnecessary, the structure of thecooling mechanism 12 can be largely simplified, and considerable cost reduction can be achieved. - In
FIG. 1 , the example in which thecooling unit 122 is horizontally attached to the side surface of theheat exchanger 121 is illustrated. However, thecooling unit 122 may be vertically attached on the bottom surface of theheat exchanger 121, as shown inFIG. 3 . In that case, a central axis of thecooling unit 122 coincides with that of thewafer chuck 11, so that the mountingdevice 10 can be moved horizontally while maintaining balance. Further, in thecooling unit 122, the drivingunit 122B is supported so as to be vertically movable by anelevation mechanism 16. - Hereinafter, the operation will be explained. First, in order to inspect electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer W, the
wafer chuck 11 of the mountingdevice 10 is previously cooled by thecooling mechanism 12. At this time, in thecooling mechanism 12, the driving mechanism 122I of thedriving unit 122B of thecooling unit 122 is driven to reciprocally move thepiston 122H along thesecond cylinder 122G, as shown inFIG. 2 . When thepiston 122H reciprocally moves, thedisplacer 122D in theheat absorbing unit 122A reciprocally moves along thefirst cylinder 122C while maintaining the specific phase difference with respect to thepiston 122H. At this time, the operation gas is expanded at the upper side of thedisplacer 122D, and heat is absorbed from theheat transfer medium 121A of theheat exchanger 121 via the heat absorption fin. Meanwhile, the operation gas is compressed at a space between thedisplacer 122D and thepiston 122H and has an increased temperature, so that heat is radiated outside the housing through the heat radiation fin. By repeating this stirling cycle at regular intervals, theheat absorbing unit 122A gradually absorbs heat from theheat transfer medium 122A of theheat exchanger 121, and thewafer chuck 11 is cooled. The heat absorbed by theheat absorbing unit 122A is radiated outside the housing from the space between thedisplacer 122D and thepiston 122H via the heat radiation fin. - While the
wafer chuck 11 is being cooled by thecooling mechanism 12, the pre-aligned semiconductor wafer W is mounted on thewafer chuck 11. The semiconductor wafer W is aligned with respect to theprobe card 20 by the alignment mechanism. Then, theelevation mechanism 15 is driven to raise thewafer chuck 11 cooled to a predetermined temperature (e.g., about −50° C.), and the electrode pads of the semiconductor wafer W and theprobes 21 of theprobe card 20 electrically contact with each other. In that state, the inspection is performed at a predetermined low temperature. Upon completion of the low-temperature inspection of the semiconductor wafer W, the semiconductor wafer W is returned from thewafer chuck 11 to the original location, and a next semiconductor wafer W is subjected to a low-temperature inspection. - As described above, in accordance with the present embodiment, the
cooling mechanism 12 installed at the mountingdevice 10 includes: theheat exchanger 121 provided at the bottom surface of thewafer chuck 11; and thecooling unit 122 having theheat absorbing unit 122A for absorbing heat from theheat transfer medium 121A of theheat exchanger 121. Since thecooling unit 122 is fixed to theheat exchanger 121 through theheat absorbing unit 122A, the conventionally required components such as the coolant for cooling thewafer chuck 11, the coolant tank, the coolant circulation line and the like become unnecessary. Therefore, the structure of thecooling mechanism 12 is very simplified, and the space saving of thecooling mechanism 12 is achieved. Furthermore, the cost reduction can be achieved. - The present invention may be properly modified, if necessary, without being limited to the above-described embodiments. In the above-described embodiments, a mounting device used in an inspection apparatus has been described. However, the present invention can be widely applied to a mounting device having a function of cooling a target object. Besides, the
heat transfer medium 121A of theheat exchanger 121 may be made of a material other than metal. Further, a Stirling cooler used as thecooling unit 122 is not limited to one described in the above-described embodiments. If necessary, the components thereof may be properly modified. - While the invention has been shown and described with respect to the embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modification may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
Claims (6)
1. A mounting device comprising:
a mounting body for mounting thereon a target object to be subjected to a predetermined process; and
a cooling mechanism for cooling the target object via the mounting table,
wherein the cooling mechanism includes a heat exchanger provided at a bottom surface of the mounting table, and a cooling unit having a heat absorbing unit for absorbing heat from a heat transfer medium of the heat exchanger, and
wherein the cooling unit is fixed to the heat exchanger through the heat absorbing unit.
2. The mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the cooing unit is configured as a Stirling cooler.
3. The mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer medium is made of metal.
4. The mounting device of claim 1 , further comprising a support body for supporting the mounting body at an outer periphery thereof and an elevation mechanism for vertically moving the support body.
5. The mounting device of claim 4 , wherein the elevation mechanism is configured as a cylinder mechanism.
6. The mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate to be processed is subjected to an electrical characteristic inspection.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2011041934A JP5715444B2 (en) | 2011-02-28 | 2011-02-28 | Mounting device |
JP2011-041934 | 2011-02-28 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20120216559A1 true US20120216559A1 (en) | 2012-08-30 |
Family
ID=46718078
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/403,430 Abandoned US20120216559A1 (en) | 2011-02-28 | 2012-02-23 | Mounting device |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20120216559A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP5715444B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR101370235B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN102683241A (en) |
TW (1) | TWI518822B (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10781771B1 (en) * | 2019-09-22 | 2020-09-22 | Ghasem Kahe | Automatic cooling system for combustion engine |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE102014001528A1 (en) * | 2014-02-07 | 2015-08-13 | Festo Ag & Co. Kg | Axle |
TWI629490B (en) * | 2017-07-07 | 2018-07-11 | 鴻勁精密股份有限公司 | Electronic component testing equipment with lower-type cold source conveying device |
CN113808928A (en) * | 2021-08-04 | 2021-12-17 | 北京华卓精科科技股份有限公司 | Laser annealing method and porous sucker with automatic cooling function |
Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6070414A (en) * | 1998-04-03 | 2000-06-06 | Raytheon Company | Cryogenic cooler with mechanically-flexible thermal interface |
US6546738B2 (en) * | 2001-07-24 | 2003-04-15 | Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. | Stirling refrigerator |
US6931863B2 (en) * | 2000-08-22 | 2005-08-23 | Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha | Stirling refrigerator |
US7168248B2 (en) * | 2003-07-22 | 2007-01-30 | Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha | Stirling engine |
US20070268944A1 (en) * | 2006-05-22 | 2007-11-22 | Frank Voss | Gas purification in an excimer laser using a stirling cycle cooler |
US7610756B2 (en) * | 2006-03-06 | 2009-11-03 | Tokyo Electron Limited | Cooling/heating apparatus and mounting apparatus |
US20090315580A1 (en) * | 2008-06-20 | 2009-12-24 | Tokyo Electron Limited | Probe apparatus |
US7667476B2 (en) * | 2007-12-05 | 2010-02-23 | Bruker Biospin Ag | Measuring module for rapid measurement of electrical, electronic and mechanical components at cryogenic temperatures and measuring device having such a module |
US7775041B2 (en) * | 2005-01-18 | 2010-08-17 | Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha | Stirling engine |
Family Cites Families (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP3247715B2 (en) * | 1992-02-29 | 2002-01-21 | アイシン精機株式会社 | Element cooling test equipment |
JP2606602B2 (en) * | 1993-11-30 | 1997-05-07 | 日本電気株式会社 | Cooling test equipment |
US5740016A (en) * | 1996-03-29 | 1998-04-14 | Lam Research Corporation | Solid state temperature controlled substrate holder |
ATE251340T1 (en) * | 1999-04-27 | 2003-10-15 | Decker Gmbh & Co Kg Geb | TREATMENT DEVICE FOR SILICON DISCS |
JP2001284417A (en) * | 2000-03-30 | 2001-10-12 | Nagase & Co Ltd | Low temperature test device provided with probe and prober |
JP2011134992A (en) * | 2009-12-25 | 2011-07-07 | Canon Anelva Corp | Temperature control device, and vacuum processing device including the same |
-
2011
- 2011-02-28 JP JP2011041934A patent/JP5715444B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2012
- 2012-02-15 CN CN2012100347361A patent/CN102683241A/en active Pending
- 2012-02-23 US US13/403,430 patent/US20120216559A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2012-02-24 TW TW101106136A patent/TWI518822B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2012-02-27 KR KR1020120019601A patent/KR101370235B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Patent Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6070414A (en) * | 1998-04-03 | 2000-06-06 | Raytheon Company | Cryogenic cooler with mechanically-flexible thermal interface |
US6931863B2 (en) * | 2000-08-22 | 2005-08-23 | Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha | Stirling refrigerator |
US6546738B2 (en) * | 2001-07-24 | 2003-04-15 | Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. | Stirling refrigerator |
US7168248B2 (en) * | 2003-07-22 | 2007-01-30 | Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha | Stirling engine |
US7775041B2 (en) * | 2005-01-18 | 2010-08-17 | Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha | Stirling engine |
US7610756B2 (en) * | 2006-03-06 | 2009-11-03 | Tokyo Electron Limited | Cooling/heating apparatus and mounting apparatus |
US20070268944A1 (en) * | 2006-05-22 | 2007-11-22 | Frank Voss | Gas purification in an excimer laser using a stirling cycle cooler |
US7667476B2 (en) * | 2007-12-05 | 2010-02-23 | Bruker Biospin Ag | Measuring module for rapid measurement of electrical, electronic and mechanical components at cryogenic temperatures and measuring device having such a module |
US20090315580A1 (en) * | 2008-06-20 | 2009-12-24 | Tokyo Electron Limited | Probe apparatus |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10781771B1 (en) * | 2019-09-22 | 2020-09-22 | Ghasem Kahe | Automatic cooling system for combustion engine |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2012178527A (en) | 2012-09-13 |
TWI518822B (en) | 2016-01-21 |
JP5715444B2 (en) | 2015-05-07 |
KR20120098503A (en) | 2012-09-05 |
KR101370235B1 (en) | 2014-03-05 |
CN102683241A (en) | 2012-09-19 |
TW201308465A (en) | 2013-02-16 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
KR100342016B1 (en) | Semiconductor wafer holding apparatus and semiconductor wafer storage chamber | |
US9519009B2 (en) | Prober | |
TW506032B (en) | Temperature control apparatus | |
US7610756B2 (en) | Cooling/heating apparatus and mounting apparatus | |
JP2003028923A (en) | Pusher with heater, electronic component handling device, and method of controlling temperature of the electronic component | |
KR19980033219A (en) | Temperature control device of the sample mount | |
US20120216559A1 (en) | Mounting device | |
KR20080053768A (en) | Wafer chuck and apparatus having the same and method for testing the electrical characteristic of wafer | |
US8248089B2 (en) | Apparatus for testing a semiconductor device | |
TW201909299A (en) | Inspection system | |
US20200166562A1 (en) | Inspection apparatus, temperature control device and temperature control method | |
KR101015600B1 (en) | Stage unit for a probe station and apparatus for testing a wafer including the same | |
JP2009278007A (en) | Prober | |
JP3400692B2 (en) | Wafer temperature control device and wafer storage room | |
JP3294175B2 (en) | Wafer storage room for reliability test | |
JP3294174B2 (en) | Temperature measurement device for wafer holder and wafer storage chamber | |
JP3368461B2 (en) | shell | |
JP2008190895A (en) | Electronic component inspection device | |
JP2007134545A (en) | Prober | |
TW201809696A (en) | Electronic component crimping device and test and classification equipment applying same capable of avoiding damages to the temperature control component caused by a downward pressure and a counteraction of a probe | |
JP2007180412A (en) | Prober | |
JP4936705B2 (en) | Prober | |
JP3467548B2 (en) | Temperature control body bonding device and wafer storage chamber | |
JP2008311483A (en) | Prober and method of controlling temperature of wafer chuck of prober | |
CN116893287A (en) | Probe card capable of controlling temperature |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, JAPAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:YAMADA, HIROSHI;REEL/FRAME:027753/0258 Effective date: 20120215 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |