WO2013190844A1

WO2013190844A1 - Probe card-securing device, probe inspection device, probe inspection method, and probe card

Info

Publication number: WO2013190844A1
Application number: PCT/JP2013/003865
Authority: WO
Inventors: 山崎　俊彦
Original assignee: 旭化成エレクトロニクス株式会社
Priority date: 2012-06-22
Filing date: 2013-06-20
Publication date: 2013-12-27
Also published as: TWI513984B; JP5816749B2; JPWO2013190844A1; TW201405131A; KR20140054380A; KR101569303B1

Abstract

Provided are a probe card-securing device, a probe inspection device, a probe inspection method, and a probe card, in which fluctuations in the distal end position of the probe needle caused by thermal expansion of the probe card and the card holder can be minimized. A probe card-securing device for securing a probe card (10) to a prober, the probe card-securing device comprising: a connection ring (30) for securing to the prober casing; a card holder (20) for holding the external peripheral part of the probe card (10) between the connection ring (30) and the card holder (20); and a PCLS (50) for securing the center part of the probe card (10) and the connection ring (30).

Description

Probe card fixing device, probe inspection device, probe inspection method, and probe card

The present invention relates to a probe card fixing device, a probe inspection device, a probe inspection method, and a probe card, and in particular, a probe that can suppress fluctuations in the tip position of a probe needle caused by thermal expansion of the probe card or card holder. The present invention relates to a card fixing device, a probe inspection device, a probe inspection method, and a probe card.

A probe card used for inspecting an IC chip formed on a wafer has a card substrate and a plurality of probe needles (also called needles). In the inspection process, the electrical characteristics of the IC chip are measured by bringing a plurality of probe needles into contact with the electrode pads of the IC chip. For the purpose of improving the inspection efficiency, etc., the electrical characteristics of an IC chip are measured with the wafer at a high temperature (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). Further, in recent years, with the miniaturization and high integration of semiconductor devices, the pitch of probe needles has been reduced, and there has been a demand for more accurate alignment between probe needles and electrode pads.

JP-A-7-98330 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-200272 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-181284

When performing inspection with the wafer in a high temperature state (ie, performing high temperature inspection), the stage on which the wafer is fixed is heated by a heater built in the stage. Thereby, the wafer is heated to a preset temperature. Here, since the probe card is arranged above the wafer, the lower surface of the probe card is heated by the radiant heat from the wafer and the conduction heat from the probe needle in contact with the electrode pad, and the temperature rises. . At this time, the temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the probe card is due to the thickness of the probe card, low heat transfer compared to metal, and the absence of a high-temperature heat source on the upper surface side. (Thermal gradient) occurs. Then, due to the temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces, the probe card has a problem that “warping deformation that protrudes downward” occurs. In addition, the card holder that holds the probe card also expands due to the influence of radiant heat, causing deformation.

Furthermore, the degree of deformation varies depending on the positional relationship between the wafer and the probe card (card holder). For example, when inspecting the IC chip 411 located on the outer periphery of the wafer 410 and when inspecting the IC chip 411 located in the center of the wafer 410, the magnitude of radiant heat received by the lower surface 401 of the probe card 400 is large. There is a difference in the warpage deformation.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B, when inspecting the IC chip 411 located on the outer periphery of the wafer 410, a part of the probe card 400 is moved from the upper side to the outer side of the stage 420. Since it has come out, the radiant heat which the part which has come out outside receives is small, and the temperature of the probe card 400 becomes relatively low. Therefore, the warp deformation that occurs in the probe card 400 is small. When the warp deformation is small, the downward displacement amount of the tip position of the probe needle 402 is small. Therefore, the force (that is, the pressing pressure) with which the probe needle 402 presses the electrode pad is a preset value (that is, a set value). Within the range of. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 18B, the needle trace formed on the electrode pad by the contact with the probe needle 402 can be small.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, when inspecting the IC chip 411 located at the center of the wafer 410, the probe card 400 does not protrude from above the stage 420. The lower surface 401 receives a large amount of radiant heat, and the temperature of the probe card 400 becomes relatively large. Therefore, the warp deformation generated in the probe card 400 is large. When warping deformation is large, the amount of downward displacement of the tip position of the probe needle 402 is large, and the pressing pressure exceeds the set value. For this reason, as shown in FIG.19 (b), the needle trace which remains in an electrode pad becomes large.
When the pressing force is large, the tip of the probe needle 402 protrudes while rubbing the electrode pad to reach the passivation film, and there is a possibility that the passivation film is rubbed and damaged. In addition, the tip of the probe needle 402 may break through the electrode pad and destroy the device structure below.

Incidentally, the cited document 1 describes that the displacement of the needle position is reduced by fixing the probe needle to a support plate having a small linear expansion coefficient. However, even in this method, when the temperature is very high and low, the needle position is affected by the expansion (i.e., thermal expansion) due to the heat of the substrate. Also, the vertical linear expansion of the free-cutting ceramic needle presser cannot be ignored. Reference 2 describes that heat dissipation from the probe substrate to the reinforcing plate is enhanced by interposing a heat transfer member between the probe substrate and the reinforcing plate. However, even with this method, it is difficult to reduce the temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the probe substrate, and it is difficult to reduce warping deformation caused by the temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces.

Furthermore, cited document 3 discloses a card holder for holding a probe card. The card holder is provided with a plurality of cut portions and through holes (hereinafter referred to as slits) from the opening end of the opening located at the center thereof toward the outer peripheral end. However, in this method, the stress in the lateral direction caused by the thermal expansion of the card holder can be absorbed by the deformation of the slit provided along the lateral direction, but the stress in the thickness direction is For example, since the slit is not provided along the thickness direction, it cannot be sufficiently absorbed.

Further, as a method of dealing with stress in the thickness direction, a method of making the card holder thicker than before can be considered. However, in this method, in order to secure a separation distance between the card holder and the wafer, it is necessary to lengthen the probe needle by an amount corresponding to an increase in the thickness of the card holder, which may cause a large variation in the displacement amount of the probe needle. .
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a probe card fixing device capable of suppressing fluctuations in the tip position of the probe needle caused by thermal expansion of the probe card or the card holder, An object is to provide a probe inspection device, a probe inspection method, and a probe card.

In order to solve the above problems, a probe card fixing device according to an aspect of the present invention is a probe card fixing device for fixing a probe card to a prober, and a connection ring for fixing the probe card to a housing of the prober, A card holder for sandwiching an outer peripheral portion of the probe card between the connection ring and a lock device for fixing a central portion of the probe card and the connection ring. Here, the “card holder” is, for example, an annular support plate that holds the outer periphery of the probe card. The “connection ring” is, for example, an annular relay board that electrically connects a probe card and a tester.

In the probe card fixing device, the locking device includes a first component fixed to the center portion of the probe card, a second component fixed to the connection ring, and the first component. And a third part for connecting and fixing the second part.
Further, in the above probe card fixing device, the first component includes a support member disposed apart from a surface of the probe card that is in contact with the connection ring, and a space between the probe card and the support member. A plurality of struts interposed between the plurality of struts, and the plurality of struts may be made of a material having a smaller linear expansion coefficient than the second component.

A probe inspection apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes the above-described probe card fixing device and a probe card, and the probe card fixing device is attached to the probe card.
In the probe inspection method according to still another aspect of the present invention, when performing probe inspection using a probe card whose outer peripheral portion is sandwiched between a card holder and a connection ring, a side of the probe card that contacts the connection ring in advance. A locking device is disposed on the surface of the probe card, and the central portion of the probe card and the connection ring are fixed using the locking device.

In the probe inspection method, the connection ring may be fixed to a prober housing in advance when the probe inspection is performed.
A probe card according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a probe card substrate in which a tip of a probe needle is positioned on one surface side, a support member disposed separately on the other surface side of the probe card substrate, A plurality of struts interposed between the probe card substrate and the support member, wherein the plurality of struts are a first strut and a central portion of the probe card substrate than the first strut A second support column disposed away from the first support column, wherein the second support column has a thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the first support column.

Further, in the above probe card, the plurality of struts each include a plurality of the first struts and the second struts, and the plurality of first struts are formed on the probe card substrate. The plurality of second support columns are arranged at equal intervals on a first circumference having a center of a circle in the center, and the first circumference is concentric with the first circumference. It is good also as arrange | positioning at equal intervals on the 2nd periphery with a larger diameter.

Further, in the above probe card, the plurality of support columns further include a third support column disposed on a center portion of the probe card substrate, and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the third support column is the first support column. It may be characterized by being smaller than the thermal expansion coefficient of the column. Here, the central portion of the probe card substrate is a so-called dead space in which it is difficult to place electronic components. The reason for the dead space in the center is that it is often desirable to place electronic components as close as possible to the connection point between the probe needle and the probe card board in order to improve electrical characteristics, while the probe needles are arranged radially. This is because the center of the probe card substrate is often GND, and as a result, the number of components mounted on the probe card is extremely small.
In the probe card described above, the number of the second support columns may be larger than that of the first support columns.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a portion (for example, the central portion) inside the outer peripheral portion of the probe card is connected and fixed to the connection ring by the probe card fixing device. The connection ring can be fixed to the housing of the prober. The prober housing is away from the heat source for high-temperature inspection (for example, a heater in the stage), and the thermal fluctuation is small. Since the probe card support point can be a housing with small thermal fluctuations, it suppresses the probe card's downward warping deformation and the downward movement of the probe card due to the displacement and deformation of the card holder. can do. Thereby, the fluctuation | variation of the front-end | tip position of a probe needle can be suppressed (for example, displacement amount can be made very small).

According to one aspect of the present invention, a force against warping deformation is applied to the probe card substrate due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the first and second support columns. When these two forces cancel each other, the warp deformation caused by the temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the probe card substrate can be reduced. Thereby, the amount of displacement of the tip position of the probe needle can be reduced.

Sectional drawing which shows the principal part structural example of the probe test | inspection apparatus 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the structural example of the lower part 51 and the upper part 61 of PCLS50. The top view which shows the structural example of PCLS50. The conceptual diagram which shows force F1, F2 and F3 which are added to the probe card 10 at the time of a high temperature test | inspection. The figure which shows the example of attachment or detachment of PCLS50. The figure which shows the result of having verified the effect of PCLS which the inventor performed. The figure which shows the modification of PCLS50. The figure which shows the modification of PCLS50. The figure which shows the structural example of the probe card 200 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the force F1 and F2 which are added to the probe card board | substrate 110 at the time of a high temperature test | inspection. The figure which shows the modification of the probe card. The figure which shows the modification of the probe card. The figure which shows the structural example of the probe card 300 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the modification of the probe card 300. FIG. The figure which shows the modification of the probe card 300. FIG. The figure which shows the modification of the probe card 300. FIG. The figure which shows the structural example of the support plate 330 which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. The figure for demonstrating a subject. The figure for demonstrating a subject.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, in each drawing described below, parts having the same configuration and the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description thereof is omitted.
<< First Embodiment >>
(Constitution)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a main part of a probe inspection apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The probe inspection apparatus 100 is an apparatus for inspecting the electrical characteristics and functions of an IC chip formed on a wafer, for example. As shown in FIG. 1, the probe inspection apparatus 100 holds a stage 1 on which a wafer is placed and fixed, a housing 3, a probe card 10 disposed above the stage 1, and the probe card 10. A card holder 20, a connection ring 30 for electrically connecting the probe card 10 and a tester (not shown), and a PCLS (Probe Card Lock System) 50 are provided.

Stage 1 and housing 3 are part of a prober. The stage 1 incorporates a heat source such as a heater. The wafer mounted on the stage 1 is heated by a heater built in the stage 1. As a result, the wafer can be heated to a preset temperature and a high temperature inspection can be performed. The housing 3 covers a part of the upper surface side and the side surface side of the prober, and is made of a highly rigid metal such as a coated iron plate or stainless steel plate.

The probe card 10 has a card substrate 11. The card substrate 11 is made of, for example, glass epoxy. The shape (namely, planar shape) of the card substrate 11 in plan view is, for example, a circle. For example, the card substrate 11 has a diameter of 100 to 300 mm and a thickness of 3.2 to 4.8 mm. Further, on the upper surface 11a of the card substrate 11, for example, a circuit or an electronic component (not shown) is attached. Furthermore, a plurality of probe needles 13 connected to the above-described circuits and electronic components are attached to the card substrate 11. For example, the probe needle 13 is fixed by a needle presser 15 arranged on the lower surface 11 b side of the card substrate 11, and its tip 13 a is located on the lower surface 11 b side of the card substrate 11. The number and arrangement interval of the probe needles 13 correspond to the number and arrangement interval of the electrode pads of the inspection object (that is, the IC chip formed on the wafer). Further, the card substrate 11 is provided with a plurality of screw holes penetrating between the upper surface 11a and the lower surface 11b in order to connect to a plurality of pillars described later.

The card holder 20 holds the probe card 10 in a detachable manner. The planar shape of the card holder 20 is, for example, an annular shape (that is, a shape having an opening at the center). Further, a thin plate portion 21 having a smaller thickness than the other portions is provided on the edge of the opening of the card holder 20. The outer peripheral portion of the probe card 10 is placed on the thin plate portion 21. Moreover, the level | step difference 23 is provided between the thin plate part 21 and the other part located in the outer side of the thin plate part 21, and the thin plate part 21 is one step lower than the other part. The step 23 is formed along the outer periphery of the probe card 10 and restricts the movement of the probe card 10 placed on the thin plate portion 21 in the horizontal direction (for example, X and Y axis directions). The thickness of the thin plate portion 21 of the card holder 20 is, for example, 2 mm, the thickness of other portions is, for example, 5 mm, and the step is, for example, 3 mm (= 5 mm−2 mm). Further, although not shown, a clamp mechanism is provided on the outer periphery of the card holder 20 to be connected and fixed to the housing 3.

Note that the card holder 20 is close to the stage 1 and is disposed at a position where it is easily subjected to heat during a high temperature inspection. For this reason, it is preferable that the card holder 20 is made of a material having a relatively small linear expansion coefficient, such as Novinite (registered trademark). Novinite (registered trademark) has a linear expansion coefficient of, for example, 2 to 5 ppm / ° C. Thereby, it can suppress that the card holder 20 thermally expands at the time of a high temperature test | inspection.

The connection ring 30 is for electrically connecting, for example, a test head of a tester (not shown) and the probe card 10. The connection ring 30 is provided with a plurality of pogo pins (that is, movable pins whose tips are extended and contracted by springs) 31 penetrating therethrough. The connection ring 30 is disposed on the upper surface 11 a side of the probe card 10. One end of the pogo pin 31 is in contact with the electrode portion of the probe card 10 (that is, in contact with the probe card 10), and the other end of the pogo pin 31 is in contact with the electrode portion of the test head. Thus, the outer peripheral portion of the probe card 10 is sandwiched from above and below by the thin plate portion 21 of the card holder 20 and the pogo pin 31 of the connection ring 30.

In addition, a screw hole for connecting the connection ring 30 and, for example, the housing 3 of the prober is provided on the outer periphery of the connection ring 30. The connection ring 30 is connected and fixed to the housing 3 by passing the screws 35 through the screw holes in the outer peripheral portion and the screw holes in the housing 3 (that is, screwing). Have been).
The PCLS 50 is disposed on the upper surface 11 a side of the probe card 10, that is, on the surface in contact with the connection ring 30 of the probe card 10, and is connected to a portion (for example, the central portion) inside the outer peripheral portion of the probe card 10. 30 is connected and fixed. As shown in FIG. 1, the PCLS 50 includes, for example, a lower part 51 fixed to the center part of the probe card 10, an upper part 61 fixed to the connection ring 30, an upper part 61 and a lower part 51. And a screw 71 for connecting and fixing.

First, the lower part 51 will be described. The lower part 51 includes a lower support portion 52 that is spaced apart from the upper surface 11a of the probe card 10, a plurality of columns 53 that are interposed between the probe card 10 and the lower support portion 52, and a lower side. A screw 54 for fixing the support portion 52 to one end side of each column 53 and a screw 55 for fixing the probe card 10 to the other end of each column 53 are provided.

The lower support portion 52 supports the probe card 10. The lower support 52 is, for example, SUS430 (β = 10.4 × 10 ⁻⁶ ° C, 0 to 100 ° C.) or SUS410 (β = 11.0 × 10 ⁻⁶ ° C, 0 to 100 ° C. according to JIS standards. ) And other stainless steel materials. Here, β means a coefficient of thermal expansion. Further, 0 to 100 ° C. means a value of coefficient of thermal expansion in the range of 0 to 100 ° C. The stainless steel material is suitable as a material for the lower support portion 52 because it is inexpensive, easy to process, and can easily obtain high rigidity.

2A and 2B are perspective views showing a configuration example of the lower part 51 and the upper part 61 of the PCLS 50. FIG. As shown in FIG. 2A, the shape of the lower support portion 52 is, for example, a cross shape. The size of the lower support 52 is, for example, a length from one end to the other end of the cross of 100 to 300 mm, and a thickness of 5 to 20 mm. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower support portion 52 has a plurality of screw holes for connecting to the respective pillars 53 and a connection to the upper part 61 (that is, for passing the screw 71). Each screw hole is provided.

Each strut 53 connects the probe card 10 and the support member. The length of each column 53 is, for example, 10 to 20 mm. The length of each column 53 corresponds to the distance between the probe card 10 and the lower support portion 52. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, each support | pillar 53 is provided with the screw hole penetrated in the length direction (for example, Z-axis direction). By passing the screw 54 through the screw hole provided in the lower support portion 52 and the screw hole of the support post 53, each support post 53 is connected and fixed to the lower support portion 52.

Further, by passing the screw 55 through the screw hole formed in the probe card 10 and the screw hole formed in the column 53, each column 53 is connected and fixed to the probe card 10.
Each of the columns 53 is disposed at a position closest to the probe card 10 among the components constituting the PCLS 50 and most susceptible to heat during a high temperature inspection. Therefore, each support 53 is preferably made of a material having a very small coefficient of thermal expansion, such as a super invar alloy (β = ± 0.1 × 10 −6 / ° C., 0 to 100 ° C.). Moreover, it is preferable that the screws 54 and 55 (especially the screw 55) passed through the screw hole of each support | pillar 53 also consist of a material with a very small thermal expansion coefficient, such as a super invar alloy. However, in the first embodiment, the material constituting the column 53 and the

screws

54 and 55 is not limited to Super Invar alloy. In addition, in the screw hole of each support | pillar 53, between the screw 54 and the screw 55 which opposes, even when the

screws

54 and 55 thermally expand, space should be ensured so that these may not press each other. preferable.

Next, the upper part 61 will be described. The upper part 61 includes an upper support part 62, a connection part 63 that connects the upper support part 62 to the connection ring 30, a screw 64 for fixing the upper support part 62 to the connection part 63, and a connection part 63. A screw 65 (for example, see FIG. 2B) for fixing to the ring 30 is provided.
The upper support portion 62 supports the probe card 10. The upper support 62 is made of, for example, a stainless steel material such as SUS430 or SUS410 according to JIS standards. As described above, the stainless steel material is inexpensive and easy to process, and high rigidity can be easily obtained. For this reason, the stainless steel material is suitable not only for the lower support portion 52 but also for the upper support portion 62.

2B, the shape of the upper support portion 62 is, for example, a cross shape. The size of the upper support 62 is, for example, a length from one end to the other end of the cross of 100 to 300 mm and a thickness of 5 to 20 mm. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper support portion 62 has a plurality of screw holes for connecting to the connecting portion 63 and a portion for connecting to the lower part 51 (that is, for passing the screw 71). Each screw hole is provided.

The connecting part 63 connects and fixes the PCLS 50 to the connection ring 30 and is made of, for example, a stainless steel material such as SUS430 or SUS410 according to JIS standards. The shape of the connecting portion 63 is, for example, an annular shape. The outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 63 is along the inner peripheral surface of the connection ring 30. When the connecting part 63 is attached to the connection ring 30, the inner peripheral surface of the connection ring 30 surrounds the connecting part 63 and restricts the movement of the connecting part 63 in the horizontal direction.

The connecting portion 63 is provided with a plurality of screw holes for connecting to the upper support portion 62 and a plurality of screw holes for connecting to the connection ring 30. By passing the screw 64 through the screw hole of the upper support part 62 and the screw hole provided in the connection part 63, the upper support part 62 is connected and fixed to the connection part 63. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the connecting portion 63 is fixedly connected to the connection ring by passing the screw 65 through the screw hole of the connecting portion 63. The

screws

64 and 65 are made of, for example, a stainless steel material.
FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a configuration example of the PCLS 50. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper support portion 62 is larger than the lower support portion 52 in plan view, for example. The upper support portion 62 is disposed on the lower support portion so as to cover the entire upper surface of the lower support portion 52, and is fixed with screws 71.

(Operation / Action)
FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the forces F1, F2 and F3 applied to the probe card 10 during the high temperature inspection. When performing a high temperature inspection using the probe card 10, the stage is heated by energizing a heater built in the stage while the wafer is fixed on the stage shown in FIG. As a result, the temperature of the wafer rises through the stage to, for example, 150 ° C. to 200 ° C. When the wafer temperature is stabilized, the probe needle of the probe card 10 is brought into contact with the electrode pad of the IC chip formed on the wafer, and the electrical characteristics of the IC chip are measured.

In this process, radiant heat from the wafer and conduction heat from the probe needle are transmitted to the lower surface 11b of the probe card 10. Thereby, the temperature of the probe card 10 rises from the lower surface 11b side, and a temperature difference (thermal gradient) is generated between the lower surface 11b and the upper surface 11a. As shown in FIG. 4, due to this temperature difference, a force F 1 is applied to the probe card 10 to cause “warping deformation that protrudes downward”.

The card holder 20 that holds the probe card 10 also receives thermal radiation from the wafer and the stage and thermally expands, and tends to be displaced or deformed downward. When the card holder 20 is displaced and deformed downward, since the probe card is supported by the card holder, a force F2 is generated in the probe card 10 to move downward due to gravity.
Here, the inner side (for example, the center part) of the outer periphery of the probe card 10 is connected and fixed to the connection ring 30 by the PCLS 50. The connection ring 30 is fixed to the housing 3 of the prober. The housing 3 of the prober is away from the heat source such as a stage, and the heat fluctuation is small. For this reason, the PCLS 50 can apply the force F3 having the opposite direction to the forces F1 and F2 to the probe card 10 using the prober housing 3 as a support point. This force F3 cancels the forces F1 and F2, and reduces the forces F1 and F2.

Further, in the high temperature inspection, since the probe card 10 is moved relative to the wafer, the amount of radiant heat received by the probe card 10 and the card holder 20 varies, and the forces F1 and F2 also vary. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, when the probe needle moves from the center of the wafer to the outer periphery, when moving to the cleaning area, at least a part of the probe card 10 moves away from above the stage 1. When the probe card 10 is moved away from the upper side of the stage 1, the amount of radiant heat received by the lower surface 11b of the probe card 10 is reduced, so that the temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces is reduced. As a result, the distribution and size of the force F 1 that causes “downward convex warping deformation” in the probe card changes. At this time, the force F3 transmitted from the PCLS 50 to the probe card 10 also changes, for example, according to the law of action / reaction of the force at each column 53. For this reason, also when inspecting the IC chip located on the outer peripheral portion of the wafer, the force F3 cancels the forces F1 and F2 and reduces the forces F1 and F2.

In the first embodiment, the lower part 51 corresponds to the “first part” of the present invention, the upper part 61 corresponds to the “second part” of the present invention, and the screw 71 corresponds to the “first part” of the present invention. 3 parts ". The lower support portion 52 corresponds to the “support member” of the present invention. Further, the PCLS 50 corresponds to the “lock device” of the present invention. The combination of the connection ring 30, the card holder 20, and the PCLS 50 corresponds to the “probe card fixing device” of the present invention.

(Effect of 1st Embodiment)
The first embodiment of the present invention has the following effects.
(1) The center portion of the probe card 01 is connected and fixed to the connection ring 30 by the PCLS 50. The connection ring 30 is fixed to the housing 3 of the prober. The prober casing 3 is away from the heat source for high temperature inspection, and the thermal fluctuation is small. Since the housing 3 with small thermal fluctuation can be used as a support point of the probe card 10, the probe card 10 is caused by “warping deformation protruding downward” due to thermal expansion of the probe card 10, or by displacement or deformation of the card holder 20. The movement to the lower side can be suppressed. As a result, the probe needle 13 can be restrained from changing in the position of the tip 13a (that is, the tip position) in a non-contact state where it is not in contact with the electrode pad or the like of the IC chip. The amount of displacement of can be made extremely small.

(2) The PCLS 50 is a screw for connecting and fixing the lower part 51 fixed to the center of the probe card 10, the upper part 61 fixed to the connection ring 30, and the lower part 51 and the upper part 61. 71. As a result, the PCLS 50 can be easily attached to and detached from the probe card 10 and the connection ring 30.
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the PCLS 50 is attached to the probe card 10 and the connection ring 30, before the probe inspection is performed and before the probe card 10 is loaded onto the prober, the lower part is attached to the probe card 10 in advance. 51 is attached. Further, before loading the connection ring 30 to the prober, the upper part 61 is attached to the connection ring 30 in advance. Then, after loading the probe card 10 and the connection ring 30 onto the prober, the lower part 51 and the upper part 61 are connected and fixed using the screw 71.

When the PCLS 50 is removed, the screw 71 is removed from the screw hole before the probe card 10 and the connection ring 30 are unloaded from the prober, and the connection state of the lower part 51 and the upper part 61 is released. Next, the probe card 10 and the connection ring 30 are unloaded from the prober. Thereafter, the lower part 51 is removed from the probe card 10. Further, the upper part 61 is removed from the connection ring 30.
Thus, by configuring the PCLS 50 with the lower part 51, the upper part 61, and the screw 71, the PCLS 50 can be easily attached to and detached from the probe card 10 and the connection ring 30. In addition, the timing which fixes the connection ring 30 to the housing | casing 3 of a prober may be arbitrary timings, if it is before performing a probe test | inspection.

(3) Among the components constituting the PCLS 50, the plurality of columns 53 that are closest to the probe card 10 and are most susceptible to heat during high-temperature inspection have a smaller linear expansion coefficient than the upper component 61 positioned on the upper side. Made of material. For example, each column 53 is made of a super invar alloy having a very small linear expansion coefficient. Thereby, when performing a high temperature test | inspection, it can prevent that each support | pillar 53 thermally expands and pushes the probe card 10 below. It is possible to prevent the probe card 10 from being “warped and deformed downward” due to thermal expansion of each column 53.

(Verification and results)
The inventor has verified the effect of suppressing fluctuations in the tip position of the probe needle by PCLS. The result of this verification will be described.
FIG. 6 is a graph showing the result of verifying the effect of PCLS performed by the present inventor. The horizontal axis in FIG. 6 indicates time. The vertical axis represents the displacement [μm] of the tip position of the probe needle. The plus (+) on the vertical axis represents the amount of displacement toward the + side (ie, the upper side) in the Z-axis direction, and the minus (−) represents the amount of displacement toward the − side (ie, the lower side) in the Z-axis direction. In this verification, in the probe inspection apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1, a wafer is placed on the stage 1 of the prober, and in this state, the stage 1 is heated to 150 ° C. to perform a high temperature inspection. Then, the tip position of the probe needle 13 in the non-contact state was measured every 5 minutes, and the amount of displacement in the Z-axis direction with respect to the tip position (initial value: 0) before the high temperature inspection was recorded. This measurement and recording were performed by continuously inspecting four wafers at a high temperature. As shown in FIG. 6, it was confirmed that the variation of the tip position of the probe needle 13 was within ± 5 μm in each of the four wafers.

In addition, the average value of the displacement amount in the first sheet was lower than the average value of the displacement amount in the second and subsequent sheets. For this reason, the present inventor is immediately after starting the high temperature inspection, and the temperature of each device constituting the probe inspection apparatus 100 such as the probe card 10, the card holder 20, the connection ring 30, and the PCLS 50 is stable. I think it was related to what I didn't do.

(Modification)
In the first embodiment, the case where the planar shapes of the lower support portion 52 and the upper support portion 62 are cross shapes has been described. However, in the first embodiment, the shapes of the lower support portion 52 and the upper support portion 62 are not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the lower support portion 52 may have a cross shape and the upper support portion 62 may have a rectangular shape extending in one direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the lower support portion 52 may have a cross shape and the upper support portion 62 may have a circular shape. Even in such a case, the same effects as the effects (1) to (3) of the first embodiment are obtained.

<< Second Embodiment >>
(Constitution)
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a probe card 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 9A is a plan view, FIG. 9B is a side view, and FIG. -X 'sectional view.
As shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C, the probe card 200 includes a probe card substrate 110, a support member 130 that is spaced from the upper surface 111 of the probe card substrate 110, and a probe card substrate 110. And a plurality of support columns 150 interposed between the support member 130 and the support member 130.
The probe card substrate 110 is used by being attached to a prober (not shown), and is made of, for example, glass epoxy. The shape of the probe card substrate 110 in plan view (that is, the planar shape) is, for example, a regular circle. The probe card substrate 110 has, for example, a diameter of 100 to 300 mm and a thickness of 3.2 to 4.8 mm.

In addition, on the upper surface 111 of the probe card substrate 110, for example, a circuit or an electronic component (not shown) is attached. Furthermore, a plurality of probe needles 120 connected to the above-described circuits and electronic components are attached to the probe card substrate 110. The probe needle 120 is fixed by, for example, a needle presser 123 arranged on the lower surface 112 side of the probe card substrate 110, and the tip 121 thereof is located on the lower surface 112 side of the probe card substrate 110. The number and arrangement interval of the probe needles 120 correspond to, for example, the number and arrangement interval of electrode pads of a product to be inspected (that is, an IC chip formed on a wafer).

In addition, the probe card substrate 110 is provided with a plurality of screw holes 113 penetrating between the upper surface 111 and the lower surface 112 in order to fix the lower ends of the plurality of columns 150.
The support member 130 supports the probe card substrate 110 and is made of, for example, a stainless steel material. The support member 130 is used in a state of being fixed to a prober (not shown), for example. As shown in FIG. 9A, the planar shape of the support member 130 is, for example, a cross shape. The size of the support member 130 is, for example, a length from one end to the other end of the cross of 100 to 300 mm and a thickness of 5 to 20 mm. The support member 130 is provided with a plurality of screw holes 133 penetrating between the upper surface 131 and the lower surface 132 of the support member 130 in order to fix the upper ends of the plurality of support columns 150.

The plurality of struts 150 connect the probe card substrate 110 and the support member 130, and their length L is, for example, 10 to 20 mm. This length L corresponds to the distance between the probe card substrate 110 and the support member 130. In addition, the plurality of support columns 150 include, for example, a plurality of first support columns 151 and a plurality of second support columns 152.
The plurality of first support columns 151 are arranged at equal intervals on the first circumference 171. Here, the first circumference 171 is a perfect circle, for example, and is a virtual circumference having the center of the circle at the center of the probe card substrate 110. In addition, the plurality of second support columns 152 are arranged at equal intervals on the second circumference 172. Here, the second circumference 172 is, for example, a circumference of a perfect circle, is concentric with the first circumference 171 (that is, shares the center of the circle), and has a diameter larger than that of the first circumference 171. Is a large virtual circumference. In FIG. 9, four first support columns 151 are arranged at equal intervals on the first circumference 171, and four second support columns 152 are arranged at equal intervals on the first circumference 171. In addition, the case where the first support column 151 and the second support column 152 form a line in the radial direction of the circle (for example, the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction) is illustrated.

Further, the first support column 151 and the second support column 152 are provided with, for example, screw holes penetrating from the lower end to the upper end. As shown in FIG. 9C, for example, the first support column 151 is fixed with a screw 161 from the probe card substrate 110 side and is fixed with a screw 166 from the support member 130 side. A space is secured between the screw 161 and the screw 166 at an intermediate portion in the length direction (for example, the Z-axis direction) of the first support column 151. Similarly, the second support column 152 is fixed with screws 162 from the probe card substrate 110 side and fixed with screws 167 from the support member 130 side. A space is secured between the screw 162 and the screw 167 at an intermediate portion in the length direction of the second support column 152.

In the second embodiment of the present invention, the thermal expansion coefficient (thermal expansion coefficient) of the second support column 152 is larger than the thermal expansion coefficient of the first support column 151. That is, when the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first support column 151 is β1 and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the second support column 152 is β2, the first support column 151 and the second support column 151 are set so that the following equation (1) is satisfied. A material is selected for each of the columns 152.
β2> β1 (1)
For example, the material of the first support column 151 is SUS430 (β = 10.4 × 10 ⁻⁶ ° C., 0 to 100 ° C.) in JIS standard, and the material of the second support column 152 is SUS410 (β = 11 in JIS standard). 0.0 × 10 ⁻⁶ ° C., 0 to 100 ° C.). 0 to 100 ° C. means a value of coefficient of thermal expansion in the range of 0 to 100 ° C. Alternatively, the first support column 151 is a super invar alloy (β = ± 0.1 × 10 ⁻⁶ / ° C., 0 to 100 ° C.) having a very low coefficient of thermal expansion, and the second support column 152 is SUS430 or JIS standard. It may be SUS410. In the second embodiment of the present invention, each material of the first support column 151 and the second support column 152 may be arbitrarily selected on condition that the expression (1) is satisfied.

Further, when the thermal expansion coefficient of the probe card substrate 110 is βb, for example, the following equation (2) is established between β1, β2, and βb.
βb>β2> β1 (2)
In the second embodiment of the present invention, the

screws

161 and 166 for fixing the first support column 51 are preferably made of the same material as that of the first support column 151. Thereby, since the thermal expansion coefficients of the first support column 151 and the

screws

161 and 166 coincide with each other, the first support column 151 and the

screws

161 and 166 can be regarded as one body, and the first support column 151 of the heating test can be regarded as an integrated object. It becomes easy to control the volume change amount of the expansion / contraction (change amount of the length L). In addition, during the expansion / contraction process, it is possible to prevent accumulation of stress due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the first support column 151 and the

screws

161 and 166. For the same reason, the

screws

162 and 167 for fixing the second support column 152 are preferably made of the same material as that of the second support column 152.

(Operation / Action)
FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing the forces F1 and F2 applied to the probe card substrate 110 during the high temperature inspection. When performing a high-temperature inspection using the probe card 200, as shown in FIG. 19, the stage is heated by energizing a heater built in the stage with the wafer fixed on the stage. As a result, the temperature of the wafer rises through the stage to, for example, 150 ° C. to 200 ° C. When the probe card 200 is arranged above the wafer (that is, above the stage) and the wafer temperature is stabilized, the probe needle 120 is brought into contact with the electrode pad of the IC chip formed on the wafer to The mechanical characteristics.

In this process, radiant heat from the wafer and conduction heat from the probe needle are transmitted to the lower surface 112 of the probe card substrate 110 disposed above the wafer. As a result, the temperature of the probe card substrate 110 rises from the lower surface 112 side, and a temperature difference (thermal gradient) occurs between the lower surface 112 and the upper surface 111. As shown in FIG. 10, due to this temperature difference, a force F 1 is applied to the probe card substrate 110 in a direction that causes “warping deformation that protrudes downward”.

On the other hand, the radiant heat and conduction heat are also transmitted through the probe card substrate 110 to the plurality of columns 150 arranged on the upper surface 111 side of the probe card substrate 110. Then, due to heat transfer from the probe card substrate 110, the temperature of each of the plurality of support columns 150 rises. Here, as shown in the equation (1), the thermal expansion coefficient β2 of the second support column 152 is larger than the thermal expansion coefficient β1 of the first support column 151. For this reason, the 2nd support | pillar 152 expand | swells rather than the 1st support | pillar 151, and the 2nd support | pillar 152 pushes the probe card board | substrate 110 downward (namely, wafer side) rather than the 1st support | pillar 151. FIG. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, a force F 2 is applied to the probe card substrate 110 in a direction that causes “upward warping deformation”. The force F2 that tries to cause “warping deformation that protrudes upward” cancels out the force F1 that causes “warping deformation that protrudes downward”. Thereby, since the force F1 can be reduced, it is possible to reduce “warping deformation that protrudes downward” due to the temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the probe card substrate 110.

In the high temperature inspection, a part or all of a plurality of IC chips formed on the wafer are inspected while the probe card 200 is moved relative to the wafer. In this process, as shown in FIG. 18, an IC chip located on the outer periphery of the wafer may be inspected, or the probe card 200 may be moved to a cleaning area outside the stage. In this case, at least a part of the probe card 200 leaves from above the stage. When the probe card 200 is separated from the upper side of the stage, the amount of radiant heat received by the lower surface 112 of the probe card substrate 110 is reduced, so that the temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces is reduced. As a result, the force F 1 that causes the “downward convex warping deformation” is reduced, and the warp deformation of the probe card substrate 110 tends to converge. Further, since the amount of heat transferred from the probe card substrate 110 to each column 150 is also small, each column 150 contracts according to the coefficient of thermal expansion. As a result, the force F 2 that causes “warping deformation that protrudes upward” is also reduced.
In the second embodiment, the lower surface 112 of the probe card substrate 110 corresponds to “one surface” of the present invention, and the upper surface 111 corresponds to “the other surface” of the present invention.

(Effect of 2nd Embodiment)
The probe card of the present invention has the following effects.
(1) The probe card 200 is located between the probe card substrate 110 and the support member 130, and the position (for example, outer periphery) farther from the center of the probe card substrate 110 than the first column 151. And a second support column 152 disposed in the section). Here, the thermal expansion coefficient β2 of the second support column 152 is larger than the thermal expansion coefficient β1 of the first support column 151.
As a result, when a high-temperature inspection is performed using the probe card 200, a force F1 is applied to the probe card substrate 110 so as to cause “warping deformation that protrudes downward”. Further, due to the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between the first support column 151 and the second support column 152, a force against warping deformation is applied to the probe card substrate 110. When these two forces cancel each other, the warp deformation caused by the temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the probe card substrate 110 can be reduced.

(2) In addition, a plurality of first support columns 151 and a plurality of second support columns 152 are prepared, and the first support columns 151 are arranged on the first circumference 171 at equal intervals, and the second support columns 151 152 are arranged at equal intervals on the second circumference 172. Thereby, the distribution of the force that pushes the probe card substrate 110 downward (that is, the pressing force) is concentrically surrounded by the center of the probe card substrate 110 and increases from the center of the circle toward the outer periphery. Can be set. The pressing force set in this way is a force F2 that causes the probe card board 110 to generate a “warp deformation that protrudes upward”, and this force F2 causes “a warp deformation that protrudes downward”. It works in the opposite direction to the force F1 to be generated. For this reason, the warp deformation caused by the temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the probe card substrate 110 can be more effectively reduced.

(3) Since the warp deformation of the probe card substrate 110 can be reduced during the high temperature inspection, the amount of displacement of the tip position of the probe needle 120 can be reduced. Thereby, the pressing force of the probe needle 120 against the electrode pad can be made uniform. Further, since the amount of displacement of the tip position of the probe needle 120 can be reduced and the pressing pressure can be made uniform, the temperature of the high temperature inspection can be further increased (for example, a temperature exceeding 200 ° C.).

(Modification)
(1) In addition, the case where the plurality of support columns 150 includes, for example, a plurality of first support columns 151 and a plurality of second support columns 152 has been described. However, in the second embodiment, the plurality of struts 150 are not limited to the two types of the first struts 151 and the second struts 152. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the plurality of support columns 150 may include a third support column 153 in addition to the first support column 151 and the second support column 152. In this example, the third support column 153 is disposed on the center portion of the probe card substrate 110. The center portion of the probe card substrate 110 is a so-called dead space in which it is difficult to place electronic components, but the third support column 153 is placed here.

Further, the thermal expansion coefficient of the third support column 153 is smaller than the thermal expansion coefficient of the first support column 151. That is, when the coefficient of thermal expansion of the third support column 153 is β3, the material of the third support column 153 is selected so that the following expression (3) is satisfied.
β2>β1> β3 (3)
For example, when the material of the first support column 151 is SUS430 according to the JIS standard and the material of the second support column 152 is SUS410 according to the JIS standard, the third support 153 is a super invar whose thermal expansion coefficient is much smaller than these. An alloy can be selected.

With such a configuration, the number of support columns 150 can be increased without sacrificing the arrangement space for the electronic components in the probe card substrate 110. In addition, although the central portion of the probe card substrate 110 is a portion where heat is likely to be trapped, the third support column 153 functions as a heat transfer path, thereby efficiently radiating heat from the central portion of the probe card substrate 110 to the support member 130 side. It becomes possible to do.
Similar to the first support column 151 and the second support column 152, a screw 163 that instructs the third support column 153 from the support member 130 side and a screw that fixes the third support column 153 from the probe card substrate 110 side. (Not shown) is preferably made of the same material as the third support column 153.

(2) In the second embodiment, the first support column 151 shown in FIG. 11 may be omitted. That is, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the third support column 153 is disposed at the center portion of the probe card substrate 110, the second support column 152 is disposed at the outer peripheral portion, and the central portion and the outer peripheral portion. The strut 150 may not be disposed in the middle portion between the two.
With such a configuration, for example, it is easy to secure a space on the upper surface 111 side of the intermediate portion of the probe card substrate 110. Various electronic components 155 such as a coil, a capacitor, or a packaged IC element can be arranged in the reserved space. Thereby, the mounting density of the electronic components on the probe card substrate 110 can be increased. In the modification shown in FIG. 12, the third support column 153 corresponds to the “first support column” of the present invention.

(3) In the second embodiment, when the relationship of the expression (2) is satisfied, that is, when the thermal expansion coefficient βb of the probe card substrate 110 is larger than the thermal expansion coefficient β2 of the second support column 152. explained. However, in the second embodiment, the magnitude relationship between the thermal expansion coefficients is not limited to this. That is, as shown in the following formula (2) ′, the thermal expansion coefficient β2 of the second support column 152 may be larger than the thermal expansion coefficient βb of the probe card substrate 110.
β2>βb> β1 (2) ′
For example, by configuring the second support column 152 with a resin material, or configuring the second support column 152 and the

screws

162 and 167 with the same resin material, the expression (2) ′ can be satisfied. When the formula (2) ′ holds, the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the first support column 151 and the second support column 152 is larger, and the second support column 152 pushes the outer peripheral portion of the probe card board 110 further downward. Can do. For this reason, it is possible to further reduce the “warping deformation that protrudes downward” that occurs in the probe card 200.

<< Third Embodiment >>
In the second embodiment, the case where the planar shape of the support member is a cross shape has been described. However, in the embodiment of the present invention, the planar shape of the support member is not limited to this. The planar shape of the support member may be, for example, a polygon such as a quadrangle or a hexagon, or a regular circle. Further, the support member may be a plate having a small thickness with respect to vertical and horizontal dimensions.
FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a probe card 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 13, the probe card 300 includes a probe card substrate 110, a support plate 230 that is spaced apart from the upper surface 111 of the probe card substrate 110, and a space between the probe card substrate 110 and the support member 130. And a plurality of support columns 150 interposed therebetween. The support plate 230 supports the probe card 300 and is made of, for example, a stainless steel material. The support plate 230 is used in a state of being fixed to a prober (not shown), for example.

As shown in FIG. 13, the support plate 230 has a planar shape of, for example, a regular circle. Similar to the support member 130 shown in FIG. 9, the support plate 230 is also provided with a plurality of screw holes penetrating between the upper surface 111 and the lower surface 112 of the support plate 230 in order to fix the upper end of the support column 150. .
In this probe card 300, the first support column 151 and the second support column 152 have the same functions as those of the second embodiment. Thereby, the third embodiment has the same effects as the effects (1) to (3) of the second embodiment. Also in the third embodiment, the modifications (1) to (3) described in the second embodiment may be applied.

For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the plurality of support columns 150 may include a third support column 153 in addition to the first support column 151 and the second support column 152. The third support column 153 is disposed on the center portion of the probe card substrate 110, for example. Moreover, the material which comprises the 1st support | pillar 151, the 2nd support | pillar 152, and the 3rd support | pillar 153 is each selected so that said (3) Formula may be formed. With such a configuration, the same effect as that of the modified example (1) of the second embodiment is obtained.

In FIG. 14, the first support column 151 may be omitted. That is, as shown in FIG. 15, the third support column 153 is disposed at the center portion of the probe card substrate 110, the second support column 152 is disposed at the outer peripheral portion, and the intermediate portion between the central portion and the outer peripheral portion is disposed. The first support column 150 may not be disposed. With such a configuration, the same effect as the modification (2) of the second embodiment is obtained.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 16, the number of the second support columns 152 may be larger than that of the first support columns 151. With such a configuration, the arrangement interval of the second support columns 152 on the second circumference 172 can be made closer to the arrangement interval of the first support columns 151 on the first circumference 171. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the pressing force distribution on the second circumference 172 from becoming sparse compared to the first circumference 171. On the second circumference 172, the distribution of the pressing force by the second column 152 can be made more uniform.
In the third embodiment, the support plate 230 corresponds to the “support member” of the present invention.

<< 4th Embodiment >>
FIG. 17 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a support plate 330 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The planar shape of the support plate 330 is, for example, a perfect circle, and a number of threaded holes 133 penetrating from the upper surface 111 to the lower surface 112 are formed. A number of screw holes 133 are formed in the support plate 330. Specifically, a plurality of screw holes 133 are arranged at equal intervals on each circumference of a plurality of concentric circles with the center of the support plate 330 as the center of the circle. Also, a screw hole 133 may be formed at the center of this circle. In addition, the circumference here is a virtual circumference like 2nd and 3rd embodiment.

With such a configuration, for example, an arbitrary screw hole 133 can be selected from the plurality of screw holes 133, and the column 150 can be fixed through the screw through the selected screw hole 133. Since the screw hole 133 of the support plate 330 can be selected according to the position of the screw hole 133 of the probe card substrate 110 and the support 150 can be fixed thereto, the versatility of the support plate 330 can be improved.
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, design changes and the like can be added to each embodiment, and such a modified embodiment is also included in the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Stage 3 Case 10 Probe card 11 Card board

11a Upper surface

11b Lower surface 13 Probe needle 13a Tip 20 Card holder 21 Thin plate part 23 Step 30 Connection ring 31 Pogo pin 51 Lower part 52 Lower support part 53

Supports

35, 54, 55, 64, 65, 71 Screw 61 Upper part 62 Upper support part 63 Connection part 100 Probe inspection device 110 Probe card board 111 (Probe card board) upper face 112 (Probe card board) lower face 113 Screw hole 120 Probe needle 121 Tip 130 Support Member 131 (Supporting member) Upper surface 132 (Supporting member) Lower surface 133 Screw hole 150 Column 151 First column 152 Second column 153 Third column 155

Electronic components

161, 162, 163, 166, 167 Screw 171 First 1 circumference 172 2nd circumference 00,300

probe card

230, 330 supporting plate (in a round, plate-like support member)
F1 ~ F3 force

Claims

A probe card fixing device for fixing a probe card to a prober,
A connection ring for fixing to the prober housing;
A card holder for sandwiching the outer periphery of the probe card between the connection ring,
A probe card fixing device, comprising: a lock device for fixing a central portion of the probe card and the connection ring.
The locking device is
A first component fixed to the central portion of the probe card;
A second part fixed to the connection ring;
The probe card fixing device according to claim 1, further comprising: a third component that connects and fixes the first component and the second component.
The first part is:
A support member disposed away from the surface of the probe card that contacts the connection ring;
A plurality of struts interposed between the probe card and the support member,
3. The probe card fixing device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of support columns are made of a material having a smaller linear expansion coefficient than the second component.
The probe card fixing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A probe card,
A probe inspection apparatus, wherein the probe card fixing device is attached to the probe card.
When performing probe inspection using a probe card in which the outer periphery is sandwiched between the card holder and the connection ring,
A probe is provided on a surface of the probe card that is in contact with the connection ring, and the central portion of the probe card and the connection ring are fixed using the lock device. Inspection method.
When performing the probe inspection,
The probe inspection method according to claim 5, wherein the connection ring is fixed to a housing of a prober.
A probe card substrate in which the tip of the probe needle is located on one surface side;
A support member that is spaced apart from the other surface of the probe card substrate;
A plurality of struts interposed between the probe card substrate and the support member,
The plurality of struts include a first strut and a second strut disposed farther from the center of the probe card substrate than the first strut,
The probe card according to claim 1, wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the second support column is larger than a thermal expansion coefficient of the first support column.
The plurality of struts each include a plurality of the first struts and the second struts,
The plurality of first support columns are arranged at equal intervals on a first circumference having a center of a circle at the center of the probe card substrate,
The plurality of second support columns are arranged at equal intervals on a second circumference which is concentric with the first circumference and has a diameter larger than that of the first circumference. The probe card according to claim 7.
The plurality of struts further includes a third strut disposed on a center portion of the probe card substrate,
The probe card according to claim 8, wherein the thermal expansion coefficient of the third support column is smaller than the thermal expansion coefficient of the first support column.
The probe card according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the number of the second support columns is larger than that of the first support columns.