WO2016163147A1 - Substrate holding method, substrate holding device, processing method and processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

Fine suction grooves 7b for sucking a wafer W are provided in a holding surface 7a of a stage 7. The suction grooves 7b are divided into, for instance, nine suction regions 61A-61I. The suction region 61I sucks a center portion of the circular wafer W. The suction regions 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 61E, 61F, 61G and 61H suck a peripheral end portion of the circular wafer W. A gas is separately jetted to nine positions on the wafer W held by the stage 7, said nine positions corresponding to the suction regions 61A-61I.

Description

Substrate holding method, substrate holding apparatus, processing method and processing apparatus

The present invention relates to a substrate holding method for holding a substrate when performing processing such as inspection of a device formed on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, a substrate holding apparatus used in the method, a processing method, and a processing apparatus. .

In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a probe test for evaluating the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device is performed. Probe inspection is performed by bringing a probe needle into contact with an electrode of a semiconductor device formed on a semiconductor substrate, inputting an electric signal for each semiconductor device, and observing the electric signal output thereto. Characteristic evaluation is performed.

A probe apparatus used for probe inspection holds a substrate to be inspected on which a semiconductor device to be inspected is formed, and is formed on a stage (mounting table) that can be rotated in a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, and a substrate to be inspected. An alignment device for accurately bringing a probe needle into contact with an electrode of a semiconductor device is provided. In order to improve the reliability of the probe inspection, it is important to securely hold the substrate to be inspected on the stage so as not to be displaced.

As a technique for holding a substrate in the field of semiconductor processes, a vacuum chuck is known in which the space between the back surface of the substrate and the stage is fixed under reduced pressure.

For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-214676 (Patent Document 1), in order to hold a warped substrate horizontally, suction pressure is separately applied to the central region and the outer peripheral region of the holding portion formed by the porous body. It has been proposed to be able to adjust.

In addition, as a technology related to a substrate transfer device, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-243814 (Patent Document 2) discloses a substrate having warpage by blowing gas from above a substrate holding device having a vacuum suction hole. It has also been proposed to ensure that it can be adsorbed.

When a circular substrate is sucked and held, a plurality of grooves are provided concentrically on the substrate holding surface of the stage, and the substrate can be sucked by reducing the pressure in the grooves. However, in the mechanism for reducing the pressure in a plurality of concentric grooves, there is a problem that a sufficient suction force cannot be obtained if a leak occurs at one location in the circumferential direction of the substrate due to warping of the substrate. In particular, in recent years, the size of the substrate tends to increase, and the substrate itself is also thin, so that the warpage tends to increase. Furthermore, it has become necessary to deal with types of substrates that are more likely to warp than semiconductor wafers, such as resin substrates and glass substrates.

The present invention provides a substrate holding method and a substrate holding apparatus capable of reliably sucking and holding a substrate that easily generates a large warp.

The substrate holding method of the present invention is a method in which a substrate is held by suction on a stage. In the substrate holding method of the present invention, the stage has a substrate holding surface that sucks and holds the lower surface of the substrate, and the substrate holding surface is divided into a plurality of regions capable of partially sucking the substrate. ing. In the substrate holding method of the present invention, in at least one of the plurality of regions, after a portion of the substrate is adsorbed, the substrate is separated into a region adjacent to the region where the portion of the substrate is adsorbed. By sequentially repeating the adsorption of the portions, the entire substrate is adsorbed and held on the stage. In the substrate holding method of the present invention, when the substrate is partially sucked, the suction portion of the substrate is pressed against the substrate holding surface by the pressing means.

The substrate holding method of the present invention may be a gas injection device in which the pressing means blows gas toward the upper surface of the adsorption site. In this case, the gas may be a heated gas, and the temperature of the heated gas may be maintained within a range of ± 10 ° C. of the temperature of the stage.

The substrate holding method of the present invention may be a pressing device in which the pressing means has a pressing member that abuts against the upper surface of the suction portion and presses against the substrate holding surface.

In the substrate holding method of the present invention, the substrate may be circular, and the substrate holding surface may be circular. The plurality of regions include a central region corresponding to a central portion of the substrate, A plurality of peripheral regions corresponding to the peripheral portion and surrounding the central region may be included. And the substrate holding method of the present invention comprises:
Adsorbing the central portion of the substrate to the central region;
Next, a step of adsorbing a part of the peripheral edge of the substrate to one of the peripheral regions,
Next, adsorbing another part of the peripheral edge of the substrate to one or two peripheral areas adjacent to the peripheral area where a part of the peripheral edge of the substrate is adsorbed;
Next, a step of adsorbing another portion of the substrate to a peripheral region adjacent to a peripheral region where another portion of the peripheral portion of the substrate is adsorbed may be sequentially performed.

In the substrate holding method of the present invention, the substrate may be circular, and the substrate holding surface may be circular. The plurality of regions include a central region corresponding to a central portion of the substrate, A plurality of peripheral regions corresponding to the peripheral portion and surrounding the central region may be included. And the substrate holding method of the present invention comprises:
Adsorbing the central portion of the substrate to the central region;
Next, a step of partially adsorbing the peripheral portion of the substrate to each of the two peripheral regions,
Next, a step of adsorbing another portion of the peripheral portion of the substrate to each of a plurality of peripheral regions adjacent to the peripheral region where the peripheral portion of the substrate is partially adsorbed,
Next, the step of adsorbing another portion of the substrate to a plurality of peripheral regions adjacent to the plurality of peripheral regions adsorbing another portion of the peripheral portion of the substrate may be sequentially performed.

In the substrate holding method of the present invention, the plurality of peripheral regions may include two or more peripheral regions having different areas,
You may make it adsorb | suck the peripheral part of the said board | substrate one by one from the area | region with a small area in the said peripheral area to an area | region with a large area sequentially.

The substrate holding method of the present invention detects the ingress state of outside air in a state where the substrate is adsorbed for the plurality of regions collectively or individually or for each combination including two or more regions. Leak detection may be performed.

The processing method of the present invention is a method of performing a predetermined process on a substrate, and includes a step of attracting and holding the substrate on the stage by any of the above-described substrate holding methods.

The processing method of the present invention may be a device inspection method for inspecting electrical characteristics of a plurality of devices formed on a substrate.

The substrate holding apparatus according to the present invention includes a stage that sucks and holds a substrate, and a pressing unit that presses a part of the substrate against the substrate holding surface. In the substrate holding apparatus of the present invention, the stage has a substrate holding surface that sucks and holds the lower surface of the substrate, and the substrate holding surface is divided into a plurality of regions capable of partially sucking the substrate. ing. In the substrate holding apparatus of the present invention, the pressing means presses an adsorption site that is a part of the substrate corresponding to the plurality of regions of the stage.

The substrate holding device of the present invention may be a gas injection device in which the pressing means blows gas toward the upper surface of the adsorption site. In this case, the gas injection device includes a nozzle that blows the gas, corresponding to the plurality of regions of the stage, entirely or individually or for each combination including two or more regions. Also good. In this case, the gas may be a heated gas, and may be held within a range of ± 10 ° C. of the temperature of the stage.

The substrate holding device according to the present invention may be a pressing device in which the pressing means includes a pressing member that contacts the upper surface of the suction portion and presses against the substrate holding surface. In this case, the portion of the pressing member that contacts the substrate may be formed of ceramics, synthetic resin, or rubber.

The substrate holding apparatus according to the present invention further detects leaking of the plurality of regions by detecting the ingress state of the outside air in a state where the substrate is adsorbed as a whole or individually or for each combination. May have a part.

In the substrate holding device of the present invention, the substrate is circular, and the substrate holding surface is circular.
The plurality of regions may include a central region corresponding to a central portion of the substrate, and a plurality of peripheral regions corresponding to a peripheral portion of the substrate and surrounding the central region,
The plurality of peripheral regions may include two or more peripheral regions having different areas.

In the substrate holding apparatus of the present invention, the central region may have a plurality of regions divided in the radial direction of the substrate holding surface, and the peripheral region is divided in the radial direction of the substrate holding surface. It may have a plurality of regions.

The processing apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate, and includes any one of the above substrate holding apparatuses.

The processing apparatus of the present invention may be a probe apparatus that inspects the electrical characteristics of a plurality of devices formed on a substrate.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of the probe apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the outline of the internal structure of the probe apparatus of FIG. It is a top view of the holding surface in a stage. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of an essential part taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. It is an enlarged view of the A section enclosed with the broken line in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the connection state of the several suction area | region in a vacuum chuck mechanism, and a vacuum pump. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the positional relationship of a gas injection apparatus and the board | substrate hold | maintained on the stage. It is explanatory drawing which shows another structural example of a gas injection apparatus typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of a control part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the suction area | region in the holding surface of a stage, and the site | part of a board | substrate. It is a flowchart explaining the example of the procedure of the holding | maintenance method of the board | substrate which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining another example of the procedure of the holding | maintenance method of the board | substrate which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining another example of the procedure of the holding | maintenance method of the board | substrate which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the holding surface in the stage with which it uses for description of a 1st modification. It is a top view of the holding surface in the stage with which it uses for description of a 2nd modification. It is a top view of the holding surface in the stage with which it uses for description of a 3rd modification. It is a perspective view which shows the outline of the internal structure of the probe apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of a press apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of another state of a press apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the several suction area | region formed in the holding surface of a stage. It is explanatory drawing of the holding | maintenance procedure of the board | substrate in the probe apparatus of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the holding | maintenance procedure of the board | substrate following FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the holding | maintenance procedure of the board | substrate following FIG. FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate holding procedure following FIG. 23. FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate holding procedure following FIG. 24. FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate holding procedure following FIG. 25. FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate holding procedure following FIG. 26. It is explanatory drawing of the holding | maintenance procedure of the board | substrate following FIG. FIG. 29 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate holding procedure following FIG. 28. FIG. 30 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate holding procedure following FIG. 29. FIG. 31 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate holding procedure following FIG. 30. FIG. 32 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate holding procedure following FIG. 31. FIG. 33 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate holding procedure following FIG. 32.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the probe apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of the internal structure of the probe apparatus 100 of FIG.

The probe apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has electrical characteristics of a device (not shown) such as a semiconductor device formed on a substrate W (hereinafter simply referred to as “wafer”) W such as a semiconductor wafer or a resin substrate. The inspection is performed. The probe apparatus 100 includes a main body 1, a loader unit 3 disposed adjacent to the main body 1, and a test head 5 disposed so as to cover the main body 1. The probe apparatus 100 also includes a stage 7 on which the wafer W is placed, and a control unit 50 that controls the operation of each component of the probe apparatus 100.

<Main body>
The main body 1 is a hollow casing and accommodates the stage 7. An opening 1 b is formed in the ceiling 1 a of the main body 1. The opening 1b is located above the wafer W placed on the stage 7, and a substantially disk holding a disk-shaped probe card (not shown) having a large number of probe needles in the opening 1b. Shaped probe card holder (not shown) engages. With this probe card holder, the probe card is arranged to face the wafer W placed on the stage 7.

<Loader section>
The loader unit 3 takes out the wafer W accommodated in a FOUP (not shown) as a transfer container and transfers it to the stage 7 of the main body 1. The loader unit 3 receives the wafer W from which the electrical characteristics of the device have been inspected from the stage 7 and accommodates it in the hoop.

<Test head>
The test head 5 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is configured to be rotatable upward by a hinge mechanism 11 provided in the main body 1. The test head 5 is electrically connected to the probe card via a contact ring (not shown) with the main body 1 covered from above. The test head 5 stores an electrical signal indicating the electrical characteristics of the device transmitted from the probe card as measurement data, and has a function of determining the presence or absence of an electrical defect of the device based on the measurement data. .

<Stage>
As shown in FIG. 2, the stage 7 is arranged on the base 20, and moves along the X direction moving unit 21 that moves along the X direction shown in the drawing and the Y direction shown in the drawing. It has a Y-direction moving unit 23 and a Z-direction moving unit 25 that moves along the Z direction shown in the figure. The stage 7 has a vacuum chuck mechanism 60 that holds the wafer W by suction. The upper surface of the stage 7 is a holding surface 7 a that sucks and holds the wafer W by the vacuum chuck mechanism 60. The detailed configuration of the vacuum chuck mechanism 60 will be described later. Further, the stage 7 is provided with a heater (not shown) so that the temperature of the holding surface 7a can be adjusted within a range of 25 ° C. to 200 ° C., for example.

The X-direction moving unit 21 moves the stage 7 in the X direction with high accuracy by the rotation of the ball screw 21a along the guide rail 27 arranged in the X direction. The ball screw 21a is rotated by a motor (not shown). Further, the amount of movement of the stage 7 can be detected by an encoder (not shown) combined with the motor.

The Y-direction moving unit 23 moves the stage 7 in the Y direction with high accuracy by the rotation of the ball screw 23a along the guide rail 29 arranged in the Y direction. The ball screw 23a is rotated by a motor 23b. Further, the amount of movement of the stage 7 can be detected by the encoder 23c combined with the motor 23b.

Thus, the X direction moving unit 21 and the Y direction moving unit 23 move the stage 7 in the X direction and the Y direction orthogonal to each other along the horizontal plane.

The Z-direction moving unit 25 has a motor and an encoder (not shown), and moves the stage 7 up and down along the Z direction and can detect the amount of movement. The Z-direction moving unit 25 moves the stage 7 toward the probe card so that the electrode on the device on the wafer W and the probe needle come into contact with each other. The stage 7 is disposed on the Z-direction moving unit 25 by a motor (not shown) so as to be rotatable in the θ direction shown in the drawing.

<Lower imaging unit>
A lower imaging unit 35 is disposed inside the main body 1. Here, the lower imaging unit 35 images the probe needle formed on the probe card. The lower imaging unit 35 is fixed to the stage 7 and moves in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction together with the stage 7.

<Alignment unit>
An alignment unit 41 is disposed above the stage 7 in the main body 1. The alignment unit 41 is configured to be movable in the Y direction in FIG. 2 by a drive unit (not shown). The alignment unit 41 has a lower surface along a horizontal plane facing the stage 7 and the lower imaging unit 35.

<Upper imaging unit>
The alignment unit 41 is provided with an upper imaging unit 43. The upper imaging unit 43 images the device electrodes formed on the wafer W placed on the stage 7.

<Gas injection device>
The alignment unit 41 is provided with a gas injection device 45 that injects gas toward the upper surface of the wafer W placed on the stage 7. The gas injection device 45 injects a gas such as dry air onto the upper surface of the wafer W. The gas injection device 45 is an adsorption assisting unit that facilitates adsorption when the wafer W is adsorbed and held on the stage 7 by the vacuum chuck mechanism 60. Then, the stage 7 having the vacuum chuck mechanism 60 and the gas injection device 45 cooperate to hold the wafer W on the holding surface 7a as a substrate holding device in the present invention. The detailed configuration of the gas injection device 45 will be described later.

<Vacuum chuck mechanism>
Next, the vacuum chuck mechanism 60 in the stage 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the holding surface 7 a that is the upper surface of the stage 7. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the stage 7 as viewed in the direction of arrows IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion A surrounded by a broken line in FIG. The vacuum chuck mechanism 60 includes a suction groove 7 b provided on the holding surface 7 a of the stage 7, an intake passage 63 connected to the suction groove 7 b, and a vacuum pump 70 connected to the other end side of the intake passage 63. Yes.

The holding surface 7a of the stage 7 is provided with a fine suction groove 7b for adsorbing the wafer W. 3 and 4, the suction groove 7 b is represented by a line, but as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 5, the suction groove 7 b is a recess formed in the holding surface 7 a of the stage 7. The suction groove 7b is connected to the vacuum pump 70 via the intake passage 63, and is sealed by the wafer W while the wafer W is held on the holding surface 7a, and the inside of the groove is maintained at a reduced pressure.

The suction groove 7 b is divided into a plurality of suction regions 61. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the suction groove 7b is divided into nine suction regions 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 61E, 61F, 61G, 61H, and 61I that can be independently maintained at a reduced pressure. The suction region 61I is a central region, and is provided in the central portion of the holding surface 7a that is circular in plan view. The suction areas 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 61E, 61F, 61G, and 61H are peripheral areas, and are provided around the suction area 61I on the holding surface 7a that is circular in plan view. The suction region 61I sucks the central portion of the circular wafer W. The suction regions 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 61E, 61F, 61G, and 61H adsorb the peripheral portion of the circular wafer W.

In each of the suction areas 61A to 61I, the suction groove 7b is formed in a predetermined pattern. Inside each suction area 61A to 61I, the suction groove 7b communicates. On the other hand, the suction groove 7b is in a non-communication state between different suction regions.

FIG. 6 shows a connection state between the suction areas 61A to 61I and the vacuum pump 70 in the vacuum chuck mechanism 60. The suction grooves 7b of the suction regions 61A to 61I are connected to the vacuum pump 70 via pipes 63A to 63I that form part of the intake passage 63, respectively. Switching valves 65A to 65I are provided in the middle of the pipes 63A to 63I. The switching valves 65A to 65I switch between a state where the suction regions 61A to 61I can be sucked by the vacuum pump 70 and a state where the suction regions 61A to 61I are opened to the outside air 71 via the exhaust pipes 67A to 67I. With the above configuration, the wafer W can be partially sucked independently in each of the suction regions 61A to 61I. For example, the suction area 61 </ b> A and the suction area 61 </ b> B can take a suction state and a non-suction state on the wafer W, respectively. In this way, by making it possible to independently control the suction state and the non-suction state of each of the suction regions 61A to 61I, as will be described later, the suction and holding of the entire wafer surface can be ensured even for a wafer W having a strong warp. Can be done. In addition, by making it possible to independently control the suction state and the non-suction state of each of the suction regions 61A to 61I, even if a portion with insufficient suction is generated in the wafer W having a strong warp, It can be reliably adsorbed and held at the site. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the positional deviation of the wafer W during the probe inspection.

Further, a vacuum gauge 73 is provided in the intake passage 63. By measuring the pressure in the intake passage 63 with the vacuum gauge 73, it is possible to detect whether or not a leak into which outside air enters is generated in any of the suction regions 61A to 61I. Note that the vacuum gauge 73 may be provided individually for each of the suction areas 61A to 61I, or may be provided for each of a plurality of combinations.

In the present embodiment, the holding surface 7a is divided into nine suction areas 61A to 61I, but the number of suction areas is not limited to nine. For example, the holding surface 7a may be divided into a plurality of fan-shaped suction regions 61 arranged in the circumferential direction without being divided into the central portion and the peripheral portion of the holding surface 7a. However, from the viewpoint of facilitating the suction of the wafer W, the suction region 61 is preferably divided into a central portion and a peripheral portion of the holding surface 7a. Further, from the viewpoint of facilitating the holding by the method of sequentially repeating partial adsorption of the wafer W described later, the peripheral portion is preferably at least 4 or more, more preferably 4 to 12, more preferably 4 to 8. It is preferable to divide into the suction area 61.

Also, the suction areas 61A to 61I can be divided into a plurality of groups. For example, the suction areas 61A and 61B are grouped as one group, the suction areas 61C and 61D as one group, the suction areas 61E and 61F as one group, and the suction areas 61G and 61H as one group. You may comprise so that switching to a non-attraction | suction state is possible.

<Gas injection device>
Next, a detailed configuration of the gas injection device 45 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the gas injection device 45 and the wafer W held on the stage 7. In the present embodiment, the gas injection device 45 includes a plurality of nozzles 81 (for example, three) that partially inject gas toward the upper surface of the wafer W, a nozzle plate 83 that supports each nozzle 81, and each nozzle. A pipe 85 connected to 81 for supplying gas to the nozzle 81 and a gas source 87 connected to the other end of the pipe 85 are provided. In the middle of the pipe 85, a mass flow controller (MFC) 89 and a switching valve 91 for flow rate control are provided. Examples of the gas include dry air, nitrogen gas, and rare gas. Each nozzle 81 is connected to a gas source 87 via branch pipes 85A to 85C in which a pipe 85 is branched. The branch pipes 85A to 85C are provided with opening / closing valves 93A to 93C, respectively.

It is also possible to use a heated gas as the gas injected from the gas injection device 45. In this case, it is preferable that the temperature of the heated gas is approximately the same as the temperature of the holding surface 7 a of the stage 7. For example, the temperature of the heated gas is preferably set within a range of ± 10 ° C., more preferably within a range of ± 5 ° C. with respect to the temperature of the holding surface 7 a of the stage 7. For example, when the temperature of the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 is 120 ° C, the temperature of the heated gas is preferably in the range of 110 ° C to 130 ° C, and more preferably in the range of 115 ° C to 125 ° C. For example, when the temperature of the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 is 150 ° C., the temperature of the heated gas is preferably in the range of 140 ° C. to 160 ° C., more preferably in the range of 145 ° C. to 155 ° C. preferable.

By using the heating gas as the gas injected from the gas injection device 45, the wafer W can be heated from the upper surface side. As a result, since the temperature difference between the lower surface and the upper surface of the wafer W placed on the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 can be minimized, the occurrence of warpage during heating of the wafer W can be suppressed. In particular, when the wafer W has a structure in which different resins are laminated, warpage is likely to occur due to a difference in coefficient of thermal expansion depending on the material. Therefore, using heated gas is effective in suppressing warpage. Further, since the wafer W can be heated from the upper surface side by the heating gas, when a thermoplastic resin is used as the material of the wafer W, the flexibility is increased and the adsorption to the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 is easy. become.

In the present embodiment, since the nozzle plate 83 is supported by the alignment unit 41, the three nozzles 81 are movable in the Y direction in FIG. On the other hand, the stage 7 is movable in the XYZ directions in FIG. 1 by an X direction moving unit 21, a Y direction moving unit 23, and a Z direction moving unit 25. Therefore, gas can be independently injected from each nozzle 81 toward the target portion of the wafer W held on the stage 7. In the present embodiment, the gas can be injected at different timings toward the nine suction regions 61A to 61I divided on the holding surface 7a of the stage 7. For example, in FIG. 3, with respect to nine suction regions 61A ~ 61I, virtual projects the gas injection position _{61A 1, 61B 1, 61C 1} , 61D 1, 61E 1, 61F 1, 61G 1, 61H 1, 61I 1 Shown with lines. Accordingly, gas is separately injected to nine positions corresponding to the suction regions 61A to 61I with respect to the wafer W held on the stage 7.

Note that the number of nozzles 81 is not limited to three, and may be one or two, for example, four or more, and nine nozzles 81 may be provided individually corresponding to each of the suction regions 61A to 61I.

Also, the gas injection device 45 can be provided independently of the alignment unit 41. For example, FIG. 8 shows a configuration example when the nozzle plate 83 is supported by an independent support portion. The gas injection device 45A includes a plurality of nozzles 81 (for example, three) that partially inject gas toward the upper surface of the wafer W, a nozzle plate 83 that supports the nozzles 81, and nozzles that are connected to the nozzles 81. A pipe 85 that supplies gas to 81, a gas source 87 connected to the other end of the pipe 85, a nozzle arm 95 that supports the nozzle plate 83, and a support column 97 that supports the nozzle arm 95 are provided. The nozzle arm 95 is configured to be able to expand, contract, swivel, and move up and down in the XYZ directions by a drive unit (not shown). By moving the nozzle arm 95 directly above the wafer W held on the holding surface 7 a of the stage 7, gas can be injected to a predetermined part of the wafer W.

<Control unit>
The control unit 50 controls the operation of each component of the probe device 100. The control unit 50 is typically a computer. FIG. 9 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the control unit 50. The control unit 50 includes a main control unit 201, an input device 202 such as a keyboard and a mouse, an output device 203 such as a printer, a display device 204, a storage device 205, an external interface 206, and a bus that connects these components to each other. 207. The main control unit 201 includes a CPU (central processing unit) 211, a RAM (random access memory) 212, and a ROM (read only memory) 213. The storage device 205 may be of any form as long as it can store information. For example, the storage device 205 is a hard disk device or an optical disk device. The storage device 205 records information on a computer-readable recording medium 215 and reads information from the recording medium 215. The recording medium 215 may be in any form as long as it can store information, and is, for example, a hard disk, an optical disk, or a flash memory. The recording medium 215 may be a recording medium that records a recipe for the probe method performed in the probe apparatus 100 of the present embodiment.

The control unit 50 controls the probe apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment so that a plurality of wafers W can be inspected with respect to devices formed on the wafers W. Specifically, in the probe device 100, the control unit 50 includes each component (for example, a driving device such as a motor 23b, a position detection device such as an encoder 23c, a lower imaging unit 35, an upper imaging unit 43, and a gas injection device 45). , Vacuum chuck mechanism 60 and the like). These are realized by the CPU 211 executing software (program) stored in the ROM 213 or the storage device 205 using the RAM 212 as a work area.

In the probe apparatus 100 having the above configuration, the stage 7 is moved in the horizontal direction (X direction, Y direction, θ direction) and the vertical direction (Z direction), whereby the probe card and the wafer W held on the stage 7 are The relative position of the device is adjusted, and the electrode of the device and the probe needle are brought into contact with each other. The test head 5 passes an inspection current to the device via each probe needle of the probe card. The probe card transmits an electrical signal indicating the electrical characteristics of the device to the test head 5. The test head 5 stores the transmitted electrical signal as measurement data, and determines the presence or absence of an electrical defect in the device to be inspected.

[Wafer holding method]
Next, a method for holding the wafer W according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, with reference to FIG. 10, the relationship between the suction areas 61A to 61I of the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 and the portion of the wafer W attracted thereto will be described. Here, the site P _A part of the wafer W is attracted to the suction region 61A of the stage 7. Similarly, in the wafer W, a part adsorbed to the suction area 61B is a part P _B , a part adsorbed to the suction area 61C is a part P _C , and a part adsorbed to the suction area 61D is a part P _D. The part adsorbed to 61E is the part P _E , the part adsorbed to the suction area 61F is the part P _F , the part adsorbed to the suction area 61G is the part P _G , the part adsorbed to the suction area 61H is the part P _H , a moiety adsorbed to the suction region 61I and site _{P I.}

[First procedure]
FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the procedure of the wafer W holding method according to the embodiment of the present invention. This procedure includes steps S1 to S10. First, as a preparation stage, the wafer W is placed on the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 by a transfer device (not shown).

(Step S1)
In step S1, adsorbing portion _{P I} is a central portion of the wafer W to the suction region 61I. First, move the one of the nozzles 81 of the gas injection device 45 to just above the site P _I of the wafer W. Then toward the nozzle 81 at the site P _I of the wafer W while ejecting a gas, to actuate the vacuum pump 70. At this time, by switching the switching valve 65I, the suction groove 7b in the suction region 61I is set to a negative pressure, but the suction grooves 7b in the suction regions 61A to 61H are left in the atmosphere open state. Site P _I is a central portion of the wafer W, while being assisted by the gas pressure ejected from above, since the back surface side becomes a negative pressure, is adsorbed under the suction region 61I.

(Step S2)
Next, in step S2, adsorbing portion _{P A} of the peripheral portion adjacent to the site _{P I} of the wafer W to the suction region 61A of the stage 7. First, move the one of the nozzles 81 of the gas injection device 45 to just above the site P _A of the wafer W. Then while spraying gas towards the nozzle 81 to the site P _A of the wafer W, by switching the switching valve 65A, the suction groove 7b in the suction region 61A to a negative pressure. At this time, the suction grooves 7b in the suction regions 61B to 61H are left in the atmosphere open state. Note that the suction groove 7b in the suction region 61I is maintained at a negative pressure as in step S1. Site P _A of the peripheral portion of the wafer W, while being assisted by the gas pressure ejected from above, since the back surface side becomes a negative pressure, is adsorbed under the suction region 61A.

(Step S3)
Next, in step S3, adsorbing sites _{P B} of the peripheral portion adjacent to the site _{P A} of the wafer W to the suction region 61B of the stage 7. A specific procedure is a step except that the nozzle 81 is moved to a position just above the portion P _B of the wafer W to inject gas, and the switching valve 65B is switched to set the suction groove 7b in the suction region 61B to a negative pressure. It is the same as S2.

(Steps S4 to S9)
Next, in steps S4 to S9, the peripheral portion of the stage 7 adjacent to the portion of the wafer W sucked in the previous step is sequentially arranged in the order of the suction regions 61C, 61D, 61E, 61F, 61G, 61H. Adsorb to the suction area. A specific procedure is to move the nozzle 81 to any one of the target portions P _C to P _H of the wafer W, sequentially inject gas to each portion, and select any of the switching valves 65C to 65H. These steps are the same as steps S2 and S3, except that the suction grooves 7b in the suction regions 61C to 61H are sequentially changed to a negative pressure by sequentially switching between them.

(Step S10)
Through the above steps S1 to S9, the wafer W can be sucked and held by the entire holding surface 7a of the stage 7 in a normal state. However, when the warp of the wafer W is large, the outside air may enter the suction groove 7b in any of the suction regions 61A to 61I, causing a leak, and the holding may be incomplete. Therefore, in this procedure, a leak check is performed in step S10. Specifically, the pressure in the intake passage 63 is measured by the vacuum gauge 73. Then, by comparing the pressure in the normal suction holding state of the intake passage 63 that has been measured in advance with the pressure of the intake passage 63 that is measured by the vacuum gauge 73, the leakage in any of the suction regions 61A to 61I It is possible to detect whether or not an error has occurred. If it is determined in step S10 that a leak has occurred, the process returns to step S1 again as shown by the broken line in FIG. 11, and the processes from steps S1 to S9 are performed.

In FIG. 11, the leak check of all the suction areas 61A to 61I is performed at once. However, for example, by installing the vacuum gauge 73 individually in the pipes 63A to 63I, the leak check of the suction areas 61A to 61I is performed. Can also be performed individually. In this case, a leak check can be performed for each of the above steps S1 to S9. Further, the suction areas 61A to 61I may be divided into a plurality of groups, and a leak check may be performed for each group. Further, after the leak check, the suction process may be performed only on the region or group in which the leak is detected in the suction regions 61A to 61I. Note that the leak check in step S10 is optional and may be omitted.

In this procedure, while the gas is locally jetted onto the wafer W, the operation of partially attracting the wafer W to the subdivided suction regions 61A to 61I is repeated, whereby the wafer is applied to the holding surface 7a of the stage 7. The entire W can be easily adsorbed and held. In particular, at the peripheral portion of the wafer W, the peripheral portion adjacent to the attracted portion is sequentially adsorbed to the suction regions 61A to 61H using the gas pressure. Also, it can be reliably held by suction on the holding surface 7a. Therefore, the probe apparatus 100 can perform highly reliable device inspection.

[Second procedure]
FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining another example of the procedure of the wafer W holding method according to the embodiment of the present invention. This procedure includes the processing of step S11 to step S17. First, as a preparation stage, the wafer W is placed on the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 by a transfer device (not shown).

(Step S11)
In step S11, adsorbing portion _{P I} is a central portion of the wafer W to the suction region 61I. Step S11 can be performed similarly to step S1 of the first procedure.

(Step S12)
Next, in step S12, adsorbing portion _{P A} of the peripheral portion adjacent to the site _{P I} of the wafer W to the suction region 61A of the stage 7. First, move the one of the nozzles 81 of the gas injection device 45 to just above the site P _A of the wafer W. Then while spraying gas towards the nozzle 81 to the site P _A of the wafer W, by switching the switching valve 65A, the suction groove 7b in the suction region 61A to a negative pressure. At this time, the suction grooves 7b in the suction regions 61B to 61H are left in the atmosphere open state. Note that the suction groove 7b in the suction region 61I is maintained at a negative pressure as in step S11. Site P _A of the peripheral portion of the wafer W, while being assisted by the gas pressure ejected from above, since the back surface side becomes a negative pressure, is adsorbed under the suction region 61A.

(Step S13)
Next, in step S13, it is adsorbed on each of two sites _{P B} and site _{P H} of the peripheral portion adjacent to the site _{P A} of the wafer W to the suction region 61B and the suction region 61H of the stage 7. Specifically procedure, two nozzles 81 is moved to just above the site P _B and site P _H of the wafer W, as well as injecting the gas at the same time to each of the sites, the suction region 61B by switching the switching valve 65B and the switching valve 65H The process is the same as step S12 except that the suction grooves 7b in the inner and suction areas 61H are simultaneously brought to negative pressure.

(Step S14)
Next, in step S14, it is adsorbed respectively two sites _{P C} and site _{P G} of the peripheral portion adjacent to the site _{P B} and site _{P H} of the wafer W to the suction region 61C and the suction region 61G of the stage 7. Specifically procedure two nozzles 81 is moved to just above the site P _C and site P _G of the wafer W, as well as injecting the gas at the same time to each of the sites, by switching the switching valve 65C and the switching valve 65G, suction region The same as step S12 except that the suction grooves 7b in the 61C and the suction region 61G are simultaneously set to a negative pressure.

(Step S15)
Next, in step S15, it is adsorbed respectively two sites _{P D} and site _{P F} of the peripheral portion adjacent to the site _{P C} and site _{P G} of the wafer W to the suction region 61D and the suction region 61F of the stage 7. Specifically procedure two nozzles 81 is moved to just above the site P _D and site P _F of the wafer W, as well as injecting the gas at the same time to each of the sites, by switching the switching valve 65D and the switching valves 65F, suction region Similar to step S12, except that the suction grooves 7b in 61D and the suction region 61F are simultaneously made negative in pressure.

(Step S16)
Next, in step S16, adsorbing portion _{P E} of the peripheral portion adjacent to the site _{P D} and site _{P F} of the wafer W to the suction region 61E of the stage 7. Specifically procedure nozzle 81 is moved to just above the site P _E of the wafer W while ejecting the gas, by switching the switching valve 65E, except that the suction grooves 7b in the suction region 61E to negative pressure, This is the same as step S12.

(Step S17)
By the above steps S11 to S16, the wafer W can be sucked and held by the entire holding surface 7a of the stage 7 in a normal state. However, when the warp of the wafer W is large, the outside air may enter the suction groove 7b in any of the suction regions 61A to 61I, causing a leak, and the holding may be incomplete. Therefore, in this procedure, a leak check is performed in step S17. The leak check method is the same as step S10 in the first procedure. If it is determined in step S17 that a leak has occurred, the process returns to step S11 again as shown by the broken line in FIG. 12, and the processes from steps S11 to S16 are performed.

In FIG. 12, the leak check of all the suction areas 61A to 61I is performed at once. However, for example, by installing the vacuum gauge 73 individually in the pipes 63A to 63I, the leak check of the suction areas 61A to 61I is performed. Can also be performed individually. In this case, a leak check can be performed for each of the above steps S11 to S16. Further, the suction areas 61A to 61I may be divided into a plurality of groups, and a leak check may be performed for each group. Further, after the leak check, the suction process may be performed only on the region or group in which the leak is detected in the suction regions 61A to 61I. Note that the leak check in step S17 is optional and may be omitted.

In this procedure, the peripheral portion adjacent to the sucked portion is sucked at the same time in the peripheral portion of the wafer W two by two at a time. Therefore, compared with the wafer W holding method according to the first procedure, the time is shorter. Can complete adsorption holding. Other configurations and effects in this procedure are the same as those in the first procedure.

[Third procedure]
FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining still another example of the procedure of the wafer W holding method according to the embodiment of the present invention. This procedure includes the processing of step S21 to step S25. First, as a preparation stage, the wafer W is placed on the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 by a transfer device (not shown).

(Step S21)
In step S21, adsorbing portion _{P I} is a central portion of the wafer W to the suction region 61I. This step S21 can be performed similarly to step S1 of the first procedure.

(Step S22)
Next, in step S22, the suction region 61A and the suction region of the stage 7 the site _{P E} in the region _{P A} of the peripheral portion, radially symmetrical positions with respect to the site _{P A} adjacent to the site _{P I} of the wafer W Adsorb to 61E. First, move the one of the nozzles 81 of the gas injection device 45 to just above the site P _A and site P _E of the wafer W. Then toward the nozzle 81 at a portion _{P A} and site _{P E} of the wafer W, respectively, while spraying the gas, by switching the switching valve 65A and the switching valve in 65E, the suction in the suction region 61A and the suction region 61E The grooves 7b are simultaneously brought to negative pressure. At this time, the suction grooves 7b in the suction regions 61B to 61D and 61F to 61H are left in the atmosphere open state. Note that the suction groove 7b in the suction region 61I is maintained at a negative pressure as in step S21. Site P _A and site P _E of the peripheral portion of the wafer W, while being assisted by the gas pressure ejected from above, since the back surface side becomes a negative pressure, are adsorbed respectively below the suction region 61A and the suction region 61E.

(Step S23)
Next, in step S23, the two sites _{P B} and site _{P H} of the peripheral portion adjacent to the site _{P A} of the wafer W, respectively, together with the adsorbed to the suction region 61B and the suction region 61H of the stage 7, the wafer W two sites _{P D} and site _{P F} of the peripheral portion adjacent to the site _{P E,} respectively, adsorbed to the suction region 61D and the suction region 61F. Specifically procedure site _{P B} of the four nozzles 81 the wafer _W, part _{P H,} site _{P D,} is moved to just above the site _{P F,} while injecting a gas at the same time to each of the sites, the switching valve 65B, 65H , 65D, and 65F are the same as step S22 except that the suction grooves 7b in the suction region 61B, 61H, 61D, and 61F are simultaneously made negative pressure.

(Step S24)
Next, in step S24, it is adsorbed respectively two adjacent portions _{P C} and site _{P G} remaining on the rim portion of the wafer W to the suction region 61C and the suction region 61G of the stage 7. Specifically procedure two nozzles 81 is moved to just above the site P _C and site P _G of the wafer W, as well as injecting the gas at the same time to each of the sites, by switching the switching valve 65C and the switching valve 65G, suction region The same as step S22 except that the suction grooves 7b in 61C and the suction region 61G are simultaneously made negative in pressure.

(Step S25)
Through the above steps S21 to S24, the wafer W can be sucked and held by the entire holding surface 7a of the stage 7 in a normal state. However, when the warp of the wafer W is large, the outside air may enter the suction groove 7b in any of the suction regions 61A to 61I, causing a leak, and the holding may be incomplete. Therefore, in this procedure, a leak check is performed in step S25. The leak check method is the same as step S10 in the first procedure. If it is determined in step S25 that a leak has occurred, the process returns to step S21 again as shown by the broken line in FIG. 13, and the processes from steps S21 to S24 are performed.

In FIG. 13, the leak check of all the suction areas 61A to 61I is performed in a lump. However, for example, the leak check of the suction areas 61A to 61I is performed by arranging the vacuum gauge 73 individually in the pipes 63A to 63I. Can also be performed individually. In this case, a leak check can be performed for each of steps S21 to S24. Further, the suction areas 61A to 61I may be divided into a plurality of groups, and a leak check may be performed for each group. Further, after the leak check, the suction process may be performed only on the region or group in which the leak is detected in the suction regions 61A to 61I. Note that the leak check in step S25 is optional and may be omitted.

In this procedure, in the peripheral portion of the wafer W, two parts are first adsorbed at the same time, and the peripheral part adjacent to the adsorbed part is adsorbed at the same time at four places at the same time. Compared to the method for holding the wafer W, the suction holding can be completed in a short time. Other configurations and effects in this procedure are the same as those in the first procedure.

As described above, according to the method for holding the wafer W in the first to third procedures, even the wafer W that is likely to generate a large warp can be reliably sucked and held. In FIG. 3, the case where the area and shape of the eight suction regions 61A to 61H for adsorbing the peripheral portion of the wafer W are the same is taken as an example, but the area and shape of each suction region 61 are different. Also good. A case where the area and shape of each suction region 61 are different will be described below with a modification.

[Modification]
A modification of the method for holding the wafer W according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16, the suction groove 7b is not shown, and the approximate positions, shapes, and areas of the plurality of suction regions 61 formed on the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 are shown. In the following description, only the partial suction order of the wafer W to each suction region 61 will be described. However, as in the first to third procedures, any one of the gas injection devices 45 is used during the suction operation. It is assumed that gas is ejected from the nozzle 81. Also in the modified example, a leak check can be performed.

<First Modification>
First, in the first modification shown in FIG. 14, the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 is divided into seven suction regions 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 61E, 61F, and 61G by suction grooves 7b that can be independently held under reduced pressure. It is divided. The suction region 61G is a central region provided in the central portion of the holding surface 7a that is circular in plan view. The suction areas 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 61E, and 61F are peripheral areas provided around the suction area 61G on the holding surface 7a having a circular shape in plan view. Here, the suction regions 61A to 61F include those having different areas. Specifically, the suction areas 61A and 61B have the same area. The suction areas 61C and 61D have the same area, but have a larger area than the suction areas 61A and 61B. The suction area 61E has a larger area than the suction areas 61C and 61D. The suction region 61F has a larger area than the suction region 61E. In other words, the relationship between the areas of the suction areas 61A to 61F is as follows: suction area 61A = suction area 61B <suction area 61C = suction area 61D <suction area 61E <suction area 61F.

In the first modified example shown in FIG. 14, first, the central portion of the wafer W is attracted to the suction area 61G, and then the wafer W is sequentially formed from the area where the suction areas 61A to 61F are small to the area where the area is large. The peripheral part of is partially adsorbed. Specifically, the peripheral portion of the wafer W is attracted to the suction region 61A. Next, the peripheral part of the wafer W adjacent to the part adsorbed to the suction area 61A is adsorbed to the suction area 61B. Next, the peripheral part of the wafer W adjacent to the part adsorbed to the suction area 61B is adsorbed to the suction area 61C. Next, the peripheral part of the wafer W adjacent to the part adsorbed to the suction area 61C is adsorbed to the suction area 61D. Next, the peripheral part of the wafer W adjacent to the part adsorbed to the suction area 61D is adsorbed to the suction area 61E. Next, the peripheral part of the wafer W adjacent to the part adsorbed to the suction area 61E is adsorbed to the suction area 61F. In this manner, the wafer W can be sucked and held by the entire holding surface 7a of the stage 7 by sucking the wafer W from the small area of the suction areas 61A to 61F to the large area.

<Second Modification>
Next, in the second modification shown in FIG. 15, the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 is divided into six suction regions 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 61E, and 61F by suction grooves 7b that can be independently held under reduced pressure. Has been. The suction region 61F is a central region provided in the central portion of the holding surface 7a that is circular in plan view. The suction areas 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, and 61E are peripheral areas provided around the suction area 61F on the holding surface 7a that is circular in plan view. Here, the suction regions 61A to 61E include those having different areas. Specifically, the suction region 61A is a region having the smallest area. The suction areas 61B and 61E have the same area, but have a larger area than the suction area 61A. Although the suction areas 61C and 61D have the same area, they have a larger area than the suction areas 61B and 61E. That is, the relationship between the areas of the suction regions 61A to 61E is as follows: suction region 61A <suction region 61B = suction region 61E <suction region 61C = suction region 61D.

In the second modified example shown in FIG. 15, first, the central portion of the wafer W is attracted to the suction area 61F, and then the wafer W is sequentially formed from the area where the suction areas 61A to 61E are small to the area where the area is large. The peripheral part of is partially adsorbed. Specifically, the peripheral portion of the wafer W is attracted to the suction region 61A. Next, the peripheral part of the wafer W adjacent to the part adsorbed to the suction area 61A is adsorbed to the suction areas 61B and 61E, respectively. Next, the peripheral part of the wafer W adjacent to the part attracted to the suction regions 61B and 61E is attracted to the suction areas 61C and 61D, respectively. In this way, the wafer W can be sucked and held by the entire holding surface 7a of the stage 7 by sucking the wafer W from the small area of the suction areas 61A to 61E to the large area.

<Third Modification>
Next, in the third modified example shown in FIG. 16, the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 is divided into nine suction regions 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 61E, 61F, 61G by suction grooves 7b that can be independently held under reduced pressure. , 61H, 61I. The suction region 61I is a central region provided in the central portion of the holding surface 7a that is circular in plan view. The suction regions 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 61E, 61F, 61G, and 61H are peripheral regions provided around the suction region 61I on the holding surface 7a that is circular in plan view. Here, the suction regions 61A to 61H include those having different areas. Specifically, the suction regions 61A and 61B have the same area, and are the regions with the smallest area partitioned inside in the radial direction in the peripheral region of the holding surface 7a of the stage 7. The suction areas 61C and 61D have the same area, but have a larger area than the suction areas 61A and 61B. Further, the suction areas 61C and 61D are areas that are partitioned in the peripheral area of the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 on the outer side in the radial direction from the suction areas 61A and 61B. The suction areas 61E and 61H have the same area, but have a larger area than the suction areas 61C and 61D. Although the suction areas 61F and 61G have the same area, they have a larger area than the suction areas 61E and 61H. That is, the size relationship of the suction areas 61A to 61H is as follows: suction area 61A = suction area 61B <suction area 61C = suction area 61D <suction area 61E = suction area 61H <suction area 61F = suction area 61G. It has become.

In the third modified example shown in FIG. 16, first, the central portion of the wafer W is attracted to the suction area 61I, and then the wafer W is sequentially formed from the area where the suction areas 61A to 61H are small to the area where the area is large. The peripheral part of is partially adsorbed. Specifically, the peripheral portion of the wafer W is attracted to the suction regions 61A and 61B. Next, the peripheral part of the wafer W adjacent to the part adsorbed to the suction regions 61A and 61B is adsorbed to the suction areas 61C and 61D, respectively. Next, the peripheral portions of the wafer W adjacent to the portions adsorbed to the suction regions 61C and 61D are adsorbed to the suction regions 61E and 61H, respectively. Next, the peripheral portions of the wafer W adjacent to the portions adsorbed to the suction regions 61E and 61H are adsorbed to the suction regions 61G and 61F, respectively. In this manner, the wafer W can be sucked and held by the entire holding surface 7a of the stage 7 by sucking the wafer W from the small area of the suction areas 61A to 61H to the large area.

As described above, in the first to third modifications, the plurality of suction regions 61 for sucking the peripheral edge portion of the wafer W have two or more suction regions 61 having different areas. Then, the peripheral portion of the wafer W can be partially adsorbed sequentially from the suction area 61 having a small area to the suction area 61 having a large area. As a result, even when the warpage of the wafer W is large and only a small portion can be adsorbed at first, the adsorbing area can be increased by sequentially adsorbing adjacent portions, and the warpage of the wafer W can be gradually eased. As a result, the entire surface of the wafer W can be sucked and held by the entire holding surface 7a of the stage 7 in a short time.

Further, by changing the area and shape of the suction region 61, the number of suction regions 61 (that is, the number of divisions of the holding surface 7a of the stage 7) can be reduced, so that the apparatus configuration can be simplified. is there.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a probe device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing an outline of the internal structure of the probe apparatus 100A according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The probe device 100 </ b> A includes a pressing device 101 that presses against the holding surface 7 a of the stage 7 as a pressing unit in contact with the upper surface of the adsorption portion of the wafer W. In the probe device 100A of FIG. 17, the same components as those of the probe device 100 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

In the present embodiment, a plurality of pressing devices 101 are provided on the side portion of the alignment unit 41. 18 and 19 are explanatory views of one pressing device. As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the pressing device 101 includes a pressing pin 103 as a pressing member and a drive unit 105 that displaces the pressing pin 103 up and down. The tip of the pressing pin 103 is preferably formed of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than metal, such as ceramics, synthetic resin, or rubber, and more preferably a material having both heat resistance and elasticity such as fluororubber.

Although illustration is omitted, the drive unit 105 includes an actuator such as an air cylinder and a biasing member such as a spring. As shown in FIG. 18, the tip end of the pressing pin 103 is normally held at the retracted position above the lower end of the alignment unit 41 by the urging force of the urging member. When the actuator is actuated, the pressing pin 103 advances downward from the lower end of the alignment unit 41 with a predetermined stroke against the urging force of the urging member, as shown in FIG. The wafer W is partially pressed by contacting the upper surface of the suction site.

Thus, the pressing pin 103 acts in the same manner as the gas injected from the gas injection device 45 in the first embodiment. That is, the pressing pin 103 partially presses the upper surface of the wafer W against the holding surface 7 a of the lower stage 7. As a result, in the probe apparatus 100A of the second embodiment, the wafer W can be sucked and held in the same procedure as that of the probe apparatus 100 of the first embodiment.

The number of pressing devices 101 is not limited to two, but may be one or three or more, but a plurality is preferable. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, two pressing devices 101 are arranged on the side portion of the alignment unit 41 so that the suction portion of the wafer W can be pressed. As a result, the moving distance of the stage 7 in the X and Y directions when holding the wafer W by suction is shortened, and the footprint of the entire apparatus can be suppressed. Moreover, in this Embodiment, by attaching the pressing apparatus 101 to the alignment unit 41, it is not necessary to provide a separate support mechanism, and the apparatus configuration can be simplified. The pressing device 101 may be supported by an independent support member instead of being attached to the alignment unit 41.

Next, a plurality of suction regions formed on the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 in the probe apparatus 100A will be described with reference to FIG. In the probe device 100A, the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 is divided into twelve suction regions 61 by suction grooves 7b that can be independently held under reduced pressure. In FIG. 20, for simplification of explanation, twelve suction regions 61 provided separately on the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 are indicated by numbers 1 to 12 in the order in which the wafers W are attracted.

In FIG. 20, the suction area 61 indicated by No. 1 and No. 2 is a central area, and is provided at the central portion of the holding surface 7a having a circular shape in plan view. Further, the suction areas 61 indicated by Nos. 1 and 2 are formed with different areas from the center side of the holding surface 7 a of the stage 7 in the radially outward direction. Thus, the central area may have a plurality of areas divided in the radial direction of the holding surface 7a.

On the other hand, the suction area 61 indicated by Nos. 3 to 12 is a peripheral area, and is provided around the central area indicated by Nos. 1 and 2 in the holding surface 7a having a circular shape in plan view. The suction regions 61 indicated by Nos. 3, 4, and 5 are formed with different areas from the center side of the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 in the radially outward direction. Thus, the peripheral region may have a plurality of regions divided in the radial direction of the holding surface 7a.

Other configurations and effects of the probe device 100A of the present embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

Next, a method for holding the wafer W in the probe apparatus 100A will be described. In this procedure, first, the central portion of the wafer W is sequentially attracted to the first region, which is the central region of the holding surface 7a of the stage 7, and the second region slightly outside thereof. Next, the peripheral edge of the wafer W is sequentially attracted to the third region, the fourth region, and the fifth region, which are peripheral regions of the holding surface 7a of the stage 7, toward the radially outward direction from the center side. . Next, the peripheral portion of the wafer W is sucked in the circumferential direction in the order of No. 6 region, No. 7 region, No. 8 region, No. 9 region, No. 10 region, No. 11 region and No. 12 region. I will let you. In this way, by repeating the operation of partially adsorbing the wafer W to the adjacent region, the entire wafer W can be easily adsorbed and held on the holding surface 7a of the stage 7. Therefore, even the warped wafer W can be reliably attracted to the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 as a whole.

Next, a more specific procedure of the wafer W holding method in the probe apparatus 100A will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 to 33 show the positional relationship between the pressing pins 103 of the pressing device 101 provided at two positions on the side of the alignment unit 41 and the holding surface 7 a of the stage 7. For convenience of explanation, the two pressing devices 101 are shown as being distinguished by reference numerals 101A and 101B. The numbers 1 to 12 on the holding surface 7a of the stage 7 have the same meaning as in FIG. The wafer W itself is not shown. The alignment unit 41 can reciprocate in the Y direction in the figure, and the stage 7 can move in the XY direction in the figure.

In FIG. 21, the stage 7 is moved to the wafer W delivery position. Then, the loader unit 3 transports the wafer W (not shown) to the holding surface 7a of the stage 7.

Next, as shown in FIG. 22, the alignment unit 41 is moved in the Y direction until the pressing pin 103 of the pressing device 101A is positioned immediately above the first region. Then, the suction of the first area is turned ON, the pressing pin 103 of the pressing device 101A on one side is advanced, the central portion of the wafer W is pressed, and the first area is attracted. In FIG. 22, the pressing position by the pressing pin 103 is indicated by a black dot (the same applies to FIGS. 23 to 33). Then, after confirming the suction by a leak check, the pressing pin 103 is retracted.

Next, as shown in FIG. 23, the stage 7 is moved until the pressing pin 103 of the pressing device 101A is positioned immediately above the second region. Then, the suction of the second area is turned ON, the pressing pin 103 of the pressing device 101A is advanced, and the radial direction of the central part of the wafer W is pressed slightly toward the outer side to be attracted to the second area. After confirming the suction by the leak check, the pressing pin 103 is retracted.

In the adsorption of the No. 1 area and No. 2 area, the first area and the No. 2 area are maintained while maintaining a state where one central portion of the wafer W is pressed by the pressing pin 103 of the pressing device 101A. You may make it adsorb | suck in order.

Next, as shown in FIG. 24, the stage 7 is moved until the pressing pin 103 of the pressing device 101A is located immediately above the third region. Then, the suction of the third area is turned on, the pressing pin 103 is advanced, the wafer W is partially pressed, and is attracted to the third area. After confirming the suction by the leak check, the pressing pin 103 is retracted.

Next, as shown in FIG. 25, the stage 7 is moved until the pressing pin 103 of the pressing device 101A is positioned immediately above the fourth region. Then, the suction of the No. 4 area is turned ON, the pressing pin 103 is advanced, the wafer W is partially pressed, and is attracted to the No. 4 area. After confirming the suction by the leak check, the pressing pin 103 is retracted.

Next, as shown in FIG. 26, the stage 7 is moved until the pressing pin 103 of the pressing device 101A is located immediately above the fifth area. Then, the suction of the No. 5 area is turned ON, the pressing pin 103 is advanced, the wafer W is partially pressed, and is attracted to the No. 5 area. After confirming the suction by the leak check, the pressing pin 103 is retracted.

In the suction from the No. 3 area to the No. 5 area, while maintaining the state where one place on the wafer W corresponding to any area is pressed by the pressing pin 103 of the pressing device 101A, the No. 3 area is maintained. You may make it adsorb | suck in order of area | region, 4th area | region, and 5th area | region.

Next, as shown in FIG. 27, the stage 7 is moved until the pressing pin 103 of the pressing device 101A is located immediately above the sixth area. Then, the suction of the No. 6 area is turned ON, the pressing pin 103 is advanced, the wafer W is partially pressed, and is attracted to the No. 6 area. After confirming the suction by the leak check, the pressing pin 103 is retracted.

Similarly, the wafer W is partially sucked in the order of the seventh area (see FIG. 28) and the eighth area (see FIG. 29) while repeatedly pressing and retracting with the pressing pins 103 of the pressing device 101A. I will let you.

Next, as shown in FIG. 30, instead of the pressing device 101A, the stage 7 is moved until the pressing pin 103 of the pressing device 101B is located immediately above the ninth area. Then, the suction of the No. 9 area is turned on, the pressing pin 103 is advanced, the wafer W is partially pressed, and is attracted to the No. 9 area. After confirming the suction by the leak check, the pressing pin 103 is retracted. In this way, by switching from the pressing device 101 </ b> A to the pressing device 101 </ b> B in the middle, the wafer W suction processing can be performed without increasing the movable range of the stage 7. Therefore, the wafer W can be reliably sucked and held without increasing the footprint of the apparatus including the X-direction moving unit 21 and the Y-direction moving unit 23 that move the stage 7 in the XY direction.

Hereinafter, similarly, pressing and retraction by the pressing pin 103 of the pressing device 101B are performed in the order of the 10th area (see FIG. 31), the 11th area (see FIG. 32), and the 12th area (see FIG. 33). While repeating, the wafer W is partially adsorbed.

In this way, by sequentially adsorbing the wafers W to the first region to the twelfth region, the wafers W can be reliably adsorbed and held by the entire holding surface 7a of the stage 7. In this procedure, instead of providing the two pressing devices 101 in the alignment unit 41, nozzles 81 of the gas injection device 45 similar to those in the first embodiment are provided in two places, and pressing and retraction by the pressing pins 103 are performed. Instead of repeating, it can be similarly performed by repeating the injection and stop of gas.

As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail for the purpose of illustration, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the probe apparatus that inspects the device formed on the wafer W has been described as an example. However, the substrate holding method and the substrate holding apparatus of the present invention hold the substrate by vacuum suction. The present invention can be applied to all processing apparatuses having a stage to perform.

Further, in the first to third steps, first, a configuration of adsorbing the site P _I of the central portion of the wafer W, for example, the case without the suction region 61I of the central portion of the holding surface 7a Thus, this is not the case depending on how the suction region 61 is divided.

Further, in the third procedure, after adsorbing two portions of the peripheral portion of the wafer W, the adjoining two to four portions are adsorbed simultaneously. However, after adsorbing two of the peripheral portions of the wafer W, one of the adjacent portions (that is, two at the same time) is sequentially, for example, clockwise or counterclockwise, You may make it adsorb | suck.

Further, in the third procedure, after the portion P _I at the center of the wafer W is adsorbed, the two portions on the peripheral portion of the wafer W are adsorbed simultaneously. etc. If large, the next site P _I, the sites of three or more of the periphery of the wafer W may be simultaneously adsorbed.

In addition, the substrate is not limited to a semiconductor wafer or a resin substrate, for example, a flat panel display substrate typified by a glass substrate used in a liquid crystal display device, a resin substrate on which a number of IC (semiconductor integrated circuit) chips are mounted, A substrate for mounting inspection such as a glass substrate may be used.

This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-077278 filed on April 4, 2015 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-229657 filed on November 25, 2015. The entire contents of the application are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims (24)

1. A substrate holding method for holding a substrate by suction on a stage,
   The stage has a substrate holding surface that sucks and holds the lower surface of the substrate,
   The substrate holding surface is divided into a plurality of regions capable of partially sucking the substrate,
   In at least one of the plurality of regions, after part of the substrate is adsorbed, another part of the substrate is adsorbed in a region adjacent to the region where the part of the substrate is adsorbed. By adsorbing and holding the entire substrate on the stage,
   A substrate holding method, wherein, when the substrate is partially sucked, a suction portion of the substrate is pressed against the substrate holding surface by a pressing means.
2. 2. The substrate holding method according to claim 1, wherein the pressing means is a gas injection device that blows gas toward the upper surface of the adsorption site.
3. The substrate holding method according to claim 2, wherein the gas is a heated gas.
4. 4. The substrate holding method according to claim 3, wherein the heated gas is held within a range of ± 10 ° C. of the temperature of the stage.
5. 2. The substrate holding method according to claim 1, wherein the pressing means is a pressing device having a pressing member that abuts against an upper surface of the suction portion and presses the pressing portion against the substrate holding surface.
6. The substrate is circular, and the substrate holding surface is circular,
   The plurality of regions include a central region corresponding to a central portion of the substrate, and a plurality of peripheral regions corresponding to a peripheral portion of the substrate and surrounding the central region,
   Adsorbing the central portion of the substrate to the central region;
   Next, a step of adsorbing a part of the peripheral edge of the substrate to one of the peripheral regions,
   Next, adsorbing another part of the peripheral edge of the substrate to one or two peripheral areas adjacent to the peripheral area where a part of the peripheral edge of the substrate is adsorbed;
   The substrate holding method according to claim 1, wherein the step of adsorbing another portion of the substrate to a peripheral region adjacent to a peripheral region adsorbing another portion of the peripheral portion of the substrate is sequentially performed.
7. The substrate is circular, and the substrate holding surface is circular,
   The plurality of regions include a central region corresponding to a central portion of the substrate, and a plurality of peripheral regions corresponding to a peripheral portion of the substrate and surrounding the central region,
   Adsorbing the central portion of the substrate to the central region;
   Next, a step of partially adsorbing the peripheral portion of the substrate to each of the two peripheral regions,
   Next, a step of adsorbing another portion of the peripheral portion of the substrate to each of a plurality of peripheral regions adjacent to the peripheral region where the peripheral portion of the substrate is partially adsorbed,
   Next, the step of sequentially adsorbing another portion of the substrate to a plurality of peripheral regions adjacent to the plurality of peripheral regions adsorbing another portion of the peripheral portion of the substrate is sequentially performed. The substrate holding method as described.
8. The plurality of peripheral regions include two or more peripheral regions having different areas;
   The substrate holding method according to claim 6, wherein the peripheral portion of the substrate is partially adsorbed sequentially from a small area to a large area in the peripheral area.
9. The leak detection for detecting an ingress state of outside air in a state where the substrate is adsorbed with respect to the plurality of regions collectively or individually or for each combination including two or more regions. The substrate holding method as described in 2.
10. A processing method for performing predetermined processing on a substrate,
    A processing method comprising the step of attracting and holding a substrate on a stage by the substrate holding method according to claim 1.
11. The processing method according to claim 10, which is a device inspection method for inspecting electrical characteristics of a plurality of devices formed on a substrate.
12. A stage that sucks and holds the substrate;
    Pressing means for pressing a portion of the substrate against the substrate holding surface;
    A substrate holding device comprising:
    The stage has a substrate holding surface that sucks and holds the lower surface of the substrate, and the substrate holding surface is divided into a plurality of regions capable of partially sucking the substrate,
    The substrate holding apparatus, wherein the pressing means presses an adsorption site that is a part of the substrate corresponding to the plurality of regions of the stage.
13. The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the pressing means is a gas injection device that blows gas toward the upper surface of the adsorption site.
14. The gas injection device includes a nozzle that blows the gas, corresponding to the plurality of regions of the stage, entirely or individually or for each combination including two or more regions. A substrate holding apparatus according to the above.
15. The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the gas is a heated gas.
16. The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the heated gas is held within a range of ± 10 ° C of the temperature of the stage.
17. 13. The substrate holding device according to claim 12, wherein the pressing means is a pressing device having a pressing member that comes into contact with the upper surface of the suction portion and presses against the substrate holding surface.
18. The substrate holding device according to claim 17, wherein a portion of the pressing member that contacts the substrate is formed of ceramics, synthetic resin, or rubber.
19. Furthermore, it has a leak detection part which detects the approach state of external air in the state which adsorb | sucked the said board | substrate about the said several area | region collectively or individually or for every some combination. 13. The substrate holding device according to 12.
20. The substrate is circular, and the substrate holding surface is circular,
    The plurality of regions include a central region corresponding to a central portion of the substrate, and a plurality of peripheral regions corresponding to a peripheral portion of the substrate and surrounding the central region,
    The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of peripheral regions include two or more peripheral regions having different areas.
21. 21. The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the central region has a plurality of regions divided in a radial direction of the substrate holding surface.
22. 21. The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the peripheral region has a plurality of regions divided in a radial direction of the substrate holding surface.
23. A processing apparatus for performing predetermined processing on a substrate, comprising the substrate holding device according to claim 12.
24. The processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the processing apparatus is a probe apparatus that inspects electrical characteristics of a plurality of devices formed on a substrate.
    

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