JP2784793B2 - Semiconductor inspection apparatus and semiconductor element alignment method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a semiconductor inspection apparatus and a semiconductor element alignment method.

(Prior art) Conventionally, in the process of inspecting the electrical characteristics of a packaged semiconductor, a wide variety of semiconductor element packages are used, so a dedicated inspection device (IC handler) is required for each type of package. However, in response to recent high-mix low-volume production of semiconductor devices, a so-called universal handler has been developed that can measure many shapes of semiconductor devices with a single unit by exchanging units and the like of the measurement unit. ing.

A tray method is known as a semiconductor element supply mode to such a universal handler.

In the tray type IC handler, a large number of device housings are provided on a tray, for example, in a lattice shape, semiconductor devices such as QFPs and SOPs are housed in the device housings, and semiconductor devices are one by one from the tray. The semiconductor elements on the tray are inspected by taking out the semiconductor elements on the tray in order to contact the inspection terminals such as probe needles provided on the test head of the IC handler.

By the way, with the high integration of semiconductor elements, the terminals of the packaged semiconductor elements have also been increased in number and pitch of terminals has been advanced. When performing measurement, high-precision alignment is required, and in order to improve the throughput of the apparatus, it is necessary to perform this high-precision alignment at high speed. There has been a demand for the development of a semiconductor inspection device capable of speeding up the alignment.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and enables a high-accuracy alignment to be performed at a high speed, thereby improving an inspection accuracy and an apparatus throughput. It is an object of the present invention to provide an element alignment method.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) A semiconductor inspection apparatus according to the present invention is a semiconductor inspection apparatus that performs an inspection by bringing an electrode terminal of a semiconductor element into contact with a probe needle. A tray sender mechanism accommodating a plurality of accommodated trays, a receiver mechanism accommodating a plurality of trays for accommodating semiconductor elements that have been inspected, and an inspection table mounted with the semiconductor elements and movable in a three-dimensional and rotational direction. An element transfer mechanism for transferring a semiconductor element between the inspection table and the tray provided in the tray sender mechanism and the receiver mechanism; and a semiconductor element and the probe needle by moving the inspection table. An alignment mechanism for performing pre-alignment and fine alignment with the semiconductor device, imaging the semiconductor device, and forming a mold portion of the semiconductor device. The centroid position is measured, it is characterized in that is configured to perform the pre-alignment seeking deviation amount by comparing the reference position information of a predetermined gravity center and the measured center of gravity.

A semiconductor inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the inspection is performed by bringing an electrode terminal of the semiconductor element into contact with a probe needle, wherein a tray sender mechanism accommodating a plurality of trays accommodating the semiconductor element to be inspected, A receiver mechanism accommodating a plurality of trays for accommodating completed semiconductor elements; an inspection table mounted with the semiconductor elements and movable in a three-dimensional and rotational direction; the inspection table; the tray sender mechanism; and the receiver An element transfer mechanism for transferring a semiconductor element to and from the tray provided in the mechanism; and an alignment mechanism for moving the inspection table to perform pre-alignment and fine alignment between the semiconductor element and the probe needle. An image of at least a part of a lead row on two orthogonal sides of the semiconductor element, and a center of gravity of an image pickup unit is obtained from the image pickup information. Calculating the location, it is characterized in that it has been configured to perform the fine alignment seeking deviation amount by comparing the reference position information of the predetermined centroid and the calculated center of gravity.

In the method of aligning a semiconductor element according to claim 3, when the semiconductor element is taken out and aligned at a predetermined position, the semiconductor element is imaged, a center of gravity of a modal portion of the semiconductor element is measured, and the measured center of gravity is predetermined. Comparing the obtained reference position information of the first center of gravity to obtain a shift amount and performing pre-alignment; and taking an image of at least a part of a lead array on two orthogonal sides of the semiconductor element, Calculating the position of the center of gravity of the imaging unit, and comparing the calculated center of gravity with predetermined reference position information of the second center of gravity to obtain a shift amount and perform fine alignment. It is.

(Operation) According to the present invention, it is possible to perform the alignment of the semiconductor element with high accuracy and high speed by the above-mentioned means, and it is possible to improve the inspection accuracy and the throughput of the apparatus.

Example An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The apparatus main body 1 includes a semiconductor element (hereinafter referred to as a chip) 2
Load trays 3 containing a large number of
It comprises a tray loader system 4 for unloading, and an inspection stage system 5 for mounting the chips 2 taken out one by one from the tray 3 on an inspection table and transporting the chips 2 to an inspection unit. . A chip transfer mechanism 6 for holding chips 2 one by one and transferring chips between the tray loader system 4 and the inspection stage system 5 is provided at the boundary between the tray loader system 4 and the inspection stage system. Provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the tray 3 used in the present embodiment has a receiving recess 32 for receiving the chip 2 on the surface of a rectangular tray body 31 of 260 × 220 mm and 6.5 mm thick made of conductive resin. The chip 2 is formed in a lattice shape of 5 rows and 6 columns, and the chip 2 is housed in the housing recess 32. In addition, recesses of two rows and two columns from the four corners of the tray main body 31 are provided with holding plates for holding the tray 2 by holding portions of a tray transport mechanism described later.
33 are formed. A chamfered portion 34 for defining the direction of the tray 2 is formed at one of the four corners of the tray main body 31.

Incidentally, the tray loader system 4 includes a vertically movable sender mechanism 7 in which a number of trays 3 are stacked and stacked, a tray buffer mechanism 8 for temporarily storing empty trays, and a tray 3 containing chips 2 whose inspection has been completed. A multiplicity of vertically stacked receiver mechanisms 9 are stacked and stacked along the chip transfer mechanism 6. Hereinafter, the direction in which the sender mechanism 7, the tray buffer mechanism 8, and the receiver mechanism 9 are juxtaposed is referred to as Y direction, and the direction orthogonal thereto is referred to as X direction.

The chip transfer mechanism 6 has a configuration in which various mechanisms for chip transfer are developed around a base 10 arranged at the boundary between the tray loader system 4 and the inspection stage system 5. On the side surface of the tray loader system 4, a tray transfer mechanism 11 that is movable in the YZ directions along the upper side of the sender mechanism 7, the tray buffer mechanism 8, and the receiver mechanism 9 is disposed. The holding plate 33 of the tray 3 shown in FIG. 2 is suction-held by the holding portion 11a of the tray transfer mechanism 11.

In addition, the chip is loaded perpendicularly to the end of the base 10 on the side of the sender mechanism 7 to hold the chips 2 one by one from the trays 3 stacked on the uppermost stage of the sender mechanism 7 and transport the chips 2 to the inspection stage system 5. A mechanism 12 is provided. On the other hand, the chip 2 having been inspected by the inspection stage system 5 is held at the top of the receiver mechanism 9 while being orthogonal to the end of the base 10 on the side of the receiver mechanism 9. Chip unloading mechanism for transporting onto tray 3
13 are provided.

The chip loading mechanism 12 and the chip unloading mechanism 13
For example, an X-Z stage 15 combined with, for example, an LM guide and a ball screw for moving the transfer arm 14 protruding in the Y direction in the X-Z direction, and moving the transfer arm 14 in the Y-direction on the side surface of the transfer arm 14 A holding portion 16 for freely holding the chip 2, for example, for holding it by suction.

On the side surface of the base 10 on the side of the inspection stage system 5, a pair of holding portions 17 a and 17 b for holding the chip 2, for example, by suction, are provided at a predetermined interval, and one of the holding portions 17 a is provided by the chip loading mechanism 12. The chip 2 conveyed to the inspection stage system 5 is transferred onto the inspection table 18 of the inspection stage system 5 and, at the same time, the chip 2 having been inspected on the inspection table 18 is removed by the other holding unit 17b. A double transfer mechanism 17 for transferring the image to the transfer section 13 is provided movably in the YZ directions.

In addition, the inspection stage system 5 includes an inspection table 18 on which the chip 2 is mounted, and the inspection table 18 mounted on the inspection table 18, and the inspection table 18 is mounted in XYZ.
An image of the inspection table stage 19 to be moved in the −θ direction and an image of the chip 2 disposed on the movement track of the inspection table 18 and taken at the time of final alignment (hereinafter, referred to as fine alignment) And a fine alignment mechanism 20 for providing alignment information to a drive control mechanism of the inspection table stage 19.

The operation of the semiconductor inspection apparatus having such a mechanism will be described below.

First, the XY stage of the chip loading mechanism 12 is driven to transport the transport arm 14 onto a predetermined row of chips on the tray 3, and then the chip holding unit 16 of the transport arm 14 is moved in the Y direction. The chip 2 is moved onto the chip to be inspected, the transport arm 14 is lowered, and the chip 2 is held by the holding unit 16, for example, by suction.

Thereafter, the chip 2 sucked and held by driving the chip loading mechanism 12 is transported onto a mounting table 21 for rough alignment (hereinafter, referred to as pre-alignment) on the inspection stage system 5 side, and the mounting table for pre-alignment is transferred. Relocated on 21.

Above the pre-alignment mounting table 21, a pre-alignment image recognition mechanism for capturing an image of the chip 2 on the mounting table 21 and detecting an amount of deviation from normal reference position information.
22 are provided.

As a method of detecting position information in the pre-alignment image recognition mechanism 22, for example, an area of a predetermined portion in a mold portion of the chip 2 is imaged, a reference position in the imaging portion, for example, a center of gravity is measured, and the measured center of gravity information and It is preferable to use, for example, a method of comparing the information with a predetermined reference position of the normal center of gravity to obtain the shift amount information.

After measuring the pre-alignment position information in this manner, the chip 2 on the pre-alignment mounting table 21 is held by the one chip holding portion 17a of the double transfer mechanism 17, and the chip 2 is held on the inspection table 18 of the inspection stage system 5. And transfer to
Inspection table 1 at the other chip holder 17b of the double transfer mechanism 17
The inspection-completed chip 2 on 8 is conveyed and transferred onto a transfer table 23 which is a transfer section to the chip unloading mechanism 13.

During the chip transfer operation from the pre-alignment mounting table 21 to the inspection table 18, the inspection table 18 waits in advance at a predetermined delivery position, for example, at the approximate center of the side surface of the base 10 on the side of the inspection stage system 5. However, if the pre-alignment image recognition mechanism 22 detects a misalignment of the chip 2,
On the basis of the positional deviation information, the inspection stage system 5 waits in a state where the movement has been corrected by the positional deviation so that the chip 2 is mounted on a predetermined reference position of the inspection table 18. Thus, the chip 2 is always mounted on a predetermined position of the inspection table 18 pre-aligned with the chip 2.

The inspection table 18 on which the chip 2 is mounted temporarily stops below the fine alignment mechanism 20 while moving to the inspection section 25 in which the test head 24 and the like are arranged, and the fine alignment operation of the chip 2 is performed here.

The fine alignment mechanism 20 according to the present embodiment is configured to be performed by an image recognition mechanism. As an alignment method, for example, an image of a part of a lead array on two orthogonal sides of the chip 2 is taken, and this imaging is performed. The position of the center of gravity of the imaging unit is calculated from the obtained information, the calculated position of the center of gravity is compared with the predetermined reference position of the center of gravity to obtain a position shift amount, and based on the information of the position shift amount. It is preferable to use a method in which the inspection table 18 is moved so that the chip 2 is at a regular position.

After the fine alignment of the chip 2 is completed, the inspection table 18 is moved to a predetermined position below the test head 24, and then the inspection table 18 is raised to provide a lead row of the chip 2 on the lower surface of the test head 24. Inspection is performed by contacting the probe needle row (not shown).

After the inspection, the inspection table 18 is moved to the transfer position again, and here, one of the chip holding portions 17 of the double transfer mechanism 17 is moved.
b, the chip 2 which has been inspected on the inspection table 18 is held, transported and transferred onto the chip transfer table 23, and the pre-alignment table 21 is held by the other chip holder 17a of the double transfer mechanism 17. Holds the next inspection chip 2 on the
18 to be transported and transferred.

After the chip 2 having been inspected is transferred onto the chip delivery table 23, the chip 2 is held, for example, by suction, in the chip holding unit 16 provided on the transfer arm 14 of the chip unloading mechanism 13, and the transfer arm 14 is The chip 2 is mounted at a predetermined position on the tray 3 by moving the receiver mechanism 9 onto the tray 3.
At this time, the chip 2 determined to be defective by the inspection is dropped into the defective product storage box 26 arranged below the movement trajectory of the transfer arm 14.

By repeating the above-described series of operations, the chips 2 stored in the tray 3 of the sender mechanism 7 are sequentially inspected and stored on the tray 3 of the receiver mechanism 9.

When all the chips 2 on the tray 3 of the sender mechanism 7 have been inspected and the tray 2 of the receiver mechanism 9 is fully loaded with the chips 2, the tray transfer mechanism 11 is moved by the tray holding unit 11a to the The empty tray 3a is held, for example, sucked and held, and is conveyed onto the tray 3 on which the chips 2 of the receiver mechanism 9 are fully loaded and mounted. Thereafter, the sender mechanism 7 raises the next inspection tray so that the next inspection tray is located at the same position as the empty tray 3a, while the receiver mechanism 9 mounts the empty tray 3a. Tray 3a
The empty tray 3a is lowered so that the empty tray 3a is located at the same position as the tray 3 on which the chips 2 are loaded.

Further, when a defective chip occurs, the tray 3 of the sender mechanism 7 becomes empty before the tray 3 of the receiver mechanism 9 becomes full of chips, and it becomes impossible to set the next inspection tray. In such a case, the empty tray 3a is temporarily put on standby on the tray buffer mechanism 8 provided between the sender mechanism 7 and the receiver mechanism 9. When the tray 2 of the receiver mechanism 9 becomes full of chips, the empty tray 3a waiting in the tray buffer mechanism 8 is mounted on the receiver mechanism 9 in the same manner as described above, so that the next inspection of the sender mechanism 7 is performed. The situation where the tray cannot be set due to the empty tray 3a can be prevented,
Continuous processing becomes possible.

As described above, according to the semiconductor inspection apparatus of the present embodiment, the pre-alignment and the fine alignment are performed on the inspection table 18.
Unlike the indirect method of performing pre-alignment by an independent alignment mechanism and then transferring it to the inspection table, as it is conventionally possible,
There is no displacement during the transfer of the inspection table after the pre-alignment, and high-accuracy positioning can be performed.

In addition, the positioning speed is improved by using the alignment mechanism that performs all alignments on the inspection table 18, and the transfer efficiency is improved by the chip transfer mechanism that simultaneously transfers the chip after inspection and the next inspection chip. However, it is possible to improve the apparatus throughput by these actions.

Further, since an independent pre-alignment mechanism as in the related art is not required, the apparatus can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the semiconductor inspection apparatus and the semiconductor element alignment method of the present invention, it is possible to perform the alignment of the semiconductor element with high accuracy and high speed. Can be improved. Further, the cost of the apparatus can be reduced by simplifying the alignment mechanism.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a semiconductor inspection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a tray used in the embodiment of FIG. 1 ... apparatus main body, 2 ... chips, 3 ... trays, 4 ...
Tray loader system, 5 inspection stage system, 6 chip transfer mechanism, 7 sender mechanism, 8 buffer mechanism, 9 receiver mechanism, 10 base, 11 tray transport mechanism, 12: chip loading mechanism, 13: chip transport mechanism, 14: transport arm, 17: double transfer mechanism, 18: inspection table, 19: XYZ-θ table, 20: fine Alignment mechanism, 22: Image recognition mechanism for pre-alignment, 24: Test head, 25: Inspection unit.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G01R 31/26 H01L 21/66 H01L 21/68 H05K 13/00

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A semiconductor inspection apparatus for performing an inspection by bringing an electrode terminal of a semiconductor element into contact with a probe needle, a tray sender mechanism accommodating a plurality of trays accommodating a semiconductor element to be inspected, and a semiconductor having been inspected. A receiver mechanism accommodating a plurality of trays for accommodating elements, an inspection table mounted with the semiconductor element and movable in a three-dimensional and rotational direction, provided on the inspection table, the tray sender mechanism, and the receiver mechanism An element transfer mechanism for transferring semiconductor elements to and from the tray; and an alignment mechanism for moving the inspection table to perform pre-alignment and fine alignment of the semiconductor element and the probe needle. The semiconductor device is imaged, the position of the center of gravity of the mold portion of the semiconductor device is measured, and the measured center of gravity and a predetermined center of gravity are measured. Semiconductor inspection apparatus characterized by being configured to perform the pre-alignment seeking deviation amount by comparing the reference position information. 2. A semiconductor inspection apparatus for performing an inspection by bringing an electrode terminal of a semiconductor element into contact with a probe needle, comprising: a tray sender mechanism accommodating a plurality of trays accommodating a semiconductor element to be inspected; A receiver mechanism accommodating a plurality of trays for accommodating elements, an inspection table mounted with the semiconductor element and movable in a three-dimensional and rotational direction, provided on the inspection table, the tray sender mechanism, and the receiver mechanism An element transfer mechanism for transferring a semiconductor element to and from the tray, and an alignment mechanism for moving the inspection table to perform pre-alignment and fine alignment of the semiconductor element and the probe needle. An image of a part of a lead row on two orthogonal sides of the semiconductor element is taken, a position of the center of gravity of the imaging unit is calculated from this imaging information, and Semiconductor inspection apparatus characterized by being configured to perform the fine alignment seeking calculated centroid and the deviation amount by comparing the reference position information of the center of gravity determined in advance. 3. A semiconductor device is taken out and aligned at a predetermined position, an image of the semiconductor device is taken, a position of a center of gravity of a mold portion of the semiconductor device is measured, and the measured center of gravity and a predetermined first center of gravity are used. Performing a pre-alignment by calculating a shift amount by comparing the reference position information with the reference position information of at least a part of a lead row on two orthogonal sides of the semiconductor element; Calculating the calculated center of gravity, and comparing the calculated center of gravity with predetermined reference position information of the second center of gravity to obtain a shift amount and performing fine alignment.