JPH04288847A - Semiconductor test device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To design the shape of a probe needle used far a wafer test in such a fashion that two different signals may be transmitted. CONSTITUTION:The shape of a probe needle is designed to be in an electrically insulated state so that two different signals may be transmitted. More specifically, the needle is divided into a central core and an outer core so as to classify the type of each signal to be transferred. A signal to be transmitted by one probe needle 6 is capable of setting a different type. For example, it is divided into a sense signal and a force signal and handled in a different fashion, which makes it possible to enhance and stabilize measurement accuracy in a wafer test.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a probe needle used in electrical characteristic testing (hereinafter referred to as wafer test) of semiconductor integrated circuits (hereinafter referred to as IC) in the form of wafer chips.

0002

[Prior Art] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the state of a conventional wafer test. In the figure, 1 is an IC chip, 2 is an electrode pad formed on the IC chip 1, and 3 is an electrical characteristic of the IC chip 1. This is a probe needle that is brought into contact with the electrode pad 2. 6 is an enlarged side view showing the shape of the probe needle 3 shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the probe needle 3 seen from the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged side view showing the shape of the probe needle 3 shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a top view of the electrode pad 2 showing needle marks caused by a probe needle. In the figure, 4 is the tip of the probe needle 3, and 5 is a trace of the probe needle 3 made on the electrode pad 2.

Next, the operation will be explained. In IC wafer testing, the probe needle 3 is designed so that the tip of the probe needle 3 hits the center of the electrode pad 2 on the IC chip 1 in a substantially circular shape.
A needle mark 5 remains. That is, the probe needle 3 has a single structure made of a metal such as tungsten, and a certain electrical signal is propagated through the probe needle 3.

0004

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] Since the conventional probe needle is constructed as described above, the signals exchanged between the IC chip and the test equipment that performs the wafer test are used for one purpose or the other. There is a problem in that only one type of signal can be propagated, and in order to propagate two or more signals, probe needles and electrode pads must be provided separately.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to obtain a semiconductor testing device in which two types of electrical signals can be propagated using one probe needle. .

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A semiconductor testing device according to the present invention has a probe needle having two conductors provided therein and electrically insulated between them.

[0007]

[Operation] Since the probe needle according to the present invention is composed of two electrically insulated conductors, it can propagate two different electrical signals.

[0008]

[Example] Example 1. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a perspective view showing the state of a wafer test, FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the structure of the probe needle shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the probe needle seen from the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. , FIG. 4 is a top view of the electrode pad showing the needle mark caused by the probe needle shown in FIG. 2. In the figure, 1 is an IC chip formed on a wafer, 2 is an electrode pad formed on the IC chip 1, 6 is a probe needle, 7 is a tip,
8 shows the needle mark a, and 9 shows the needle mark b.

Next, the operation will be explained. In FIG. 2, the probe needle 6 is the same as the probe needle 3 shown in the conventional example of FIG.
Unlike, it has two conductors, a wavy line part and a solid line part, which are electrically insulated, and signals with different purposes can be propagated between them. Here, for example, assume that two different electrical signals are a sense signal and a force signal. Unlike the conventional probe needle 3, which has a structure in which only one electrical signal can be propagated, the structure of the probe needle 6 of the present invention allows the electrically insulated inside of the probe needle 6 to be subjected to force. It can be set so that the signal can be propagated, and the outside can be set so that the sense signal can be propagated. This allows the signal to be converted to Kelvin up to the electrode pad 2 of the IC chip 1.

Example 2. In the above embodiment, the sense signal and the force signal are used as two different electrical signals, but as different electrical signals, one may be an input/output signal such as a clock, and the other may be a GND signal. .

Further, the probe needle 6 may have a structure in which the central core portion and the outer core portion are plated.

0012

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, since the signal propagating through one probe needle is configured to become two different signals, the measurement environment in wafer testing can be improved in terms of accuracy, and This has the effect of providing stable measurements.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a wafer test state by an embodiment of a semiconductor testing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the structure of the probe needle shown in FIG. 1.

3 is a bottom view of the probe needle seen from the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 2. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the electrode pad showing needle marks caused by the probe needle shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state of wafer testing using a conventional semiconductor testing device.

6 is an enlarged side view showing the structure of the probe needle shown in FIG. 5. FIG.

7 is a bottom view of the probe needle seen from the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 6. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the electrode pad showing needle marks caused by the probe needle shown in FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 IC chip 2　Electrode pad 6 Probe needle 7 Tip 8 Needle mark a 9 Needle mark b

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: In a fixed probe board, which is a jig and tool for testing the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor integrated circuit in the form of a wafer chip, the shape of the probe needle attached to the fixed probe board is designed for different electrical purposes. A semiconductor testing device characterized by having a structure capable of propagating signals of various types.