JPH07231017A - Probe apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a probe device capable of preventing poor contact of a probe needle by setting a constant needle pressure by anyone without being affected by a probe card during probe card replacement and also capable of inspecting at a low cost. CONSTITUTION:This probe device is equipped with a stage 4 adjustable for its position in X, Y and theta directions for placing a semiconductor wafer and a probe card 9 arranged oppositely to the stage 4. After positioning the stage 4 to the probe card 9 in X and Y directions, the stage 4 is raised, the semiconductor wafer is contacted to a probe needle 10 of the probe card 9, and the semiconductor wafer is electrically inspected; and a magnetic sensor 32 is provided at a position rising together with the stage, and the rising height up to the probe needle 10 is detected by the magnetic sensor 32 as a magnetic change based on the probe needles 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a probe device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor process step, a semiconductor wafer on which a large number of chips have been formed is mounted as it is on an inspection apparatus to electrically inspect each chip.
A defective chip is electrically screened based on the inspection result. A probe device is used as such an inspection device. The probe device includes a mounting table on which a semiconductor wafer is mounted, the position of which can be adjusted in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and the mounting table is raised so that the probe needle electrically contacts the electrode pad of each chip of the semiconductor wafer and the tester. And a probe card for passing an electrical signal between them, and the tester detects the presence or absence of an electrical defect in each chip based on the electrical signal transmitted and received through this probe card.

When performing the electrical inspection, the mounting table is raised to bring the semiconductor wafer into contact with the probe needle with a predetermined needle pressure, and the needle tip pierces the insulating film on the chip surface to electrically connect the needle tip to the electrode pad. I am trying to make contact with. However, during the repeated inspection, the insulating material on the surface of the semiconductor wafer adheres to the tip of the needle to cause defective conduction with the chip, or the probe needle deforms due to the needle pressure to cause poor contact, and subsequent inspection is not possible. It may not be possible. Therefore, the operator appropriately replaces the probe card. The height of this probe card from the mounting table to the needle tip when mounted on the probe device differs depending on the type, so the operator detects the height from the mounting table to the probe needle tip every time the probe card is replaced. However, the detection height is set as the rising distance of the mounting table.

When detecting this height, for example, a wafer having a conductive film such as an aluminum wafer is used as a substitute for a semiconductor wafer to set the rising distance of the mounting table. To do this, when the operator mounts a new probe card, the mounting table at the initial height is manually raised to the probe card to bring the wafer into contact with the needle tip of the probe needle. For example, it is observed by a microscope or the like, and the ascending distance of the mounting table is decided by the operator based on the observation result. The amount of deformation of the probe needle at the time of contact is used as the determination material. Then, the amount of deformation of the probe needle when reaching the ascending distance is determined by judging from past experience whether or not the amount of deformation of the probe needle is a certain amount of deformation by microscopic observation of the operator.

[0005]

However, in the case of the conventional probe device, the operator determines the amount of deformation of the probe needle while observing with a microscope as described above, and determines the rising distance of the mounting table. Because
There is a problem that the skill of the operator is required to determine the ascending distance. Furthermore, the judgment criteria of the deformation amount of the probe needle do not always match between operators, and there is a difference in the judgment criteria of each operator. There is a possibility that a defect may occur or, conversely, the stylus pressure may be too high to damage the chip.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and when replacing a probe card, anyone can set a constant needle pressure without being influenced by the probe card to prevent a contact failure of the probe needle. It is an object of the present invention to provide a probe device that can be prevented and can be inspected at low cost.

[0007]

A probe device according to a first aspect of the present invention is provided with a mounting table on which an object to be inspected is mounted, the position of which can be adjusted in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and the mounting table which is opposed to the mounting table. Equipped with the probe card, after adjusting the mounting table in the horizontal direction to the inspection position by the probe card,
In the probe device that raises the mounting table to bring the inspected object into contact with the probe needles of the probe card to perform an electrical inspection of the inspected object, the probe needle detection means that rises together with the mounting table is provided. The probe needle detecting means is configured to detect an ascending distance to the probe needle as a change in a physical quantity based on the probe needle.

The probe device according to a second aspect of the present invention is a mounting table on which an object to be inspected is mounted, the position of which can be adjusted in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and a probe card which is arranged so as to face the mounting table. After adjusting the mounting table in the horizontal direction to the inspection position by the probe card, the mounting table is raised to bring the inspected object into contact with the probe needle of the probe card to electrically connect the inspected object. A probe apparatus for inspecting is provided with a magnetic sensor that rises together with the mounting table, and the magnetic sensor detects the rising distance to the probe needle as a magnetic change based on the probe needle.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a probe device in which the position of the object to be inspected can be adjusted in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and a probe card disposed so as to face the mounting table. After adjusting the mounting table in the horizontal direction to the inspection position by the probe card, the mounting table is raised to bring the inspected object into contact with the probe needle of the probe card to electrically connect the inspected object. A probe device for performing an inspection is provided with a pressure sensor that rises together with the mounting table, and the pressure sensor detects the rising distance to the probe needle as a change in the needle pressure of the probe needle.

[0010]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the probe card is replaced, after the mounting table is moved in the horizontal direction and the probe needle detecting means is positioned below the probe needle, When the mounting table rises, the probe needle detecting means rises accordingly, and when the mounting table rises to the rising distance at the time of inspection, the physical quantity detected by the probe needle detecting means changes, and the rising distance is automatically detected. be able to.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the probe card is replaced, the mounting table is moved in the horizontal direction to position the magnetic sensor so as to come under the probe needle, When the mounting table rises, the magnetic sensor rises accordingly, and when the mounting table rises to the rising distance at the time of inspection, the magnetic amount detected by the magnetic sensor changes, and the rising distance can be automatically detected. .

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the probe card is replaced, the mounting table is moved in the horizontal direction and the pressure sensor is positioned below the probe needle. When the mounting table rises, the pressure sensor also rises accordingly. When the mounting table rises to the rising distance at the time of inspection, the pressure detected by the pressure sensor changes, and the rising distance can be automatically detected.

[0013]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below based on the examples shown in FIGS. The probe apparatus according to the present embodiment is one in which a large number of chips formed on an object to be inspected, for example, a semiconductor wafer W are collected one by one or a plurality of chips are subjected to an electrical inspection.

Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 1, an inspection stage 3 is disposed via a pedestal 2 in the approximate center of a probe device main body (hereinafter referred to as “main body”) 1. The inspection stage 3 includes, for example, a mounting table 4 that holds the semiconductor wafer W in a vacuum, and an alignment mechanism 5 that aligns the semiconductor wafer W held on the mounting table 4, and the mounting is performed via the alignment mechanism 5. It is configured to position the semiconductor wafer W on the mounting table 4 in the X, Y, Z, and θ directions. An opening is formed in the head plate 6 forming the top surface of the probe device main body 1 substantially at the center thereof. And the insert ring 7 is placed in this opening.
Is attached, and the card holder 8 is attached to the insert ring 7.
The probe card 9 is detachably attached via the. This probe card 9 has a plurality of probe needles 10 mounted on a printed circuit board, and each probe needle 10 in the main body 1 individually contacts an electrode pad of a chip on a semiconductor wafer W and contacts with a test head 11. It is possible to inspect the quality of the chip by sending and receiving electric signals. The test head 11 is provided with a contact ring 1 from the outside of the main body 1.
It is attached to the insert ring 7 via 2. Further, a microscope (or a television camera) 13 is arranged substantially in the center of the test head 11, and the tip of the probe needle 8 contacting the electrode pad is visually observed by the microscope 13 at the time of device startup adjustment or maintenance. You can do it.

An autoloader 14 is disposed on the right side of the main body 1, and the semiconductor wafer W supplied from the outside in cassette units is loaded and unloaded from the inspection stage 3 one by one by using the autoloader 14. Is configured. That is, the autoloader 14 pre-aligns the cassette mounting table 16 on which a cassette 15 storing, for example, 25 semiconductor wafers W is mounted, and the semiconductor wafer W in the cassette 15 on the cassette mounting table 16 A first wafer handling mechanism 17 that is transferred to a mechanism (not shown). Then, in the pre-alignment mechanism, the first wafer handling mechanism 17
The semiconductor wafer W transferred by is automatically pre-aligned based on the orientation flat. A second wafer handling mechanism 18 is arranged in the main body 1 near the autoloader 14, and the second wafer handling mechanism 18 transfers the semiconductor wafer W on the pre-alignment mechanism to the mounting table 4 of the inspection stage 3. It is configured to be posted.

A plurality of storage shelves 1 are provided on the left side of the main body 1.
A card storage 20 having 9 is arranged, and the probe card 9 with the card holder 8 is stored in each storage shelf 20 as a spare. Then, the probe card 9 consumed by the inspection is automatically replaced through a card replacement mechanism (not shown). The probe card 9 stored in the card storage 20 is a semiconductor wafer W.
The same type or a plurality of types are stored depending on the type.

Next, the alignment mechanism 5 of the mounting table 4 described above will be described with reference to FIG. The alignment mechanism 5 includes a pair of X rails 21 and 21 arranged horizontally in the X direction, and an X table 22 that reciprocates by a drive mechanism (not shown) such as a pulse motor according to the X rails 21 and 21. And a pair of Y rails 23, 23 arranged horizontally on the upper surface of the X table 22 in the Y direction,
A Y table 2 that reciprocates by a driving mechanism (not shown) such as a pulse motor according to these Y rails 23.
4 and a rotation drive mechanism (not shown) for raising and lowering the mounting table 4 in the Z direction on the Y table 24 and a rotation driving mechanism (not shown) for rotating the mounting table 4 in the θ direction via an axis. ing. Further, the Y table 24 has a high magnification section 25.
A, a camera 25 having a low-magnification section 25B and a light emitting element 25C composed of, for example, an LED, and the camera 25
An elevating mechanism 26 for elevating and lowering in a direction is provided, and the light emitting element 2
The needle tip of the probe needle 10 irradiated with 5C is set to the high magnification section 25A.
Alternatively, the position of the needle tip is measured while being detected by the low-magnification section 25B.

The alignment mechanism 5 is located next to the CCD camera 27 as an optical means for alignment and needle tip position detection, and is located next to the CCD camera 27, and the surface height of the semiconductor wafer W on the mounting table 4 is increased. And a bridge member 29 horizontally arranged so as to straddle the mounting table 4 in the Y direction so as to support them, and via the X rails 21, 21 and the X table 22. The mounting table 4 can be moved below the bridge member 29. In addition, a positioning plate piece 30 protruding horizontally from the peripheral surface is attached to the mounting table 4. The surface of the positioning plate piece 30 is coated with a conductive transparent thin film such as an ITO thin film or chrome plating, and a cross mark for detection is provided in the center of the target 31.
Is formed as. This target 31 is the camera 2
5 and the CCD camera 27 function as a mark for detecting the reference position of the mounting table 4 at the time of detection, and the ITO thin film or chrome plating is used when the height of the mounting table 4 is detected by the capacitance sensor 28. It is supposed to work.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, a magnetic sensor 32 formed in a cylindrical shape, for example, as a probe needle detecting means is attached to the mounting table 4 via an L-shaped attachment member 33. The magnetic sensor 32 is configured to detect the probe needle 10. FIG. 4 shows a magnetic sensor 32.
It is the figure which expanded and showed. As shown in FIG. 4, the magnetic sensor 32 includes, for example, a cylindrical body 32A made of a magnetic material such as Fe—Ni alloy, a coil 32B wound around the cylindrical body 32A, and a current applied to the coil 32B. Power supply 32
C and is configured to form a magnetic field B in the cylindrical body 32A by applying a current from the power source 32C to the coil 32B.

In other words, when the magnetic sensor 32 ascends together with the mounting table 4 toward the probe card 9 while the current is being applied from the power source 32C to the coil 32B, and the probe needle 10 enters into the cylindrical body 32A, the inside of the cylindrical body 32A. Since the magnetic field B fluctuates and the current value of the coil 32B fluctuates due to this magnetic field fluctuation, the current value of the coil 32B at the position where the probe needle 10 comes into contact with the mounting table 4 can be known. Therefore, when the needle tip 10A reaches the position corresponding to the contact position with the mounting table 4 in the cylindrical body 32A, the current value of the coil 32B at that time is the reference current value at the position where the mounting table 4 contacts the needle point. Can be used as The height at which the mounting table 4 is raised until the reference current value is obtained represents the ascent distance of the mounting table 4. Therefore, when replacing the probe card 9 and setting the rising distance of the mounting table 4 to the probe card 9, the mounting table 4 is manually lifted and the magnetic sensor 32 is lifted to a position showing the reference current value. The distance can be set in the control device 34 as the ascending distance of the mounting table 4.

The control unit 34, as shown in FIG.
The main body controller 35 is provided with a loader controller 36, an alignment controller 37, and a card exchange mechanism controller 38 under the control of the main body controller 35. Memory 3 in the main body controller 35
9 is connected to the memory 39. Data relating to various semiconductor wafers W, the mounting table 4 and the magnetic sensor 32 are stored in the memory 39.
Data for alignment such as the above, and data for positioning the mounting table 4 (including data on the ascending distance) are registered. Therefore, when performing an electrical inspection of the semiconductor wafer W, the loader controller 36, the alignment controller 37, and the card exchange mechanism controller 38 operate under the control of the main body controller 35, and the loader controller 36 sets the autoloader 14 and the alignment controller 37 sets the alignment. The mechanism 5 and the card exchange mechanism controller 38 drive the card exchange mechanism.

Next, the operation will be described. When conducting an electrical inspection of the semiconductor wafer W, first, the card exchange mechanism controller 38 operates based on the stored contents of the memory 39, removes a predetermined probe card 9 from the card storage 20, and removes the old probe card 9. To replace. Subsequently, the rising distance of the mounting table 4 to the probe card 9 is set. To this end, the alignment mechanism 5 drives the X table 22 and the Y stage 24 to move the respective rails 21,
The magnetic sensor 32 is positioned so as to be directly below the probe card 9 by moving in the X and Y directions on 21 and 23 and 23. Then, the mounting table 4 is raised in the Z direction by a manual operation, the magnetic sensor 32 approaches the probe needle 10, and the needle tip enters the cylindrical body 32A. As a result, the magnetic sensor 3
The magnetic field B of 2 fluctuates and the current of the coil 32B fluctuates, and when the current reaches the reference current value, the mounting table 4 is stopped manually. Then, the rising distance of the mounting table 4 from the initial height of the mounting table 4 to the position indicating the reference current value is recorded, and this is set and registered in the memory 39 of the control device 34 as the rising distance. After the raising distance of the mounting table 4 is set by the series of operations, the semiconductor wafer W is electrically inspected using the probe card 9.

When inspecting the semiconductor wafer W, the loader controller 36 operates to drive and control the autoloader 14. Under this control, when the cassette mounting table 16 moves up and down and the semiconductor wafer W to be taken out reaches a predetermined height, the cassette mounting table 16 stops, and then the first wafer handling mechanism 17 drives to drive the cassette 15 on the cassette mounting table 16. One semiconductor wafer W is taken out from and transferred to the pre-alignment mechanism. Semiconductor wafer W with pre-alignment mechanism
When is positioned in a predetermined direction, the second wafer handling mechanism 18 is driven to transfer the semiconductor wafer W from the pre-alignment mechanism onto the mounting table 4 of the inspection stage 3.

Next, when the alignment mechanism 5 is driven, the X table 22 and the Y table 24 move in the X and Y directions on the rails 21, 21 and 23, 23, respectively, and the mounting table 4 rotates in the θ direction. . During this time, the target 31 of the positioning plate piece 30 is attached to the camera 25.
Is positioned near the center of the field of view of the high-magnification section 25A of the camera, and the target 31 is positioned at the focal point of the center of the field of view of the CCD camera 27.
The positions in the X, Y, and θ directions are recognized. Further, in this state, the target 31 or the conductive transparent thin film around the target 31 is moved right below the capacitance sensor 28, and the height of the mounting table 4 is measured by the capacitance sensor 29. The position data thus obtained is registered in the memory 39.

After that, the semiconductor wafer W held on the mounting table 4 is CC-selected at a predetermined portion of the chip to be inspected first.
The position of the mounting table 4 in the θ direction is adjusted according to the arrangement of the electrode pads of the chip or the scribe line of the chip in accordance with the center of the field of view of the D camera 27, and pattern recognition of the arrangement position of the chips and the electrode pads of the semiconductor wafer W To do.
Further, the mounting table 4 is attached to the semiconductor wafer W and the capacitance sensor 28
And the height is measured by the capacitance sensor 28. Next, when the alignment mechanism 5 is driven and the camera 25 returns to the position directly below the probe card 9, the approximate position of the needle tip of each probe needle 10 of the probe card 9 is set to the camera 2.
5, the high-magnification section 25A detects each needle tip position accurately, and the high-magnification section 25A accurately detects the relative position of the semiconductor wafer W in the horizontal plane with respect to the mounting table 4 and the position in the height direction. (Height to the needle tip) is recognized, and these position data are registered in the memory 39.

When the driving amount of the mounting table 4 is calculated based on the registration position data thus obtained and the registration position data of the mounting table 4 described above, the alignment mechanism 5 is driven based on the calculation result. By driving the alignment mechanism 5, the X table 22 and the Y table 24 move in their respective directions, and the mounting table 4 rotates, so that a predetermined chip is positioned directly below the probe card 9. After that, when the alignment mechanism 5 is driven and the mounting table 4 is lifted based on the data of the rising distance of the mounting table 4 obtained when the probe card 9 is replaced, the electrode pad comes into contact with the probe needle to electrically inspect the chip. Do. The distance that the mounting table 4 rises during the inspection is calculated by the main body controller 35 so as to be the distance obtained by subtracting the thickness of the semiconductor wafer W from the already obtained rising distance.

As described above, according to this embodiment, after the probe card 9 is exchanged, the rising distance of the mounting table 4 is detected by the magnetic sensor 32. Therefore, the probe needle 10 is used by the microscope 13 as in the prior art. It is not necessary to perform the troublesome operation of observing the contact state of No. 1, and anyone can easily and quickly detect the Z-up amount of the mounting table 4 and set the ascending distance without relying on an expert. Moreover, since there is no intervention by the operator's visual observation, a constant stylus pressure can always be obtained without being influenced by the operator, and contact failure of the probe needle 10 and damage to the tip can be prevented. . Furthermore, it is not necessary to use an expensive wafer such as an aluminum wafer when detecting the rising distance, and thus the inspection cost can be reduced.

Embodiment 2 The probe apparatus of this embodiment has the same structure as that of Embodiment 1 except that the pressure sensor 41 is used instead of the magnetic sensor 32 of Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 7, the pressure sensor 41 is attached to the mounting table 4 via a mounting member 42 so that the surface thereof matches the surface of the mounting table 4. The pressure sensor 41 is configured to detect a pressure fluctuation received when the probe needle 10 comes into contact, as a resistance fluctuation, a capacity fluctuation, a voltage fluctuation, or the like. As a pressure sensor for detecting pressure fluctuation as resistance fluctuation, for example, pressure sensitive conductive rubber in which conductive powder such as carbon particles is mixed in silicon rubber, pressure sensitive in which conductive powder such as carbon particles is mixed in silicon-based polymer are used. A resistance element etc. can be mentioned. Further, a pressure sensor that detects pressure fluctuations as capacitance fluctuations has an elastomer sandwiched between flexible electrodes, and a pressure sensor that detects pressure fluctuations as voltage fluctuations is, for example, a piezoelectric polymer such as PVDF / PZT. be able to. Reference numeral 43 is a support member that supports the pressure sensor 41.

As shown in FIG. 8, for example, the pressure sensor 41 is formed in a rectangular shape by sandwiching both sides of a sheet-shaped pressure-sensitive conductive rubber 41A with conductive plastics 41B and 41B. Then, the electrodes 41C and 41C are attached to both left and right sides of the conductive plastic 41B on the upper surface, and the electrodes 41C are mounted on both upper and lower sides of the conductive plastic 41B on the lower surface.
D and 41D are attached. In addition, the electrode 41C,
41C is connected to the positive voltage side via resistors 41E and 41E, and electrodes 41D and 41D are connected to the negative voltage side via resistors 41F and 41F. Therefore, this pressure sensor 4
1, the stylus pressure P acts on the surface of the pressure sensitive conductive rubber 41.
Since A compresses and the resistance value changes, the probe needle 10
It is configured to be able to confirm the contact of.

Even when this pressure sensor 41 is used, if the mounting table 4 rises and comes into contact with the tip of the probe needle 10 as shown in FIG. Since the probe 41 can be detected by the sensor 41, it is possible to achieve the same effect as that of the first embodiment.

In each of the above embodiments, the magnetic sensor and the pressure sensor are taken as an example of the probe needle detecting means, but the present invention detects the contact of the probe needle as a change in physical quantity (for example, a change in light quantity). The present invention is included in any probe needle detecting means that can be used.

In each of the above embodiments, the magnetic sensor or the pressure sensor is directly attached to the mounting table as the probe needle detecting means. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the probe is not limited thereto. The needle detecting means may be attached to another portion such as a Y table as long as it can move up and down together with the mounting table.

[0033]

According to the invention of any one of claims 1 to 3, when the probe card is replaced, the stylus pressure can be made constant to anyone without being influenced by the probe card. It is possible to provide a probe device which can be set to prevent contact failure of the probe needle and can be inspected at low cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a main part of an embodiment of a probe device of the present invention in a cutaway manner.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of an alignment mechanism of an inspection stage of the probe device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a mounting state of a magnetic sensor on the alignment mechanism shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the magnetic sensor shown in FIG. 4 taken out.

5 is a sectional view illustrating a state in which a probe needle is detected by the magnetic sensor shown in FIG.

6 is a block diagram showing a control system of the probe device shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5 showing a pressure sensor used in another embodiment of the probe device of the present invention.

8 is a configuration diagram for explaining a configuration and a function of the pressure sensor shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 mounting table 9 probe card 10 probe needle 32 magnetic sensor (probe needle detection means) 41 pressure sensor (probe needle detection means) W semiconductor wafer (inspection object)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A probe card provided with a mounting table on which an object to be inspected is mounted, the position of which can be adjusted in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and a probe card which is arranged so as to face the mounting table. After adjusting to the inspection position by the above, in the probe device that raises the mounting table to bring the inspected object into contact with the probe needle of the probe card to electrically inspect the inspected object, ascend together with the above mounting table. A probe device, which is provided with a probe needle detecting means, and detects an ascending distance to the probe needle as a physical quantity change based on the probe needle by the probe needle detecting means. 2. A probe card provided with a mounting table on which an object to be inspected is mounted, the position of which can be adjusted in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and a probe card which is arranged so as to face the mounting table. After adjusting to the inspection position by the above, in the probe device that raises the mounting table to bring the inspected object into contact with the probe needle of the probe card to electrically inspect the inspected object, ascend with the above mounting table. The probe apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a magnetic sensor is provided, and the rising distance to the probe needle is detected by the magnetic sensor as a magnetic change based on the probe needle. 3. A probe card provided with a mounting table on which an object to be inspected is mounted, the position of which can be adjusted in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and a probe card which is arranged so as to face the mounting table. After adjusting to the inspection position by the above, in the probe device that raises the mounting table to bring the inspected object into contact with the probe needle of the probe card to electrically inspect the inspected object, ascend together with the above mounting table. The probe device according to claim 1, wherein a pressure sensor is provided, and a rising distance to the probe needle is detected by the pressure sensor as a needle pressure of the probe needle.