JPH08292210A - Probe card checker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To shorten failure analysis time and to clarify failure cause by checking a contact resistance value and needle pressure with the same device, at inspection of the probe card. CONSTITUTION: A stage 1, which faces the lower side of a mother board 12 holding a probe card 3 provided with a probe needle 4 and allowed to move in vertical and horizontal directions, is provided, and a probe contact top 2 consisting of a disk-like metal material is fixed on the stage 1. In the contact top 2, a pressure sensor 9 provided with a diaphragm 8 is buried so that surfaces of the diaphragm 8 and the contact top are at the same level. When the probe needle 4 is made in contact with the diaphragm 8, needle pressure is detected, and a contact resistance value is decided by a contact decision part 6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a probe card checker, and more particularly to a probe card checker used for testing semiconductor devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a probe card provided with a plurality of probe needles (contact needles) is used in an electrical inspection process of a semiconductor device. However, if this probe card is defective, the semiconductor device itself cannot be inspected. Therefore, a checker as an inspection device for determining the quality of the probe card is required.

[0003] Inspection items of the checker for judging the quality of the probe card include a contact height position of the probe needle, uniformity of the height position, a position of the probe needle in a plane direction,
There are a contact resistance value between the tip of the probe needle and another metal, a leak and short state between probe needles or between card patterns, a stylus pressure value of the probe needle, and the like. Normally, the checker performs all or some of these inspection items.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a probe card checker showing such a conventional example. As shown in FIG. 3, the probe card checker includes a motherboard 12 for holding the probe card 3 provided with a plurality of probe needles 4 downward, A stage 1 that can move up and down (in the Z-axis direction), a probe contact top 2 made of a disc-shaped metal material fixed on the stage 1, and a motherboard 12 and the probe contact top 2 that are connected via a cable 7. A display unit 5 and a determination unit 6 for performing contact determination are provided.

In such a checker, the stage 1
After horizontally mounting the probe card 3 on the mother board 12 above, the mother board 12 connected to the probe card 3 by a connector (not shown) is connected to the ground socket A of the contact determination unit 6 via the keble 7 with a connector. On the other hand, the probe contact top 2 fixed to the upper surface of the stage 1 is also connected to the ground socket B of the contact determination unit 6 via the cable 7 while being connected.

Then, from this set state, the probe contact top 2 together with the stage 1 is moved upward (Z-axis direction) at a pitch of, for example, 1 μm. As a result, a plurality of probe needles 4 radially arranged facing a hole (not shown) formed in the center of the probe card 3 come into contact with the surface of the probe contact top 2, and the probe needles 4 in contact therewith The corresponding number or symbol is displayed on the display unit 5 provided integrally with the contact determination unit 6. This display may be lighted by a lamp.

Further, the probe contact top 2 is intermittently raised at predetermined pitches until a display number or symbol corresponding to all the probe needles 4 is displayed or a lamp is lit. Thus, the contact height position of each probe needle 4 on the probe card 3, the uniformity of the height position, the position of the probe needle in the plane direction, the contact resistance value, the stylus pressure, and the like are inspected.

[0008] Further, with respect to the inspection for leaks and shorts between probe needles or between card patterns, the same determination as in contact resistance measurement is made without bringing the probe contact top 2 and the probe needles 4 into contact. That is, regarding the probe needle 4 or the probe card pattern that is leaking or short-circuited, since the closed passage is formed, the display of the corresponding number or symbol or the lamp is turned on, so that the inspection can be performed immediately.

[0009]

The above-mentioned conventional probe card checker has a contact height position of the probe needle and the uniformity of the height position and a contact resistance value of each needle, or a contact height position and a height position. The uniformity and the needle pressure of each needle can be measured by the same checker, but the contact resistance value and the needle pressure cannot be measured by the same checker.

That is, the stylus pressure measurement is to measure the stylus pressure when a certain probe needle is simply brought into contact with a certain probe needle.
It is not to measure the needle pressure of a book. In short, the stylus pressure under the influence of another stylus cannot be measured.

Therefore, even if the same checker is used to measure the two inspection items of the contact resistance value and the needle pressure, if the contact resistance value does not look at the reference value, the cause is that the needle tip is dirty. It is difficult to find out whether it is due to poor contact height position and unevenness of height position, or due to low needle pressure when the entire needle touches the contact surface. There is a drawback that it will interfere with the repair of.

An object of the present invention is to provide a probe card checker capable of checking such contact resistance value and stylus pressure with the same device, shortening the failure analysis time, and clarifying the cause of the failure of the probe card. To provide.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A probe card checker of the present invention includes a mother board for holding a probe card having a plurality of probe needles, and a stage which faces the mother board and is movable vertically and horizontally. And a probe contact top made of a disc-shaped metal material fixed on the stage and having a diaphragm portion embedded so that the surfaces thereof have the same height, and the probe contact top is connected to the pressure sensor. A pressure measurement unit, a stage control unit that performs control for moving the stage, and a contact determination unit that includes a display unit and that is connected to the motherboard and the probe contact top via a cable. It

Further, the pressure sensor in the checker of the present invention detects a stylus pressure when the probe needle of the probe card comes into contact with the diaphragm, and determines a contact resistance value by the contact determination unit. Be composed.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a probe card checker showing one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, this embodiment holds a probe card 3 provided with a plurality of probe needles 4 on a mother board 12 downward, and faces the lower side of the mother board 12 vertically (Z axis) and left and right (XY).
A stage 1 movable in the (axis) direction is arranged. The stage 1 is movably controlled by a stage control unit 11, and a probe contact top 2 made of a disk-shaped metal material is provided above the stage 1.
Is fixed. Moreover, the probe contact top 2 is embedded with the pressure sensor 9 having the diaphragm portion 8 so that the surface of the diaphragm portion 8 and the surface of the contact top 2 are at the same height. The pressure sensor 9 is connected to a pressure measuring section 10 for measuring a stylus pressure when the probe needle 4 comes into contact with the surface of the diaphragm section 8 and displays a signal for measuring a contact resistance and the like via the cable 7. It is connected to the contact determination unit 6 including the unit 5. Similarly, the contact determination unit 6 is connected to the probe card 3 held on the motherboard 12 via the cable 7.

In the actual measurement, first, the probe card 3 is mounted on the motherboard 12 above the stage 1 movable in the XYZ axis directions by the stage controller 11, and the motherboard 12 connected to the probe card 3 by a connector. It is connected to the ground socket A of the contact determination unit 6 via the cable 7 with the connector. Similarly, the contact top 2 is connected to the grounding socket B of the contact determination unit 6 via the cable 7 to be ready for inspection.

Next, the pressure sensor 9 is embedded in the contact top 2 provided on the upper surface of the stage 1, the diaphragm 8 is installed so that the upper surface thereof is at the same height as the upper surface of the contact top 2, and the pressure sensor 9 is installed. And the pressure measuring unit 10 are connected. The exposed shape of the upper surface of the diaphragm portion 8 can be changed in accordance with the pitch of the probe needle 4 by preparing a spare having a different size of the opening of the contact top 2 or by changing the opening. The contact top of such a shutter mechanism is kept.

In this state, the stage 1 is controlled to raise the probe contact top 2 together with the stage 1 in the Z-axis direction. Thereafter, various inspection patterns are executed based on the inspection flow by the computer.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the stage and the probe contact top shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, when the probe contact needle 4 rises until it comes into contact with the diaphragm portion 8 which is the surface of the pressure sensor 9 embedded in the probe contact top 2, another probe contact needle which is not in contact with the diaphragm portion 8 at this time. 4 contacts the upper surface of the probe contact top 2.

Here, two detailed inspection patterns will be described. First, as a first pattern example, the probe contact top 2 is raised in the Z-axis direction together with the stage 1 from the set state described above. At this time, the stage 1 is controlled so that the probe needle 4 does not come into contact with the pressure sensor 9 of the contact top 2, and the conventional contact height position and the uniformity of the height position are measured.

Then, the pass / fail of each hand is judged by comparing it with a contact resistance reference value preset in the contact judging section 6 and displayed on the display section 5. At this time, the numbers of the rejected needles are simultaneously sent to a computer for controlling inspection (not shown here).

Further, the stage 1 moves down together with the contact top 2 to a state where the stage 1 does not once come into contact with any of the probe needles 4.

Thereafter, the stage is arranged so that the diaphragm portion 8 of the pressure sensor 9 is located below the coordinate position of the probe needle 4 which has been rejected among the coordinate positions of the respective needles previously input to the stage controller 11. 1 is moved, and the stage 1 is raised until the tip of the probe needle 4 that has failed and the diaphragm portion 8 come into contact with each other.

Next, the pressure sensor 9 is raised from a contact height position by a preset height, for example, 50 μm,
The pressure of the pressure sensor 9 at this set height, that is, the needle pressure of the probe needle 4 that has not been tested is inspected. The stylus pressure at this time is affected by the reaction force of the other stylus with respect to the stage 1, and it is possible to obtain almost the same value as the actual stylus pressure, and the stylus pressure is inspected with only one in the above-mentioned conventional example. The accuracy is higher than in the case. At this time, when there are two or more rejected needles, the above-described inspection is repeated in the same manner.

By performing the inspection in the above order, the rejection of the probe needle 4 rejected due to the contact resistance value depends on the contact height position, the needle pressure, or the dirt on the tip of the needle. Is obtained.

On the other hand, as a second pattern example, after moving the diaphragm portion 8 with respect to the coordinate position of each needle previously input to the stage controller 11, the tip of the probe needle 4 and the diaphragm portion 8 are moved. Raise the stage 1 so that the two touch. Next, the pressure sensor 9 is raised by a predetermined height, for example, 50 μm, from the contact height position, and the pressure of the pressure sensor 9 at this set height, that is, the needle pressure of the probe needle 4 is inspected. At the same time, the contact resistance values of the needles other than the needle that has contacted the diaphragm 8 are measured.

Hereinafter, the needle to be brought into contact with the diaphragm portion 8 is sequentially changed, and the same inspection is repeated.

In such an inspection pattern, the needle pressure of each needle and the contact resistance value of (the number of needles-1) are obtained as data. Further, as for the contact resistance value, the accuracy can be further improved by observing the fluctuation when the contact is made a plurality of times.

[0029]

As described above, according to the probe card checker of the present invention, the pressure sensor is embedded in the probe contact top on the stage movable in the X, Y, and Z directions, so that the contact height position of the probe needle and the planar direction can be improved. Inspection of the position of the needle and measurement of the needle pressure and the contact resistance value under the influence of the reaction force of the other needle on the stage when the pressure sensor is raised by a predetermined height from the contact height position And the cause of the failure of the probe card can be clarified.

Further, according to the present invention, since the stylus pressure and the contact resistance value can be inspected by one device, the analysis time for elucidating the true cause of the defect can be shortened and the equipment can be reduced. There is an effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a probe card checker showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a stage and a probe contact top shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a probe card checker showing an example of the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 stage 2 probe contact top 3 probe card 4 probe needle 5 display unit 6 judgment unit 8 diaphragm unit 9 pressure sensor 10 pressure measurement unit 11 stage control unit 12 motherboard

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A mother board holding a probe card having a plurality of probe needles, a stage facing the mother board and movable vertically and horizontally, and a disc-shaped fixed on the stage. A probe contact top formed by embedding a pressure sensor made of a metal material and having a diaphragm so that the surfaces thereof are at the same height, a pressure measuring unit connected to the pressure sensor, and a movable stage for moving the stage. A probe card checker comprising a stage control unit for controlling, and a contact determination unit that includes a display unit and is connected to the motherboard and the probe contact top via a cable. 2. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor detects a stylus pressure when the probe needle of the probe card contacts the diaphragm, and determines a contact resistance value by the contact determination unit. Card checker.