Tokyo Electron Limited

Tokyo Electron Limi Ted

Eiichi Shinohara

Munetoshi Nagasaka

Ken Taoka

Ikuo Ogasawara

Yoshiyasu Kato

Kazuki Hanawa

Kenji Yamaguchi

Masataka Hatta

Kazuya Yano

Isamu Inomata

Isao Kouno

A probe device includes an electrode plate arranged above a mounting table for mounting thereon a semiconductor wafer and electrically connected to a tester, a contact probe arranged at a side of the mounting table and electrically connected to a mounting table electrode of the mounting table. The contact probe includes a contact portion, having a top surface formed uneven, to be in contact with the electrode plate, and a cable connection portion formed as one unit with the contact portion. The contact portion and the cable connection portion are vertically movable by a biasing member provided below the cable connection portion. When the probes are made contact with electrodes of a semiconductor device of the semiconductor wafer by moving up the mounting table, the contact portion and the electrode plate are made contact with each other and the backside electrode and the tester are electrically connected to each other.

Probe device

A probe apparatus includes a movable mounting table for holding a test object provided with a plurality of power devices including diodes; a probe card arranged above the mounting table with probes; a measuring unit for measuring electrical characteristics of the power devices by bringing the probes into electrical contact with the test object in a state that a conductive film electrode formed on at least a mounting surface of the mounting table is electrically connected to a conductive layer formed on a rear surface of the test object; and a conduction member for electrically interconnecting the conductive film electrode and the measuring unit when measuring the electrical characteristics. The conduction member is interposed between an outer peripheral portion of the probe card and an outer peripheral portion of the mounting table.

Probe apparatus

A probe device includes an electrode plate arranged above a mounting table for mounting thereon a semiconductor wafer and electrically connected to a tester, a connection conductor arranged at a side of the mounting table and electrically connected to a mounting table electrode formed on a mounting surface of the mounting table, and a cleaning mechanism including a polishing unit for polishing a contact portion of the connection conductor, a brush cleaning unit for performing a brush-cleaning of the contact portion, and a contact resistance measuring unit for measuring a contact resistance of the contact portion. The mounting table electrode is in contact with a backside electrode of a semiconductor device of the semiconductor wafer. When the connection conductor is connected to the electrode plate, a backside electrode formed on a backside of the semiconductor device and the tester are electrically connected to each other.

Probe device having cleaning mechanism for cleaning connection conductor

A probe apparatus can suppress a spark from occurring near a wafer surface simply and efficiently when inspecting electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device at wafer level. A spark preventing devicemounted in the probe apparatus includes a surrounding memberwhich surrounds probe needlesG andS between a probe cardand a mounting table; and a gas supply deviceconfigured to supply a gas to a vicinity of the probe needlesG andS through an inside or a vicinity of the surrounding memberto form an atmosphere of a preset pressure higher than an atmospheric pressure in the vicinity of the probe needlesG andS when inspecting the electrical characteristics of each chip on a semiconductor wafer W. A contact platealso serves as the surrounding member

A probe apparatushas a movable mounting tablethat mounts a wafer W on which multiple power devices are formed; a probe cardthat is provided above the mounting tableand has multiple probesA; a conductive film electrodeformed on a mounting surface of the mounting tableand an outer peripheral surface thereof; and a measurement linethat electrically connects the conductive film electrodeto a tester. Further, the probe apparatus measures electrical characteristics of the power devices on the mounting tableat a wafer level. Furthermore, the measurement lineincludes a switch deviceconfigured to open and close an electric path of the measurement linebetween the conductive film electrodeand the tester

A probe cardincludes a first probeconfigured to come into electric contact with an emitter electrode of a power device D; a block-shaped first connecting terminalto which the first probeis connected; a second probeconfigured to come into electric contact with a gate electrode of the power device D; a block-shaped second connecting terminalto which the second probeis connected; a contact plateconfigured to come into electric contact with a collector electrode of the power device D; and a block-shaped third connecting terminalfixed to the contact plate. Further, the first connecting terminal, the second connecting terminaland the third connecting terminalelectrically come into direct contact with corresponding connection terminals of a tester, respectively.

Probe card for power device

A probe apparatus of inspecting electrical characteristics of a power device having electrodes on both sides of a substrate at wafer level can reduce and uniformize a contact resistance between the electrode on a rear surface of the substrate and a mounting surface conductor of a chuck top. In the probe apparatus, an attracting device supports a semiconductor wafer W on the chuck topand has many vertical fine holes in a pattern (diameter &#x3c6; and pitch p) that satisfies the condition of &#x3c6;&#x3c;p&#x2266;2&#x3c6;. For example, the diameter &#x3c6; is about 0.25 mm, and the pitch p is about 0.5 mm.

A charge eliminating apparatus eliminates, when an electrical characteristics test of a target object is performed by moving a mounting table mounting the target object thereon and a probe card relative to each other to bring the target object into electrical contact with the probe card, static electricity of the target object via the mounting table. The charge eliminating apparatus includes a grounding wiring for grounding the mounting table; a relay switch disposed on the grounding wiring; and a switch controller that controls the relay switch to be opened or closed.

Growing community of inventors

Nirasaki, Japan

Eiichi Shinohara