Tokyo Electron Limited

Hiroshi Amemiya

Koji Kawaguchi

Masaru Suzuki

Hiroki Hosaka

Tadashi Obikane

Fumito Kagami

Hiroshi Kaneko

Tatsuo Kawashima

Techniques for testing both a rectangular substrate and a circular substrate are provided. One aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a test device comprising an exchangeable change kit, wherein the change kit comprises a first holding device and a second holding device which are exchangeably mounted in the test device, wherein the first holding device is configured to adsorb and hold a rectangular substrate, wherein the second holding device is configured to adsorb and hold a circular substrate, and wherein the first holding device and the second holding device are exchanged according to a substrate to be tested.

Test device, change kit, and method of exchanging change kit

A probe card transporting apparatus includes a truck and transporting mechanism. The truck can move on a floor surface freely. The transporting mechanism is arranged above the truck to be able to separate from and come into contact with it. The transporting mechanism transports a probe card between the truck and a prober. The transporting mechanism has a base and arm mechanism. The arm mechanism moves forward/backward on the base. An aligning mechanism and fixing mechanism are provided on the base. The aligning mechanism serves for alignment with the prober. The fixing mechanism serves for fixing to the prober.

Transporting mechanism, movable probe card transporting apparatus using transporting mechanism, and prober

A probe system according to the present invention includes a probe unit and a loader unit which are adjacent to each other. The probe unit has a case defining a prober chamber for receiving an object to be tested, and a contact probe for testing the object received into the prober chamber. The loader unit has a case defining a loader chamber partially communicated with the prober chamber, and a carrying mechanism for carrying the object between the prober chamber and the loader chamber. In the loader unit, a main shielding cover for covering the carrying mechanism in the loader chamber is provided. The probe system is provided with means for supplying dry air into the interior of the main shielding cover of the loader unit and the prober chamber.

Probe system

In the embodiment of this invention, a probe apparatus includes a loader chamber having fork for conveying the wafer, a prober chamber arranged next to the loader chamber and having a main chuck movable in the X, Y, Z, and &thgr; directions, a partition for separating the prober chamber from the loader chamber, and a door for opening/closing the loading/unloading port of the wafer, which is formed in the partition. This probe apparatus inspects the electrical characteristics of the wafer while supplying dry air at a temperature at which moisture condensation does not occur into the prober chamber to cool the wafer through the main chuck. A heated gas spray unit sprays a heated gas onto the wafer which is moving from the prober chamber to the loader chamber through a loading/unloading port, thereby heating the wafer to a temperature higher than room temperature.

Inspection methods and apparatuses

A low-temperature wafer testing method and a prober therefor are disclosed. The prober includes a main chuck equipped to cool an object to be tested to a low temperature, a prober chamber, a probe card with probes, a ring-like member for supporting the probe card, and a plate provided for the ring-like member on an outer side of the probe card. The wafer placed on the main chuck is cooled initially. Then, dry gas which does not condense at the cooled temperature is supplied to a prober chamber. Gas in a space, defined by the ring-like member between the probe card and the plate, is replaced with the dry gas. With replacement by the dry gas, even if the gas in the space leaks into the prober chamber during a low-temperature test, condensing or icing on the wafer can be prevented.

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Nirasaki, Japan

Hiroshi Amemiya