Tokyo Electron Limited

Tokyo Electron Yamanashi Limited

Hisashi Nakajima

Kazuhito Yokomori

Haruhiko Yoshioka

Masashi Shimizu

Noboru Tozawa

Michimasa Terada

A mechanism for stopping an object to be swung in a predetermined stop position and holding the object in that position includes a temporary stopping unit for stopping the swing of the object in a temporary stop position before the stop position, a rotation complementing unit for complementarily further rotating the object from the temporary stop position to the stop position, and a holding unit for holding the object in the stop position. As a preferable embodiment of the rotation complementing means, it is possible to use a) a coupling unit for coupling a mounting member to a second power transmission wheel such that the mounting member can freely rotate in both the forward and reverse directions with respect to the second power transmission wheel, b) a rotation angle regulating unit for regulating the angle range within which the mounting member can freely rotate in the forward and reverse directions with respect to the second power transmission wheel, c) a mounting member pre-rotating unit for allowing a driving unit to rotate the mounting member within the angle range prior to the second power transmission wheel, and driving the second power transmission wheel after the mounting member stops rotating due to the rotation angle regulating unit, and d) a complementary torque apply unit for applying a complementary torque to the object in the temporary stop position and complementarily further rotating the object from the temporary stop position to the stop position.

Swing support apparatus

A probe apparatus comprising a table on which a semiconductor wafer is mounted, the wafer having a circuit connected to a plurality of pads, a probe card assembly positioned relative to a reference plane, and having a card body and groups of probes held by a card holder, a drive system for moving the table up and down to cause the pads to be contacted with probe tips, a test head for sending test signal to the circuit through probes and pads, which are contacted with one another, to test the electric property of the circuit, a sensor for detecting the probe tip profile or levels at plural points of the probe card assembly, a controller for calculating the tilting degree and direction of probe tip profile of probe groups on the basis of results thus detected to thereby send correction commands, and a tilt correction unit for supporting the card holder and adjusting a level of the card holder at the plural points, responsive to the command applied from the controller, to thereby make the probe tip profile of each probe group parallel to the reference plane.

Probe apparatus with tilt correction mechanisms

A probe apparatus including a table on which a semiconductor wafer is mounted, for a wafer having a circuit connected to a plurality of pads. A probe card assembly is positioned relative to a reference plane, and has a card body and groups of probes held by a card holder. A drive system moves the table up and down to cause the pads to contact probe tips, and a test head sends test signals to the circuit through the probes and pads, which contact one another, to test the electric property of the circuit. In addition, a sensor detects the probe tip profile or levels at plural points of the probe card assembly, and a controller calculates the tilting degree and direction of probe tip profile of probe groups on the basis of the results thus detected to thereby send correction commands. A tilt correction unit supports the card holder and adjusts a level of the card holder at the plural points, in response to the command applied from the controller, to thereby make the probe tip profile or each probe group parallel to the reference plane.

Probe apparatus for correcting the probe card posture before testing

A testing apparatus has a probe card having a plurality of first contact elements to be put in contact with an object to be tested, and a plurality of electrodes electrically connected with the first contact elements, a test head to be shifted between a retreat position and a test position, for performing electrical measurement of the object in the test position, a cylindrical connection unit, having a plurality of second contact elements to be put in contact with the electrodes of the probe card in the test position, for electrically connecting the probe card with the test head, the connection member being movably supported by the test head, a head plate for supporting the probe card, a driving mechanism for moving the probe card between a test position near the head plate and a wait position away from the head plate, and a movement limiting member for limiting movement of the connection member towards the test head and applying a pressing force to the connection member and the probe card via the second contact portions in cooperation with the driving mechanism, when the probe card is shifted from the wait position to the test position by the driving mechanism.

Testing apparatus and connection method for the testing apparatus

A prober for a semiconductor wafer includes a main body having an interface section connected to probe needles, a test head detachably attached to the interface section, and a manipulator for moving the test head. The manipulator includes X-, Y-, Z-, .theta.X-, .theta.Y-, and .theta.Z-positioning mechanisms for positioning the test head in six directions. The Z-positioning mechanism consists of an elevator which is installed on a base and drives a slide frame. A fall preventing mechanism is provided adjacent to the elevator. The fall preventing mechanism includes a nut of a ball thread provided on the slide frame, and a shaft of the ball thread which is engaged with the nut. A brake shoe is provided at the lower end of the shaft. A brake seat is provided on the base and faces the lower surface of the brake shoe. A ball pushed by a spring is in point-contact with the center of the lower surface of the brake shoe, so that a small gap is formed between the brake shoe and the brake seat. When a thrust load exceeding a bias force of the spring is applied to the shaft by the test head due to a breakdown of the elevator, the shaft moves down together with the slide frame by the small gap. Accordingly, the brake shoe is brought into contact with the brake seat, thereby preventing the shaft from rotating relative to the nut, so that the slide frame is prevented from moving down any more.

Transfer apparatus having an elevator and prober using the same

A mechanism according to the present invention comprises a quadric crank chain disposed substantially within a vertical plane to support a test head of wafer probing machine, a cylinder mechanism coupled to a first movable link corresponding to the side opposite to a fixed link of the quadric crank chain, the cylinder mechanism serving to slide the first movable link in a vertical direction, and a guide member for supportingly guiding the cylinder mechanism in a horizontal direction. The test head is attached to a second movable link, which corresponds to a side adjacent to the fixed link of the quadric crank chain, so that the test head, along with the second movable link, revolves within the vertical plane when the first movable link slides vertically.

Growing community of inventors

Yamanashi-ken, Japan

Hisashi Nakajima