Tokyo Electron Limited

Octec, Inc.

Tokyo Electron Yamanashi Limited

Nippo Precision Co., Ltd

Kunihiro Furuya

Shigekazu Komatsu

Junichi Hagihara

Tadayoshi Hosaka

Naoki Muramatsu

Jun Mochizuki

Katsuya Okumura

Toshihiro Yonezawa

Yoichi Nakagomi

Yuichi Abe

Hiroshi Yamada

Takanori Hyakudomi

Vincent Vezin

Kenichi Kubo

Shinichiro Takase

Hiroshi Tsukada

Tsuyoshi Argua

Shingo Ishida

Ken Inoue

A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system includes: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.

Wafer inspection system

A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system comprises: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.

There is provided a method for correcting a relative position between a probe card having a plurality of cantilever-type probes and an object to be inspected having a plurality of electrode pads, including: arranging a first group of cantilever-type probes among the plurality of cantilever-type probes in a first region and a second region; arranging a second group of cantilever-type probes among the plurality of cantilever-type probes in a third region and a fourth region; obtaining needle traces formed on the plurality of electrode pads, which are generated when the first group of cantilever-type probes and the second group of cantilever-type probes that are arranged in the first region, the second region, the third region, and the fourth region, are brought into contact with the plurality of electrode pads; and correcting the relative position between the probe card and the object to be inspected based on the obtained needle traces.

Position correction method, inspection apparatus, and probe card

Wafer inspection system, wafer inspection apparatus and prober

Test head and wafer inspection apparatus

A method of contacting a substrate with a probe card in a substrate inspection apparatus can inspect electrical characteristics of semiconductor devices on the substrate. A wafer W is transferred to a position facing a probe cardwhile being mounted on a chuck memberwith a wafer platetherebetween, and electrodes of semiconductor devices on the wafer W are contacted with probes of the probe cardby moving the wafer W and the wafer platetoward the probe cardthrough an elevating device. Then, the wafer W is overdriven toward the probe cardand a contact state between the electrodes of the semiconductor devices and the probes of the probe cardis maintained by decompressing a space S between the probe cardand the wafer plate. Then, the chuck memberis separated from the wafer plate

Method of contacting substrate with probe card

A maintenance carriage of a wafer inspection apparatus can easily unload a test head. A wafer inspection apparatusincludes a cell towerin which cellsare arranged at four levels, and each of the cellsaccommodates a test head. At an outside of the cell tower, a maintenance carriageis arranged. The maintenance carriageincludes a carriage baseconfigured to be moved through rollers; a test head caseconfigured to accommodate the test head; a lift deviceprovided uprightly from the carriage baseand configured to move up and down the test head case; and a horizontal position adjusting stageprovided between a lifterof the lift deviceand the test head caseand configured to move the test head casehorizontally with respect to the lifter

Maintenance carriage for wafer inspection apparatus and maintenance method for wafer inspection apparatus

A support body for a plurality of contact terminals included in a probe card for inspecting semiconductor devices formed in a semiconductor substrate is provided. The support body includes a main body formed by stacking a plurality of plate-shaped members, a plurality of contact terminal holes formed through the main body in a thickness direction of the plate-shaped members, and one or more coolant paths provided in the main body. Further, the contact terminals respectively are inserted into the contact terminal holes.

Support body for contact terminals and probe card

A plurality of metal plates and an insulating plate having a polished surface are laminated in a probe supporting plate. Through-holes into which probes are to be inserted are respectively formed in the metal plates and the insulating plate. Diameters of the through-holes are greater than diameters of the through-holes, and the through-holes pass through the probe supporting plate in a thickness direction of the probe supporting plate. Hollow portions passing through the probe supporting plate in the thickness direction of the probe supporting plate are formed in the probe supporting plate. Each of the hollow portions is formed by connecting each of holes formed in each of the metal plates and each of holes formed in the insulating plate. Diameters of holes of a metal plate that is an uppermost layer, holes of a metal plate that is a lowermost player, and holes of a metal plate that is one of intermediate layers are less than diameters of holes of metal platesthat are the other intermediate layers.

Contact structure for inspection

A probe method of this invention includes a step of reducing an electrode of a wafer by using a forming gas, and a step of bringing the electrode and a probe pin into contact with each other in a dry atmosphere. The probe method further includes, prior to a reducing process of an electrode of the object to be tested, placing the object to be tested in an inert gas atmosphere and heating the object to be tested. The reducing process is performed by bringing a reducing gas into contact with the electrode of the object to be tested under atmospheric pressure.

Probe method, prober, and electrode reducing/plasma-etching processing mechanism

A zero-point detecting method of this invention is performed prior to testing the electrical characteristics of a wafer by bringing an object to be tested on a stage and probes of a probe card into contact with each other. The surface of a zero-point detection plate is made of a conductive material (e.g., copper). The zero-point detection plate is used to detect a zero point as a position where the surface of the object to be tested comes into contact with the probe pins.

Probe pins zero-point detecting method, and prober

A temperature managing apparatus according to the invention comprises cooling jackets provided in each of a plurality of test containers, a tank for storing a cooling medium for the cooling jackets, first pumps, second pump, constant pressure valves for making constant the amount of the transferred cooling medium, and a heat exchanger. The tank has partitions that are horizontally and vertically movable. The partitions partition the interior of the tank into a first storage area, a second storage area, and a third area interposed therebetween.

Temperature managing apparatus for multi-stage container

A temperature measuring unit of a wafer chuck measures the temperature of a wafer chuck when the wafer chuck holding a wafer W making in-unison contact with a contactor is made to contact a bottom jacket and the bottom jacket controls the wafer W to a specific test temperature. At least three recessed sections are formed in the back of the wafer chuck in such a manner that they have a depth extending from the back of the chuck to the vicinity of its surface. Through holes corresponding to the recessed sections are made in the bottom jacket. Temperature sensors that can be inserted into the through holes and in the recessed sections are provided on the side opposite to the wafer chuck of the bottom jacket. The sensors are supported by springs. During a test, the tips of the temperature sensors are caused to make elastic contact with the recessed sections.

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Nirasaki, Japan

Kunihiro Furuya