Tokyo Electron Limited

Other

Tokyo Electron Yamanashi Limited

Tel Engineering Limited

Shinji Iino

Kiyoshi Takekoshi

Tadatomo Suga

Toshihiro Itoh

Kenichi Kataoka

Junichi Hagihara

Haruhiko Yoshioka

Itaru Iida

Takashi Amemiya

Masaru Suzuki

Yutaka Akaike

Masayoshi Esashi

Satoshi Sano

Keiichi Yokota

Yoichi Nakagomi

Hidehito Yokomori

Noboru Hayakawa

Tomohisa Hoshino

Tamio Kubota

A conventional probe card is very complex in a support structure of probe terminals and it has been difficult to change an array of the probe terminals correspondingly to various arrays of electrode pads of an object to be checked. A contactor () of the present invention simultaneously sets its probe terminals in contact with a plurality of electrode pads of an object to be checked and electrical checking of the object is made once or a plurality of times. It has a plurality of first electrodes () arranged on a first substrate (silicon substrate) () and probe terminals () respectively provided on these electrodes (). The probe terminal () has a conductive support () provided on the first electrode, elastic support plate () whose one end is fixed to the upper end of the conductive support column (), and probe terminal (bump)fixed to the free end portion of the elastic support plate ().

Contactor and production method for contactor

Disclosed is an inspection method for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a device by bringing an inspecting probe into electrical contact with an inspection electrode. An insulating film formed on the surface of the inspection electrode is broken by utilizing a fritting phenomenon so as to bring the inspection electrode into electrical contact with the inspection electrode.

Inspection apparatus to break the oxide of an electrode by fritting phenomenon

Inspection method and inspection apparatus

A prober of this invention includes a probe card, a main chuck, a shaft member fixed on and extending downwardly from the main chuck, an X table and Y table for retaining the shaft member by use of a guide to be freely movable in a vertical direction, and a contact body fixed on the shaft member. The undersurface of the contact body is made parallel to the mounting surface of the main chuck. The prober further includes an elevation body whose center coincides with an extension line downwardly extending from the test center of the probe card, and an elevation body elevating mechanism for vertically moving the elevation body and a ball provided on the upper portion of the elevation body is slidably set in contact with the undersurface of the contact body.

Probing method

An assembly apparatus of a contactor including unit contactors and a base substrate. The apparatus includes a laying mechanism for laying a substrate for alignment, a first conveying mechanism for conveying a plurality of unit contactors to the substrate for alignment laid on the laying mechanism, a second conveying mechanism for conveying a base substrate, a holding mechanism for holding the base substrate, and a positioning mechanism for positioning the substrate for alignment with the plurality of unit contactors disposed thereon and the base substrate. Also included is a contact mechanism for bringing the plurality of unit contactors disposed on the substrate for alignment into contact with the base substrate, and a heating mechanism for heating at least one of the substrate for alignment and base substrate to electrically connect the plurality of unit contactors disposed on the substrate for alignment to the base substrate.

Assembly apparatus and method of contactor

There is disclosed a contactor which is used for testing electric characteristics of an object to be tested, the contactor comprising a contactor board, a plurality of conductive members formed through the contactor board, a plurality of beam members, and a contact terminal provided at the tip of each beam member. In this contactor, each beam member has a tip and a base end at its both ends, and has a step shape or an arch shape between the tip and the base end. The base end of each beam member is connected to each conductive member. The contact terminal member can be formed integrally with a conductive layer of the beam member.

Contractor, method for manufacturing the same, and probe card using the same

A rotating mechanism according to the present invention is a mechanism for reversibly rotating a chuck top , on which a wafer to be inspected is mounted. The rotating mechanism is provided with a linearly driving mechanism arranged on one side of the chuck top , a nut which is linearly moved by the linearly driving mechanism, a guide rail A for linearly guiding the nut , and a link mechanism for coupling the nut , which moves along the guide rail A, to the chuck top

Drivingly rotatable mechanism of specimen loading table and specimen loading mechanism

Disclosed are a holding mechanism of a contactor and an automatic renewing mechanism of a contactor provided with the holding mechanism of the contactor. The contactor holding mechanism includes a frame ( ) fixed to a performance board (P), a plurality of latch mechanisms ( ) for holding the contactor inside the frame, and a suction fixing mechanism ( ) for fixing the contactor held by the latch mechanisms inside the frame by a vacuum suction force. The automatic renewing mechanism of the contactor includes a holding mechanism ( ) for detachably holding the contactor, and a delivery mechanism ( ) for delivering the contactor ( ) to and from the holding mechanism. Further, the delivery mechanism includes a suction holding section ( ) for holding the contactor ( ) by suction, an arm ( ) having the suction holding section formed at the distal end portion and arranged swingable and movable in a vertical direction, and an arm driving section ( ) for swinging and moving in a vertical direction the arm ( ).

Contactor holding mechanism and automatic change mechanism for contactor

A probing apparatus is adapted for high-speed measurement and used for inspecting the electric characteristics of an object under inspection. The probing apparatus is provided with a probing apparatus main body, a contactor arranged inside the probing apparatus main body, pin electronics including a plurality of electronic circuits and arranged in a transmission line that is provided for transmission of inspection signals between the contactor and a tester located outside the probing apparatus, the electronic circuits being made of at least one integrated circuit, an interposer for electrically connecting the pin electronics and the contactor together, and a cooling unit for cooling the pin electronics.

High-speed probing apparatus

A power supply applies a power supply voltage to a large number of devices formed on a wafer W. In the state where the devices are quiescent, the quiescent power supply currents flowing through them are measured. If measurements are greater than a setting value, the corresponding devices are determined to be defective. A cutoff circuit prevents voltage application to such defective devices. After this preliminary test, an IDDQ test, an AC test, a DC test and a function test are executed. These tests are executed not by a control station but by an application/measurement module provided for a prober.

Screening method of semiconductor device and apparatus thereof

A conventional probe card is very complex in a support structure of probe terminals and it has been difficult to change an array of the probe terminals correspondingly to various arrays of electrode pads of an object to be checked. A contactor ( ) of the present invention simultaneously sets its probe terminals in contact with a plurality of electrode pads of an object to be checked and electrical checking of the object is made once or a plurality of times. It has a plurality of first electrodes ( ) arranged on a first substrate (silicon substrate) ( ) and probe terminals ( ) respectively provided on these electrodes ( ). The probe terminal ( ) has a conductive support ( ) provided on the first electrode, elastic support plate ( ) whose one end is fixed to the upper end of the conductive support column ( ), and probe terminal (bump) fixed to the free end portion of the elastic support plate ( ).

Contactor and production method for contractor

A prober includes a probe card, a main chuck, a shaft member fixed on and extending downwardly from the main chuck, an X table and Y table for retaining the shaft member by use of a guide to be freely movable in a vertical direction, and a contact body fixed on the shaft member. The undersurface of the contact body is made parallel to the mounting surface of the main chuck. The prober further includes an elevation body whose center coincides with an extension line downwardly extending from the test center of the probe card, and an elevation body elevating mechanism for vertically moving the elevation body and a ball provided on the upper portion of the elevation body is slidably set in contact with the undersurface of the contact body.

Prober and probe method

This vacuum contactor has a contactor body having on its lower surface a plurality of projecting terminals that can come into contact with electrodes of at least one chip formed on a wafer (W), and a dished space member through which the contactor body extends to be integrally supported. The dished space member forms a closed space including the projecting portions of the contactor body. An O-ring which comes into contact with the wafer (W) to form a closed space is arranged on the lower surface of the peripheral wall of the dished space member. The dished space member is connected to an exhaust path and an exhaust pipe. During inspection, the gas in the closed space is exhausted by the exhaust pipe to set the closed space at a low atmospheric pressure. A force that chucks the wafer (W) toward the closed space is applied to the wafer (W) by a suction force generated by the low atmospheric pressure. By this suction force, the respective electrodes of the wafer and the respective projecting terminals are brought into electrical contact with each other, thereby inspecting the chip.

Growing community of inventors

Nirasaki, Japan

Shinji Iino