Tokyo Electron Limited

Tadashi Obikane

Shuji Akiyama

Hiroki Hosaka

Masaru Suzuki

Kazuya Yano

Yasuhito Yamamoto

Fumito Kagami

Hisashi Koike

Hiroshi Yamada

Sumi Tanaka

Wataru Karasawa

Kazumi Yamagata

Masashi Shimizu

Hiroshi Amemiya

Itaru Takao

Shinji Kojima

Taketoshi Itoyama

Yuji Asakawa

Eiji Hayashi

Ryoichiro Koshi

Eiichi Matsuzawa

Kazuhiro Ozawa

Shigeki Nakamura

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

An inspection apparatus includes an inspection chamber in which low-temperature inspection of an inspection object is performed; and a transfer chamber including therein a transfer device. The transfer device includes a transfer arm for transferring the inspection object to the inspection chamber; an arm-receiving compartment having a gateway via which the transfer arm is moved into or out of the arm-receiving compartment; and a gas supply means having a first and a second supply part for supplying a low-dew-point gas to the arm-receiving compartment from different locations. Herein, the first supply part is configured to supply the low-dew-point gas toward the inspection object introduced into the arm-receiving compartment by the transfer arm.

Transfer and inspection devices of object to be inspected

A probe apparatus includes a plurality of prober chamber arranged in a straight line; and a loader chamber having a substrate transfer mechanism that takes out a test target substrate from a container provided in an upper area of the prober chamber, lowers the test target substrate to a height corresponding to a loading/unloading port of the prober chamber, moves in front of a row of the prober chambers in parallel to the row of the prober chambers and transfers the test target substrate into the prober chamber. A reading mechanism for reading information recorded on the test target substrate held on the substrate transfer mechanism is installed at a horizontal moving mechanism that moves the substrate transfer mechanism in front of the row of the prober chambers in parallel to the row of the prober chambers.

Probe apparatus and substrate transfer method

There is provided a probing apparatus capable of modifying an existing probing apparatus having a single loading port to one having dual loading ports while saving the space without increasing a foot print thereof and also capable of increasing an inspection efficiency by cooperating with an automatic transfer line for the apparatus having a single loading port. The probing apparatus includes a prober chamber in which a wafer is inspected and a loader chamber having: a first and a second loading ports positioned to be spaced apart from each other at the side of a prober chamber, each of the loading ports mounting thereon a cassette accommodating therein a plurality of waters; and a wafer transfer unit for transferring the wafers between the loading ports and the prober chamber. The loading ports are arranged along a route where the cassette is transferred by an automatic transfer device.

Probing apparatus and probing method

A FOUP opening/closing device includes a housing containing a mounting table for mounting the FOUP thereon, an FOUP loading opening, and a delivery opening. The device further includes a rotator for rotating the mounting table, a door opening/closing unit to open or close the door of the FOUP and keep the door open, a mover for moving the FOUP and the door opening/closing unit in a reciprocating manner, to allow the FOUP and the door opening/closing unit to be connected to or separated from each other, and a controller to output control signals for moving the FOUP and the door opening/closing unit via operation of the mover to mount the door of the FOUP to the door opening/closing unit, separating the door from the FOUP, moving the FOUP and the door opening/closing unit away from each other, and rotating the mounting table to make the FOUP face the delivery opening.

FOUP opening/closing device and probe apparatus

There is provided a processing apparatus capable of modifying an existing processing apparatus having a single loading port to one having dual loading ports by providing an additional loading port without increasing a foot print thereof and also capable of realizing a complete automation of a wafer transfer by utilizing an existing automatic transfer line. The processing apparatus includes a loader chamber having: a first and a second loading ports positioned to be spaced apart from each other at the side of a prober chamber, each of the loading ports mounting thereon waters; a sub-chuck, disposed under the second loading port, for positioning the wafers; and a wafer transfer unit having a transfer arm for transferring the wafers between the sub-chuck and the prober chamber, the transfer arm being rotatable and movable vertically.

Processing apparatus

A probe apparatus includes a load port for mounting therein a carrier having therein a plurality of substrates; a plurality of probe apparatus main bodies, each having a probe card having probes on its bottom surface; a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring the substrates between the load port and the probe apparatus main bodies, the substrate transfer mechanism being rotatable about a vertical axis and movable up and down. The substrate transfer mechanism has at least three substrates capable of moving back and forth independently. Further, at least two wafers are received from the carrier by the substrate transfer mechanism, and then are sequentially loaded into the probe apparatus main bodies. The prove apparatus a high throughput increasing a wafer transfer efficiency.

Probe apparatus

A prove apparatus includes a first and a second loading port for mounting therein two carriers facing each other, a wafer transfer mechanism having a rotation center between the loading ports, and a first and a second inspection unit being symmetrical to each other and disposed in accordance with the arrangement of the loading ports. In this configuration, wafers are directly transferred between the carrier and a wafer chuck of the inspection unit by the wafer transfer mechanism. The wafer transfer mechanism has three arms for unloading two wafers from the carrier. The prove apparatus has a compact size and achieves a high throughput.

Each inspection units of a probe apparatus is provided with an imaging unit to take an image of a wafer

Wafer carrying-in/out apparatus

Wafer carrying-in/out machine

A load port which can selectively receive plural types of cassette having substrate which are to be processed accommodated therein is disclosed. The load port has the following constituents. That is, the load port includes a main body, an opening portion (which has a configuration that opens in the three surfaces) formed in one side surface of the main body, a placement table formed in the opening portion and used to place the cassette thereon, a first sensor mechanism (which identifies the type of the cassette) provided on the placement table, plural types of clamp mechanism (each type of the clamp mechanism clamping the corresponding type of cassette) provided on the placement table, and an up-down-type cover mechanism (which is vertically moved) which covers the opening portion of the main body.

Load port capable of coping with different types of cassette containing substrates to be processed

A head plate opening/closing force-reducing mechanism includes a head plate ( ) one end of which is rotatably attached ( B) to a main body so as to open/close an opening ( ) formed in the main body ( ), and at least one push-up mechanism ( ) attached to at least one edge ( ) of the head plate, the push-up mechanism being located in a position close to an opposite end of the head plate.

Probing apparatus and head plate opening/closing force-reducing mechanism

A probing apparatus has an apparatus body and a test head detachable from the apparatus body. A probe card having a plurality of probe needles to be brought into contact with a semiconductor wafer is supported by the test head. Three engaging rods are disposed on the test head around the probe card to receive the load of the test head in a distributed manner. A vertically movable work table is disposed on the apparatus body to place a substrate thereon. Two first support mechanisms and one second support mechanism are disposed on the apparatus body around the work table to support the test head such that the probe card opposes the work table. The support mechanisms detachably engage with the engaging rods and support the test head through the engaging rods. The first support mechanisms have elevating mechanisms for moving the test head in the vertical direction through the engaging rods. When the test head is moved by the elevating mechanisms, the inclination of the probe card with respect to the wafer placed on the work table is adjusted.

Growing community of inventors

Nirasaki, Japan

Tadashi Obikane