Probe card pre-compression spring needle device

Abstract

The application discloses a probe card pre-press spring needle device, which comprises a support structure, a probe card mounting plate arranged on the top of the support structure, a probe card mounted in the probe card mounting plate, the probe card comprising a ceramic substrate provided with a plurality of support columns, a sliding mechanism arranged on both sides of the support structure through the mounting plate, an upper load plate arranged on the top of the sliding mechanism and a lower load plate arranged on the bottom of the sliding mechanism, a plurality of positioning devices, the top of each of the plurality of positioning devices being connected with one of the plurality of support columns in a one-to-one correspondence, and the bottom of each of the plurality of positioning devices being connected with the upper load plate, and the lower load plate driving the upper load plate and the ceramic substrate to descend to pre-press the spring needle by bearing the load. The application has the advantages of compact structure, convenient operation, wide application to probe card assembly occasions of various sizes, especially wide application to high-site number probe card occasions requiring a large number of spring needles, low cost, wide compatible range of spring needle compression amount and convenient adjustment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a probe card preload spring pin device, belonging to the field of semiconductor wafer testing technology. Background Technology

[0002] Wafer testing is a crucial step in chip manufacturing. By performing electrical performance tests on the chips on the wafer, defective chips can be screened out, reducing subsequent manufacturing costs, ensuring chip quality, and improving production and R&D efficiency. In the wafer testing process, probe cards serve as the interface between the testing machine and the semiconductor wafer, and are essential components for wafer testing.

[0003] During the development of probe cards, assembly methods are also constantly evolving. In the assembly process of probe cards, spring pins are a key material for connecting the MLC (Multi-Layer Ceramic Array) and the PCB electrical signals. The length of the spring pin is greater than the designed height from the MLC to the PCB, so during assembly, the spring pin needs to be fully compressed to ensure complete contact. In typical probe card assembly processes, the number of spring pins is small, and the force required is also small. Therefore, screws are usually used to directly lock the MLC to the PCB around its perimeter, meaning the influence of the spring pin force does not need to be considered.

[0004] However, with the continuous development of semiconductor chips, the demand for testing multiple devices (sites) simultaneously is increasing, with advantages such as increased testing efficiency and reduced testing costs.

[0005] As the number of testable devices increases, the number of spring pins rises significantly (over ten thousand), and the force required to compress the spring pins also increases. According to the current assembly methods of most probe cards, even with screws tightened around the perimeter, the force is insufficient to fully compress the spring pins, potentially affecting the transmission of electrical signals and consequently impacting the R&D process and testing efficiency. Furthermore, uneven stress around the MLC may cause it to break, posing a significant safety hazard. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a probe card pre-compression spring pin device to solve the defects of low safety factor, small compression amount, slow research and development process and low testing efficiency in the research and development and production process.

[0007] A probe card preload spring pin device, comprising:

[0008] A support structure is provided, with a probe card mounting plate on the top of the support structure, a probe card being installed inside the probe card mounting plate, and the probe card including a ceramic substrate, the ceramic substrate being provided with multiple support columns;

[0009] A sliding mechanism is provided on both sides inside the support structure via mounting plates. The top of the sliding mechanism is provided with an upper load plate, and the bottom is provided with a lower load plate.

[0010] Multiple positioning devices, the top of which is connected to the support column in a one-to-one correspondence, and the bottom of which is connected to the upper load plate;

[0011] The load-bearing plate, by bearing the weight, drives the upper load plate and the ceramic substrate to descend, pre-pressing the spring pin.

[0012] Furthermore, the positioning device includes a screw, a boss, and a pressure block. The pressure block is connected to the upper load-bearing plate, the boss is disposed on the pressure block, the screw is connected to the boss via a polyethylene rope, and the two ends of the polyethylene rope are connected to the boss and the screw via rope clips.

[0013] Furthermore, the sliding mechanism includes linear guide rails mounted on mounting plates on both sides inside the bracket structure. Two linear guide rails are mounted on one side of the mounting plate, and two upper and lower sliders are matched and mounted on each linear guide rail.

[0014] Furthermore, the upper slider of the linear guide rail is provided with an upper positioning plate, the lower slider of the linear guide rail is provided with a lower positioning plate, the upper load plate is mounted on the upper positioning plate, and the lower load plate is mounted on the lower positioning plate.

[0015] Furthermore, both the upper positioning plate and the lower positioning plate are threadedly connected to a guide shaft.

[0016] Furthermore, the download plate is provided with multiple guide shafts.

[0017] Furthermore, reinforcing ribs are provided between the mounting plate and the support structure.

[0018] Furthermore, the bottom of the linear guide rail is provided with a hydraulic damper mounting plate, and the hydraulic damper mounting plate is provided with a hydraulic damper.

[0019] Furthermore, a height adjustment plate is provided between the probe card mounting plate and the bracket structure.

[0020] Furthermore, the support structure is equipped with load-bearing casters at the four corners of its bottom.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are as follows: The present invention can pre-compress a large number of spring pins by cooperating with the sliding mechanism and the positioning device, thereby increasing the compression amount of the spring pins; the positioning device is connected to the support column one by one, so that the ceramic substrate is subjected to uniform force when pre-compressing the spring pins, and there is no risk of the ceramic substrate breaking. The device has good stability and a high safety factor; the probe card is set horizontally, which has the conditions for leveling, and there are no restrictions on the installation environment and transportation conditions of the device, making it highly practical.

[0022] This invention features a compact structure and convenient operation, making it suitable for assembling probe cards of various sizes. The spring pin compression has a wide compatibility range and is easy to adjust. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is an isometric schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the front structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional isometric schematic diagram of the positioning device of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional isometric schematic diagram of the auxiliary assembly support connecting bushing fixture of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional axonometric schematic diagram of the ceramic substrate and support column of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional isometric schematic diagram of the rope length fixing fixture of the present invention;

[0029] In the diagram: 1. Probe card, 2. Probe card mounting plate, 3. Height adjustment plate, 4. Bracket structure, 5. Mounting plate, 6. Linear guide rail, 7. Slider, 8. Guide shaft one, 9. Load-bearing plate, 10. Guide shaft two, 11. Load-bearing wheel, 12. Jack, 13. Reinforcing rib, 14. Leveling screw, 15. Positioning device, 16. Upper load-bearing plate, 17. Hydraulic buffer, 18. Hydraulic buffer mounting plate, 19. Upper positioning plate, 20. Lower positioning plate, 21. Lower load-bearing plate, 22. Screw one, 23. Rope buckle, 24. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene rope, 25. Custom boss, 26. Custom pressure block, 27. Auxiliary fixture, 28. Support connecting bushing, 29. Screw two, 30. Ceramic substrate, 31. Support column, 32. Rope lock length fixing fixture. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0031] It should be noted that if directional indicators (such as up, down, bottom, top, etc.) are involved in the embodiments of the present invention, these directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly. The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. Unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal connection of two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] like Figures 1-6 As shown, a probe card preloaded spring pin device is disclosed, comprising:

[0033] Support structure 4, the top of support structure 4 is provided with probe card mounting plate 2, probe card 1 is installed in probe card mounting plate 2, such as Figure 5 As shown, the probe card 1 includes a ceramic substrate 30, and the ceramic substrate 30 is provided with a plurality of support pillars 31; the probe card 1 is a DRAM probe card.

[0034] The sliding mechanism is located on both sides inside the bracket structure 4 via the mounting plate 5. The top of the sliding mechanism is provided with an upper load plate 16 and the bottom is provided with a lower load plate 21.

[0035] like Figure 3 As shown, there are multiple positioning devices 15, the top of which is connected to multiple support columns 31 in a one-to-one correspondence, and the bottom of which is connected to the upper load plate 16.

[0036] The download plate 21 lowers the upper load plate 16 and ceramic substrate 30 by bearing the load, pre-pressing the spring pin. It should be noted that the spring pin is not shown in the figure. The upper end of the spring pin is connected to the ceramic substrate 30, and the lower end of the spring pin is connected to the PCB board (not shown in the figure, but inside the probe card).

[0037] like Figure 3 As shown, the positioning device 15 includes a screw 22, a boss 25, and a pressure block 26. The pressure block 26 is connected to the upper load plate 16. The boss 25 is located on the pressure block 26. The screw 22 is connected to the boss 25 through a polyethylene rope 24. The two ends of the polyethylene rope 24 are connected to the boss 25 and the screw 22 through rope buckles 23.

[0038] like Figure 6 As shown, when installing the positioning devices 15 one by one, the installation is carried out using the rope length fixing fixture 32. Specifically, the positioning devices 15 are installed using the rope length fixing fixture 32, and screws 22 are used to fix the length of the polyethylene rope 24. The rope is then tightened using rope clips 23. After connecting screws 22 to the support column 31, screws are used to connect the boss 25 and the pressure block 26 through the upper load plate 16. By placing a load plate 9 on the lower load plate 21 and using a jack 12 to control the downward force, the compression of the spring needle is controlled. After the spring needle is compressed, the spring needle is then... Figure 4 The auxiliary fixture 27 shown replaces the support connecting bushing 28 with screw 29 and screw 22 one by one, and after tightening, the compression process of the spring pin is completed.

[0039] When the rope length fixing fixture 32 is used, the length of the polyethylene rope 24 is limited by fixing screw 22 and boss 25, passing through the polyethylene rope 24, and then tightening rope buckle 23, thereby ensuring that the ceramic substrate 30 is subjected to uniform force.

[0040] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the sliding mechanism includes linear guide rails 6 mounted on mounting plates 5 on both sides inside the bracket structure 4. Two linear guide rails 6 are mounted on one side of the mounting plate 5, and two upper and lower sliders 7 are matched and mounted on each linear guide rail 6.

[0041] It should be noted that there are two mounting plates 5, such as... Figure 2 As described above, one on each of the left and right sides is used to install the linear guide rail 6 and slider 7 using the reserved threads and pins on the mounting plate 5. There are a total of four linear guide rails 6, with two on each mounting plate 5 and arranged in parallel. Each linear guide rail 6 has a slider 7 at its upper and lower ends, for a total of eight sliders.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, the upper slider 7 of the linear guide rail 6 is provided with an upper positioning plate 19, and the lower slider of the linear guide rail 6 is provided with a lower positioning plate 20. The upper load plate 16 is installed on the upper positioning plate 19, and the lower load plate 21 is installed on the lower positioning plate 20. Specifically, the upper positioning plate 19 and the lower positioning plate 20 are installed using the reserved threads on the slider 7, the upper load plate 16 and the lower load plate 21 are installed using the reserved threads on the upper positioning plate 19 and the lower positioning plate 20, and the guide shaft 8 is installed using the reserved threads on the upper positioning plate 19 and the lower positioning plate 20 to assist in positioning the z-axis movement direction.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, the four sliders 7 at the lower ends of the four linear guide rails 6 are each connected to a lower positioning plate 20. The four corners of the load plate 21 are installed corresponding to the positions of the four lower positioning plates 20. Similarly, the upper load plate 16 is installed. The positioning plates described here are all L-shaped.

[0044] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, guide shafts 8 are threadedly connected between the upper positioning plate 19 and the lower positioning plate 20. There are a total of 4 guide shafts 8, which are threadedly connected to the upper and lower positioning plates. On the one hand, they serve to connect the upper load plate and the lower load plate. On the other hand, the guide shafts are well-made and highly consistent, so they will not tilt during the descent of the sliders, and can ensure that the four sliders at the top descend in a consistent manner.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, the load-bearing plate 21 is provided with multiple guide shafts 10, which are set on both sides of the load-bearing plate 21 to ensure that the load-bearing plate will not fall and improve safety.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, a reinforcing rib 13 is provided between the mounting plate 5 and the bracket structure 4 to ensure the stability of the linear guide mounting plate, which further ensures the stability of the sliding mechanism.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the bottom of the linear guide 6 is provided with a hydraulic buffer mounting plate 18, and a hydraulic buffer 17 is provided on the hydraulic buffer mounting plate 18. A load plate 9 and a jack 12 are placed on the load plate 21 to control the downward force.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, a height adjustment plate 3 is provided between the probe card mounting plate 2 and the bracket structure 4. The height adjustment plate 3 and the probe card mounting plate 2 are installed on the top. The leveling process is completed by using the leveling screw 14. The purpose of doing this is to ensure that the probe card mounting plate 2 is installed flat and that the force is evenly distributed.

[0049] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the support structure 4 has load-bearing casters 11 at the four corners of the bottom, which facilitates the overall movement of the device and the leveling of the device.

[0050] The principle of the device of the present invention is as follows:

[0051] Based on the bracket structure 4, a height adjustment plate 3 and a probe card mounting plate 2 are installed on top. The leveling process is completed using leveling screws 14, of which four are used. After leveling, the mounting plate 5 is assembled. The pre-drilled threads and pins on the mounting plate 5 are used to install the linear guide rail 6 and the slider 7. Reinforcing ribs 13 are installed to ensure the stability of the mounting plate 5. At least four reinforcing ribs 13 are provided to improve the stability and robustness of the mounting plate 5.

[0052] After installing the hydraulic buffer mounting plate 18, install the hydraulic buffer 17 for buffering. Use the reserved threads on the slider 7 to install the upper positioning plate 19 and the lower positioning plate 20. Use the reserved threads on the upper positioning plate 19 and the lower positioning plate 20 to install the upper load plate 16 and the lower load plate 21. Use the reserved threads on the upper positioning plate 19 and the lower positioning plate 20 to install the guide shaft 8 to assist in positioning the Z-axis movement direction. Use positioning pins to install the probe card 1 on the probe card mounting plate 2, and use pins for positioning through the pin holes on the probe card mounting plate 2.

[0053] The support column 31 on the ceramic substrate 30 inside the probe card 1 has its threads pointing downwards. After the positioning device 15 is fixed by the rope length fixing fixture 32, it is installed on the support column 31. Through the cooperation of the pressure block 26, the load plate 16 on the boss 25 and the connection of the guide shaft 8, the positioning device 15 and the ceramic substrate 30 descend together during the downward movement of the upper load plate 16, thereby compressing the spring needle. The 33 positioning devices 15 correspond one-to-one with the 33 support columns 31 on the ceramic substrate 30 through 33 screws 22. The verticality of the tension applied to the support column 31 is ensured by the upper load plate 16, the guide shaft 8, the mounting plate 5 and the linear guide rail 6. At the same time, the rope length fixing fixture 32 ensures that the polyethylene rope 24 is of the same length, ensuring that the 33 support columns 31 are stressed at the same time, thereby ensuring that the ceramic substrate 30 is stressed evenly and reducing the risk of the ceramic substrate 30 breaking. The required tension is determined by calculating the number of spring pins and the compression length. A corresponding weight plate 9 is added to the weight plate 21. The support connecting bushing fixture 27 is used to replace the support connecting bushing 28 with the positioning device 15 one by one using screws 29. During this replacement process, the weight plate 9 is adjusted according to the number of support columns 31 and the required tension. After all replacements are completed, the spring pin compression process is finished.

[0054] The specific steps for compressing the spring needle are as follows:

[0055] First, level the device using the load-bearing caster wheel 11 and the leveling screw 14. Then, place the probe card 1 on the probe card mounting plate 2 and position it using the pins through the pin holes on the probe card mounting plate 2. The support column 31 on the ceramic substrate 30 inside the probe card 1 has its threads facing downwards. After fixing the positioning device 15 with the rope length fixing fixture 32, it is installed on the support column 31. The 33 positioning devices 15 correspond one-to-one with the 33 support columns 31 on the ceramic substrate 30 through 33 screws 22. The required tension is obtained by calculating the number of spring pins and the compression length. A corresponding weight plate 9 is added to the weight plate 21. The support connecting bushing fixture 27 is used to replace the support connecting bushing 28 with the positioning device 15 one by one through the screws 29. During this replacement process, the weight plate 9 is adjusted according to the number of support columns 31 and the required tension. After releasing the pressure block 26, the screws 22 are rotated to release the positioning device 15. The support connecting bushing fixture 27 is used to screw the screws 29 onto the support column 31. The weight plate 9 and the jack 12 are adjusted and the process is repeated. After all replacements are completed, the spring pin compression process is finished.

[0056] In summary, this invention enables the pre-compression of a large number of spring pins through the cooperation of the sliding mechanism and the positioning device, thereby increasing the compression amount of the spring pins; the one-to-one connection between the positioning device and the support column ensures that the ceramic substrate is subjected to uniform force when the spring pins are pre-compressed, eliminating the risk of the ceramic substrate breaking, resulting in good equipment stability and a high safety factor; the probe card is horizontally set, providing leveling conditions, and there are no restrictions on the installation environment and transportation conditions of the equipment, making it highly practical.

[0057] This invention features a compact structure and convenient operation, making it suitable for assembling probe cards of various sizes. It is especially suitable for high-site-count probe cards that require a large number of spring pins, and it is also inexpensive, with a wide range of compatible spring pin compression and easy adjustment.

[0058] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A probe card pre-compression spring pin device, characterized in that, include: The bracket structure has a probe card mounting plate on the top, and a probe card is installed in the probe card mounting plate. The probe card includes a ceramic substrate, and the ceramic substrate has multiple support columns. The upper end of the spring pin is connected to the ceramic substrate, and the lower end of the spring pin is connected to the PCB board. A sliding mechanism is provided on both sides inside the support structure via mounting plates. The top of the sliding mechanism is provided with an upper load plate, and the bottom is provided with a lower load plate. Multiple positioning devices, the top of which is connected to the support column in a one-to-one correspondence, and the bottom of which is connected to the upper load plate; The downloading plate, by bearing the load, drives the upper load plate and the ceramic substrate to descend, pre-pressing the spring pin; The sliding mechanism includes linear guide rails mounted on mounting plates on both sides inside the bracket structure. Two linear guide rails are mounted on one side of the mounting plate, and two upper and lower sliders are matched and mounted on each linear guide rail. The upper slider of the linear guide rail is provided with an upper positioning plate, the lower slider of the linear guide rail is provided with a lower positioning plate, the upper load plate is mounted on the upper positioning plate, and the lower load plate is mounted on the lower positioning plate.

2. The probe card pre-compression spring pin device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning device includes a screw, a boss, and a pressure block. The pressure block is connected to the upper load plate, the boss is located on the pressure block, and the screw is connected to the boss via a polyethylene rope. The two ends of the polyethylene rope are connected to the boss and the screw via rope clips.

3. The probe card pre-compression spring pin device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper positioning plate and the lower positioning plate are both threadedly connected to a guide shaft.

4. The probe card pre-compression spring pin device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The download plate is equipped with multiple guide shafts.

5. The probe card pre-compression spring pin device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Reinforcing ribs are provided between the mounting plate and the support structure.

6. The probe card pre-compression spring pin device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the linear guide is provided with a hydraulic damper mounting plate, and the hydraulic damper mounting plate is provided with a hydraulic damper.

7. The probe card pre-compression spring pin device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A height adjustment plate is provided between the probe card mounting plate and the bracket structure.

8. The probe card pre-compression spring pin device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support structure is equipped with load-bearing casters at the four corners of its bottom.

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