Probe head alignment device and method of use

Abstract

The application relates to a probe head alignment device and a use method thereof, which comprises a mounting base plate and at least two fine adjustment mechanisms, the middle part of the mounting base plate is provided with a hollow groove matched with the probe head, installation grooves communicated with the hollow groove are formed in the inner wall of the mounting base plate, and the fine adjustment mechanisms are arranged in the installation grooves; each fine adjustment mechanism comprises a sliding block, a rotating shaft, a cover plate and an adjusting screw, the sliding block is slidingly arranged in the installation groove, and the sliding direction is the direction of approaching or moving away from the probe head; an inclined surface is arranged on the sliding block, the rotating shaft is arranged on the inclined surface; the cover plate is arranged above the installation groove, and a screw hole penetrating in the longitudinal direction is arranged in the cover plate; the adjusting screw is screwed with the screw hole; the bottom of the adjusting screw is provided with a chamfer, the side surface of the chamfer is in contact with the rotating shaft, and the adjusting screw slides along the inclined surface. The fine adjustment mechanism arranged on the mounting base plate realizes the accurate fine adjustment of the probe head, so that the stability of the contact between the probe needle tail and the contact point is ensured; the adjusting time is saved, and the cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wafer testing technology, and in particular to a probe alignment device and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] Wafer testing, a crucial step before chip packaging, significantly improves the yield rate of packaged chips. Probe cards act as a bridge between the wafer and the testing machine, transmitting test signals from the testing machine to the wafer and transmitting response signals from the wafer back to the testing machine, thus determining the wafer's quality.

[0003] There are various types of probe cards, each designed to meet different testing requirements. Probe cards composed of vertical probes are primarily used to measure wafers with fine pitch and high-density arrangement, enabling high-density parallel measurements. However, higher wafer density means smaller spacing between probes, placing higher demands on probe alignment accuracy. Since the entire probe card is assembled from multiple components, errors occur during the manufacturing process of each component. This makes precise alignment between the probe tip and the pad difficult after assembly, leading to unstable electrical signal transmission and even open circuits during testing. Therefore, repeated adjustments to the probe tip's assembly position are necessary to achieve accurate alignment between the probe tip and the pad. Currently, most probe tip adjustments involve shaking the probe tip back and forth, relying on experience to judge alignment accuracy. This method is highly random and lacks high accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a probe head alignment device and its usage method to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention provides a probe alignment device, comprising a mounting substrate and at least two fine-tuning mechanisms.

[0006] The mounting base plate has a hollowed-out groove in the middle that matches the probe head. The mounting base plate has a mounting groove on the inner wall corresponding to the hollowed-out groove that communicates with the hollowed-out groove. The fine-tuning mechanism is respectively disposed in the mounting groove.

[0007] Each of the fine-tuning mechanisms includes a slider, a rotating shaft, a cover plate, and an adjusting screw. The slider is slidably installed in the mounting groove, and the sliding direction is towards or away from the probe head. The slider has an inclined surface, and the rotating shaft is installed on the inclined surface. The cover plate is installed above the mounting groove and has a longitudinally penetrating threaded hole inside. The adjusting screw is screwed into the threaded hole. The bottom of the adjusting screw has a chamfer, and the side of the chamfer contacts the rotating shaft. The inclination angle of the chamfer of the adjusting screw is consistent with the inclination surface of the slider.

[0008] Preferably, a reset element is also installed between the slider and the mounting groove.

[0009] Preferably, the reset element is a spring.

[0010] Preferably, the top of the adjusting screw is provided with a slotted groove.

[0011] Preferably, the probe head is a cube, and there are four fine-tuning mechanisms, with the sliders in the four fine-tuning mechanisms respectively contacting the four sides of the probe head.

[0012] Preferably, the hollow groove of the mounting substrate is provided with a step, which divides the hollow groove into an upper layer and a lower layer, with the lower layer being more inwardly recessed than the upper layer.

[0013] Preferably, the mounting base is mounted on an adapter circuit board connected to the testing machine, and the probe inserted on the probe head passes through the cutout and contacts the adapter circuit board.

[0014] Preferably, the mounting base plate and the adapter circuit board, as well as the cover plate and the mounting base plate, are respectively connected by bolts.

[0015] The present invention also provides a method of using the probe head alignment device as described above, comprising:

[0016] Step 1: Install the fine-tuning mechanism into the corresponding mounting slot;

[0017] Step 2: Mount the mounting substrate onto the adapter circuit board and place the probe head into the cutout groove of the mounting substrate;

[0018] Step 3: Check the correspondence between the probe tail and the contact point on the adapter circuit board. Select the corresponding fine-tuning mechanism according to the offset direction of the probe tail to make the position of the probe tail and the contact point correspond one by one.

[0019] Preferably, in step 3, a screwdriver is used to rotate the corresponding adjusting screw, causing the slider to push the probe head to move in the specified direction.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the probe head alignment device and its usage method provided by the present invention have the following advantages:

[0021] 1. The present invention provides a fine-tuning mechanism on the mounting base plate. The adjusting screw can move up and down through the threaded hole. Through the conversion action of the rotating shaft, the slider moves left and right, which in turn pushes the probe head to achieve precise fine-tuning of the probe head and ensure the stability of the contact between the probe tail and the contact point.

[0022] 2. In addition, the probe head alignment device of the present invention is easy to operate, saves alignment adjustment time, and reduces costs. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the probe alignment device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a top view of the probe alignment device in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the fine-tuning mechanism in a specific embodiment of the present invention (cover plate omitted);

[0026] Figure 4 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the fine-tuning mechanism in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the probe head alignment device in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the probe alignment device in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a comparison image of the probe tail before and after adjustment in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In the diagram: 001-Probe head, 002-Probe; 100-Mounting base plate, 110-Cutout groove, 111-Step, 120-Mounting groove, 130-Bolt, 200-Fine adjustment mechanism, 210-Slider, 211-Inclined surface, 220-Shaft, 230-Cover plate, 240-Adjusting screw, 241-Chamfer, 242-Straight groove, 250-Reset component, 300-Adapter circuit board, 310-Contact. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To illustrate the technical solutions of the invention in more detail, specific embodiments are listed below to demonstrate the technical effects; it should be emphasized that these embodiments are used to illustrate the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention.

[0032] The probe head alignment device provided by this invention, such as Figures 1 to 6 As shown, it includes a mounting base 100 and at least two fine-tuning mechanisms 200. The mounting base 100 is used for mounting and supporting the probe head 001, and the fine-tuning mechanisms 200 are used for fine-tuning the position of the probe head 001.

[0033] Specifically, please refer to the following: Figure 1 , Figure 2 as well as Figure 5 and Figure 6 The mounting base plate 100 has a hollowed-out groove 110 in the middle that matches the probe head 001. The mounting base plate 100 has a mounting groove 120 on the inner wall corresponding to the hollowed-out groove 110, communicating with the hollowed-out groove 110. The fine-tuning mechanism 200 is respectively disposed within the mounting groove 120. In this embodiment, the top surface and the side corresponding to the probe head 001 of the mounting groove 120 are open, allowing for adjustment of the position of the probe head 001 via the fine-tuning mechanism 200, while also protecting the fine-tuning mechanism 200 and facilitating processing. Specifically, due to processing errors and installation requirements, the size of the hollowed-out groove 110 is larger than the size of the probe head 001, resulting in some movement space for the probe head 001 within the hollowed-out groove 110. This prevents the probe 002 from aligning with the contact point 310. Fine-tuning the position of the probe head 001 using the fine-tuning mechanism 200 allows for precise positioning of the probe head 001, ensuring stable contact between the probe 002's tail and the contact point 310.

[0034] Please refer to this carefully. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Each of the fine-tuning mechanisms 200 includes a slider 210, a rotating shaft 220, a cover plate 230, and an adjusting screw 240. The slider 210 is slidably mounted in the mounting groove 120, and the sliding direction is towards or away from the probe head 001, thereby adjusting the position of the probe head 001 by sliding the slider 210. The slider 210 is provided with an inclined surface 211, and the rotating shaft 220 is horizontally mounted on the inclined surface 211. The cover plate 230 is mounted above the mounting groove 120, for example, fixed to a mounting base. On plate 100, the cover plate 230 has a longitudinally penetrating threaded hole inside; the adjusting screw 240 is screwed into the threaded hole; the bottom of the adjusting screw 240 has a chamfer 241, and the side of the chamfer 241 contacts the rotating shaft 220, thereby converting the up-and-down movement of the adjusting screw 240 into the left-and-right movement of the slider 210 through the rotation of the rotating shaft; the inclination angle of the chamfer 241 of the adjusting screw 240 is consistent with the inclination surface 211 of the slider 210 to avoid interference between the adjusting screw 240 and the slider 210. In this way, the adjusting screw 240 can achieve up-and-down movement through its engagement with the threaded hole, and then drive the slider 210 to move left and right through the contact between the chamfer 241 and the rotating shaft 220 (the movement process is as follows). Figure 4 As shown by the middle arrow, the distance that the slider 210 moves is a certain multiple of the pitch of the adjusting screw 240. By using the pushing action of the slider 210 on the probe head 001, the position of the probe head 001 can be precisely adjusted.

[0035] In some embodiments, please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 4A reset member 250 is also installed between the slider 210 and the mounting groove 120 to reset the slider 210. In some embodiments, the reset member 250 may be a spring; in this embodiment, for example... Figures 1 to 3 As shown, each slider 210 is equipped with two springs, located on the left and right sides of the slider 210, to ensure that the slider 210 is subjected to uniform force and to avoid skewing, which would affect the accuracy of the alignment adjustment. Of course, the reset component 250 can also be a flexible rubber pad or other components, as long as it has a certain rebound force to meet the reset and rebound function of the slider 210.

[0036] In some embodiments, please refer to the following: Figures 2 to 4 The top of the adjusting screw 240 is provided with a slotted groove 242. As the direct operating component of the fine-tuning mechanism 200, the adjusting screw 240 needs to be easy to operate. Compared with operating components such as knobs, the adjusting screw 240 can reduce the space occupied, and can even be retracted into the threaded hole, so as not to cause the component to protrude and affect the operation safety. On the other hand, the slotted groove 242 on the adjusting screw 240 needs to be adjusted with special tools such as screwdrivers to avoid the problem of inaccurate positioning caused by accidental contact by the operator.

[0037] In some embodiments, please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 2 If the probe head 001 is a cube, there can be four fine-tuning mechanisms 200. The sliders 210 in each of these four mechanisms contact the four sides of the probe head 001 to ensure precise fine-tuning in all directions. Alternatively, if the probe head 001 is a cylinder, there can also be four fine-tuning mechanisms 200, with the sliders 210 evenly distributed on the outer circumference of the probe head 001. In other words, the specific number and distribution of the fine-tuning mechanisms 200 can be adaptively adjusted according to the shape and size of the probe head 001, ensuring precise fine-tuning in all directions.

[0038] In some embodiments, please refer to the following: Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The mounting substrate 100 has a step 111 within its cutout groove 110, which divides the cutout groove 110 into an upper and lower layer, with the lower layer being more recessed than the upper layer. The step 111 can support the probe head 001 placed therein without requiring the fine-tuning mechanism 200 to provide excessive pressure to support the probe head 001, and it will not affect the probe 002 passing through the cutout groove 110, thus not affecting wafer testing.

[0039] In some embodiments, please refer to the following: Figure 5 and Figure 6 The mounting substrate 100 is mounted on an adapter circuit board 300 that is connected to a testing machine (not shown) via signal transmission. Probes 002, inserted into the probe head 001, pass through the cutout groove 110 and contact the adapter circuit board 300. By using the fine-tuning mechanism 200 to precisely adjust the position of the probe head 001 on the mounting substrate 100, the probe tails 002 can be precisely aligned with the contact points 310 on the surface of the adapter circuit board 300, thereby improving the accuracy of wafer testing.

[0040] In some embodiments, please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 3 The mounting base plate 100 and the adapter circuit board 300, as well as the cover plate 230 and the mounting base plate 100, can be connected by bolts 130. On the one hand, this facilitates installation and disassembly without increasing space occupation or structural complexity. On the other hand, the top of the bolt 130 can be provided with the same slotted groove 242 as the adjusting screw 240. In this way, the installation and adjustment of the entire alignment device can be completed with just a screwdriver, making it convenient for operators.

[0041] The present invention also provides a method of using the probe head alignment device as described above, comprising the following steps:

[0042] Step 1: Install the fine-tuning mechanism 200 into the corresponding mounting slot 120. In some embodiments, the rotating shaft 220 can be connected to the slider 210 first, then the reset member 250 (such as a spring) can be fixed to the slider 210, then the slider 210 can be installed into the mounting slot 120, the cover plate 230 can be covered, and the adjusting screw 240 can be installed into the threaded hole of the cover plate 230. The whole installation process is simple and easy to operate.

[0043] Step 2: Mount the mounting substrate 100 onto the adapter circuit board 300, and place the probe head 001 into the hollow groove 110 of the mounting substrate 100.

[0044] Step 3: Check the correspondence between the probe tail of the probe 002 and the contact 310 on the adapter circuit board 300. Select the corresponding fine-tuning mechanism 200 according to the offset direction of the probe tail to make the position of the probe tail and the contact 310 correspond one by one.

[0045] The above alignment adjustment process is simple and easy to operate, saving alignment adjustment time and reducing usage costs.

[0046] In some embodiments, in step 3, a screwdriver (not shown) can be used to rotate the corresponding adjusting screw 240, causing the slider 210 to push the probe head 001 to move in a specified direction. For example, please refer to... Figure 7 Before adjustment, the position of the needle tail (as shown by the dotted line in the figure) deviates from the position of the contact point 310. By selecting the corresponding fine adjustment mechanism 200 and rotating the adjusting screw 240 in the corresponding direction, the adjusted position of the needle tail (as shown by the solid line in the figure) can be obtained, thus realizing the one-to-one correspondence between the needle tail of probe 002 and contact point 310.

[0047] In summary, the probe head alignment device and its usage method provided by the present invention include a mounting base 100 and at least two fine-tuning mechanisms 200. The mounting base 100 has a hollowed-out groove 110 in the middle that matches the probe head 001. The mounting base 100 has a mounting groove 120 on the inner wall corresponding to the hollowed-out groove 110, which communicates with the hollowed-out groove 110. The fine-tuning mechanisms 200 are respectively disposed in the mounting groove 120. Each fine-tuning mechanism 200 includes a slider 210, a rotating shaft 220, a cover plate 230, and an adjusting screw 240. The slider 210 is slidably mounted. Within the mounting groove 120, the sliding direction is towards or away from the probe head 001. The slider 210 has an inclined surface 211, and the rotating shaft 220 is mounted on the inclined surface 211. The cover plate 230 is mounted above the mounting groove 120 and has a longitudinally penetrating threaded hole inside. The adjusting screw 240 is screwed into the threaded hole. The bottom of the adjusting screw 240 has a chamfer 241, the side of which contacts the rotating shaft 220, and the inclination angle of the chamfer 241 of the adjusting screw 240 is consistent with the inclination surface 211 of the slider 210. Thus, the adjusting screw 240 can move up and down through its engagement with the threaded hole, and then, through the contact between the chamfer 241 and the rotating shaft 220, the up-and-down movement of the adjusting screw 240 is converted into the left-and-right movement of the slider 210. Utilizing the pushing action of the slider 210 on the probe head 001, precise fine-tuning of the probe head 001's position is achieved.

[0048] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of the invention and their equivalents, the invention is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A probe head alignment device, characterized in that, The mounting base plate and at least two fine adjustment mechanisms, The middle part of the mounting base plate is provided with a hollow groove matched with the probe head, the mounting base plate is provided with a mounting groove communicated with the hollow groove on the inner wall corresponding to the hollow groove, and the fine adjustment mechanisms are respectively arranged in the mounting grooves; Each fine adjustment mechanism comprises a sliding block, a rotating shaft, a cover plate and an adjusting screw, the sliding block is slidingly arranged in the mounting groove, and the sliding direction is the direction of approaching or moving away from the probe head; the sliding block is provided with an inclined surface, the rotating shaft is arranged on the inclined surface; the cover plate is arranged above the mounting groove and internally provided with a longitudinally penetrating threaded hole; the adjusting screw is screwed with the threaded hole; the bottom of the adjusting screw is provided with a chamfer, the side surface of the chamfer is in contact with the rotating shaft, and the inclination angle of the chamfer of the adjusting screw is consistent with that of the inclined surface of the sliding block.

2. The probe head alignment apparatus of Claim 1, wherein A reset member is further arranged between the sliding block and the mounting groove.

3. The probe head alignment apparatus of claim 2 wherein, The reset member is a spring.

4. The probe head alignment apparatus of claim 1, wherein The top of the adjusting screw is provided with a character-shaped groove.

5. The probe head alignment apparatus of claim 1 wherein, The probe head is a cube, the fine adjustment mechanisms are four, and the sliding blocks in the four fine adjustment mechanisms are respectively in contact with four side surfaces of the probe head.

6. The probe head alignment apparatus of claim 1 wherein, The hollow groove of the mounting base plate is provided with a step, the step divides the hollow groove into an upper layer and a lower layer, and the lower layer is inwardly contracted compared with the upper layer.

7. The probe head alignment apparatus of claim 1 wherein, The mounting base plate is arranged on a switching circuit board connected with a test machine, and the probes inserted in the probe head are in contact with the switching circuit board through the hollow groove.

8. The probe head alignment apparatus of Claim 7, wherein the probe head alignment apparatus further comprises a probe head alignment apparatus base, and wherein the probe head alignment apparatus base is configured to be coupled to a probe head alignment apparatus base support. The mounting base plate and the switching circuit board, and the cover plate and the mounting base plate are respectively connected by bolts.

9. A method of using a probe head alignment apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that, The method comprises the following steps: Step 1: respectively arranging the fine adjustment mechanisms in the corresponding mounting grooves; Step 2: arranging the mounting base plate on the switching circuit board and placing the probe head in the hollow groove of the mounting base plate; Step 3: checking the corresponding relationship between the needle tail of the probe and the contact point on the switching circuit board, selecting the corresponding fine adjustment mechanism according to the deviation direction of the needle tail to adjust, so that the needle tail and the contact point are one-to-one corresponding.

10. The method of use of claim 9, wherein, In step 3, the corresponding adjusting screw is rotated by a screwdriver, so that the sliding block pushes the probe head to move in a specified direction.

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