Probe and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present application provides a probe piece, provided with a probe, which has a moderate up-and-down movement allowance, and can stably and properly pressurize contact with a spherical protrusion. The probe piece of the present application is provided with: a through electrode, which is composed of a through hole between the upper and lower surfaces of a through piece; a through slit, which surrounds the periphery of the through electrode in a ring shape while passing through the upper and lower surfaces of the piece; an up-and-down movement probe, which is separated from the piece body via the through slit; and a guide hole, which surrounds the up-and-down movement probe via the through slit, wherein the up-and-down movement probe has a bulging corner portion composed of a first taper surface and a second taper surface on the side surface, and the guide hole has an acceptance corner portion composed of a third taper surface opposite to the first taper surface and a fourth taper surface opposite to the second taper surface on the inner wall, and the up-and-down movement is allowed while preventing the up-and-down movement probe from falling off through the acceptance corner portion and the bulging corner portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a probe sheet and its manufacturing method that can be used as a connection component for aging tests of IC packages (semiconductor packages) such as semiconductor wafers and chip-size packages (CSPs) or as an interposer. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, this type of probe sheet had probes arranged between the upper and lower surfaces of the sheet. The probes corresponded to multiple spherical protrusions on semiconductor components such as IC packages. Pressure was applied to the upper end of each probe to contact the spherical protrusions and aging tests were performed.

[0003] Moreover, in order for the probe and the spherical protrusion to make proper pressure contact, the probe needs a vertical movement margin, that is, a moderate vertical movement clearance. However, with the miniaturization of semiconductor components and the high-density arrangement of spherical protrusions with extremely small spacing, it has become difficult to set the vertical movement margin using elastic components such as spring components.

[0004] Therefore, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, the inventors of the present invention have developed a probe sheet in which straight through slits are formed in two or three directions, front, back, left and right, and the area containing the probe surrounded by these through slits is a thin sheet, and the probe can be moved up and down by flexing the thin sheet in the up and down direction.

[0005] Patent Document 1: Patent No. 3090920

[0006] In the probe sheet of the aforementioned Patent Document 1, since the probe moves moderately up and down through the sheet containing the probe, it can make appropriate pressure contact with the spherical protrusion. However, conversely, the base side, which becomes the flexure fulcrum of the sheet, and the free end side opposite to it have different variations in the vertical direction, resulting in a problem that the probe cannot make uniform and stable contact with the spherical protrusion due to its flexure mode.

[0007] In addition, repeated use can lead to deterioration of the base elasticity, which serves as the flexural support of the sheet, making it difficult to maintain the contact pressure. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This invention provides a probe sheet and its manufacturing method, which effectively solves the problems existing in the existing probe sheets, has an appropriate vertical movement margin, and has a probe that can stably and appropriately pressurize and contact the spherical protrusion.

[0009] In summary, the probe sheet of the present invention comprises: a through electrode formed by a through hole between the upper and lower surfaces of the probe sheet, wherein a conductive metal layer is formed on the inner surface of the through hole by plating; a through slit that surrounds the through electrode in a ring shape when viewed from above, and passes through the upper and lower surfaces of the probe sheet; a vertically movable probe that is cut away from the probe body via the through slit, wherein the vertically movable probe encloses the through electrode; and a guide hole that surrounds and holds the vertically movable probe via the through slit; the vertically movable probe has a bulging corner portion on its side formed by a first conical surface and a second conical surface, and the guide hole has a receiving corner portion on its inner wall formed by a third conical surface opposite to the first conical surface and a fourth conical surface opposite to the second conical surface, wherein the receiving corner portion and the bulging corner portion prevent the vertically movable probe from falling out of the guide hole, while the through slit allows the vertically movable probe to move up and down. Therefore, the vertically moving probe can be given vertical movement margin through the through slit, and the probe can make pressurized contact with the spherical protrusion with appropriate contact pressure.

[0010] Preferably, by making the angle of the receiving corner of the guide hole an obtuse angle, the receiving corner can contribute to both preventing the vertical moving probe from falling off and ensuring smooth vertical movement. Furthermore, the vertical moving probe is formed by abutting the bottom surfaces of a truncated cone and a truncated inverted cone together, with the entire circumferential area of ​​the side surface of the truncated cone designated as the first cone surface, and the entire circumferential area of ​​the side surface of the truncated inverted cone designated as the second cone surface, thereby ensuring smooth and stable vertical movement of the vertical moving probe.

[0011] Preferably, the upper opening of the through electrode is formed as a truncated inverted cone and has a cross-section in the shape of a cocktail glass. The truncated inverted cone shape is either a truncated chamfered cone or a truncated rounded cone.

[0012] In addition, the lower opening of the through electrode is formed into a truncated cone shape, and together with the upper opening of the through electrode, they form a cross-section in the shape of an hourglass. The truncated cone shape is either a truncated triangular cone or a truncated cone.

[0013] The method for manufacturing a probe sheet according to the present invention includes: a step of forming a through hole in an insulating sheet; a step of forming a metal layer and a through electrode on the inner wall of the through hole; and a step of cutting and setting a vertically movable probe containing the through electrode from the sheet body by forming a through slit that surrounds the through electrode in a top view and passes through the upper and lower surfaces of the sheet, forming the side surface of the vertically movable probe, providing a guide hole that holds the vertically movable probe through the through slit, and forming the inner wall of the guide hole. The through slit is formed by engraving from both the upper surface side and the lower surface side of the sheet, and the guide hole surrounds and holds the vertically movable probe through the through slit. A bulging corner portion composed of a first conical surface and a second conical surface is provided on the side surface of the vertically movable probe. On the other hand, a receiving corner portion composed of a third conical surface opposite to the first conical surface and a fourth conical surface opposite to the second conical surface is provided on the inner wall of the guide hole. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture probe sheets with a vertical movement margin caused by the through slit without using complex processes or new components other than insulating sheets.

[0014] According to the probe sheet of the present invention, the up-and-down movable probe can appropriately pressurize and contact the spherical protrusion due to the up-and-down movement allowance caused by the through slit, and can also effectively correspond to the spherical protrusion with extremely small spacing.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the method for manufacturing probe sheets according to the present invention, probe sheets having a vertical movement margin due to the penetration slit can be manufactured without using complex processes or new components other than insulating sheets. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the probe sheet involved in this invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a top view of the probe sheet involved in this invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view showing the state of contact between the spherical protrusions of the IC package and the probe pad as it moves up and down and is pressed against the probe.

[0019] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the manufacturing process of the probe sheet. (A) is a cross-sectional view of the insulating sheet, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing the state of having through holes in the insulating sheet.

[0020] Figure 5 The diagram illustrates the manufacturing process of the probe sheet. (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the formation of a metal layer and a through electrode on an insulating sheet with through holes. (B) is a cross-sectional view showing the formation of a through slit around the through electrode.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a through electrode.

[0022] Figure 7 Here are top views showing another example of a through electrode and a moving probe. (A) shows an example where the upper opening of the through electrode is a truncated chamfered cone and the moving probe is a truncated chamfered cone with its base surfaces joined together. (B) shows an example where the upper opening of the through electrode is a truncated rounded cone and the moving probe is a truncated chamfered cone with its base surfaces joined together. (C) shows an example where the upper opening of the through electrode is a truncated chamfered cone and the moving probe is a truncated rounded cone with its base surfaces joined together.

[0023] Figure 8 The diagram shows an example of a probe that moves up and down with a bulging corner. (A) is a top view and (B) is a cross-sectional view. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following is based on Figures 1 to 8 The preferred embodiment of the probe sheet and its manufacturing method involved in this invention will be described.

[0025] <Basic Structure of Probe Sheets>

[0026] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown and described below, the probe sheet 1 involved in this invention is composed of an insulating sheet 1' and has the following basic structure.

[0027] That is, it has the following basic structure, including: a through electrode 2, which is formed by a through hole 2' between the upper surface 1a and the lower surface 1b of the sheet; a through slit 3, which surrounds the through electrode 2 in a top view and passes through the upper surface 1a / lower surface 1b of the sheet; a vertically movable probe 4, which is cut off from the sheet body through the through slit 3; and a guide hole 5, which surrounds the vertically movable probe 4 through the through slit 3.

[0028] Furthermore, as the insulating sheet 1', a sheet made of known insulating materials such as glass, ceramic, polyimide resin, and rubber can be used, with a sheet made of quartz glass being preferred. This is because it facilitates the formation of the through slit 3, which will be described later.

[0029] Structure of a Through Electrode

[0030] The through electrode 2 is formed by a through hole 2' between the upper surface 1a and the lower surface 1b of the through probe piece 1. A conductive metal layer is formed on the inner surface of the upper opening 2a, the inner surface of the lower opening 2b, and the inner peripheral surface 2c between the upper opening 2a and the lower opening 2b by plating.

[0031] Therefore, for example, Figure 3 As shown, by pressurizing the spherical protrusion 11a of the IC package 11 to the upper opening 2a of the through electrode 2, and pressurizing the flat electrode 12a of the base 12 connected to the inspection equipment to the lower opening 2b, it is possible to easily conduct electricity between the two.

[0032] Preferably, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, by forming the upper opening 2a of the through electrode 2 into a truncated inverted cone shape and creating a cross-section resembling a cocktail glass, it is possible to absorb the three-dimensional positional deviation of the spherical protrusion and achieve pressurized contact with appropriate pressure. Furthermore, as... Figure 6 As shown, by forming the lower opening 2b into a truncated cone shape and a cross-sectional hourglass shape, the spherical protrusion can be appropriately pressed into contact with the lower opening 2b, the spherical protrusion 13 of the first component 13 can be pressed into contact with the upper opening 2a, and the spherical protrusion 14a of the second component 14 can be pressed into contact with the lower opening 2b and used as an inserter.

[0033] Furthermore, the maximum opening diameters of both the upper opening 2a and the lower opening 2b are preferably set to be smaller than the diameter of the spherical protrusion of the contact object. This is to prevent the spherical protrusion from entering the through electrode 2 and to prevent the probe piece 1 from contacting the base of the IC package, etc.

[0034] Furthermore, in this invention, when the upper opening 2a is set as a truncated inverted cone shape, such as... Figure 2 , Figure 7 As shown in (B), except for being set as a truncated inverted cone shape, as... Figure 7 (A) Figure 7 As shown in (C), the shape can be truncated into a chamfered pyramid, depending on the implementation. Specifically, although not shown, for the lower opening 2b, in addition to being a truncated cone, it can also be truncated into a truncated angle pyramid shape. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the truncated angle pyramid / truncated chamfered pyramid includes truncated triangular pyramid / truncated inverted triangular pyramid, truncated pentagonal pyramid / truncated inverted pentagonal pyramid, and other truncated polygonal pyramids / truncated inverted polygonal pyramids.

[0035] Structure of the Up-and-Down Moving Probe and Guide Hole

[0036] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the structure of the vertically movable probe 4 is to be cut from the sheet body through the through slit 3, and to enclose the through electrode 2. It has a first conical surface 4a and a second conical surface 4b on the side, and has a bulging corner portion 4c formed by the first and second conical surfaces 4a and 4b.

[0037] In other words, the vertically movable probe 4 forms a first conical surface 4a that slopes downwards from the upper end 4d toward the inner peripheral surface 2c of the penetrating electrode 2, and a bulging corner portion 4c together with the first conical surface 4a, and a second conical surface 4b that slopes upwards from the lower end 4e toward the inner peripheral surface 2c of the penetrating electrode 2. Therefore, the vertically movable probe 4 gradually expands its diameter downwards from the upper end 4d via the first conical surface 4a, and gradually expands its diameter upwards from the lower end 4e via the second conical surface 4b, exhibiting the largest diameter expansion among the bulging corner portions 4c formed by these first / second conical surfaces 4a / 4b.

[0038] Furthermore, as described later, the guide hole 5 is formed simultaneously with the vertically moving probe 4 when the through slit 3 for cutting the vertically moving probe 4 from the sheet body is formed. Therefore, the side shape of the vertically moving probe 4 and the inner wall shape of the guide hole 5 are similar.

[0039] The guide hole 5 surrounds the vertically moving probe 4 via the through slit 3, thereby allowing the vertically moving probe 4 to move up and down within the range of vertical movement allowance caused by the through slit 3 while maintaining its position. Therefore, the vertically moving probe 4 can make pressurized contact with the spherical protrusion with appropriate contact pressure.

[0040] In addition, the guide hole 5 has a receiving corner 5c on its inner wall, which is composed of a third cone 5a opposite to the first cone 4a of the up-and-down moving probe 4 and a fourth cone 5b opposite to the second cone 4b of the up-and-down moving probe 4. By engaging the receiving corner 5c with the bulging corner 4c of the up-and-down moving probe 4, the up-and-down moving probe 4 is prevented from falling off while allowing up-and-down movement.

[0041] Preferably, such as Figure 1 , Figure 3 As shown, by setting the angle (entry angle) θ of the receiving corner 5c of the guide hole 5 to an obtuse angle, the receiving corner 5c can contribute to both preventing the vertical moving probe 4 from falling off and ensuring smooth vertical movement. The angle θ can be appropriately adjusted according to the stroke length of the vertical movement allowance of the vertical moving probe 4. Similarly, the angle (exit angle) θ′ of the protruding corner 4c of the vertical moving probe 4 is also set to an obtuse angle, engaging with the receiving corner 5c.

[0042] As described above, the up-and-down moving probe 4 forms a bulging corner 4c through the first / second conical surface 4a / 4b on the side, and the guide hole 5 forms a receiving corner 5c through the third / fourth conical surface 5a / 5b on the inner wall.

[0043] Therefore, if a first / second conical surface 4a / 4b is formed on the entire circumferential area (full circumference) of the side of the vertically moving probe 4 and an annularly connected bulging corner 4c is formed, and a third / fourth conical surface 5a / 5b is formed on the entire circumferential area (full circumference) of the inner wall of the guide hole 5 and an annularly connected receiving corner 5c is formed, then the holding and vertical movement of the vertically moving probe 4 can be further stabilized through these annularly bulging corners 4c / receiving corners 5c.

[0044] For example, Figure 1 , Figure 2 The vertically movable probe 4 shown is formed by joining the bottom surfaces of a truncated cone and a truncated inverted cone together. The side surface of the truncated cone is used as the first cone surface 4a, and the side surface of the truncated inverted cone is used as the second cone surface 4b. This results in a shape resembling an abacus ball, forming a bulging corner 4c with an annular connection. Furthermore, the third / fourth cone surfaces 5a / 5b of the guide hole 5 are formed corresponding to the first / second cone surfaces 4a and 4b, forming a receiving corner 5c with an annular connection. Therefore, smooth and stable vertical movement of the vertically movable probe 4 can be ensured.

[0045] Furthermore, in this invention, when the bottom surfaces of the truncated cone and the truncated inverted cone are joined together, the truncated cone is not limited to a cone shape, such as... Figure 7 As shown in (A) / (B), the same effect can be obtained as a truncated pyramid, and the truncated inverted pyramid is not limited to a truncated inverted cone; the same effect can also be obtained as a truncated chamfered pyramid. Therefore, it is possible to freely combine and connect the bases of a truncated cone or truncated pyramid with those of a truncated inverted cone or truncated chamfered pyramid, depending on the implementation. Furthermore, the truncated pyramid / truncated chamfered pyramid naturally includes truncated triangular pyramids / truncated inverted triangular pyramids, truncated pentagonal pyramids / truncated inverted pentagonal pyramids, and other truncated polygonal pyramids / truncated inverted polygonal pyramids.

[0046] like Figure 3 As shown, the probe sheet 1 of the present invention with the above structure can be used as an interpolator in addition to aging tests of semiconductor components such as IC packaging. In any application, the up-and-down moving probe 4 can appropriately pressurize and contact the spherical protrusion within the up-and-down movement margin caused by the through slit 3. Since only the through slit 3 is formed and no other components such as elastic members are used, it can also effectively deal with spherical protrusions with extremely small pitches.

[0047] <Manufacturing Method of Probe Sheets>

[0048] The manufacturing method of the probe sheet involved in this invention will be described in sequence.

[0049] Through-hole drilling process

[0050] In this process, such as Figure 4 As shown in B, it has the capability to... Figure 4 The process shown in Figure A involves creating a through hole 2' on the insulating sheet 1' that passes between the upper surface 1'a (the upper surface 1a of the probe sheet 1) and the lower surface 1'b (the lower surface 1b of the probe sheet 1). This through hole 2' ultimately forms the through electrode 2, and its number or spacing is adjusted based on the arrangement or spacing of the spherical protrusions that serve as the contact objects of the through electrode 2. Furthermore, known through-hole methods utilizing lasers or etching can be used.

[0051] Furthermore, if the upper opening 2a of the through electrode 2 described later is truncated into an inverted cone shape, the upper opening 2'a of the through hole 2' is formed in this process. Similarly, the lower opening 2'b of the through hole 2' is also processed in this process.

[0052] Through-electrode formation process

[0053] This process involves plating a metal layer to form the through electrode 2 on the inner wall of the through hole 2', specifically on the inner surface of the upper opening 2a, the inner surface of the lower opening 2b, and the subsequent inner circumferential surface 2c. Furthermore, in addition to known electroplating and electroless nickel plating, gold plating can be performed on nickel under copper, utilizing the high conductivity of copper and the durability of gold.

[0054] Alternatively, only the inner wall of the through hole 2' may be plated, but in this invention, the through electrode 2 is effectively formed by performing the plating process as follows.

[0055] That is, firstly, such as Figure 5 As shown in (A), the exposed surface of the insulating sheet 1', which has a through hole 2' through the above-mentioned through hole insertion process, is plated to form a conductive metal layer 2''.

[0056] By plating the entire exposed surface in this way, a metal layer 2' is applied to the inner wall of the through hole 2', which is the exposed surface, the inner surface of the upper opening 2a of the subsequent through electrode 2, the inner surface of the lower opening 2b, and the subsequent inner peripheral surface 2c. However, although the exposed surface is completely connected by the metal layer 2'', a partially independent current-carrying path exists through the through slit 3 described later, which only passes through the electrode 2. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform plating treatment on multiple through holes 2' separately; by performing plating treatment on the entire insulating sheet 1', multiple through holes 2' can be plating treatment all at once to form the through electrode 2.

[0057] The process of forming a through-slit

[0058] like Figure 5 As shown in (B), this process involves forming a through slit 3 that surrounds the aforementioned through electrode 2 in a top-view annular shape and is located between the upper and lower surfaces of the through sheet. Known methods such as laser-based cutting can be used as a forming method.

[0059] In this process, while forming the through slit 3, a vertically moving probe 4 that cuts through the through slit 3 from the sheet body and a guide hole 5 that holds the vertically moving probe 4 can be formed, thus completing the following: Figure 1 The probe sheet 1 shown is related to the present invention. In addition, in the through electrode forming process, when the exposed surface of the insulating sheet 1' is plated as a whole, the metal layer 2' applied to the through electrode 2 through the through slit 3 becomes the through electrode 2 that functions normally.

[0060] In this process, by carving and forming a through slit 3 from both the upper surface 1a and the lower surface 1b of the wafer, a bulging corner 4c composed of a first conical surface 4a and a second conical surface 4b can be provided on the side of the simultaneously formed vertically movable probe 4. Furthermore, a receiving corner 5c composed of a third conical surface 5a opposite to the first conical surface 4a and a fourth conical surface 5b opposite to the second conical surface 4b can be easily provided on the inner wall of the simultaneously formed guide hole 5.

[0061] Furthermore, the width of the through slit 3 can be adjusted appropriately according to the desired vertical movement margin.

[0062] In the above-described method for manufacturing the probe sheet of the present invention, a probe sheet 1 having a probe 4 with vertical movement margin caused by the through slit 3 can be manufactured without using complex processes or new components other than the insulating sheet 1'.

[0063] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0064] 1'...insulating sheet, 1'a...upper surface of the sheet, 1'b...lower surface of the sheet,

[0065] 1...probe sheet, 1a...top surface of the sheet, 1b...bottom surface of the sheet,

[0066] 2'……Through hole, 2'a……Upper opening, 2'b……Lower opening, 2'……Metal layer

[0067] 2…through electrode, 2a…upper opening, 2b…lower opening, 2c…inner circumferential surface,

[0068] 3... penetrate the narrow slit,

[0069] 4…Move the probe up and down, 4a…First conical surface, 4b…Second conical surface, 4c…Bulging corner, 4d…Upper end, 4e…Lower end,

[0070] 5…guide hole, 5a…third conical surface, 5b…fourth conical surface, 5c…receiving corner,

[0071] θ...the angle of the receiving corner, θ'...the angle of the bulging corner,

[0072] 11... IC package, 11a... spherical bump,

[0073] 12...base, 12a...flat electrode,

[0074] 13...First component, 13a...Spherical protrusion,

[0075] 14……Second component, 14a……Spherical protrusion.

Claims

1. A probe sheet, characterized in that, The device comprises: a through electrode formed by a through hole between the upper and lower surfaces of a through sheet, wherein a conductive metal layer is formed on the inner surface of the through hole by plating; a through slit that surrounds the through electrode in a ring shape when viewed from above, and passes through the upper and lower surfaces of the sheet; a vertically movable probe that cuts off from the sheet body through the through slit, wherein the vertically movable probe encloses the through electrode; and a guide hole that surrounds and holds the vertically movable probe through the through slit; the vertically movable probe has a bulging corner on its side formed by a first conical surface and a second conical surface, and the guide hole has a receiving corner on its inner wall formed by a third conical surface opposite to the first conical surface and a fourth conical surface opposite to the second conical surface, wherein the angle of the receiving corner of the guide hole is an obtuse angle, wherein the receiving corner and the bulging corner prevent the vertically movable probe from falling out of the guide hole, while the through slit allows the vertically movable probe to move up and down.

2. The probe sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that, The up-and-down moving probe is formed such that the bottom surfaces of the truncated cone and the truncated inverted cone are joined together, the entire circumferential area of ​​the side surface of the truncated cone is designated as the first cone surface, and the entire circumferential area of ​​the side surface of the truncated inverted cone is designated as the second cone surface.

3. The probe sheet according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that, The upper opening of the through electrode is formed into a truncated inverted cone shape, and its cross-section is shaped like a cocktail glass. The truncated inverted cone shape is either a truncated chamfered cone shape or a truncated rounded cone shape.

4. The probe sheet according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lower opening of the through electrode is formed into a truncated cone shape, and together with the upper opening of the through electrode, they form a cross-section resembling an hourglass shape. The truncated cone shape can be a truncated triangular cone or a truncated conical cone.

5. A method for manufacturing a probe sheet, characterized in that, The device comprises: a process of perforating a through hole in an insulating sheet; a process of forming a metal layer and a through electrode on the inner wall of the through hole; and a process of cutting and setting a vertically moving probe containing the through electrode from the sheet body by forming a through slit that surrounds the through electrode in a top view and passes through the upper and lower surfaces of the sheet, forming the side of the vertically moving probe, providing a guide hole that holds the vertically moving probe through the through slit, and forming the inner wall of the guide hole. The through slit is formed by engraving from both the upper and lower surfaces of the sheet, and the guide hole surrounds and holds the vertically moving probe through the through slit. A bulging corner formed by a first conical surface and a second conical surface is provided on the side of the vertically moving probe. On the other hand, a receiving corner formed by a third conical surface opposite to the first conical surface and a fourth conical surface opposite to the second conical surface is provided on the inner wall of the guide hole.

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