Height adjustment method, control device and medium of probe station

Abstract

The present application provides a method for adjusting the height of a probe station, a control device, and a medium. The method includes: obtaining the initial height and the initial step size of the probe station in the current cycle; controlling the probe station to adjust the initial height according to the initial step size to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station; controlling an automatic test device to perform open-short circuit tests on each device under test on a wafer when the probe station is at the adjusted height to obtain the test results of the devices under test. The test results include: all the devices under test are successfully tested, some of the devices under test are successfully tested, or all the devices under test fail the test; determining whether to stop adjusting the height of the probe station according to the test results. If so, stop adjusting the height of the probe station. If not, determine a new step size according to the initial step size, use the new step size as the initial step size for the next cycle of the current cycle, use the adjusted height as the initial height for the next cycle, and enter the next cycle. The height adjustment efficiency of the probe station is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of wafer testing, and in particular to a height adjustment method, control equipment, and medium for a probe station. Background Art

[0002] After wafer fabrication is complete, wafer testing is required. This testing occurs between wafer fabrication and wafer packaging in the entire wafer production process. By performing electrical testing on each die on the wafer, defective dies can be screened out, preventing them from entering the subsequent packaging and testing phase, thus saving packaging costs.

[0003] The probe station serves as a platform for supporting wafers. During wafer testing, the probe station's Z-axis height must be adjusted to precisely control the distance between the probe and the contact point on the device under test on the wafer. If the distance is too large, a test failure may occur; if the distance is too small, the wafer may be pierced, causing damage. Currently, the probe station's Z-axis height is typically adjusted automatically with a fixed step size. This results in excessive Z-axis height adjustments, impacting probe adjustment efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, how to quickly determine the appropriate Z-axis height for adjusting the probe station and improve the needle adjustment efficiency of the probe station is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to address the deficiencies in the above-mentioned prior art and provide a probe station height adjustment method, control device and medium to solve the practical problems of excessive number of probe station height adjustments and low needle adjustment efficiency in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted in the embodiment of the present application is as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for adjusting the height of a probe station, which is applied to a control device, wherein the control device is respectively connected to an automatic test device and a probe station for communication, a wafer is placed on the probe station, and the wafer includes a plurality of devices under test. The method includes:

[0008] Obtaining the initial height and initial step length of the probe station in the current cycle round;

[0009] According to the initial step length, controlling the probe station to adjust the initial height to obtain an adjusted height of the probe station;

[0010] Control the automatic test equipment to perform open - short circuit tests on each device under test on the wafer when the probe station is at the adjusted height, and obtain the test results of the devices under test. The test results include: all devices under test are successfully tested, some devices under test are successfully tested, or all devices under test fail the test;

[0011] According to the test results, determine whether to stop adjusting the height of the probe station. If so, stop adjusting the height of the probe station. If not, determine a new step size according to the initial step size, use the new step size as the initial step size for the next cycle of the current cycle, use the adjusted height as the initial height for the next cycle, and enter the next cycle.

[0012] As an optional implementation, the determining the new step size according to the initial step size includes:

[0013] Determine the new step size according to the initial step size, a preset adjustment ratio, and a preset adjustment direction.

[0014] As an optional implementation, the determining the new step size according to the initial step size includes:

[0015] Determine the new step size according to the test results of at least one cycle before the current cycle and the initial step size.

[0016] As an optional implementation, the controlling the probe station to adjust the initial height according to the initial step size to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station includes:

[0017] Generate a height adjustment instruction according to the initial step size;

[0018] Send the height adjustment instruction to the probe station, and the probe station responds to the height adjustment instruction and adjusts the initial height of the probe station according to the initial step size to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station.

[0019] As an optional implementation, the controlling the automatic test equipment to perform open - short circuit tests on each device under test on the wafer when the probe station is at the adjusted height to obtain the test results of the devices under test includes:

[0020] Send a test instruction to the automatic test equipment;

[0021] The automatic test equipment responds to the test instruction and obtains the open - short circuit test program path;

[0022] According to the open / short test program path, call the open / short test program under the open / short test program path to execute the open / short test program. When the open / short test program is executed, perform an open / short test on each device under test on the wafer to obtain the original test results;

[0023] Obtain the test results of the devices under test according to the original test results.

[0024] As an optional implementation, the obtaining the test results of the devices under test according to the original test results includes:

[0025] Convert the original test results into a standardized format to obtain the test results of the devices under test.

[0026] As an optional implementation, the determining whether to stop adjusting the height of the probe station according to the test results includes:

[0027] If, when the probe station is at the adjusted height, the test results indicate that all the devices under test have been successfully tested, determine to stop adjusting the height of the probe station; otherwise, determine not to stop adjusting the height of the probe station.

[0028] As an optional implementation, before controlling the probe station to adjust the initial height according to the initial step size, it further includes:

[0029] Obtain the maximum height of the probe station, the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station, the sum of the initial height and the initial step size, and the number of cyclic adjustments that have been made;

[0030] If the sum of the initial height and the initial step size is greater than or equal to the maximum height of the probe station, or if the number of cyclic adjustments that have been made is equal to the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station, determine to stop adjusting the initial height of the probe station and output an alarm message.

[0031] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a height adjustment device for a probe station, and the device includes:

[0032] An acquisition module, configured to acquire the initial height and the initial step size of the probe station in the current cyclic round;

[0033] A control module, configured to control the probe station to adjust the initial height according to the initial step size to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station;

[0034] The control module is further configured to control the automatic test equipment to perform open - short circuit tests on each device under test on the wafer when the probe station is at the adjusted height, and obtain the test results of the devices under test. The test results include: all devices under test are successfully tested, some devices under test are successfully tested, or all devices under test fail the test.

[0035] A determination module is configured to determine whether to stop adjusting the height of the probe station according to the test results. If so, stop adjusting the height of the probe station. If not, determine a new step size according to the initial step size, use the new step size as the initial step size for the next cycle of the current cycle, use the adjusted height as the initial height for the next cycle, and enter the next cycle.

[0036] As an optional implementation manner, the determination module is specifically configured to:

[0037] Determine the new step size according to the initial step size, a preset adjustment ratio, and a preset adjustment direction.

[0038] As an optional implementation manner, the determination module is specifically configured to:

[0039] Determine the new step size according to the test results of at least one cycle before the current cycle and the initial step size.

[0040] As an optional implementation manner, the control module is specifically configured to:

[0041] Generate a height adjustment instruction according to the initial step size;

[0042] Send the height adjustment instruction to the probe station, and the probe station responds to the height adjustment instruction to adjust the initial height of the probe station according to the initial step size to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station.

[0043] As an optional implementation manner, the control module is specifically configured to:

[0044] Send a test instruction to the automatic test equipment;

[0045] The automatic test equipment responds to the test instruction to obtain the open - short circuit test program path;

[0046] Call the open - short circuit test program under the open - short circuit test program path according to the open - short circuit test program path, so that the open - short circuit test program is executed. When the open - short circuit test program is executed, perform open - short circuit tests on each device under test on the wafer to obtain the original test results;

[0047] The test result of the device under test is obtained according to the original test result.

[0048] As an optional implementation, the control module is specifically configured to:

[0049] The original test result is converted into a standardized format to obtain the test result of the device under test.

[0050] As an optional implementation, the determining module is specifically configured to:

[0051] If the test result is that all the devices under test are tested successfully when the probe station is at the adjusted height, it is determined to stop adjusting the height of the probe station; otherwise, it is determined not to stop adjusting the height of the probe station.

[0052] As an optional implementation, the control module is further configured to:

[0053] Obtaining the maximum height of the probe station, the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station, the sum of the initial height and the initial step length, and the number of cyclic adjustments;

[0054] If the sum of the initial height and the initial step length is greater than or equal to the maximum height of the probe station, or if the number of cyclic adjustments is equal to the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station, it is determined to stop adjusting the initial height of the probe station and output an alarm message.

[0055] In the third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control device, comprising: a processor, a memory and a bus, wherein the control device is communicatively connected to an automatic test device and a probe station respectively, and the memory stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor. When the control device is running, the processor communicates with the memory through the bus, and the processor executes the machine-readable instructions to perform the steps of the probe station height adjustment method as described in the first aspect above.

[0056] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the probe station height adjustment method as described in the first aspect above are executed.

[0057] The beneficial effects of this application are:

[0058] The present application provides a method for adjusting the height of a probe station, a control device, and a medium. The height of the probe station is adjusted iteratively through multiple cycles. In the current cycle, the control device first obtains an initial height and an initial step size, both of which are obtained based on the adjustment result of the previous cycle. Based on the initial step size, the control device can adjust the height of the probe station from the initial height to the adjusted height, and perform an open / short circuit test on the device under test at the adjusted height. Based on the open / short circuit test result, the control device can determine whether to end the cycle and stop adjusting the height of the probe station, or continue with the next cycle. Since an open / short circuit test is performed after adjusting the height of the probe station in each cycle, it is decided whether to continue the adjustment according to the open / short circuit test result. At the same time, when it is determined to continue the adjustment, the initial height and the initial step size of the next cycle are determined based on the adjusted height and the initial step size of the current cycle, thereby greatly improving the adjustment efficiency when adjusting the height of the probe station. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present application and should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0060] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the architecture including the communication connection of the control device provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Figure 2 Schematic flowchart of the method for adjusting the height of the probe station provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Figure 3 Schematic flowchart of the control probe station for adjusting the initial height of the method for adjusting the height of the probe station provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0063] Figure 4 Schematic flowchart of the control automatic test equipment for performing an open / short circuit test in the method for adjusting the height of the probe station provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0064] Figure 5 Schematic flowchart of determining whether to stop adjusting the initial height of the probe station in the method for adjusting the height of the probe station provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0065] Figure 6 Module structure diagram of the device for adjusting the height of the probe station provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0066] Figure 7Schematic structural diagram of the control device provided by the embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0067] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings in the present application are only for the purposes of illustration and description, and are not used to limit the protection scope of the present application. In addition, it should be understood that the schematic drawings are not drawn in actual proportions. The flowcharts used in the present application illustrate the operations implemented according to some embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the operations in the flowchart may not be implemented in sequence, and the steps without logical context may be reversed or implemented simultaneously. In addition, those skilled in the art may add one or more other operations to the flowchart or remove one or more operations from the flowchart under the guidance of the content of the present application.

[0068] In addition, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, rather than all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present application usually described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application to be protected, but only represents the selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0069] It should be noted that the term "including" will be used in the embodiments of the present application to indicate the existence of the features stated thereafter, but does not exclude the addition of other features.

[0070] As a platform for carrying wafers, when performing wafer testing, the height of the probe station needs to be adjusted to precisely control the distance between the probe and the contact points of the devices under test on the wafer. Currently, the height of the probe station is usually adjusted in a fixed-step automatic adjustment manner, resulting in too many times of adjusting the height of the probe station and affecting the needle adjustment efficiency of the probe station.

[0071] Based on the above problems, this embodiment proposes a method, control device and medium for adjusting the height of a probe station. The control device sends a height adjustment instruction to the probe station connected to the control device according to the initial step size in the current cycle, and controls the probe station to adjust the initial height of the probe station according to the initial step size to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station in the current cycle. The control device sends a test instruction to the automatic test device connected to the control device, and controls the automatic test device to perform an open and short circuit test on each device to be tested on the wafer when the probe station is at the adjusted height in the current cycle, and determines the test result of the device to be tested. According to the test result of the device to be tested, it is determined whether to end the current cycle to stop adjusting the height of the probe station; if the control device determines not to stop adjusting the height of the probe station, the initial step size of the next cycle is determined according to the initial step size in the current cycle, so as to enter the next cycle to continue adjusting the height of the probe station. The control device iteratively adjusts the height of the probe station by cyclically controlling the probe station, thereby improving the efficiency of the height adjustment of the probe station.

[0072] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication connection including the control device provided in the embodiment of the present application is as follows Figure 1 As shown, the control device is respectively connected to the automatic test equipment and the probe station for communication. Specifically, the control device communicates with the automatic test equipment via optical fiber or Ethernet, and the control device communicates with the probe station via the General-Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB). The control device is used to send various height adjustment instructions to the probe station via GPIB to control the probe station to iteratively adjust the height of the probe station in each cycle. The control device is also used to send various test instructions to the automatic test equipment via optical fiber or Ethernet to control the automatic test equipment to perform open and short circuit tests on each device under test on the wafer when the probe station is at the adjusted height in each cycle.

[0073] A wafer containing multiple DUTs is placed on a probe station. The probe station receives height adjustment commands from a control device via GPIB, responds to each height adjustment command, and iteratively adjusts the probe station's height in each cycle. The automated test equipment receives test commands from the control device via optical fiber or Ethernet, calls and executes the open / short circuit test program, performs open / short circuit tests on each DUT on the wafer, and obtains the original test results.

[0074] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a method for adjusting the height of a probe station provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the execution subject of the method may be Figure 1 The control device in Figure 2 As shown, the method includes:

[0075] S201: Obtain the initial height and initial step length of the probe station in the current cycle round.

[0076] It is worth noting that, in the embodiment of the present application, the height of the probe station can be adjusted to a more ideal height through multiple cycles. The current cycle described in steps S201-S204 is any cycle in the multiple cycles.

[0077] Optionally, the initial height refers to the height reached after the probe station is adjusted in the cycle before the current cycle, and the initial step size refers to the step size for use in the current cycle that is re-determined based on the initial step size used in the previous cycle at the end of the cycle before the current cycle. The initial step size specifically represents the amount of adjustment of the probe station height.

[0078] If the current cycle is the first cycle, the control device responds to the user's input operation, obtains the user-preset starting height for the first adjustment of the probe station's height and the height adjustment amount for the first adjustment of the probe station's height, and uses the starting height for the first adjustment of the probe station's height as the initial height of the probe station in the current cycle, and uses the height adjustment amount for the first adjustment of the probe station's height as the initial step length of the probe station in the current cycle.

[0079] Reference Figure 1 The probe station and the control device communicate via GBIP. If the current cycle is not the first cycle, the control device uses the adjusted height of the previous cycle received by the probe station via GPIB as the initial height of the probe station in the current cycle, so that the control device can control the probe station to adjust the height of the probe station based on the initial height in the current cycle. In addition, at the end of the previous cycle before the current cycle, the control device determines the initial step length of the current cycle based on the initial step length of the previous cycle.

[0080] S202 : According to the initial step length, control the probe station to adjust the initial height to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station.

[0081] The control device communicates with the probe station via GBIP. The control device controls the probe station to adjust the initial height of the probe station in the current cycle according to the initial step length of the probe station in the current cycle. Specifically, under the control of the control device, the probe station adjusts the initial step length based on the initial height in the current cycle, obtains the adjusted height of the probe station in the current cycle, and sends the adjusted height of the probe station in the current cycle to the control device via GPIB.

[0082] S203. Control the automatic test equipment to perform open - short circuit tests on each device under test on the wafer when the probe station is at the adjusted height, and obtain the test results of the devices under test. The test results include: all devices under test are successfully tested, some devices under test are successfully tested, or all devices under test fail the test.

[0083] Optionally, when the control device receives the adjusted height in the current cycle round sent by the probe station through GPIB, the control device communicates with the automatic test equipment through optical fiber or Ethernet. When the probe station is at the adjusted height in the current cycle round, the control device controls the automatic test equipment to perform open - circuit tests and short - circuit tests on each device under test on the wafer placed on the probe station, and obtains the test results of the devices under test corresponding to the current cycle round.

[0084] Among them, each device under test on the wafer is regarded as each test point. The test results include: all devices under test are successfully tested, some devices under test are successfully tested, or all devices under test fail the test. Specifically, if the test results of the devices under test corresponding to the current cycle round are that all devices under test are successfully tested, it means that all probes have contacted all test points of the devices under test; if the test results corresponding to the current cycle round are that some devices under test are successfully tested, it means that some probes have contacted some test points of the devices under test, that is, the remaining probes have not contacted the remaining test points of the devices under test; if the test results of the devices under test corresponding to the current cycle round are that all devices under test fail the test, it means that all probes have not contacted all test points on the devices under test.

[0085] S204. According to the test results, determine whether to stop adjusting the height of the probe station. If so, stop adjusting the height of the probe station. If not, determine a new step size according to the initial step size, use the new step size as the initial step size for the next cycle round of the current cycle round, use the adjusted height as the initial height for the next cycle round, and enter the next cycle round.

[0086] Optionally, the control device determines whether to stop the cyclic adjustment of the height of the probe station according to the test results of the devices under test corresponding to the current cycle round. If the control device determines to stop the cyclic adjustment of the height of the probe station, it controls the probe station to stop entering the next cycle round, and uses the adjusted height of the probe station in the current cycle round as the target height of the probe station.

[0087] If the control device determines to continue to cyclically adjust the height of the probe station, a new step size is re-determined according to the initial step size in the current cycle, and the new step size is used as the initial step size for the next cycle of the current cycle. The adjusted height of the probe station in the current cycle is used as the initial height of the probe station in the next cycle, and the next cycle is entered to control the probe station to adjust the initial height of the next cycle according to the initial step size of the next cycle, so as to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station in the next cycle. The control device controls the automatic test equipment to perform open / short circuit tests on each device under test on the wafer when the probe station is at the adjusted height in the next cycle, and obtains the test results of the devices under test corresponding to the next cycle. The control device determines whether to continue to cyclically adjust the height of the probe station according to the test results of the devices under test corresponding to the next cycle until the target height of the probe station is determined.

[0088] In this embodiment, the height of the probe station is iteratively adjusted through multiple cycles. In the current cycle, the control device first obtains the initial height and the initial step size, both of which are obtained based on the adjustment results of the previous cycle. Based on this initial step size, the control device can adjust the height of the probe station from the initial height to the adjusted height, and perform open / short circuit tests on the devices under test at this adjusted height. Based on the open / short circuit test results, the control device can determine whether to end the cycle and stop adjusting the height of the probe station, or continue with the next cycle. Since open / short circuit tests are performed after adjusting the height of the probe station in each cycle, it is thus determined whether to continue the adjustment according to the open / short circuit test results. At the same time, when it is determined to continue the adjustment, the initial height and the initial step size of the next cycle are determined based on the adjusted height and the initial step size of the current cycle, thereby greatly improving the adjustment efficiency when adjusting the height of the probe station.

[0089] As an optional implementation manner, the step of determining the new step size according to the initial step size in step S204 above includes:

[0090] Determine the new step size according to the initial step size, a preset adjustment ratio, and a preset adjustment direction.

[0091] Optionally, based on the initial step size of the current cycle, the control device determines a new step size according to a preset adjustment ratio and a preset adjustment direction, and uses it as the initial step size of the next cycle of the current cycle. Specifically, the preset adjustment direction is used to indicate whether to increase or decrease the step size based on the initial step size of the current cycle, and the preset adjustment ratio is used to indicate the ratio of adjusting the step size based on the initial step size of the current cycle. The control device determines the step size adjustment amount according to the product of the preset adjustment ratio and the initial step size of the current cycle, and then determines the sum or difference between the step size adjustment amount and the initial step size of the current cycle according to the preset adjustment direction to obtain the new step size.

[0092] Exemplarily, if the initial step size of the current cycle is , and the new step size is , the preset adjustment ratio is 10%, and the preset adjustment direction is to decrease the step size based on the initial step size of the current cycle, then the new step size is determined based on the following formula :

[0093] = -

[0094] Exemplarily, if the initial step size of the current cycle is , and the new step size is , the preset adjustment ratio is 5%, and the preset adjustment direction is to increase the step size based on the initial step size of the current cycle, then the new step size is determined based on the following formula :

[0095] =

[0096] In this embodiment, the control device determines a new step size based on the initial step size of the current cycle according to a preset adjustment ratio and a preset adjustment direction. The preset adjustment direction is used to indicate whether to increase or decrease the step size based on the initial step size of the current cycle, and the preset adjustment ratio is used to indicate the ratio of adjusting the step size based on the initial step size of the current cycle. This improves the accuracy of determining the new step size, facilitates the control device to control the probe station to continue to adjust the height of the probe station according to the new step size, and further improves the height adjustment efficiency of the probe station.

[0097] As an alternative embodiment, the step of determining the new step size according to the initial step size in step S204 above includes:

[0098] Determine the new step size according to the test results of at least one cycle before the current cycle and the initial step size.

[0099] Optionally, the control device determines the step size adjustment direction according to the test results of at least one cycle before the current cycle, and determines the new step size according to the step size adjustment direction and the initial step size of the current cycle. Exemplarily, if the test results of the last three cycles before the current cycle are all that all tests of the device under test fail, that is, when the probe station is at the adjusted height in the last three cycles, none of the probes touch the test points on the device under test, it is determined that the adjustment direction is to increase the step size. The control device increases the preset step size adjustment amount on the basis of the initial step size of the current cycle according to the adjustment direction of increasing the step size, and takes the sum of the initial step size of the current cycle and the preset step size adjustment amount as the new step size.

[0100] Exemplarily, the test results of the last three cycles before the current cycle are all that some tests of the device under test are successful, that is, when the probe station is at the adjusted height in the last three cycles, some of the probes have touched some of the test points on the device under test, it is determined that the adjustment direction is to decrease the step size. The control device subtracts the preset step size adjustment amount on the basis of the initial step size of the current cycle according to the adjustment direction of decreasing the step size, and takes the difference between the initial step size of the current cycle and the preset step size adjustment amount as the new step size.

[0101] In this embodiment, the control device determines the step size adjustment direction according to the test results of at least one cycle before the current cycle, and then determines the new step size according to the step size adjustment direction and the initial step size of the current cycle. This improves the accuracy of the new step size and the flexibility of determining the new step size.

[0102] The following details the process of controlling the probe station to adjust the initial height according to the initial step size to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station.

[0103] Figure 3 It is a schematic flowchart of controlling the probe station to adjust the initial height for the height adjustment method of the probe station provided by the embodiment of the present application. As Figure 3 shown, the step of controlling the probe station to adjust the initial height according to the initial step size in step S202 above to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station includes:

[0104] S301. Generate a height adjustment instruction according to the initial step size.

[0105] Optionally, the control device generates a height adjustment instruction corresponding to the current cycle according to the initial step size of the probe station in the current cycle. The height adjustment instruction corresponding to the current cycle is used to control the probe station to adjust the initial height of the probe station according to the initial step size in the current cycle.

[0106] S302. Send the height adjustment instruction to the probe station. The probe station responds to the height adjustment instruction and adjusts the initial height of the probe station according to the initial step size to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station.

[0107] Optionally, continue to refer to Figure 1 , the control device sends the height adjustment instruction corresponding to the current cycle generated through GPIB to the probe station communicatively connected to the control device. The probe station receives and responds to the height adjustment instruction corresponding to the current cycle, and adjusts the initial height of the probe station in the current cycle according to the initial step size of the probe station in the current cycle, and takes the sum of the initial height of the probe station in the current cycle and the initial step size as the adjusted height of the probe station in the current cycle.

[0108] In this embodiment, the control device generates a height adjustment instruction according to the initial step size of the probe station. The height adjustment instruction is used to control the probe station to adjust the initial height of the probe station according to the initial step size. The probe station receives and responds to the height adjustment instruction sent by the control device, and adjusts the initial height of the probe station according to the initial step size of the probe station to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station.

[0109] Next, a detailed description will be given to the process of the control automatic test equipment performing an open / short circuit test on each device under test on the wafer when the probe station is at the adjusted height to obtain the test results of the devices under test.

[0110] Figure 4 is a schematic flow chart of the control automatic test equipment performing an open / short circuit test for the height adjustment method of the probe station provided in the embodiment of the present application. As Figure 4 shown, the step of the above step S203 of the control automatic test equipment performing an open / short circuit test on each device under test on the wafer when the probe station is at the adjusted height to obtain the test results of the devices under test includes:

[0111] S401. Send a test instruction to the automatic test equipment.

[0112] Optionally, continue to refer to Figure 1 , when the control device receives the adjusted height in the current cycle sent by the probe station through GPIB, it generates a test instruction according to the path of the open / short circuit test program pre-stored in the control device, and sends the test instruction to the automatic test equipment through optical fiber or Ethernet. The test instruction is used to control the automatic test equipment to call the open / short circuit test program under the open / short circuit test program path to perform an open / short circuit test on each device under test on the wafer.

[0113] S402. The automatic test equipment responds to the test instruction and obtains the open / short circuit test program path.

[0114] Optionally, the automatic test equipment receives and responds to the test instruction sent by the control device to obtain the open-short circuit test program path indicated in the test instruction.

[0115] S403, according to the open-short circuit test program path, calling the open-short circuit test program under the open-short circuit test program path, so that the open-short circuit test program is executed, and when the open-short circuit test program is executed, the open-short circuit test is performed on each device under test on the wafer to obtain the original test result.

[0116] Optionally, the automatic test equipment calls and executes the open-short circuit test program stored in the open-short circuit test program path of the control device according to the open-short circuit test program path. When the open-short circuit test program is executed, an open circuit test and a short circuit test are performed on each device under test on the wafer placed on the probe station when the probe station is at the adjusted height for the current cycle, thereby obtaining the original test results of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle. The automatic test equipment responds to the result return instruction sent by the control device and sends the original test results of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle to the control device via optical fiber or Ethernet.

[0117] S404: Obtain the test result of the device under test according to the original test result.

[0118] Optionally, the control device receives the original test results of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle round sent by the automatic test equipment through optical fiber or Ethernet, and processes the original test results of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle round to obtain the test results of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle round.

[0119] In this embodiment, the control device generates a test instruction according to the path of the open-short circuit test program stored in advance, and sends the test instruction to the automatic test device. The automatic test device receives and responds to the test instruction sent by the control device to obtain the open-short circuit test program path, and calls and executes the open-short circuit test program according to the open-short circuit test program path, performs an open-short circuit test on each device under test on the wafer placed on the probe station when the probe station is at the adjusted height under the current cycle, and obtains the original test result of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle. The control device performs data processing on the original test result of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle sent by the automatic test device, and obtains the test result of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle. It is convenient for the control device to judge whether to stop adjusting the height of the probe station according to the test result of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle.

[0120] As an optional implementation manner, the step of obtaining the test result of the device under test according to the original test result in the above step S404 includes:

[0121] Convert the original test results into a standardized format to obtain the test results of the device under test.

[0122] Optionally, the control device performs data cleaning and format conversion on the original test results of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle sent by the automatic test device, eliminates abnormal data in the original test results of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle, and converts the format of the original test results of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle into data in a standardized format.

[0123] In this embodiment, the control device converts the format of the original test results of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle into data in a standardized format, which facilitates the identification and analysis of the data in the standardized format to obtain the test results of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle. The accuracy of the test results of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle is improved.

[0124] Hereinafter, the process of determining whether to stop adjusting the height of the probe station will be described in detail.

[0125] As an alternative embodiment, the step of determining whether to stop adjusting the height of the probe station according to the test results in step S204 described above includes:

[0126] If the test result is that all tests of the device under test are successful when the probe station is at the adjusted height, it is determined to stop adjusting the height of the probe station; otherwise, it is determined not to stop adjusting the height of the probe station.

[0127] Optionally, if the test result of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle is that all tests of the device under test are successful when the probe station is at the adjusted height in the current cycle, that is, each probe has fully contacted the test points of each device under test, indicating that the probe station has been adjusted to the target height, the control device determines to stop adjusting the height of the probe station, stops controlling the probe station to enter the next cycle, and uses the adjusted height of the probe station in the current cycle as the target height of the probe station.

[0128] If the test result of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle is that some tests of the device under test are successful or all tests of the device under test are failed when the probe station is at the adjusted height in the current cycle, that is, some probes have contacted some test points of the device under test or each probe has not contacted each test point of each device under test, indicating that the probe station has not been adjusted to the target height, the control device determines not to stop adjusting the height of the probe station, controls the probe station to enter the next cycle, and stops the cycle until the control device determines that the probe station has been adjusted to the target height according to the test results.

[0129] In this embodiment, when the probe station is at the adjusted height in the current cycle, if the test result of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle is that all tests of the device under test are successful, the control device determines to stop adjusting the height of the probe station, and takes the adjusted height of the probe station in the current cycle as the target height of the probe station. If the test result of the device under test corresponding to the current cycle is that some tests of the device under test are successful or all tests of the device under test fail, the control device determines not to stop adjusting the height of the probe station, and controls the probe station to enter the next cycle. The accuracy of height adjustment of the probe station is improved.

[0130] Figure 5 It is a schematic flowchart for determining whether to stop adjusting the initial height of the height adjustment method of the probe station provided by the embodiment of the present application. As Figure 5 shown, before the step of controlling the probe station to adjust the initial height according to the initial step size in the above step S202, it further includes:

[0131] S501. Obtain the maximum height of the probe station, the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station, the sum of the initial height and the initial step size, and the number of cyclic adjustments that have been made.

[0132] Optionally, the control device obtains the maximum height of the probe station and the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station preset by the user according to the actual adjustment requirements. Among them, the preset maximum height of the probe station is the limit position of the probe station rising preset by the user. If the height of the probe station exceeds this limit position when the probe station rises, the wafer placed on the probe station will be pierced by the probe and the wafer will be damaged.

[0133] The control device calculates the sum of the initial height and the initial step size in the current cycle according to the initial height and the initial step size of the probe station in the current cycle. Among them, the sum of the initial height and the initial step size in the current cycle calculated by the control device is equal to the adjusted height of the probe station at the end of the current cycle. The control device obtains the cumulative number of cyclic adjustments at the end of the previous cycle of the current cycle.

[0134] S502. If the sum of the initial height and the initial step size is greater than or equal to the maximum height of the probe station, or if the number of cyclic adjustments that have been made is equal to the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station, determine to stop adjusting the initial height of the probe station and output an alarm message.

[0135] Optionally, before the control device controls the probe station to adjust the initial height in the current cycle, it is necessary to judge whether to stop adjusting the initial height of the probe station in the current cycle according to the maximum height of the probe station, the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station, the sum of the initial height and the initial step size, and the number of cyclic adjustments that have been made.

[0136] Specifically, if the sum of the initial height and the initial step at the current cycle calculated by the control device is greater than or equal to the maximum height of the probe station, it means that the adjusted height of the probe station at the current cycle will reach or exceed the limit position of the probe station rising preset by the user. This will cause the wafer placed on the probe station to be punctured by the probe at the end of the current cycle. Then the control device determines to stop adjusting the initial height of the probe station at the current cycle and outputs a first alarm message to prompt the user that the adjusted height of the probe station at the current cycle will reach or exceed the maximum height of the probe station and the initial height of the probe station cannot be adjusted at the current cycle.

[0137] Alternatively, if at the end of the previous cycle of the current cycle, the accumulated number of cyclic adjustments is equal to the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the preset height of the probe station, it means that the target height of the probe station has not been found after repeatedly iteratively adjusting the height of the probe station. Then the control device determines to stop adjusting the initial height of the probe station at the current cycle and outputs a second alarm message to prompt the user that the accumulated number of cyclic adjustments is equal to the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station and the target height of the probe station has not been found yet.

[0138] In this embodiment, the control device obtains the maximum height of the preset probe station, the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the preset height of the probe station, the sum of the initial height and the initial step at the current cycle, and the accumulated number of cyclic adjustments at the end of the previous cycle of the current cycle. If the sum of the initial height and the initial step at the current cycle calculated by the control device is greater than or equal to the maximum height of the probe station, the control device determines to stop adjusting the initial height of the probe station at the current cycle and outputs a first alarm message to prompt the user that the adjusted height of the probe station at the current cycle will reach or exceed the maximum height of the probe station and the initial height of the probe station cannot be adjusted at the current cycle. Alternatively, if the accumulated number of cyclic adjustments at the end of the previous cycle of the current cycle is equal to the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station, the control device determines to stop adjusting the initial height of the probe station at the current cycle and outputs a second alarm message to prompt the user that the accumulated number of cyclic adjustments is equal to the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station and the target height of the probe station has not been found yet. This avoids damage to the wafer placed on the probe station and improves the height adjustment efficiency of the probe station.

[0139] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application also provides a height adjustment device for a probe station corresponding to the height adjustment method of the probe station. Since the principle of solving problems by the device in the embodiment of the present application is similar to the above-mentioned height adjustment method of the probe station in the embodiment of the present application, the implementation of the device can refer to the implementation of the method, and the repeated parts will not be described again.

[0140] Figure 6The module structure diagram of the height adjustment device of the probe station provided in the embodiment of the present application is as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the device includes:

[0141] The acquisition module 601 is used to obtain the initial height and initial step length of the probe station in the current cycle round.

[0142] The control module 602 is used to control the probe station to adjust the initial height according to the initial step length to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station.

[0143] The control module 602 is also used to control the automatic testing equipment to perform open and short circuit tests on each device under test on the wafer when the probe station is at the adjusted height, and obtain the test results of the device under test. The test results include: all devices under test are tested successfully, some devices under test are tested successfully, or all devices under test fail to be tested.

[0144] Determination module 603 is used to determine whether to stop adjusting the height of the probe station based on the test results. If so, stop adjusting the height of the probe station. If not, determine a new step length based on the initial step length, use the new step length as the initial step length of the next cycle round of the current cycle round, use the adjusted height as the initial height of the next cycle round, and enter the next cycle round.

[0145] As an optional implementation manner, the determining module 603 is specifically configured to:

[0146] A new step size is determined based on the initial step size, a preset adjustment ratio, and a preset adjustment direction.

[0147] As an optional implementation manner, the determining module 603 is specifically configured to:

[0148] The new step length is determined based on the test results of at least one cycle before the current cycle and the initial step length.

[0149] As an optional implementation, the control module 602 is specifically configured to:

[0150] Generate height adjustment instructions based on the initial step length.

[0151] The height adjustment instruction is sent to the probe station, and the probe station responds to the height adjustment instruction and adjusts the initial height of the probe station according to the initial step length to obtain the adjusted height of the probe station.

[0152] As an optional implementation, the control module 602 is specifically configured to:

[0153] Send test instructions to automatic test equipment.

[0154] The automatic test equipment responds to the test instruction and obtains the open-short circuit test program path.

[0155] According to the open-short circuit test program path, the open-short circuit test program under the open-short circuit test program path is called to execute the open-short circuit test program. When the open-short circuit test program is executed, the open-short circuit test is performed on each device to be tested on the wafer to obtain the original test result.

[0156] According to the original test results, the test results of the device under test are obtained.

[0157] As an optional implementation, the control module 602 is specifically configured to:

[0158] Convert the original test results into a standardized format to obtain the test results of the device under test.

[0159] As an optional implementation manner, the determining module 603 is specifically configured to:

[0160] If the test result shows that all the devices under test are tested successfully when the probe station is at the adjusted height, it is determined to stop adjusting the height of the probe station; otherwise, it is determined not to stop adjusting the height of the probe station.

[0161] As an optional implementation, the control module 602 is further configured to:

[0162] Obtain the maximum height of the probe station, the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the probe station's height, the sum of the initial height and the initial step length, and the number of cyclic adjustments;

[0163] If the sum of the initial height and the initial step length is greater than or equal to the maximum height of the probe station, or if the number of cyclic adjustments is equal to the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station, it is determined to stop adjusting the initial height of the probe station and output an alarm message.

[0164] This embodiment also provides a control device, such as Figure 7 FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the control device provided in this embodiment, comprising: a processor 71, a memory 72 and a bus 73. The memory 72 stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor 71 (for example, Figure 6 In the device, the acquisition module 601, the control module 602 and the execution instructions corresponding to the determination module 603, etc., when the control device is running, the processor 71 and the memory 72 communicate through the bus 73. When the machine-readable instructions are executed by the processor 71, the steps of the height adjustment method of the probe station in the above embodiment are executed.

[0165] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method for adjusting the height of the probe station in the above embodiment are executed.

[0166] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and conciseness of description, the specific working processes of the systems and devices described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the method embodiments, and will not be elaborated herein. In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the modules is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation. For another example, multiple modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the displayed or discussed coupling or direct coupling or communication connection to each other can be through some communication interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of the devices or modules can be in electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0167] In addition, each functional unit in the various embodiments of the present application can be integrated in a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically alone, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit. If the function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art or part of this technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention. The foregoing storage medium includes: various media such as USB flash drives, mobile hard disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), magnetic disks, or optical discs that can store program codes.

[0168] The above are only the specific embodiments of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, and all should be covered by the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting the height of a probe station, characterized in that Applied to a control device, the control device is communicatively connected to an automatic test device and a probe station respectively. A wafer is placed on the probe station, and the wafer includes a plurality of devices under test. The method includes: Obtaining an initial height and an initial step size of the probe station in the current cycle; Controlling the probe station to adjust the initial height according to the initial step size to obtain an adjusted height of the probe station; Controlling the automatic test device to perform an open / short circuit test on each device under test on the wafer when the probe station is at the adjusted height, and obtaining a test result of the device under test. The test result includes: all devices under test are successfully tested, some devices under test are successfully tested, or all devices under test fail the test. Wherein, the test result is used to indicate the contact degree between each probe and the test point of each device under test; Determining whether to stop adjusting the height of the probe station according to the test result. If so, stop adjusting the height of the probe station. If not, determine a new step size according to the initial step size, use the new step size as the initial step size of the next cycle of the current cycle, use the adjusted height as the initial height of the next cycle, and enter the next cycle; The determining the new step size according to the initial step size includes: Determining the new step size according to at least one test result of the cycles before the current cycle and the initial step size, wherein the at least one test result of the cycles before the current cycle is used to determine the step size adjustment direction.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The determining the new step size according to the initial step size further includes: Determining the new step size according to the initial step size, a preset adjustment ratio, and a preset adjustment direction.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The controlling the probe station to adjust the initial height according to the initial step size to obtain an adjusted height of the probe station includes: Generating a height adjustment instruction according to the initial step size; Sending the height adjustment instruction to the probe station, and the probe station responds to the height adjustment instruction and adjusts the initial height of the probe station according to the initial step size to obtain an adjusted height of the probe station.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The controlling the automatic test device to perform an open / short circuit test on each device under test on the wafer when the probe station is at the adjusted height and obtaining a test result of the device under test includes: Sending a test instruction to the automatic test device; The automatic test device responds to the test instruction and obtains an open / short circuit test program path; According to the open / short circuit test program path, calling the open / short circuit test program under the open / short circuit test program path so that the open / short circuit test program is executed. When the open / short circuit test program is executed, an open / short circuit test is performed on each device under test on the wafer to obtain a raw test result; Obtaining a test result of the device under test according to the raw test result.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The obtaining a test result of the device under test according to the raw test result includes: Converting the raw test result into a standardized format to obtain a test result of the device under test.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining whether to stop adjusting the height of the probe station according to the test result includes: If when the probe station is at the adjusted height, the test result is that all the devices under test are successfully tested, it is determined to stop adjusting the height of the probe station; otherwise, it is determined not to stop adjusting the height of the probe station.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein Before controlling the probe station to adjust the initial height according to the initial step size, it further includes: Obtaining the maximum height of the probe station, the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station, the sum of the initial height and the initial step size, and the number of cyclic adjustments that have been made; If the sum of the initial height and the initial step size is greater than or equal to the maximum height of the probe station, or if the number of cyclic adjustments that have been made is equal to the maximum number of cyclic adjustments of the height of the probe station, it is determined to stop adjusting the initial height of the probe station and output an alarm message.

8. A control device, characterized in that, It includes: A processor, a memory, and a bus. The control device is respectively communicatively connected to the automatic test equipment and the probe station. The memory stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor. When the control device runs, the processor communicates with the memory through the bus. The processor executes the machine-readable instructions and performs the steps of the method for adjusting the height of the probe station according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer program is stored on the computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is run by the processor, it performs the steps of the method for adjusting the height of the probe station according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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