Probe installation structure and wafer reliability testing system

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of test devices, and specifically proposes a probe mounting structure and a wafer reliability testing system, comprising: a tray, a clamping carrier, and a cover plate. The tray has a groove on its upper surface, and an array of mounting holes extending along the thickness direction is provided in the groove. The surface of the clamping carrier has a plurality of clamping holes extending along the thickness direction. The surface of the cover plate has a plurality of docking holes extending along the thickness direction. The clamping carrier can be embedded and installed in the groove. The cover plate can be embedded and installed in the groove and is arranged above the clamping carrier. The clamping holes, mounting holes, and docking holes all correspond to each other, and a probe is clamped in each clamping hole. The embeddable design, combined with the clamping carrier, allows for rapid replacement of a large number of probes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of testing devices, and in particular to a probe mounting structure and a wafer reliability testing system. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, wafer-level testing is a crucial step in ensuring that each chip meets design specifications before entering the packaging stage. During this testing, probes and their mounting structures serve as key components, measuring various electrical parameters through electrical contact with the wafer surface. However, with the continuous advancement of semiconductor technology, the size of chips on wafers is decreasing, while their integration is increasing. This places higher demands on the accuracy, reliability, and replacement efficiency of probes.

[0003] Existing probe replacement methods mainly rely on manual or semi-automatic operations. When the probe needs to be replaced due to wear or damage, the operator must use special tools to remove and install the probe one by one. This manual replacement method has multiple problems: First, manual replacement of probes is inefficient, especially in a large-scale production environment. Replacing probes one by one is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but may also cause production line shutdowns, reducing overall production efficiency; second, the manual replacement process is easily affected by human factors, which may lead to improper installation of the probe or damage to the probe and probe card, affecting the accuracy and reliability of the test; finally, because the probe material is usually fragile, manual operation may also cause accidental breakage or deformation of the probe, further increasing the replacement cost and difficulty of operation.

[0004] Furthermore, existing probe mounting structures mostly utilize a rigid, fixed design, relying on mechanical clamping or welding for probe fixation and replacement, which lacks flexibility. While this design maintains probe stability during testing, it is inconvenient and inefficient when frequent probe replacement is required. Furthermore, in the testing of high-density integrated circuits, the density of probe arrangements is increasing, and traditional probe replacement methods struggle to adapt to this high-density and diverse demands.

[0005] In order to overcome the above problems, it is necessary to develop a device and method that can realize rapid replacement of probes to improve replacement efficiency, reduce production line downtime, reduce operation difficulty and cost, and improve test accuracy and reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention provides a probe installation structure that can efficiently replace the probe.

[0007] The technical solution of the present invention is implemented as follows: The present invention provides a probe mounting structure, including: a tray, a clamping carrier and a cover plate, a groove is provided on the upper surface of the tray, a plurality of mounting holes are arrayed in the groove and pass through along the thickness direction, a plurality of clamping holes are arranged on the surface of the clamping carrier and pass through along the thickness direction, a plurality of docking holes are arrayed on the surface of the cover plate and pass through along the thickness direction, the clamping carrier can be embedded and installed in the groove, the cover plate can be embedded and installed in the groove and covered above the clamping carrier, the clamping holes, mounting holes and docking holes are all in one-to-one correspondence, and a probe is clamped in each clamping hole.

[0008] In some embodiments, the clamping hole is a square hole, and the four inner walls of the clamping hole extend inward to form a clamping flap, the free end of the clamping flap is against the side of the probe, the clamping flap is a thermoplastic material, and the softening temperature of the clamping flap is 80-150°C.

[0009] In some embodiments, a stress concentration groove is provided below the clamping flap along its width.

[0010] In some embodiments, the stress concentration groove coincides with an extended surface of the inner sidewall of the mounting hole on the side where the stress concentration groove is located.

[0011] In some embodiments, a heating module is embedded inside the tray, and the heating module is used to provide heat so that the clamping flap can be heated to a softening temperature. The clamped probe is released by softening the clamping flap, thereby preventing the clamping flap from obstructing the probe and affecting the detection of the probe during subsequent detection.

[0012] In some embodiments, an exhaust groove is provided on a surface of the tray away from the clamping slide, and each mounting hole is connected to the side surface of the tray through at least one exhaust groove.

[0013] In the second aspect, the present invention also provides a wafer reliability testing system, which includes: a testing machine, a test circuit board, a probe and the probe mounting structure described in any one of claims 1-6, the testing machine is used to provide power for testing, and a plurality of first solder pads and a plurality of second solder pads are provided on the surface of the test circuit board, the first solder pads are electrically connected to the second solder pads one-to-one, the first solder pads are electrically connected to the probes in the docking holes one-to-one, the second solder pads are electrically connected to the testing machine, the wafer to be tested is electrically connected to the probes in the mounting hole, and the wafer to be tested is also electrically connected to the testing machine to form a test loop.

[0014] In some embodiments, a plurality of ventilation holes are formed in an array on the surface of the test circuit board, and each docking hole is connected to one ventilation hole.

[0015] In some embodiments, a wafer chuck is further included, and an air outlet is opened on the surface of the wafer chuck. The edge of the wafer chuck is tightly fitted with the edge of the test circuit board to form an air outlet cavity. The air outlet is connected to the mounting hole through the air outlet cavity. The wafer chuck is used to support the wafer to be tested.

[0016] In some embodiments, an air intake hood is further included, wherein an air intake port is provided on the surface of the air intake hood. The air intake hood cover is located on a side of the test circuit board away from the tray and is enclosed with the test circuit board to form an air intake cavity. The air intake port is connected to the mounting hole through the air intake cavity.

[0017] The present invention has the following beneficial effects compared to the prior art:

[0018] The present invention adopts an embeddable design and cooperates with a clamping carrier to realize the rapid replacement of a large number of probes, avoiding the tedious operation of traditional manual replacement of probes, greatly improving the efficiency of probe replacement, being suitable for large-scale production environments, and reducing production line downtime. At the same time, the present invention adopts a thermoplastic clamping flap structure, which releases the probe by heating and softening the clamping flap, avoiding the problem that the probe may affect the test accuracy due to improper installation or damage during manual operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 An axonometric view of the probe mounting structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 An exploded view of the probe mounting structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 An exploded view of the probe mounting structure of the present invention from another perspective;

[0023] Figure 4 A side sectional view of the probe mounting structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 An axonometric diagram of the wafer reliability testing system of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 An exploded diagram of the wafer reliability testing system of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 is a side sectional view of the wafer reliability testing system of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 An isometric view of a test circuit board in the wafer reliability test system of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 9 for Figure 3 A partial enlarged view of part A;

[0029] Figure 10 for Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of part B;

[0030] Figure 11 for Figure 7 A partial enlarged view of part C in the middle;

[0031] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the connection of the wafer reliability testing system of the present invention.

[0032] In the figure: 1-tray, 2-clamping carrier, 3-cover, 4-probe, 5-heating module, 6-testing machine, 7-test circuit board, 8-wafer to be tested, 9-wafer chuck, 10-air inlet hood, 11-groove, 12-mounting hole, 13-exhaust groove, 21-clamping hole, 211-clamping flap, 212-stress concentration groove, 31-docking hole, 70-air inlet cavity, 71-first soldering pad, 72-second soldering pad, 73-vent, 90-air outlet cavity, 91-air outlet, 100-probe mounting structure, 101-air inlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will be combined with the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being “fixed on” or “disposed on” another element, it may be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being “connected to” another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0035] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0036] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0037] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which embodiments of the present invention belong. If the definitions set forth in this section are contrary to or otherwise inconsistent with definitions set forth in the patents, patent applications, published patent applications, and other publications incorporated herein by reference, the definitions listed in this section take precedence over the definitions incorporated herein by reference.

[0038] Unless otherwise specified, the methods used in the following examples are conventional methods. The materials, reagents, and instruments used are conventional materials, reagents, and instruments in the art, unless otherwise specified, and can be obtained commercially by those skilled in the art.

[0039] When an amount, concentration or other value or parameter is expressed as a range, a preferred range or a range defined by a series of upper preferred values and lower preferred values, this should be understood as specifically disclosing all ranges formed by any pairing of any upper range limit or preferred value with any lower range limit or preferred value, regardless of whether the range is disclosed alone. For example, when a range "1 to 5" is disclosed, the described range should be interpreted as including the ranges "1 to 4", "1 to 3", "1 to 2", "1 to 2 and 4 to 5", "1 to 3 and 5", etc. When a numerical range is described herein, unless otherwise stated, the range is intended to include its endpoints and all integers and fractions within the range. In the present specification and claims, range definitions may be combined and / or interchanged, and if not otherwise stated, such ranges include all subranges contained therein.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, combined Figure 2-4 The probe mounting structure 100 of the present invention includes: a tray 1, a clamping carrier 2 and a cover plate 3. A groove 11 is provided on the upper surface of the tray 1. A plurality of mounting holes 12 are arranged in an array in the groove 11 and pass through in the thickness direction. A plurality of clamping holes 21 are arranged on the surface of the clamping carrier 2 and pass through in the thickness direction. A plurality of docking holes 31 are arranged on the surface of the cover plate 3 and pass through in the thickness direction. The clamping carrier 2 can be embedded and installed in the groove 11. The cover plate 3 can be embedded and installed in the groove 11 and covered above the clamping carrier 2. The clamping holes 21, the mounting holes 12 and the docking holes 31 are all in one-to-one correspondence, and a probe 4 is clamped in each clamping hole 21.

[0041] A groove 11 defined in the tray 1 provides a secure base for the entire probe 4 mounting structure. Multiple mounting holes 12 arranged in an array within the groove 11 extend through the thickness of the tray 1, facilitating the insertion and securing of the probe 4. The design of the groove 11 facilitates the insertion and securing of the holding slide 2 and cover plate 3 within the tray 1, ensuring structural stability and accuracy.

[0042] These holes, which extend through the thickness of the tray, provide mounting locations for probes 4 and correspond one-to-one with the clamping holes 21 for the slide 2 and the docking holes 31 of the cover 3. This correspondence ensures stable positioning of the probes 4 and, thanks to the robust structure of the tray 1, prevents them from shifting during testing.

[0043] The surface of the clamping slide 2 is provided with multiple clamping holes 21 extending through its thickness for clamping and securing the probes. The design of the clamping holes 21 ensures that the probes 4 are securely fixed within the clamping slide 2, preventing them from loosening or shifting. The clamping slide 2 can be embedded within the groove 11 of the tray 1. This design facilitates quick alignment of the probes 4 during installation and ensures that the probes 4 are securely held during subsequent operations, free from external influences.

[0044] The cover plate 3 can be embedded in the groove 11 and covered on the top of the holding slide 2. This not only provides additional physical protection, but also ensures that the positioning of the probe 4 during the test is not disturbed by the outside world, further improving the stability of the structure.

[0045] The biggest advantage of this structure is that the installation and replacement of the probe no longer requires manual adjustment. The clamping slide 2 and cover 3 are fixed in the tray 1 through an embedded design, which allows for quick installation or removal of the probe 4, greatly improving replacement efficiency.

[0046] In some embodiments, the clamping hole 21 is a square hole, and the four inner walls of the clamping hole 21 extend inward to form a clamping flap 211. The free end of the clamping flap 211 is against the side of the probe 4. The clamping flap 211 is made of thermoplastic material, and the softening temperature of the clamping flap 211 is 80-150°C.

[0047] The square clamping hole 21 can avoid forming a fully enclosed clamping of the probe 4. The clamping through four protruding clamping petals 211 can make the subsequent release process smoother. The clamping petal structure adopts thermoplastic material. When heated to a certain temperature range (80-150℃), the clamping petal will soften. This design can make the installation of the probe more convenient. The clamping carrier 2 structure is used to provide initial clamping and support. When the clamping carrier 2 is accurately placed in the groove 11, the clamping petal 211 can be softened by heating, and the corresponding probe 4 is released and falls into the mounting hole 12, thereby completing the installation of the probe 4.

[0048] In some embodiments, a stress concentration groove 212 is provided below the clamping flap 211 along its width.

[0049] The design of the stress concentration groove 212 makes the lower portion of the clamping flap 211 more flexible and adjustable. This means that the clamping flap 211 can respond more flexibly to changes when subjected to external forces or thermal stress. This design is intended to enable the clamping flap 211 to fully deform from a preset position when heated. When multiple clamping flaps 211 deform to the same position, it helps to maintain a consistent installation position for the probe 4, helping to improve the stability and accuracy of the test. At the same time, the bent clamping flap 211 can also serve as a limiting structure, further improving the accuracy of the installation position of the probe 4.

[0050] In some embodiments, the stress concentration groove 212 coincides with an extension surface of the inner side wall of the mounting hole 12 on the side where the stress concentration groove 212 is located.

[0051] In the above embodiments, as a preferred structural design, the inner wall shape of the mounting hole 12 is similar to or the same as the outer wall shape of the probe 4, and the size is slightly larger than the outer size of the probe 4. At this time, the clamping flap 211 at the stress concentration groove 212 can basically remain in contact with the inner wall of the mounting hole 12 after being bent and deformed by heat. This design helps to further improve the installation position accuracy of the probe 4.

[0052] In some embodiments, as Figure 11 As shown, a heating module 5 is embedded and installed inside the tray 1.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the heating module 5 can be used to generate heat and heat the nearby clamping petals 211 , so that the heating petals 211 are deformed by the heat, thereby releasing the probe 4 .

[0054] In some embodiments, an exhaust groove 13 is provided on a surface of the tray 1 on a side away from the holding wafer 2 , and each mounting hole 12 is connected to the side surface of the tray 1 through at least one exhaust groove 13 .

[0055] In the above embodiment, the exhaust groove 13 is used to provide a gas passage connecting the mounting hole 12 to the outside from below. When the probe 4 contacts the wafer 8 to be tested, the tray 1 and the wafer 8 to be tested will not be completely sealed due to the presence of the exhaust groove 13.

[0056] At the same time, based on the above-mentioned probe installation structure, the present invention also provides a wafer reliability testing system, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 5-12As shown. It includes: a tester 6, a test circuit board 7, a probe 4 and a probe mounting structure 100. The tester 6 is used to provide test power. The surface of the test circuit board 7 is provided with multiple first solder pads 71 and multiple second solder pads 72. The first solder pads 71 are electrically connected to the second solder pads 72 in a one-to-one correspondence. The first solder pads 71 are electrically connected to the probes 4 in the docking holes 31 in a one-to-one correspondence. The second solder pads 72 are electrically connected to the tester 6. The wafer to be tested 8 is electrically connected to the probes 4 in the mounting hole 12. The wafer to be tested 8 is also electrically connected to the tester 6 to form a test circuit.

[0057] In the wafer reliability test system described above, the flexibility and modular design of the probe mounting structure 100 allow for rapid replacement of probes 4 when they become worn or damaged, reducing test equipment downtime and improving test efficiency. The embedded design of the probe mounting structure 100 ensures the stability and reliability of the electrical connection between the probes 4 and the wafer under test 8 and the test circuit board 7, unaffected by external vibrations or other factors.

[0058] In some embodiments, a plurality of ventilation holes 73 are arranged in an array on the surface of the test circuit board 7 , and each docking hole 31 is connected to one ventilation hole 73 .

[0059] In the above embodiment, the setting of the vent holes 73 provides a discharge and circulation channel for the airflow on the surface of the test circuit board 7. Each vent hole 73 is connected to the docking hole 31 to ensure that when the probe 4 contacts the wafer through the docking hole 31, the airflow can flow smoothly to avoid the electrical contact between the probe and the test object being affected by gas accumulation. When the probe 4 is inserted into the docking hole 31 and contacts the wafer, a certain amount of air pressure accumulation may be generated. Through the vent holes 73, the gas can flow freely between the test circuit board 7 and the probe 4. The gas flowing from top to bottom also helps to separate the clamping flap 212 from the probe 4 to avoid adverse effects on the probe.

[0060] In some embodiments, a wafer chuck 9 is further included, and an air outlet 91 is provided on the surface of the wafer chuck 9. The edge of the wafer chuck 9 is tightly fitted with the edge of the test circuit board 7 to form an air outlet cavity 90. The air outlet 91 is connected to the mounting hole 12 through the air outlet cavity 90. The wafer chuck 9 is used to support the wafer 8 to be tested.

[0061] The wafer chuck 9 is used to provide support and necessary heat conduction for the wafer 8 to be tested. At the same time, an air outlet cavity 90 is formed between the wafer chuck 9 and the test circuit board 7, so that a certain high-pressure environment can be applied to the wafer 8 to be tested to meet the test requirements. The exhaust gas is connected to the external gas collection device through the outlet 91.

[0062] In some embodiments, an air intake hood 10 is further included, and an air intake port 101 is opened on the surface of the air intake hood 10. The air intake hood 10 covers the side of the test circuit board 7 away from the tray 1 and is surrounded by the test circuit board 7 to form an air intake cavity 70. The air intake port 101 is connected to the mounting hole 12 through the air intake cavity 70.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the air inlet cavity 70 cooperates with the air outlet cavity 90 to achieve a pressure-maintaining effect on the mounting hole 12 and the environment surrounding the wafer 8 to be tested. At the same time, the air intake hood 10 is located at the position of the air intake, and the exhaust is located at the position of the wafer chuck 9. This allows the airflow to always flow in from above the mounting hole 12 and out from below. This can assist in uniformly bending the clamping flaps 211 downward, avoiding unnecessary interference or collision with the probe 4, and helping to improve the test stability of the probe.

[0064] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A probe mounting structure, characterized in that: include: A tray (1), a clamping carrier (2) and a cover plate (3), wherein a groove (11) is provided on the upper surface of the tray (1), a plurality of mounting holes (12) extending in a thickness direction are arranged in an array in the groove (11), a plurality of clamping holes (21) extending in a thickness direction are arranged on the surface of the clamping carrier (2), a plurality of docking holes (31) extending in a thickness direction are arranged in an array on the surface of the cover plate (3), the clamping carrier (2) can be embedded and installed in the groove (11), the cover plate (3) can be embedded and installed in the groove (11) and is arranged above the clamping carrier (2), the clamping holes (21), the mounting holes (12) and the docking holes (31) are all in one-to-one correspondence, and each clamping carrier (2) is provided with a plurality of clamping holes (21) extending in a thickness direction, and a plurality of docking holes (31) extending in a thickness direction are arranged on the surface of the cover plate (3), A probe (4) is clamped in each hole (21), the clamping hole (21) is a square hole, the four inner walls of the clamping hole (21) extend inward to form a clamping flap (211), the free end of the clamping flap (211) is against the side of the probe (4), the clamping flap (211) is a thermoplastic material, and the softening temperature of the clamping flap (211) is 80-150°C. A stress concentration groove (212) is provided below the clamping flap (211) along its width direction, and the stress concentration groove (212) coincides with the inner wall extension surface of the mounting hole (12) on the side thereof, and a heating module (5) is embedded and installed inside the tray (1).

2. The probe mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein: An exhaust groove (13) is provided on the surface of the tray (1) on a side away from the holding carrier (2), and each mounting hole (12) is connected to the side of the tray (1) through at least one exhaust groove (13).

3. A wafer reliability testing system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a test machine (6), a test circuit board (7), a probe (4) and a probe mounting structure (100) as described in any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the test machine (6) is used to provide power for testing, a plurality of first solder pads (71) and a plurality of second solder pads (72) are provided on the surface of the test circuit board (7), the first solder pads (71) and the second solder pads (72) are electrically connected in a one-to-one correspondence, the first solder pads (71) and the probes (4) in the docking holes (31) are electrically connected in a one-to-one correspondence, the second solder pads (72) are electrically connected to the test machine (6), the wafer to be tested (8) is electrically connected to the probes (4) in the mounting holes (12), and the wafer to be tested (8) is also electrically connected to the test machine (6) to form a test loop.

4. The wafer reliability testing system according to claim 3, wherein: A plurality of vent holes (73) are arranged in an array on the surface of the test circuit board (7), and each docking hole (31) is connected to a vent hole (73).

5. The wafer reliability testing system according to claim 4, wherein: The device further comprises a wafer chuck (9), wherein a gas outlet (91) is provided on the surface of the wafer chuck (9), an edge of the wafer chuck (9) is tightly fitted with an edge of the test circuit board (7) to form a gas outlet cavity (90), and the gas outlet (91) is connected to the mounting hole (12) through the gas outlet cavity (90), and the wafer chuck (9) is used to support the wafer (8) to be tested.

6. The wafer reliability testing system according to claim 4, wherein: The air intake hood (10) is also included. An air intake port (101) is provided on the surface of the air intake hood (10). The air intake hood (10) is provided on a side of the test circuit board (7) away from the tray (1) and is enclosed with the test circuit board (7) to form an air intake cavity (70). The air intake port (101) is communicated with the mounting hole (12) through the air intake cavity (70).

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