Probe card and heat conduction device thereof
By designing a thermal conductivity device in the probe card and using the cross-arranged wall structure to form a heat conduction path, the problem of difficulty in temperature control in electrical testing of the probe card is solved, and more accurate temperature control and higher test accuracy are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202311452434.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-10-03
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-02
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-04
AI Technical Summary
During the electrical testing, existing probe cards may cause temperature control difficulties due to thermal energy conduction, which may damage the components to be tested or reduce the accuracy of the test.
A probe card with a thermal conductivity device is designed, and the housing of the probe assembly is formed by cross-arrangement of a plurality of first walls and second walls. The housing of the probe assembly is in contact with the thermal conductivity device to form a plurality of heat conduction paths to deduce the thermal energy generated by the probe assembly.
Effectively reduce cooling, improve the accuracy of the temperature of the probe card, reduce thermal damage to the components to be tested, and improve the accuracy of the test.
Smart Images
Figure CN119757810A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a probe card, and more particularly to a probe card with a heat conducting device. Background Art
[0002] In the prior art, a semiconductor device under test (DUT) or chip is electrically tested using a probe card and a tester. During the test, different types of DUTs or chips need to be tested at different ambient temperatures.
[0003] However, since many tests require a large amount of electrical power (for example, more than 1000 watts), a large amount of heat energy will be generated, and the large amount of heat energy generated will be transmitted to the DUT or chip through the probe card, which will significantly affect the test status, and even worse, may cause damage to the DUT or chip, thereby greatly reducing the test accuracy. Furthermore, when the ambient temperature is set higher, the heat energy generated is more difficult to be accurately controlled, which will also affect the test accuracy. In addition, the tester usually has a strict operating temperature range (for example, 20°C to 30°C). When the operating temperature exceeds this range, the tester may judge abnormally.
[0004] Taking memory testing as an example, when using a probe card with a probe array block to test the memory, the probe array block is usually cooled by air cooling technology, but the probe card does not have additional channels, so the air cooling technology cannot dissipate the heat of each probe in the probe array block. As a result, after a period of operation, the test accuracy is easily reduced due to overheating.
[0005] Therefore, the temperature control of the probe card that is directly connected to the tester and directly contacts the DUT or the chip is extremely important. How to control the temperature of the probe card to stably perform electrical testing is an urgent problem to be solved in the art.
[0006] The above “prior art” description is only to provide background technology, and does not admit that the above “prior art” description reveals the subject matter of the present disclosure, does not constitute the prior art of the present disclosure, and any description of the above “prior art” should not be regarded as any part of this case. Summary of the invention
[0007] In view of this, in order to solve the problem that the prior art cannot effectively cool down the probe card to stably control the temperature of the probe card, the present disclosure aims to provide a probe card and a heat conduction device thereof.
[0008] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a probe card, comprising a heat-conducting device and a plurality of probe assemblies. The heat-conducting device comprises a plurality of first walls and a plurality of second walls. The plurality of first walls and the plurality of second walls are cross-arranged to form a plurality of accommodating spaces. The plurality of probe assemblies are disposed in the plurality of accommodating spaces. Each probe assembly comprises a plurality of probes and a shell, the shell being used to accommodate the plurality of probes and in contact with the heat-conducting device. The first ends of the plurality of probes face one opening of the corresponding accommodating space, and the second ends of the plurality of probes face another opening of the corresponding accommodating space.
[0009] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a heat-conducting device, comprising: a plurality of first walls, a plurality of second walls, and a plurality of accommodating spaces. The plurality of accommodating spaces are formed by a plurality of first walls and a plurality of second walls arranged crosswise. The plurality of accommodating spaces are used to accommodate a plurality of probe assemblies. The plurality of shells of the plurality of probe assemblies are in contact with the heat-conducting device. Each accommodating space has a first opening and a second opening, the first opening being used to expose the first ends of the plurality of probes of the corresponding probe assembly, and the second opening being used to expose the second ends of the plurality of probes of the corresponding probe assembly. When the plurality of accommodating spaces accommodate a plurality of probe assemblies, there are a plurality of heat conduction paths between the shells of the plurality of probe assemblies and the heat-conducting device.
[0010] Accordingly, since the probe card disclosed in the present invention has a heat conducting device, the heat energy generated by the probe assembly can be conducted away after the probe assembly is accommodated, so as to cool down more effectively and control the temperature of the probe card more accurately.
[0011] The above has outlined the technical features and advantages of the present disclosure in a fairly broad manner, so that the detailed description of the present disclosure below can be better understood. Other technical features and advantages that constitute the subject matter of the claims of the present disclosure will be described below. It should be understood by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs that the concepts and specific embodiments disclosed below can be used to modify or design other structures or processes to achieve the same purpose as the present disclosure. It should also be understood by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs that such equivalent constructions cannot depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] A more complete understanding of the disclosure of the present application may be obtained by referring to the embodiments and claims in conjunction with the drawings, in which the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.
[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a probe card according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0014] Figure 2 is a stereoscopic diagram of a heat conducting device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0015] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a probe card according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0016] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a probe assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0017] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a heat conducting device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0018] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a heat conducting device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0019] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the use of the probe card of some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0020] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a probe card according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0021] Fig. 9 is a stereoscopic diagram of a heat conducting device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0022] The reference numerals are described as follows:
[0023] 1: Probe card
[0024] 2: Probe Card
[0025] 8: Components under test
[0026] 9: Tester
[0027] 10P: Heat conduction path
[0028] 11: Heat conduction device
[0029] 13: Probe assembly
[0030] 21: Heat conduction device
[0031] 23: Probe assembly
[0032] 110: Accommodation space
[0033] 110A: First opening
[0034] 110B: Second opening
[0035] 111: The First Wall
[0036] 113: The Second Wall
[0037] 131: Probe
[0038] 131A: First end
[0039] 131B: Second end
[0040] 133: Shell
[0041] 210: Accommodation space DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] This application claims the Taiwan application serial number 112137966 filed on October 3, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0043] The following description of the present disclosure is accompanied by the drawings which are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, and illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment. In addition, the following embodiments can be properly integrated to complete another embodiment.
[0044] "One embodiment", "an embodiment", "illustrative embodiment", "another embodiment", "another embodiment", etc. mean that the embodiments described in the present disclosure may include specific features, structures or characteristics, but not every embodiment must include the specific features, structures or characteristics. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrase "in an embodiment" does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but may refer to the same embodiment.
[0045] In order to make the present disclosure fully understood, the following description provides detailed steps and structures. Obviously, the implementation of the present disclosure will not be limited to the specific details known to those skilled in the art. In addition, the known structures and steps are no longer described in detail to avoid unnecessarily limiting the present disclosure. The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below. However, in addition to the detailed description, the present disclosure can also be widely implemented in other embodiments. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the content of the detailed description, but is defined by the claims.
[0046] It should be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different features of the present invention. Specific embodiments or examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. Of course, these are only examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the size of the element is not limited to the disclosed range or value, but may depend on the process conditions and / or the desired properties of the device. In addition, the following description of forming a first feature "on" or "on" a second feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature and the second feature are formed to be in direct contact, and may also include an embodiment in which an additional feature may be formed between the first feature and the second feature, so that the first feature and the second feature may not be in direct contact. For the sake of simplicity and clarity, various features can be drawn arbitrarily at different scales. In the accompanying drawings, some layers / features may be omitted for simplicity.
[0047] Furthermore, for ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "beneath," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," etc. may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature shown in the figures to another (other) element or feature. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the elements in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The device may have other orientations (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may be interpreted accordingly.
[0048] The probe card of the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a heat-conducting device and a plurality of probe assemblies. The heat-conducting device includes a plurality of first walls and a plurality of second walls. The plurality of first walls and the plurality of second walls are arranged in an interlaced manner to form a plurality of accommodating spaces. Each accommodating space is in a perforated state for accommodating a probe assembly. When the probe assembly is disposed in the accommodating space, the shell of the probe assembly contacts the heat-conducting device, one end of the plurality of probes of the probe assembly is exposed to an opening on one side of the accommodating space for direct or indirect electrical connection to the tester (Tester), and the other end of the plurality of probes of the probe assembly is exposed to an opening on the other side of the accommodating space for contacting the device under test (DUT). The shell of the probe assembly directly contacts the heat-conducting device from the inside of the accommodating space, so that the heat-conducting device can conduct heat when heat is generated during the operation of the probe assembly, so as to more accurately control the temperature of the probe card. The detailed structure and description are as follows.
[0049] refer to Figures 1 to 7 . Figure 1 is a stereoscopic diagram of a probe card 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a three-dimensional diagram of a heat conducting device 11 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the probe card 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a probe assembly 13 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 and 6 1 is a cross-sectional view of a heat conducting device 11 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, the probe card 1 includes a heat conducting device 11 and a plurality of probe assemblies 13. The heat conducting device 11 has a plurality of accommodating spaces 110 for receiving the plurality of probe assemblies 13.
[0050] In some embodiments, the heat conducting device 11 includes a plurality of first walls 111 and a plurality of second walls 113 defining the accommodation space 110. Specifically, the plurality of first walls 111 are arranged in sequence, the plurality of second walls 113 are arranged in sequence, and the plurality of first walls 111 and the plurality of second walls 113 are arranged crosswise to form a plurality of accommodation spaces 110.
[0051] In more detail, each first wall 111 extends along a direction D10, and multiple first walls 111 are arranged in sequence along a direction D12 perpendicular to D10, each second wall 113 extends along the direction D12, and multiple second walls 113 are arranged in sequence along the direction D10 perpendicular to D12, so that the first wall 111 and the second wall 113 are perpendicular to each other, and the first wall 111 and the second wall 113 are cross-arranged to form a plurality of accommodating spaces 110.
[0052] In some embodiments, the first wall 111 and the second wall 113 are stiffeners that have a supporting function. In some embodiments, the plurality of first walls 111 and the plurality of second walls 113 are integrally formed (for example, cast simultaneously using the same mold). In some embodiments, the units of the first wall 111 and the second wall 113 may be as follows: Figure 2 The dotted line box indicates a range or a portion of a range.
[0053] In some embodiments, a receiving space 110 defined by a plurality of first walls 111 and a plurality of second walls 113 is a through hole having a first opening 110A and a second opening 110B. Each receiving space 110 is used to receive a probe assembly 13. In other words, different probe assemblies 13 are disposed in different receiving spaces 110, and the probe assemblies 13 correspond one to one with the receiving spaces 110. Each probe assembly 13 includes a plurality of probes 131 and a housing 133. The housing 133 accommodates the plurality of probes 131. The first ends 131A and the second ends 131B of the plurality of probes 131 protrude outward from two sides of the housing 133, respectively, to electrically connect to external components.
[0054] In some embodiments, when the probe assembly 13 is disposed in the accommodating space 110, the first end 131A of the probe 131 protrudes outward from the first opening 110A of the corresponding accommodating space 110 (i.e., the accommodating space 110 where the probe 131 is located), and the second end 131B of the probe 131 protrudes outward from the second opening 110B of the corresponding accommodating space 110 (i.e., the accommodating space 110 where the probe 131 is located).
[0055] In some embodiments, the inner side of each accommodating space 110 forms a continuous inner circumference along the first wall 111 and the second wall 113, and the outer side of the shell 133 of each probe assembly 13 forms a continuous outer circumference. When the probe assembly 13 is disposed in the accommodating space 110, the entire (or partial) outer circumference (i.e., the outer peripheral side wall) of the shell 133 of the probe assembly 13 directly contacts the entire (or partial) inner circumference (i.e., the inner circumference side wall) of the accommodating space 110. In other words, the shell 133 of the probe assembly 13 directly contacts the heat-conducting device 11, so that there are multiple heat conduction paths 10P (such as Figure 3When the probe assembly 13 generates a large amount of heat energy during operation, the heat energy can be transferred to the heat conducting device 11 through the heat conducting path 10P, and the heat energy can be immediately conducted away by the heat conducting device 11, so as to more accurately control the temperature of the probe card 1.
[0056] In some embodiments, the heat conducting device 13 further includes at least one heat dissipation element (not shown), which is configured to contact at least a portion of the first wall 111 and the second wall 113 to accelerate the dissipation of heat energy. The heat dissipation element includes a water-cooled heat dissipation element, a fin contact heat dissipation element, or any combination of a water-cooled heat dissipation element and a fin contact heat dissipation element.
[0057] For example, the heat dissipation element includes a fin contact heat dissipation element, which is arranged on the upper plane of the heat conducting device 11 to contact at least a portion of the first wall 111 and the second wall 113 at the top, so that when the fin contact heat dissipation element is cooled by air cooling, the heat conducting device 11 it contacts can also be cooled. For example, the heat dissipation element includes a fin contact heat dissipation element, which is arranged to contact at least a portion of the first wall 111 and the second wall 113, and the heat introduced by the fin contact heat dissipation element is taken away by the cooling fluid of the water-cooled heat dissipation element. For example, the heat dissipation element includes a water-cooled heat dissipation element, and the cooling fluid of the water-cooled heat dissipation element is used to directly cool down at least a portion of the first wall 111 and the second wall 113.
[0058] Please cooperate Figures 1 to 6 For reference Figure 7 . Figure 7 1 is a schematic diagram of the use of the probe card 1 of the present disclosure. Specifically, when the probe assembly 13 is disposed in the accommodating space 110 of the heat-conducting device 11, the first opening 110A of the accommodating space 110 exposes the first ends 131A of the corresponding plurality of probes 131 of the probe assembly 13, so that the plurality of probes 131 are electrically connected to the tester 9. On the other hand, when the probe assembly 13 is disposed in the accommodating space 110, the second opening 110B of the accommodating space 110 exposes the second ends 131B of the corresponding plurality of probes 131 of the probe assembly 13, so that the plurality of probes 131 contact the electrical contacts of the component to be tested 8. It should be noted that the plurality of probes 131 can be directly electrically connected to the tester 9 as shown in the figure, but it is not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. In other embodiments, the plurality of probes 131 can be indirectly electrically connected to the tester 9 through an intermediate element.
[0059] In some embodiments, when the probe card 1 performs high-frequency or high-power testing on the device under test 8, a large amount of heat energy will be generated, and the heat conducting device 11 can effectively conduct the large amount of heat energy generated by the probe card 1, so that the probe assembly 13 will not be deformed due to drastic temperature changes that affect the test, thereby improving the test accuracy.
[0060] In some embodiments, each probe assembly (e.g., probe assemblies 1, 2, and 3) of the present disclosure is a probe array block (PAB). In some embodiments, the heat conducting device (e.g., heat conducting device 11, 21, and 31) of the present disclosure may be made of a rigid material with a high thermal conductivity (e.g., a thermal conductivity greater than or equal to 80 W / mK), such as metal iron, copper, etc., or non-metallic diamond, graphene, etc. However, the above description is not intended to limit the implementation of the present disclosure.
[0061] In some embodiments, each accommodating space 110 is in a square column shape, and each probe assembly 13 is also in a corresponding square column shape. However, this is not intended to limit the implementation of the present disclosure. Based on the above disclosure, those skilled in the art should be able to change the shapes of the accommodating space and the probe assembly as needed.
[0062] For example, refer to Figure 8 and Fig. 9 . Figure 8 is a stereoscopic diagram of a probe card 2 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 2 is a three-dimensional diagram of a heat-conducting device 21 of some embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, the probe card 2 includes a heat-conducting device 21 and a plurality of probe assemblies 23. The heat-conducting device 21 includes a plurality of accommodating spaces 210 for receiving the plurality of probe assemblies 23. Each accommodating space 210 is in a circular column shape, and each probe assembly 23 is also in a corresponding circular column shape.
[0063] It should be noted that in the aforementioned embodiments, for the purpose of simplicity and ease of understanding, only a single accommodating space 110, 210, a first wall 111, a second wall 113 and a probe assembly 13, 23 are marked in the drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the implementation aspects of the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art should be able to understand the multiple accommodating spaces, walls and probe assemblies shown in the drawings.
[0064] In summary, the probe card and the heat-conducting device of the embodiments of the present disclosure utilize the structure of the probe assembly directly contacting the heat-conducting device from the inside of the accommodation space to conduct heat, so that the temperature of the probe card can be controlled more efficiently and more accurately. For example, in some use environments, when the probe card is connected to the tester, the inside of the probe assembly is in a vacuum state, so it is impossible to effectively cool the probe by providing cooling gas from the outside. Therefore, the present disclosure can avoid the above-mentioned problem by directly contacting the probe, the housing and the wall of the heat-conducting device, and conduct heat more effectively.
[0065] Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and replacements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined in the claims. For example, many of the above processes may be implemented in different ways, and other processes or combinations thereof may be used to replace many of the above processes.
[0066] Furthermore, the scope of the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments of the processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, means, methods, and steps described in the specification. A person skilled in the art can understand from the disclosure of the present disclosure that existing or future developed processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps that have the same functions or achieve substantially the same results as the corresponding embodiments described herein can be used according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, such processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps are included in the claims of the present application.
Claims
1. A probe card, comprising: A heat conduction device, comprising: a plurality of first walls; and a plurality of second walls, wherein The plurality of first walls and the plurality of second walls are cross-arranged to form a plurality of accommodating spaces; as well as A plurality of probe assemblies are disposed in the plurality of accommodating spaces, each probe assembly comprising: Multiple probes; as well as A housing for accommodating the plurality of probes; wherein the housing is in contact with the heat conducting device; Wherein, the first ends of the plurality of probes face toward an opening of the corresponding accommodating space, and the second ends of the plurality of probes face toward another opening of the corresponding accommodating space. 2 . The probe card as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each probe assembly is disposed in a receiving space.
3. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein: The inner side of each accommodating space forms a continuous inner peripheral surface along the first wall and the plurality of second walls, and the outer side of the shell of each probe assembly forms a continuous outer peripheral surface, and the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface are in contact with each other. 4 . The probe card as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an extending direction of the plurality of first walls is perpendicular to an extending direction of the plurality of second walls. 5 . The probe card of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first walls and the plurality of second walls are reinforcement members. The probe card of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first walls and the plurality of second walls are integrally formed.
7. The probe card as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat conducting device further comprises: At least one heat dissipation element contacts at least a portion of the plurality of first walls and the plurality of second walls. 8 . The probe card as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one heat dissipation element comprises a water-cooled heat dissipation element, a fin contact heat dissipation element, or a combination of the water-cooled heat dissipation element and the fin contact heat dissipation element.
9. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein: Each accommodating space is in a square column shape or a round column shape.
10. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein: The first ends or the second ends of the plurality of probes are used to electrically contact a device under test.
11. A heat conduction device, comprising: a plurality of first walls; a plurality of second walls; and A plurality of accommodating spaces are formed by the plurality of first walls and the plurality of second walls being arranged crosswise, and the plurality of accommodating spaces are used to accommodate a plurality of probe assemblies, wherein a plurality of shells of the plurality of probe assemblies are in contact with the heat conducting device; in, Each accommodating space has a first opening and a second opening, the first opening is used to expose the first ends of the corresponding plurality of probes of the probe assembly, and the second opening is used to expose the second ends of the corresponding plurality of probes of the probe assembly; When the plurality of accommodating spaces accommodate the plurality of probe assemblies, a plurality of heat conduction paths are provided between the plurality of shells of the plurality of probe assemblies and the heat conducting device.
12. The heat conducting device according to claim 11, further comprising: At least one heat dissipation element contacts at least a portion of the plurality of first walls and the plurality of second walls. 13 . The heat conduction device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the at least one heat dissipation element comprises a water-cooled heat dissipation element, a fin-contact heat dissipation element, or a combination of the water-cooled heat dissipation element and the fin-contact heat dissipation element.
14. The heat conducting device according to claim 11, wherein: Each accommodating space is in a square column shape or a round column shape.
15. The thermally conductive device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of heat conductive paths transfer thermal energy from the plurality of probe assemblies to the thermally conductive device. 16 . The heat conducting device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the thermal conductivity of the material of the heat conducting device is greater than or equal to 80 W / mK.