Probe and probe card

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a probe and a probe card, the probe is used for testing a to-be-tested object, and the probe comprises a first probe head section located at the end part of the probe and contacted with a contact pad of the to-be-tested object when the to-be-tested object is tested; the second probe head section is positioned at the other end part of the probe and is in contact with a probe pad of the signal adapter plate when the to-be-detected object is tested, so that the probe establishes an electric signal transmission channel between the to-be-detected object and the signal adapter plate; the bending beam section is connected between the first needle head section and the second needle head section and provided with more than two open grooves which are not connected with each other in the length direction, and when an object to be detected is tested, the first needle head section abuts against the contact pad to enable the bending beam section to deform and bend; the needle pressure borne by the first needle head section is determined by adjusting the sum of the lengths of all the open grooves, the thicknesses of the two side walls of the open grooves and the length of the bent beam section; according to the embodiment of the invention, the contact force between the probe and the to-be-detected object / signal adapter plate can be adjusted, and the reliability design and the service life design of the probe are facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of wafer detection equipment, and in particular to a probe and a probe card, and more particularly to a probe and a probe card capable of controlling the contact force of a probe contact end. Background Art

[0002] A probe card acts as a medium between an electronic test system and the object to be tested (such as a wafer). It contains multiple probes. During testing, one end of the probe makes electrical and physical contact with the signal transformer (Space Transformer) on the test instrument, while the other end of the probe makes electrical and physical contact with the object to be tested. Thus, the probes establish a signal transmission channel between the signal transformer and the object to be tested. Using a probe card allows for quality screening of the object to be tested, preventing defective products from entering subsequent manufacturing processes, reducing unnecessary waste, and lowering internal quality costs. It also prevents defective products from entering the market, leading to unnecessary complaints or returns, and reducing external quality costs.

[0003] In a vertical probe card, the probes are subjected to pressure from both sides between the signal adapter board and the DUT, causing them to deform and form a curved beam structure. This curved beam structure provides contact force (also known as pin force) between the probes and the DUT / signal adapter board, thus forming a physical connection. A probe card typically contains thousands or even tens of thousands of probes. Therefore, excessive contact force can damage the pads or bumps on the DUT, or even scratch the DUT, such as a wafer, affecting test efficiency and accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to improve at least some of the above shortcomings or deficiencies, the present invention provides a probe and a probe card, which control the contact force of the contact end by changing the structure of the probe.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a probe having a needle pressure for testing an object to be detected, the probe comprising: a first needle section, located at the end of the probe, contacting the contact pad of the object to be detected when testing the object to be detected; a second needle section, located at the other end of the probe, contacting the probe pad of the signal adapter board when testing the object to be detected; and a bending beam section, connected between the first needle section and the second needle section, having two or more unconnected slots in the length direction. When testing the object to be detected, the first needle section presses against the contact pad to deform and bend the bending beam section, and the first needle section bears the needle pressure, which is determined by the sum of all slot lengths, the wall thickness on both sides of the slots, and the length of the bending beam section, and the needle pressure is positively correlated to: correction coefficient × (sum of all slot lengths × wall thickness on both sides of the slots) / length of the bending beam section.

[0006] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a probe card for testing an object to be detected, the probe card comprising: a plurality of the aforementioned probes; an upper guide plate having a plurality of upper through holes thereon, the upper through holes allowing the second guide segments of the plurality of probes to pass through, the second guide segments being connected between the second needle segments and the curved beam segments, and the second guide segments of each probe being able to slide within the corresponding upper through holes; and a lower guide plate having a plurality of lower through holes thereon, the lower through holes allowing the first guide segments of the plurality of probes to pass through, the first guide segments being connected between the first needle segments and the curved beam segments, and the first guide segments of each probe being able to slide within the corresponding lower through holes. When testing the object to be detected, the curved beam segments deform and bend in the space between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate.

[0007] As can be seen from the above, the embodiments of the present invention have the following technical effects:

[0008] By adopting the above-mentioned technology, in the probe and probe card provided by the present invention, firstly, the special probe structure can provide deformation space for bending deformation, which is helpful for the formation of a curved beam structure; secondly, the deformation amount of the probe can be adjusted by different slot settings, and the contact force (i.e., needle pressure) between the probe and the object to be detected / signal adapter board can be adjusted. By considering important influencing factors such as slot length, slot width, wall thickness on both sides of the slot, and slot spacing between non-connected slots, the curved beam structure can provide a stable contact force within a specific force value range for the first needle tip segment and the second needle tip segment; in addition, different slot structures can contribute to the reliability design and life design of the probe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. 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.

[0010] Figure 1A and 1B This is a three-dimensional diagram of the appearance of a probe provided according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2A and 2B 1 is a front view of a probe according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively showing a portion close to the first needle section and a portion close to the second needle section.

[0012] Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B 、 Figure 3C and Figure 3D Schematic diagram of various changes in the needle contact portion of the first needle section according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 4Schematic diagram of the probe in a bent state when in operation.

[0014] Figure 5A 、 Figure 5B 、 Figure 5C and Figure 5D Schematic diagram of various changes in the needle contact portion of the second needle section according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 6A and Figure 6B 3D views of a probe card according to an embodiment of the present invention in an initial state and a working state.

[0016] Figure 7A 、 Figure 7B 、 Figure 7C 、 Figure 7D and Figure 7E A plan view illustrating the relationship between the slot structure and stiffness within a curved beam segment.

[0017] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a plan view of a probe card with another slotted structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 9A and 9B 1 and 2 are plan views of a probe card in an initial state and a working state according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] [Description of Reference Numerals]

[0020] 1: probe card; 10: probe; 100: first needle segment; 101: first surface of first needle segment; 102: second surface of first needle segment; 103: first side surface of first needle segment; 104: second side surface of first needle segment; 105: contact portion of first needle segment; 106: length of first needle segment; 107: width of contact portion of first needle segment;

[0021] 200: first guide segment; 201: first surface of first guide segment; 202: second surface of first guide segment; 203: first side surface of first guide segment; 204: second side surface of first guide segment; 205: length of first guide segment; 206: width of first guide segment;

[0022] 300: curved beam segment; 300A: upper portion of the curved beam segment; 300B: middle portion of the curved beam segment; 300C: lower portion of the curved beam segment; 301: first surface of the curved beam; 302: second surface of the curved beam; 303: first side surface of the curved beam; 304: second side surface of the curved beam; 305: slotted structure; 306: connecting rod;

[0023] 400: second guide segment; 401: first surface of second guide segment; 402: second surface of second guide segment; 403: first side surface of second guide segment; 404: second side surface of second guide segment; 405: length of second guide segment; 406: width of second guide segment;

[0024] 500: second needle segment; 501: first side of second needle segment; 502: second side of second needle segment;

[0025] 503: First side of the second needle section; 504: Second side of the second needle section; 505: Contact portion of the second needle section; 506: Length of the second needle section; 507: Width of the contact portion of the second needle section; 601: Upper guide plate; 602: Lower guide plate; 603: Middle guide plate;

[0026] 700A: upper width; 700C: lower width; 700D, 700E: slot distance; 701,

[0027] 702, 70(N-1), 70N: slotting;

[0028] 800: object to be detected; 801: contact pad;

[0029] 6011: upper through hole; 6021: lower through hole; 6031: middle through hole

[0030] 7011, 7021, 70N1: slot length; 7012, 7022, 70N2: slot width; 7013, 7014, 7023, 7024, 70N3, 70N4: side spacing; 7015, 70(N-1)5: slot spacing

[0031] A, B: Bending areas. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only embodiments of a part of the present invention, not the entire embodiment. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative efforts should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way are interchangeable where appropriate so that the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 1A and Figure 1B , which is a perspective view of the appearance of a probe according to one embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the probe 10 is primarily a resilient metal or conductive structure, and comprises, from one end to the other, a first needle section 100, a first guide section 200, a curved beam section 300, a second guide section 400, and a second needle section 500. The first needle section 100, the first guide section 200, the curved beam section 300, the second guide section 400, and the second needle section 500 do not necessarily have a clear dividing line between them; these lines are merely used to distinguish between areas with different manifestations.

[0036] The probe 10 is substantially in the shape of a long strip, and the length direction is the longest direction of the probe 10 (e.g. Figure 1A In the Z-axis direction in FIG, along the length direction, there are respectively a first needle section 100, a first guide section 200, a curved beam section 300, a second guide section 400, and a second needle section 500, that is, the first needle section 100 and the second needle section 500 are respectively located at two ends of the probe 10, the first guide section 200 is located between the first needle section 100 and the curved beam section 300, and the second guide section 400 is located between the second needle section 500 and the curved beam section 300. The first needle section 100 of the probe 10 is used to contact the contact pads (solder pads, bumps, solder balls, etc.) on the object to be detected (such as a wafer, chip, circuit, etc.), and the second needle section 500 of the probe 10 is electrically and physically connected to the contact position (such as the probe pad) of the signal adapter board (space transformer) (not shown), so as to establish an electrical signal transmission channel between the object to be detected and the signal adapter board through the probe 10. The structures of the first needle section 100, the first guide section 200, the curved beam section 300, the second guide section 400 and the second needle section 500 are described in detail below. Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B 、 Figure 2A 、 Figure 2B , Figure 2A and Figure 2B1 and 2 are front views of a probe according to an embodiment of the present application, respectively showing a portion close to the first needle section 100 and a portion close to the second needle section 500 .

[0037] The first needle segment 100 includes a first needle segment first surface 101, a first needle segment second surface 102, a first needle segment first side surface 103, a first needle segment second side surface 104, and a first needle segment contact portion 105. The first needle segment first surface 101 and the first needle segment second surface 102 are parallel to each other and have the same shape. They extend along the Z-axis, with a specific spacing therebetween. The specific spacing is defined as the thickness of the first needle segment first side surface 103 and the first needle segment second side surface 104. The first needle segment first side surface 103 and the first needle segment second side surface 104 form an angle, and the first needle segment contact portion 105 is located between the ends of the first needle segment first side surface 103 and the first needle segment second side surface 104. In other embodiments, the first needle segment first surface 101 and the first needle segment second surface 102 may be non-parallel, that is, they may form a specific angle, such as a specific acute angle.

[0038] The first needle section contact portion 105 can have various shapes, such as Figure 3A 、 3B , 3C and 3D. Figure 3A The first needle segment contact portion 105 is shown as a plane parallel to the X-axis (width direction), and can also be changed to form a specific angle with the X-axis; Figure 3B The first needle section contact portion 105 is shown as a sharp angle, which appears as a point in a plan view. In fact, the first needle section contact portion 105 is formed by the direct intersection of the first needle section first side surface 103 and the first needle section second side surface 104. In space, the first needle section contact portion 105 is an intersection line. Alternatively, it can be changed to a rounded angle that is tangent to the first needle section first side surface 103 and the first needle section second side surface 104 of the probe, or it can be changed to a sharp point. Figure 3C The first needle segment 100 is shown to include a plurality of first needle segment contact portions 105 , which facilitate reliable physical contact between the first needle segment contact portions 105 and contact pads (solder pads, bumps, solder balls, etc.); Figure 3D The first needle section contact portion 105 is shown to be located between the first needle section first side surface 103 and the first needle section second side surface 104. The first needle section contact portion 105 is a plane. The first needle section contact portion 105 forms a specific angle with the first needle section first side surface 103 and the first needle section second side surface 104, respectively. The first needle section contact portion 105 is parallel to the X-axis and can also be changed to form a specific angle with the X-axis.

[0039] The design parameters of the first needle segment 100 include a first needle segment length 106 (length in the Z-axis direction) and a first needle segment contact portion width 107 .

[0040] There may be a clear dividing line between the first needle section 100 and the first guide section 200, such as a sharp angle transition or a step transition (not shown), or there may be no clear dividing line, such as a rounded angle transition.

[0041] The figure shows that the first needle section 100 is a solid structure, which can also be modified to have a slotted structure (not shown, such as the slotted structure 305 on the curved beam section 300) as needed, which may or may not penetrate the first needle section 100 horizontally from the first surface 101 and / or the second surface 102 of the first needle section.

[0042] Next, the first guide segment 200 is described. The first guide segment 200 has two main surfaces: a first guide segment first surface 201 and a first guide segment second surface 202. These two surfaces are substantially parallel to each other. A specific distance exists between the first guide segment first surface 201 and the first guide segment second surface 202. The first guide segment 200 also has two side surfaces: a first guide segment first side surface 203 and a first guide segment second side surface 204. While shown as substantially parallel in the figure, these two surfaces can also be arranged at a specific angle (e.g., a specific acute angle) as needed.

[0043] The design parameters of the first guide section 200 include a first guide section length 205 and a first guide section width 206 of the first guide section 200. The first guide section length 205 can be zero (i.e., the first needle section 100 directly connects to the curved beam section 300) or non-zero. The first guide section width 206 can be completely identical along the Z-axis, or have specific variations, such as steps, increasing, or decreasing. The first guide section width 206 can be the same as or different from the lower width 700C of the curved beam section 300.

[0044] There may be a clear dividing line between the first guide section 200 and the curved beam section 300, such as a sharp-angle transition or a step transition (not shown), or there may be no clear dividing line, such as a rounded-angle transition.

[0045] The figure shows that the first guide section 200 is a solid structure, which can also be modified to have a slotted structure (not shown, such as the slotted structure 305 on the curved beam section 300) as needed, which may or may not pass through the first guide section 200 horizontally from the first guide section first surface 201 and / or the first guide section second surface 202.

[0046] Next, the curved beam section 300 is described. The curved beam section 300 has two main surfaces, namely the curved beam first surface 301 and the curved beam second surface 302. These two surfaces are substantially parallel to each other. For ease of description, the curved beam section 300 is defined as the upper portion 300A, the middle portion 300B, and the lower portion 300C of the curved beam section according to the bending area A and the bending area B when in operation. Figure 4 ), corresponding to upper width 700A, middle width (not shown), and lower width 700C, respectively. These three widths can be identical, partially identical, or completely different. These three sections may or may not have clear demarcations. The curved beam section 300 also has two side surfaces: a first curved beam side surface 303 and a second curved beam side surface 304. These two sides are shown as being substantially parallel, but can also be arranged at a specific angle (e.g., a specific acute angle) as needed.

[0047] The bending beam section 300 is provided with a slotted structure 305, which has the following functions: first, to provide a certain space for the bending deformation of the probe 10; second, to adjust the deformation amount of the probe 10 through different slot settings, and to adjust the contact force (i.e., needle pressure) between the needle tip of the probe 10 and the object to be detected / signal adapter board; third, to adjust the deformation amount of the probe 10 at different positions by adjusting the size, spacing, shape, etc. of the slots, and to set different slotted structures 305 at different positions of the probe 10, so as to realize precise control of the bending strength of each position of the probe 10, which is helpful for the reliability design and life design of the probe.

[0048] The curved beam section 300 includes at least one slot structure 305, specifically, two or more non-connected slots extending along the length of the curved beam section 300. The slots may extend transversely through the first and second surfaces 301, 302, or may be formed on the first and second surfaces 301, 302, respectively, with individual slots not extending through both surfaces (not shown). Alternatively, the slots may be formed only on the first or second surfaces 301, 302, with individual slots not extending through both surfaces (not shown). The slot shapes include, but are not limited to, strips, rectangles, parallelograms, circles, ellipses, crosses, pentagons, hexagons, polygons, or even irregular shapes, or a combination of two or more. The multiple slots may be of the same size and shape, of different sizes but the same shape, or a combination of different shapes. The slot structure 305 can be formed by five-axis laser etching, dry etching, wet etching, etc.

[0049] exist Figure 2A and 2B In the figure, from the Z-direction to the Z+direction, the plurality of slots of the slot structure 305 are a first slot 701 , a second slot 702 , . . . the penultimate slot 70(N-1), and a last slot 70N.

[0050] Parameters of the first slot 701 include: slot length 7011, slot width 7012, slot depth (not shown; if the first slot 701 extends through the first and second sides 301 and 302 of the curved beam, the slot depth is equal to the thickness of the curved beam section 300), first side wall thickness 7013 (the distance between the first slot 701 and the first side 303 of the curved beam), second side wall thickness 7014 (the distance between the first slot 701 and the second side 304 of the curved beam), slot spacing 7015 (the distance between the first slot 701 and the second slot 702), and slot distance 700D (the distance between the first slot 701 and the first guide section 200). The slot distance 700D can be zero (i.e., the short side of the first slot 701 is located at the junction of the first guide section 200 and the curved beam section 300) or any other distance.

[0051] The parameters of the second slot 702 include: slot length 7021, slot width 7022, slot depth (not shown, if the second slot 702 passes through the first side 301 and the second side 302 of the curved beam, the slot depth is the thickness of the curved beam section 300), first side wall thickness 7023 (the distance between the second slot 702 and the first side surface 303 of the curved beam), second side wall thickness 7024 (the distance between the second slot 702 and the second side surface 304 of the curved beam), and slot spacing (the distance between the second slot 702 and the third slot 703, not shown).

[0052] This continues until the Nth slot 70N, whose parameters include slot length 70N1, slot width 70N2, slot depth (not shown; if the Nth slot 70N extends through the first and second sides 301 and 302 of the curved beam, the slot depth is equal to the thickness of the curved beam section 300), first side wall thickness 70N3 (the distance between the Nth slot 70N and the first side surface 303 of the curved beam), second side wall thickness 70N4 (the distance between the Nth slot 70N and the second side surface 304 of the curved beam), and slot distance 700E (the distance between the Nth slot 70N and the second guide section 400). The slot distance 700E can be zero (i.e., a short side of the Nth slot 70N is located at the junction of the curved beam section 300 and the second guide section 400) or any other distance.

[0053] exist Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B 、 Figure 2A and Figure 2BIn the embodiment, the slot lengths 7011 to 70N1 of the first slot 701 to the Nth slot 70N are the same, but may not be completely the same in another embodiment; the slot widths 7012 to 70N2 of the first slot 701 to the Nth slot 70N are the same, but may not be completely the same in another embodiment; the first side wall thicknesses 7013 to 70N3 of the first slot 701 to the Nth slot 70N are the same, but may not be completely the same in another embodiment; the first slot 701 to the Nth slot 70N are the same, but may not be completely the same in another embodiment; The second side wall thickness 7014 to the second side wall thickness 70N4 are the same, but may not be completely the same in other embodiments; the slot spacing 7015 to the slot spacing 70(N-1)5 between the first slot 701 to the Nth slot 70N are the same, but may not be completely the same in other embodiments; the slot distance 700D (the distance between the first slot 701 and the first guide section 200) and the slot distance 700E (the distance between the Nth slot 70N and the second guide section 400) may be the same or different. In other embodiments, if the slots are formed on the first surface 301 and the second surface 302 of the curved beam respectively, or are formed on only one of the first surface 301 and the second surface 302 of the curved beam and do not pass through the curved beam section 300, the depths of the slots (not shown) may be the same or may not be completely the same.

[0054] When the slots (e.g., 701 and 702) are long strips or rectangular slots that run transversely through the curved beam section 300, the portion between the slots forms a connecting rod 306. Adjusting the number, position, and width of the connecting rod 306 (i.e., the slot spacing (e.g., 7015)) can change the needle pressure, deformation position, and / or deformation amount of the probe 10.

[0055] In the X-axis direction, the center line of each first slot 701 to the Nth slot 70N of the slot structure 305 coincides with the center line of the curved beam section 300, and the distance from the center of each first slot 701 to the Nth slot 70N to the first side surface 303 of the curved beam and the second side surface 304 of the curved beam is the same; or the position of any first slot 701 to the Nth slot 70N can be relatively close to the first side surface 303 of the curved beam or the second side surface 304 of the curved beam, or even extend to the first side surface 303 of the curved beam or the second side surface 304 of the curved beam, that is, forming a notch (not shown) on the first side surface 303 of the curved beam or the second side surface 304 of the curved beam.

[0056] Next, the second guide segment 400 is described. The second guide segment 400 has two main surfaces: a first surface 401 and a second surface 402. These two surfaces are substantially parallel to each other. A specific distance exists between the first surface 401 and the second surface 402. The second guide segment 400 also has two side surfaces: a first side surface 403 and a second side surface 404. While these two surfaces are shown as substantially parallel in the figure, they can also be positioned at a specific angle (e.g., a specific acute angle) as needed.

[0057] The design parameters involved in the second guide section 400 include the second guide section length 405 and the second guide section width 406 of the second guide section 400. The second guide section length 405 can be zero (i.e., the second needle section 500 is directly connected to the curved beam section 300) or non-zero. The second guide section width 406 can be completely identical along the Z-axis, or have a specific variation, such as a stepped, increasing, or decreasing form. The second guide section width 406 can be the same as or different from the upper width 700A of the curved beam section 300.

[0058] There may be a clear dividing line between the second guide section 400 and the curved beam section 300, such as a sharp angle transition or a step transition (not shown in the figure), or there may be no clear dividing line, such as a rounded angle transition.

[0059] The figure shows that the second guide section 400 is a solid structure, and it can also be modified to have a slotted structure (not shown, for example, similar to the slotted structure 305 on the curved beam section 300) as needed, which may or may not pass through the second guide section 400 laterally from the first surface 401 and / or the second surface 402 of the second guide section.

[0060] Next, the second needle segment 500 is described. The second needle segment 500 includes a second needle segment first surface 501, a second needle segment second surface 502, a second needle segment first side surface 503, a second needle segment second side surface 504, and a second needle segment contact portion 505. The second needle segment first surface 501 and the second needle segment second surface 502 are parallel to each other and have the same shape. They extend along the Z-axis, with a specific spacing between them, which is equal to the thickness of the second needle segment first side surface 503 and the second needle segment second side surface 504. The second needle segment first side surface 503 and the second needle segment second side surface 504 form an angle, and the second needle segment contact portion 505 is located between the ends of the second needle segment first side surface 503 and the second needle segment second side surface 504. In other embodiments, the second needle segment first surface 501 and the second needle segment second surface 502 do not need to be parallel, and they may form a specific angle, such as a specific acute angle.

[0061] The second needle section contact portion 505 can have various shapes, such as Figures 5A to 5D shown. Figure 5A The second needle segment contact portion 505 is shown as a plane parallel to the X-axis (width direction), and can also be changed to form a specific angle with the X-axis; Figure 5B The second needle segment contact portion 505 is shown as a straight line, which appears as a point in a plan view. In fact, the second needle segment contact portion 505 is formed by the direct intersection of the second needle segment first side surface 503 and the second needle segment second side surface 504. In space, the second needle segment contact portion 505 is an intersection line. Alternatively, it can be changed to a rounded corner that is tangent to the second needle segment first side surface 503 and the second needle segment second side surface 504, or it can be changed to a sharp point. Figure 5C The second needle segment 500 is shown to include a plurality of second needle segment contact portions 505 , which facilitates reliable physical contact between the second needle segment contact portions 505 and contact locations (such as probe pads) of the signal adapter board; Figure 5D The second needle segment contact portion 505 is shown to be located between the second needle segment first side surface 503 and the second needle segment second side surface 504. The second needle segment contact portion 505 is a plane. The second needle segment contact portion 505 forms a specific angle with the second needle segment first side surface 503 and the second needle segment second side surface 504, respectively. The second needle segment contact portion 505 is parallel to the X-axis and can also be changed to form a specific angle with the X-axis.

[0062] The design parameters of the second needle segment 500 include a second needle segment length 506 (length in the Z-axis direction) and a second needle segment contact portion width 507 .

[0063] There may be a clear dividing line between the second needle section 500 and the second guide section 400, such as a sharp angle transition or a step transition (not shown), or there may be no clear dividing line, such as a rounded angle transition.

[0064] The figure shows that the second needle segment 500 is a solid structure, which can also be modified to have a slotted structure (not shown, such as the slotted structure 305 similar to the curved beam segment 300) as needed, which may or may not penetrate the second needle segment 500 laterally from the first side 501 and / or the second side 502 of the second needle segment.

[0065] This application also provides a probe card 1, please refer to Figure 6A and 6B, which are three-dimensional views of a probe card according to an embodiment of the present application in an initial state and an operating state, respectively. The probe card 1 includes an upper guide plate 601, a lower guide plate 602, and a plurality of probes 10 described above. The upper guide plate 601 is disposed on a side close to the signal adapter board, and the lower guide plate is disposed on a side close to the object to be detected 800. A needle distribution space is formed between the upper guide plate 601 and the lower guide plate 602. The upper guide plate 601 has a plurality of upper through holes 6011. The size of the upper through holes 6011 is slightly larger than the cross-section of the second guide section 400 of the probe 10. The second guide section 400 of the probe 10 (or the curved beam section 300 if the second guide section 400 is absent) passes through the corresponding upper through holes 6011 one by one and can slide up and down (in the Z-axis direction) within the upper through holes 6011, so that the second needle section contact portion 505 of the second needle section 500 of the probe 10 can achieve electrical and physical contact with the corresponding probe pad (not shown) on the signal adapter board. The lower guide plate 602 has a plurality of lower through holes 6021. The size of the lower through holes 6021 is slightly larger than the cross-section of the first guide section 200 of the probe 10. The first guide section 200 of the probe 10 (or the curved beam section 300 if there is no first guide section 200) passes through the corresponding lower through holes 6021 one by one and can slide up and down (in the Z-axis direction) in the lower through holes 6021, so that the first needle section contact portion 105 of the first needle section 100 of the probe 10 can complete electrical and physical contact with the contact pad 801 of the object to be detected 800. The relative positions of the upper guide plate 601 and the lower guide plate 602 fix the positions of the second probe segment 500 and the first probe segment 100 in the X-axis direction. The misalignment between the two in the X-axis direction causes the curved beam segment 300 with the slotted structure 305 to deform and bend. The first probe segment contact portion 105 of the first probe segment 100 can receive appropriate downward pressure to press against the contact pad 801 of the object to be inspected 800 (particularly a sheet-like object to be inspected, such as a wafer). The probe 10, with both ends in contact, establishes an electrical signal transmission channel between the object to be inspected 800 and the signal adapter board. To simplify the diagram, only one probe 10 is depicted in the subsequent plan view, but this application does not limit the number of probes 10 used in the probe card 1.

[0066] When the probe 10 has not yet contacted the object to be detected 800, the upper guide plate 601 and the lower guide plate 602 can be spatially offset along the direction in which the bending beam section 300 will bend (such as the X-axis direction), so that the probe 10 is slightly pre-bent in the same direction between the upper guide plate 601 and the lower guide plate 602, forming a cantilever beam structure. Subsequently, when the first needle segment contact portion 105 of the first needle segment 100 abuts against the contact pad 801 of the object to be detected 800, the possibility of the probe 10 deflecting and / or bending in different directions and causing the probes 10 to contact each other and form a short circuit can be reduced, and the action of the first needle segment contact portion 105 scraping the contact pad 801 can be better controlled.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 4When the probe 10 is in operation, bending occurs in the bending region A and the bending region B of the bending beam section 300 after being subjected to force. By designing the slot-related parameters (e.g., slot length, slot width, slot shape, slot position, slot depth, etc.) within the bending region A and the bending region B, the stiffness of the bending region A and the bending region B can be adjusted to increase or decrease the needle pressure of the probe 10. According to the concept of the present application, in addition to making the stiffness of the bending beam section 300 smaller than that of the first guide section 200 and the second guide section 400, the stiffness of the bending region A and the bending region B can be further designed to be smaller than that of other parts of the bending beam section 300. This allows the bending beam section 300 to have a specific bending shape, facilitating a more precise testing process.

[0068] Please refer to Figure 7A 、 Figure 7B 、 Figure 7C 、 Figure 7D and 7E , which is a plan view illustrating the relationship between the slot structure 305 in the curved beam portion and the stiffness. Figure 7A The probe 10 in has no slotted structure and therefore has maximum rigidity; Figure 7B In the slotted structure 305, the probe 10 has slots in both the bending region A and the bending region B. Figure 7A , the stiffness of the probe 10 is reduced; Figure 7C In the slotted structure 305, the probe 10 has slots in both the bending region A and the bending region B, and the slot length is longer, so relative to Figure 7B , the stiffness of the probe 10 is further reduced; Figure 7D In the slotted structure 305, the probe 10 has slots in both the bending region A and the bending region B, and the slot length is greater than Figure 7C The probe 10 is short, so relative to Figure 7C , the stiffness of the probe 10 is improved; Figure 7E In the slot structure 305, the probe 10 has slots in both the bending area A and the bending area B, and the slot width is greater than Figure 7C The probe 10 is narrow, so relative to Figure 7C , the stiffness of the probe 10 is increased. Please note that if the slot is too long and spans the entire probe 10, it will affect the material strength of the non-bending area. Therefore, during the design, two or more non-connected slots are provided along the length. As described above, based on the materials of the probe 10 and the contact pad 801 of the object to be detected 800, as well as the number of probes, the distribution, position, length, width, shape, and number of slots can be designed to achieve the desired stiffness of the probe 10 in the bending positions A and B, thereby providing appropriate contact force.

[0069] In various applications, the needle pressure of the probe 10 has a specific force range to provide a stable contact force. For example, for a probe 10 with a length of less than 5 mm, the required force range of the needle pressure is, for example, 1.6 to 0.4 g / mil. If the grooves are dug and measured or numerical simulations are performed blindly, it is impossible to efficiently determine the relevant parameters of the grooves to correspond to the required needle pressure. This application systematically designs important influencing factors such as the groove length, groove width, wall thickness on both sides of the groove, and the groove spacing between unconnected grooves, and provides a relationship in which the needle pressure is positively correlated with: correction coefficient × (sum of all groove lengths × wall thickness on both sides of the groove) / length of the bending beam section, so as to obtain the desired contact force. Figure 2A and 2B Taking the probe 10 as an example, the correction coefficient is 0.5 to 0.9, the sum of all slot lengths is the sum of the lengths of all slots 701 to 70N (e.g., slot length 7011 + slot length 7021 + ... slot length 70N1), and the wall thicknesses on both sides of the slots are, for example, the first side wall thickness 7013 + the second side wall thickness 7014, or the first side wall thickness 7023 + the second side wall thickness 7024, or the first side wall thickness 70N3 + the second side wall thickness 70N4, or an average thereof. This simplifies the process of determining various parameters and allows for efficient design of the slot structure 305. Furthermore, to prevent permanent deformation or excessive stress from causing instability in the probe 10 after bending, the design also considers that the sum of all slot lengths is preferably 45% to 65% of the probe length, and the wall thicknesses on both sides of the slots are preferably 25% to 40% of the width of the bent beam section 300.

[0070] Please refer to Figure 8 , which is a plan view of a probe card with another slotted structure according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein the slot is circular, and the remaining structures can refer to the aforementioned embodiments.

[0071] According to the concept of this application, the stiffness of the bending beam section 300 is structurally modified so that the probe 10 achieves the desired stiffness at the bending beam section 300 or at bending positions A and B, thereby providing an appropriate contact force and bending shape. This application is not limited to the use of a slotted structure 305. For example, a specific pattern of grooves (not shown) may be used at the bending beam section 300 or at bending positions A and B. The grooves may be distributed on one or any combination of the bending beam first surface 301, the bending beam second surface 302, the bending beam first side surface 303, and the bending beam second side surface 304. The grooves may be formed by five-axis laser processing, dry etching, wet etching, or other methods. The slotted structure 305 and groove structures described above may also be applied to bending probes.

[0072] See Figure 9A and 9B, which are plan views of a probe card according to another embodiment of the present application in its initial state and operating state, respectively. Similar to the aforementioned probe card 1, it comprises an upper guide plate 601, a lower guide plate 602, and a plurality of probes 10. The functions and structures thereof are referred to in the aforementioned embodiment and will not be described in detail. In this embodiment, a middle guide plate 603 is additionally provided within the needle arrangement space. The middle guide plate 603 has a plurality of middle through holes 6031. The size of the middle through holes 6031 is slightly larger than the cross-section of the curved beam segments 300 of the probes 10. The curved beam segments 300 of the probes 10 pass through the corresponding middle through holes 6031 one-to-one and can slide up and down (in the Z-axis direction) within the middle through holes 6031. The misalignment between the middle guide plate 603 and the upper guide plate 601 / lower guide plate 602 can be used to guide the deformation position and direction of the probes 10, thereby controlling the curved beam segments 300 to form a specific deformed shape.

[0073] When the probe 10 has not yet contacted the object to be detected 800, the middle guide plate 603, the upper guide plate 601, and the lower guide plate 602 can be spatially offset along the direction in which the bending beam section 300 will bend (such as the X-axis direction), so that the probe 10 is slightly pre-bent in the same direction between the upper guide plate 601 and the lower guide plate 602, forming a cantilever beam structure. Subsequently, when the first needle segment contact portion 105 of the first needle segment 100 abuts against the contact pad 801 of the object to be detected 800, the possibility of the probe 10 deflecting and / or bending in different directions and causing the probes 10 to contact each other and form a short circuit can be reduced, and the action of the first needle segment contact portion 105 scraping the contact pad 801 can be better controlled.

[0074] In the above-mentioned combination of upper guide plate / lower guide plate or upper guide plate / middle guide plate / lower guide plate, any guide plate can be a double-layer structure (not shown) with a gap formed in the middle. This structure can reduce the friction between the probe 10 and the guide plate, making the probe 10 slide more smoothly in the through hole.

[0075] In summary, by adopting the above-mentioned technology, the probe and probe card provided in the present application have a special probe structure, which can provide deformation space for bending deformation and help form a curved beam structure; furthermore, by adjusting the deformation amount of the probe through different slot settings, the contact force (i.e., needle pressure) between the probe and the object to be detected / signal adapter board can be adjusted. By considering important influencing factors such as slot length, slot width, wall thickness on both sides of the slot, and slot spacing between non-connected slots, the curved beam structure can provide a stable contact force within a specific force value range for the first needle tip segment and the second needle tip segment; in addition, different slot structures can help with the reliability design and life design of the probe.

[0076] In addition, it can be understood that the aforementioned embodiments are merely exemplary descriptions of the present invention. Under the premise that the technical features do not conflict, the structures do not contradict, and the purpose of the present invention is not violated, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be arbitrarily combined and used in combination.

[0077] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A probe having a needle pressure for testing an object to be detected, characterized in that: The probe comprises: a first needle section, located at the end of the probe, and contacting the contact pad of the object to be detected when testing the object to be detected; a second needle section, located at the other end of the probe, and contacting the probe pad of the signal adapter board when testing the object to be detected; and The curved beam section is connected between the first needle section and the second needle section and has two or more unconnected slots in the length direction. When testing the object to be tested, the first needle section presses against the contact pad to deform and bend the bending beam section, and the first needle section bears the needle pressure, wherein the needle pressure is determined by the sum of all slot lengths, the wall thickness on both sides of the slot and the length of the bending beam section, and the needle pressure is positively correlated with: correction coefficient × (sum of all slot lengths × wall thickness on both sides of the slot) / length of the bending beam section.

2. The probe according to claim 1, wherein The correction coefficient is 0.5 to 0.

9.

3. The probe according to claim 1, wherein The probe has a probe length of less than 5 mm.

4. The probe according to claim 3, wherein The sum of the lengths of all the slots is 45% to 65% of the length of the probe.

5. The probe according to claim 1, wherein The wall thickness on both sides of the slot is 25% to 40% of the width of the curved beam section.

6. The probe according to claim 1, wherein The two or more slots are in the shape of a strip, a rectangle, a parallelogram, a circle, an ellipse, a cross, a polygon, or an irregular shape, or a combination thereof.

7. A probe card for testing an object to be detected, characterized in that: The probe card comprises: A plurality of probes according to any one of claims 1 to 6; an upper guide plate having a plurality of upper through holes thereon, wherein the upper through holes allow the second guide segments of the plurality of probes to pass through, the second guide segments being connected between the second needle segment and the curved beam segment, and the second guide segment of each probe being slidable within the corresponding upper through hole; and The lower guide plate has a plurality of lower through holes, wherein the lower through holes are for the first guide sections of the plurality of probes to pass through, the first guide sections being connected between the first needle section and the curved beam section, and the first guide section of each probe being able to slide in the corresponding lower through hole. When testing the object to be tested, the bending beam section is deformed and bent in the space between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate.

8. The probe card according to claim 7, wherein The upper guide plate and the lower guide plate are spatially offset in a direction in which the bending beam section is bent, so that the probe is pre-bent when it does not contact the object to be detected.

9. The probe card according to claim 7, wherein: The probe card also includes a middle guide plate, which is located between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate. The middle guide plate has a plurality of middle through holes, and the middle through holes are used for the bending beam sections of the plurality of probes to pass through. The bending beam section of each probe can slide in the corresponding middle through hole. The middle guide plate is spatially offset from the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate in the direction in which the bending beam section bends, so that the probe is pre-bent when it does not contact the object to be detected.

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