Temperature-controlled hot plate and semiconductor probe station
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202611418351.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-09-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-16
AI Technical Summary
[0004]然而,加热会导致加热台发生膨胀变形,使得加热台不平整,平面度不满足测试需要
[0015] The advantages are: the rotary drive spring connects the heating plate and the heat insulation base, and its force direction is off-center from the center of the heating plate, generating a torque about the normal direction of the mounting surface. This drives the heating plate to rotate relative to the heat insulation base, ensuring that the first abutment part on the heating plate and the second abutment part on the heat insulation base remain in contact. The contact between the first and second abutment parts prevents the heating plate from rotating about the normal direction of the mounting surface, thus constraining the rotational degree of freedom. Simultaneously, the rotary drive spring maintains the abutment state through its elasticity at high temperatures, avoiding deformation caused by rigid constraints.
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Figure CN122934570A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor testing equipment, and in particular to a temperature-controlled heating plate and a semiconductor probe station. Background Technology
[0002] To ensure product quality, in semiconductor manufacturing, semiconductor boards need to be placed on a heating platform, heated to a set temperature, and then the chips on the semiconductor board are powered on and tested.
[0003] The heating platform is usually mounted on a heat-insulating base. The heat-insulating base can be moved to allow different chips to be tested.
[0004] However, heating can cause the heating platform to expand and deform, resulting in an uneven surface that does not meet the test requirements. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a temperature-controlled heating plate and a semiconductor probe station, which can reduce thermal deformation and ensure that the flatness meets the testing requirements.
[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a temperature-controlled heating plate includes: a heat-insulating base having a mounting surface; a heating plate disposed on the mounting surface; and a constraint system for fixing the heating plate to the mounting surface, comprising: a translation constraint component disposed in the central region of the heating plate for constraining the displacement of the heating plate along the mounting surface; a vertical constraint component disposed on the outer periphery of the heating plate for constraining the displacement of the heating plate along the normal direction of the mounting surface; and a rotation constraint component disposed between the heating plate and the heat-insulating base for constraining the rotation of the heating plate about the normal direction of the mounting surface.
[0007] The temperature-controlled heating plate according to embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: by setting translational constraint components, vertical constraint components, and rotational constraint components, the translation of the heating plate within the mounting surface, the displacement along the normal direction of the mounting surface, and the rotation about the normal direction of the mounting surface are constrained respectively, thus achieving complete constraint of the six degrees of freedom of the heating plate. Simultaneously, each constraint component adopts an elastic adaptive structure, which can automatically adjust the constraint force according to the thermal expansion of the heating plate at high temperatures, avoiding deformation of the heating plate caused by hard constraints (over-constraint), thereby ensuring that the flatness of the upper surface of the heating plate meets the requirements of the needle puncture test.
[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the translation constraint assembly includes a positioning member, and the heating plate is provided with a positioning hole that mates with the positioning member; the positioning member passes through the positioning hole to position the heating plate along the mounting surface; the coefficient of thermal expansion of the positioning member is less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the heating plate, so that a clearance gap is formed between the heating plate and the positioning member at high temperature.
[0009] The advantages are: by setting the positioning component to cooperate with the positioning hole on the heating plate, the heating plate is positioned in the X and Y directions within the mounting surface. Simultaneously, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the positioning component is less than that of the heating plate. When the heating plate thermally expands at high temperatures, the increase in the diameter of the positioning hole is greater than the increase in the outer diameter of the positioning component, naturally forming a clearance between them. This avoids additional constraint stress caused by the difference in thermal expansion, thus preventing the heating plate from warping due to over-constraint and ensuring the flatness of the upper surface of the heating plate.
[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the translation constraint assembly further includes a fixing member, the positioning member having a through hole along the normal direction of the mounting surface, the fixing member passing through the through hole to connect the heating plate to the heat insulation base; the fixing member is made of the same material as the main body of the heating plate; and / or, the positioning member is made of ceramic.
[0011] The advantages are: the fastener, inserted through the through-hole of the positioning component, connects the heating plate to the heat insulation base, achieving initial fixation of the heating plate in the normal direction of the mounting surface. The fastener is made of the same material as the main body of the heating plate, and at high temperatures, the fastener and the heating plate have the same amount of thermal expansion, avoiding additional stress at the connection due to differences in thermal expansion. The positioning component is made of ceramic, whose coefficient of thermal expansion is much smaller than that of the metal heating plate. When the heating plate expands at high temperatures, a reliable clearance can be formed between it and the ceramic positioning component, preventing damage from compression.
[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the vertical constraint assembly includes a plurality of first elastic clamping members arranged circumferentially along the heating plate. The fixed end of the first elastic clamping member is connected to the heat insulation base, and the clamping end of the first elastic clamping member presses against the upper surface or outer peripheral edge of the heating plate to apply an elastic clamping force along the normal direction of the mounting surface to the heating plate. The fixed end is located at the bottom of the heat insulation base, and a cross-sectional contraction section is provided between the fixed end and the clamping end. The cross-sectional contraction section is used to reduce heat conduction from the heating plate to the fixed end. And / or, the outer periphery of the heating plate is provided with a positioning annular groove that mates with the clamping end.
[0013] The advantages are: multiple first elastic clamping elements are arranged circumferentially along the heating plate, with the clamping end pressing against the upper surface or outer peripheral edge of the heating plate. The elastic clamping force presses the heating plate firmly against the mounting surface of the heat-insulating base, constraining the displacement of the heating plate in the normal direction of the mounting surface. The cross-sectional contraction section reduces the cross-sectional area of the heat conduction path from the heating plate to the fixed end, increasing the temperature gradient along the spring sheet during heat conduction. By the time the heat reaches the fixed end, the temperature has significantly decreased, preventing high temperatures from causing material degradation or connection failure at the fixed end. The positioning ring groove cooperates with the clamping end, ensuring that the clamping end remains within the positioning ring groove at high temperatures, preventing slippage and ensuring the reliability of the vertical constraint.
[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the rotation constraint assembly includes a first abutment portion, a second abutment portion, and a rotation drive spring; the first abutment portion is disposed on the heating plate, the second abutment portion is disposed on the heat insulation base, and the rotation drive spring connects the heating plate and the heat insulation base; the force direction of the rotation drive spring is perpendicular to the normal direction of the mounting surface and deviates from the center of the heating plate, so that the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion remain in contact to prevent the heating plate from rotating about the normal direction of the mounting surface.
[0015] The advantages are: the rotary drive spring connects the heating plate and the heat insulation base, and its force direction is off-center from the center of the heating plate, generating a torque about the normal direction of the mounting surface. This drives the heating plate to rotate relative to the heat insulation base, ensuring that the first abutment part on the heating plate and the second abutment part on the heat insulation base remain in contact. The contact between the first and second abutment parts prevents the heating plate from rotating about the normal direction of the mounting surface, thus constraining the rotational degree of freedom. Simultaneously, the rotary drive spring maintains the abutment state through its elasticity at high temperatures, avoiding deformation caused by rigid constraints.
[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first abutting part includes a positioning bearing, the second abutting part includes a heat-insulating column; the heat-insulating base has a plurality of the heat-insulating columns, the top surfaces of the plurality of heat-insulating columns cooperate to form the mounting surface, and the rotation drive spring is disposed in the gap between the heat-insulating columns.
[0017] The advantages are: the positioning bearing is mounted on the heating plate, and the heat insulation column is mounted on the heat insulation base. The positioning bearing and the adjacent heat insulation column are kept in contact under the action of the rotation drive spring. The heat insulation column not only serves as a second contact part to constrain the rotation of the heating plate, but its top surface also forms a mounting surface to support the heating plate, achieving multiple uses and simplifying the structure. The rotation drive spring is placed in the gap between the heat insulation columns, making full use of the space between the heat insulation columns and making the overall structure more compact.
[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature-controlled heating plate further includes an insulating conductive plate and a carrier plate. The insulating conductive plate is located between the carrier plate and the heating plate. The insulating conductive plate and the heating plate are fixed by adsorption. The carrier plate and the insulating conductive plate are fixed by adsorption. The carrier plate, the insulating conductive plate and the heating plate are positioned by pin holes.
[0019] The advantages are: the insulating conductive plate, positioned between the substrate tray and the heating plate, achieves both electrical insulation between them and ensures effective heat transfer from the heating plate to the substrate tray. The insulating conductive plate and the heating plate are fixed together by adsorption, avoiding the constraint stress caused by hard connections like screws at high temperatures. The substrate tray, insulating conductive plate, and heating plate are positioned using pin holes, ensuring precise relative positions and a consistent heat transfer path, while also facilitating quick substrate tray replacement.
[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the constraint system includes a second elastic clamping member disposed circumferentially on the heat insulation base. The second elastic clamping member is provided with a positioning protrusion, and the circumferential direction of the tray is provided with a positioning groove that matches the positioning protrusion. The positioning groove and the positioning protrusion cooperate to prevent the tray from rotating about the normal direction of the mounting surface. In the normal direction of the mounting surface, the length of the positioning groove is greater than the length of the positioning protrusion.
[0021] The advantages are: the positioning protrusion of the second elastic clamping member cooperates with the circumferential positioning groove of the tray, and the tray prevents the tray from rotating around the normal direction of the mounting surface by abutting against the side wall of the groove, thus constraining the rotational freedom of the tray. The length of the positioning groove in the normal direction of the mounting surface is greater than the length of the positioning protrusion, so that the positioning protrusion has a certain amount of room for movement in the Z direction. When the tray expands in the Z direction at high temperature, it will not interfere with the positioning protrusion. At the same time, when the tray expands radially at high temperature, the positioning protrusion can expand outward with the tray under the action of elastic force and maintain contact with the positioning groove, thus ensuring the effectiveness of rotational constraint at high temperature.
[0022] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the heating plate includes a plate body and a channel group disposed in the plate body, the channel group including an adsorption channel, a heating channel and a cooling channel, the channel group being integrally manufactured with the plate body in the form of an insert.
[0023] The advantages are: the channel assembly is manufactured integrally with the disk body as an insert, allowing the adsorption, heating, and cooling channels to be directly formed inside the disk body. This eliminates the need to process and then assemble the disk into upper and lower parts, avoiding the residual thermal stress and sealing failure problems associated with spliced structures. The integrated structure ensures good consistency in the overall material structure and temperature distribution of the disk body, resulting in uniform thermal deformation at high temperatures and preventing distorted deformation due to localized stress concentration, thus guaranteeing the flatness of the heating disk's upper surface.
[0024] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor probe station includes a wafer stage base, wherein the wafer stage base is provided with the temperature-controlled heating plate described in the first aspect of the present invention.
[0025] The semiconductor probe station according to the embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: by using the above-mentioned temperature-controlled heating plate, the upper surface of the heating plate can maintain good flatness under high-temperature testing conditions, thereby ensuring the accuracy and reliability of probe piercing tests and improving the precision and yield of wafer testing.
[0026] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description
[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0028] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the temperature control heating plate of the semiconductor probe station according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the temperature-controlled heating plate from the front view. Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional exploded view of the temperature-controlled heating plate; Figure 4 for Figure 3 Further exploded structural diagram of the temperature-controlled heating plate; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Exploded view of the temperature-controlled heating plate from the front view; Figure 6 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the heating plate and the heat insulation base; Figure 7 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an alternative to a temperature-controlled heating plate.
[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: Insulated base 100; mounting surface 110; heating plate 120; positioning hole 130; constraint system 140; translation constraint assembly 150; positioning element 160; fixing element 170; vertical constraint assembly 180; first elastic clamping element 190; positioning ring groove 191; rotation constraint assembly 200; first abutment part 210; second abutment part 220; rotation drive spring 230; heat insulation column 240; insulating conduction disk 250; carrier plate disk 260; second elastic clamping element 270; positioning protrusion 280; positioning groove 290; disk body 300; channel group 310. Detailed Implementation
[0030] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.
[0031] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.
[0032] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. If "first" and "second" are mentioned, this is only for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.
[0033] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation, connection, and linkage" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.
[0034] A temperature-controlled heating plate and a semiconductor probe station according to an embodiment of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0035] Reference Figures 1 to 7 The present invention aims to provide an embodiment of a temperature-controlled heating plate. Furthermore, since the temperature-controlled heating plate can be a component of a semiconductor probe station, the present invention also aims to provide an embodiment of a semiconductor probe station.
[0036] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the temperature-controlled heating plate of the semiconductor probe station according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0037] The temperature-controlled heating plate in this embodiment of the invention mainly includes a carrier plate 260, an insulating conduction plate 250, a heating plate 120, a heat-insulating base 100, and a constraint system 140.
[0038] Specifically, the wafer carrier 260 is located at the top and is used to hold the semiconductor chip under test. The surface of the wafer carrier 260 is usually gold-plated. When there is wear, it needs to be replaced according to the wear condition.
[0039] The insulating conductive disk 250 is located between the carrier disk 260 and the heating disk 120, and plays the role of insulation and heat conduction. The insulating conductive disk 250 is made of heat-conducting ceramic, which satisfies both the insulation effect and the heat conduction function.
[0040] As is easily understood, the insulating conductive plate 250 is positioned between the substrate tray 260 and the heating plate 120, achieving both electrical insulation between the heating plate 120 and the substrate tray 260, and ensuring effective heat conduction from the heating plate 120 to the substrate tray 260. The insulating conductive plate 250 and the heating plate 120 are fixed together by adsorption, as are the substrate tray 260 and the insulating conductive plate 250, avoiding the constraint stress generated by hard connections such as screws at high temperatures. The substrate tray 260, the insulating conductive plate 250, and the heating plate 120 are positioned using pin holes, ensuring the relative positional accuracy of the three components, maintaining a consistent heat transfer path, and facilitating the quick replacement of the substrate tray 260.
[0041] The heating plate 120 is mounted on the mounting surface 110 of the heat insulation base 100. The heating plate 120 is used to generate heat and heat the substrate 260 and the semiconductor chip under test above it.
[0042] The heat-insulating base 100 is located at the bottom and is used to prevent the heat from the heating plate 120 from being transferred downwards. It is made of heat-insulating ceramic.
[0043] from Figure 1 The structure of the constraint system 140 can also be seen. The constraint system 140 is used to fix the heating plate 120 to the mounting surface 110. The constraint system 140 includes a translation constraint component 150, a vertical constraint component 180, and a rotation constraint component 200.
[0044] The vertical constraint assembly 180 includes a plurality of first elastic clamping members 190, which are arranged circumferentially along the heating plate 120.
[0045] The constraint system 140 also includes a second elastic clamping member 270, which is disposed in the circumference of the heat insulation base 100. The second elastic clamping member 270 is provided with a positioning protrusion 280. The circumference of the tray 260 is provided with a positioning groove 290 that matches the positioning protrusion 280. The positioning groove 290 and the positioning protrusion 280 cooperate to prevent the tray 260 from rotating around the normal direction of the mounting surface 110.
[0046] It is easy to understand that the second elastic clamping member 270 is disposed circumferentially on the heat insulation base 100, and the second elastic clamping member 270 is provided with a positioning protrusion 280. The tray 260 is provided circumferentially with a positioning groove 290 that matches the positioning protrusion 280. The positioning protrusion 280 abuts against the side wall of the positioning groove 290, preventing the tray 260 from rotating around the normal direction of the mounting surface 110, thereby constraining the rotational freedom of the tray 260.
[0047] The length of the positioning groove 290 in the normal direction of the mounting surface 110 is greater than the length of the positioning protrusion 280, which allows the positioning protrusion 280 to have a certain amount of room for movement in the Z direction. When the tray 260 expands in the Z direction at high temperature, it will not interfere with the positioning protrusion 280. At the same time, when the tray 260 expands radially at high temperature, the positioning protrusion 280 can expand outward with the tray 260 under the action of elasticity and maintain contact with the positioning groove 290, thus ensuring the effectiveness of rotational constraint at high temperature.
[0048] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the front view of the temperature-controlled heating plate. The stacking relationship of the layers of the temperature-controlled heating plate and the arrangement of the constraint system can be seen more clearly from the front view.
[0049] Among them, the heat insulation base 100 is located at the bottom, the heating plate 120 is set on the mounting surface 110 of the heat insulation base 100, the insulating conduction plate 250 is set above the heating plate 120, and the carrier plate 260 is set above the insulating conduction plate 250.
[0050] For the vertical constraint assembly 180, the first elastic clamping member 190 of the vertical constraint assembly 180 is arranged circumferentially along the heating plate 120. The fixed end of the first elastic clamping member 190 is connected to the heat insulation base 100, and the clamping end presses against the upper surface or outer peripheral edge of the heating plate 120, applying an elastic clamping force along the normal direction of the mounting surface 110 to the heating plate 120, so that the heating plate 120 and the heat insulation base 100 are tightly attached.
[0051] Specifically, multiple first elastic clamping members 190 are arranged circumferentially along the heating plate 120, with the clamping ends pressing against the upper surface or outer peripheral edge of the heating plate 120. The heating plate 120 is pressed against the mounting surface 110 of the heat insulation base 100 by the elastic clamping force, thus constraining the displacement of the heating plate 120 in the normal direction of the mounting surface 110.
[0052] The fixed end is located at the bottom of the heat insulation base 100. There is a cross-sectional shrinkage section between the fixed end and the pressing end. The cross-sectional shrinkage section reduces the cross-sectional area of the heat conduction path from the heating plate 120 to the fixed end, so that the heat increases along the temperature gradient of the spring sheet during conduction. When the heat reaches the fixed end, the temperature has been greatly reduced, thus avoiding the degradation of the material properties of the fixed end or the failure of the connection due to high temperature.
[0053] The outer periphery of the heating plate 120 is provided with a positioning ring groove 191 that mates with the pressing end. The pressing end is embedded in the positioning ring groove, so that the pressing end is always kept in the positioning ring groove 191 at high temperature, preventing the pressing end from slipping out and ensuring the reliability of vertical constraint.
[0054] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the fixed end of the first elastic pressing member 190 can be fixed to the side of the heat insulation base 100 by three screws to meet the pressing requirements, while simplifying the structure of the first elastic pressing member 190.
[0055] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the pressing end of the first elastic pressing member 190 can be bent out of the pressing plane to increase the contact area and reduce the risk of separation between the pressing end and the edge of the positioning ring groove 191.
[0056] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the first elastic clamping member 190 and the second elastic clamping member 270 can be integrally processed, that is, two parts belonging to one part, which can reduce the number of parts and reduce manufacturing and assembly costs.
[0057] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional exploded view of the temperature-controlled heating plate. Figure 3 The heating plate 120, the insulating conductive plate 250, and the slide plate 260 were exploded apart to show the separation state between the layers.
[0058] Depend on Figure 3 As can be seen, the carrier plate 260, the insulating conduction plate 250 and the heating plate 120 are positioned by the engagement of pin holes, which ensures the relative positional accuracy between the three.
[0059] The insulating conduction disk 250 and the heating disk 120 are fixed by adsorption. Specifically, the heating disk 120 is provided with an air channel, and the insulating conduction disk 250 is adsorbed onto the heating disk 120 by vacuuming.
[0060] The substrate tray 260 and the insulating conductive tray 250 are fixed by adsorption. The substrate tray 260 has air channels on its side. The substrate tray 260 is adsorbed onto the insulating conductive tray 250 by vacuuming.
[0061] in addition, Figure 3 It also more clearly shows the mating relationship between the positioning protrusion 280 on the second elastic clamping member 270 and the circumferential positioning groove 290 of the tray 260.
[0062] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 4 for Figure 3 A further exploded structural diagram of the temperature-controlled heating plate. Figure 4 The heating plate 120 and the heat insulation base 100 are further exploded to reveal the detailed structure of the translational constraint assembly 150 and the rotational constraint assembly 200.
[0063] The translation constraint component 150 is located in the central region of the heating plate 120 and is used to constrain the displacement of the heating plate 120 along the mounting surface 110 (i.e., the translational degrees of freedom in the X and Y directions).
[0064] Specifically, the translation constraint assembly 150 includes a positioning member 160, and the heating plate 120 is provided with a positioning hole 130 that cooperates with the positioning member 160. The positioning member 160 passes through the positioning hole 130 to position the heating plate 120 along the mounting surface 110.
[0065] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the positioning member 160 may be less than that of the heating plate 120, so that a clearance gap is formed between the heating plate 120 and the positioning member 160 at high temperature.
[0066] Specifically, the positioning element 160 is made of ceramic material. The thermal expansion of ceramic at high temperature is less than that of metal heating plate 120. In this way, the central positioning hole 130 of heating plate 120 will become larger at high temperature, and will not be damaged by compression with ceramic.
[0067] Specifically, the positioning element 160 is made of ceramic material, and the coefficient of thermal expansion of ceramic at high temperatures is much smaller than that of the metal heating plate 120. The heating plate 120 has a positioning hole 130 at its center, and the positioning element 160 passes through the positioning hole 130 to achieve positioning of the heating plate 120 in the X and Y directions within the mounting surface 110. When the heating plate 120 undergoes thermal expansion at high temperatures, the increase in the diameter of the positioning hole 130 is greater than the increase in the outer diameter of the positioning element 160, naturally forming a clearance between them. This clearance avoids additional constraint stress caused by the difference in thermal expansion, preventing the heating plate 120 from warping due to over-constraint and ensuring the flatness of the upper surface of the heating plate 120.
[0068] In addition, the translation constraint assembly 150 also includes a fixing member 170. The positioning member 160 has a through hole along the normal direction of the mounting surface 110. The fixing member 170 passes through the through hole to connect the heating plate 120 to the heat insulation base 100.
[0069] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the material of the fixing member 170 can be the same as the main material of the heating plate 120 to ensure that the fixing member 170 and the heating plate 120 have the same amount of thermal expansion at high temperature.
[0070] In other words, the material of the fixing component 170 is the same as that of the main body of the heating plate 120. At high temperatures, the fixing component 170 and the heating plate 120 have the same amount of thermal expansion, avoiding additional stress at the connection due to differences in thermal expansion. The positioning component 160 is made of ceramic material. The coefficient of thermal expansion of ceramic is much smaller than that of the metal heating plate 120. When the heating plate 120 expands at high temperatures, a reliable clearance can be formed between it and the ceramic positioning component 160 to avoid crushing damage.
[0071] The rotation constraint assembly 200 is disposed between the heating plate 120 and the heat insulation base 100. The rotation constraint assembly 200 is used to constrain the rotation of the heating plate 120 about the normal direction of the mounting surface 110 (i.e., the rotational degree of freedom about the Z-axis).
[0072] Specifically, the rotation constraint assembly 200 includes a first abutment portion 210, a second abutment portion 220, and a rotation drive spring 230. The first abutment portion 210 is disposed on the heating plate 120, the second abutment portion 220 is disposed on the heat insulation base 100, and the rotation drive spring 230 connects the heating plate 120 and the heat insulation base 100.
[0073] The rotation drive spring 230 applies force in a direction perpendicular to the normal direction of the mounting surface 110 and offset from the center of the heating plate 120, so that the first abutting part 210 and the second abutting part 220 remain in contact, thereby preventing the heating plate 120 from rotating around the normal direction of the mounting surface 110.
[0074] It is easy to understand that the rotary drive spring 230 connects the heating plate 120 and the heat insulation base 100. Its force direction is perpendicular to the normal direction of the mounting surface 110 and offset from the center of the heating plate 120, generating a torque about the normal direction of the mounting surface 110. This drives the heating plate 120 to rotate relative to the heat insulation base 100, ensuring that the first abutment portion 210 on the heating plate 120 and the second abutment portion 220 on the heat insulation base 100 remain in contact. The contact between the first abutment portion 210 and the second abutment portion 220 prevents the heating plate 120 from rotating about the normal direction of the mounting surface 110, thus constraining the rotational degree of freedom. Simultaneously, the rotary drive spring 230 maintains the contact state through adaptive elasticity at high temperatures, avoiding deformation caused by rigid constraints.
[0075] In this embodiment, the first abutment portion 210 includes a positioning bearing, the second abutment portion 220 includes a heat insulation column 240, the heat insulation base 100 has a plurality of heat insulation columns 240, the top surfaces of the plurality of heat insulation columns 240 cooperate to form a mounting surface 110, and the rotation drive spring 230 is disposed in the gap between the heat insulation columns 240.
[0076] It is easy to understand that the heat insulation column 240 not only serves as the second abutment 220 to constrain the rotation of the heating plate 120, but its top surface also forms a mounting surface 110 to support the heating plate 120, achieving multiple uses and simplifying the structure. The rotation drive spring 230 is set in the gap between the heat insulation columns 240, making full use of the space between the heat insulation columns 240 and making the overall structure more compact.
[0077] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the rotary drive spring 230 can be connected to the heating plate 120 and the heat insulation base 100 by screws. At the same time, it is convenient to use the annular structures at both ends of the rotary drive spring 230 for installation.
[0078] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 5 for Figure 4 An exploded view of the temperature-controlled heating plate from the front perspective. The front view more clearly shows the state of the heating plate 120 after it is separated from the heat insulation base 100, as well as the cooperation relationship between the positioning element 160 and the positioning hole 130 in the translation constraint assembly 150.
[0079] The positioning member 160 is inserted into the positioning hole 130, and the fixing member 170 passes through the through hole of the positioning member 160 to connect the heating plate 120 to the heat insulation base 100.
[0080] Figure 5 The distribution of the first elastic clamping members 190 of the vertical constraint assembly 180 is also shown. Multiple first elastic clamping members 190 are evenly arranged along the circumference of the heating plate 120, and the clamping end is pressed against the positioning ring groove 191 on the outer peripheral edge of the heating plate 120. The clamping force is maintained by elasticity adaptively at different temperatures.
[0081] Reference Figure 6 , Figure 6 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the heating plate and the heat insulation base. Figure 6 The connection structure between the heating plate 120 and the heat insulation base 100, as well as the internal channel structure of the heating plate 120, are shown in detail.
[0082] The heating plate 120 includes a plate body 300 and a channel assembly 310 disposed within the plate body 300. The channel assembly 310 includes an adsorption channel, a heating channel, and a cooling channel. The channel assembly 310 is integrally manufactured with the plate body 300 as an insert.
[0083] Specifically, the heating plate 120 is formed by casting (or die-casting) a pre-embedded pipe into a mold, integrating the pre-embedded pipe with the plate body 300. This is followed by stress-relief annealing and surface finishing. This integrated structure ensures good material microstructure and temperature consistency for the heating plate 120, avoiding residual thermal stress and sealing failure issues inherent in split-piece structures. The adsorption channel is used to create a vacuum to adsorb the insulating conductive plate 250 onto the heating plate 120. The heating channel accommodates the heating wire to heat the heating plate 120. The cooling channel allows compressed air to be introduced for rapid cooling after high-temperature testing.
[0084] It is easy to understand that the channel assembly 310 is manufactured as an insert integrally with the disk body 300, so that the adsorption channel, heating channel and cooling channel are directly formed inside the disk body. There is no need to process the disk body into upper and lower parts and then splice them together, thus avoiding the residual thermal stress and sealing failure problems that exist in spliced structures.
[0085] The integrated structure ensures good consistency in the overall material structure and temperature distribution of the plate 300, resulting in uniform thermal deformation at high temperatures and preventing drastic deformation due to localized stress concentration, thus guaranteeing the flatness of the upper surface of the heating plate 120.
[0086] Reference Figure 7 , Figure 7 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an alternative to the rotation constraint assembly of the temperature-controlled heating plate. In other embodiments of the present invention, the rotation constraint assembly 200 may also be implemented with a structure similar to the second elastic clamping member 270, the positioning protrusion 280 and the positioning groove 290, that is, the rotation constraint assembly 200 includes the second elastic clamping member 270, the positioning protrusion 280 and the positioning groove 290.
[0087] Specifically, Figure 7 An alternative to the rotation constraint assembly 200 is shown, in which a spring-loaded and V-groove mating structure replaces the abutment fit between the positioning bearing and the heat insulation column in the first embodiment. In this alternative, the contact position between the spring-loaded and V-groove is formed by stamping a cylindrical positioning protrusion, which tightly engages with the V-groove under the action of elastic force. The cylindrical surface of the spring-loaded and the V-groove prevent the heating plate 120 from rotating about the normal direction of the mounting surface 110 in the rotational direction, while no constraint is required in the Z direction (normal direction of the mounting surface). Thus, translation in the XY directions is restricted by the central pin, rotation is restricted by the outer ring V-groove, and displacement in the Z direction is restricted by the central screw and the outer ring buckle. At high temperatures, the self-adaptive nature of the spring can also effectively limit the heating plate 120, ensuring that the upper surface of the heating plate 120 maintains good flatness.
[0088] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the heat insulation column 240 can be obtained by slotting the heat insulation base 100. Therefore, the cross-section of the heat insulation column 240 is rectangular, which can reduce heat conduction and reduce manufacturing costs.
[0089] The working principle of the temperature-controlled heating plate according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0090] Reference Figures 1 to 4 When the temperature-controlled heating plate is in operation, the heating plate 120 is mounted on the mounting surface 110 of the heat insulation base 100. The positioning member 160 of the translation constraint assembly 150 passes through the positioning hole 130 of the heating plate 120, constraining the heating plate 120 to move along the X and Y directions of the mounting surface 110. The first elastic clamping member 190 of the vertical constraint assembly 180 is arranged circumferentially along the heating plate 120, and the clamping end presses against the positioning ring groove 191 of the heating plate 120, applying an elastic clamping force along the normal direction of the mounting surface 110 to the heating plate 120, constraining the displacement of the heating plate 120 in the Z direction. The rotation drive spring 230 of the rotation constraint assembly 200 connects the heating plate 120 and the heat insulation base 100, and the direction of the applied force is offset from the center of the heating plate 120, so that the first abutment part 210 and the second abutment part 220 remain in contact, constraining the rotation of the heating plate 120 about the normal direction of the mounting surface 110.
[0091] Through the cooperation of the three constraint components described above, the six degrees of freedom of the heating plate 120 are fully constrained. Simultaneously, each constraint component employs an elastic adaptive structure, automatically adjusting the constraint force according to the thermal expansion of the heating plate 120 at high temperatures. Specifically, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the positioning member 160 is less than that of the heating plate 120, creating a clearance gap between the heating plate 120 and the positioning member 160 when the heating plate 120 expands at high temperatures, thus avoiding additional stress. The first elastic clamping member 190 maintains the clamping force through elastic adaptive force at high temperatures, preventing deformation caused by a rigid connection. The rotary drive spring 230 maintains the contact state of the first abutment portion 210 and the second abutment portion 220 through elastic adaptive force at high temperatures. Therefore, the heating plate 120 is fully constrained at high temperatures without deforming due to over-constraint, ensuring that the flatness of the upper surface of the heating plate 120 meets the requirements of the needle puncture test.
[0092] An insulating conductive disk 250 is positioned above the heating disk 120 and is fixed in place by vacuum adsorption through the adsorption channels within the heating disk 120. A wafer carrier disk 260 is positioned above the insulating conductive disk 250 and is fixed in place by vacuum adsorption through air channels on the side of the wafer carrier disk 260. The semiconductor chip under test is placed on the wafer carrier disk 260 and fixed by vacuum adsorption through the vacuum holes on the surface of the wafer carrier disk 260. The heating disk 120 is heated by heating wires within the heating channels, and the heat is transferred to the wafer carrier disk 260 and the semiconductor chip under test via the insulating conductive disk 250. After testing, compressed cooling air is introduced through the cooling channels for rapid cooling.
[0093] It is easy to understand that this embodiment uses translational constraint component 150, vertical constraint component 180, and rotational constraint component 200 to constrain the translation of the heating plate 120 within the mounting surface 110, its displacement along the normal direction of the mounting surface 110, and its rotation about the normal direction of the mounting surface 110, thus achieving complete constraint on all six degrees of freedom of the heating plate 120. Simultaneously, each constraint component employs an elastic adaptive structure, which can automatically adjust the constraint force according to the thermal expansion of the heating plate 120 at high temperatures, avoiding deformation of the heating plate 120 caused by hard constraint (over-constraint), thereby ensuring that the flatness of the upper surface of the heating plate 120 meets the requirements of the needle piercing test.
[0094] This embodiment integrates the air path and heating wire pipeline into a single structure using the heating plate 120, avoiding the residual thermal stress and sealing failure issues associated with separate, spliced structures. The heating wire runs through the heating plate 120, improving its internal thermal efficiency and enabling faster heating. Multiple cooling paths are achieved by using compressed air for cooling and through the heating wire pipeline. The heating plate 120 is not fixed with screws, allowing the material to deform freely with temperature, reducing deformation caused by rigid constraints and ensuring the surface flatness of the carrier plate 260 meets requirements. The use of snap-fit, vacuum, and spring-loaded structures also facilitates quick installation and disassembly.
[0095] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a semiconductor probe station includes a wafer stage base, and the wafer stage base is provided with a temperature-controlled heating plate as described above. By employing the temperature-controlled heating plate, the upper surface of the heating plate 120 can maintain good flatness under high-temperature testing conditions, thereby ensuring the accuracy and reliability of probe piercing tests and improving the precision and yield of wafer testing.
[0096] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" are used to indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0097] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein.
[0098] It should also be noted that in the description of this specification, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.
[0099] Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “having,” and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may also include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.
[0100] Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.
[0101] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Claims
1. A temperature-controlled heating plate, characterized in that, The temperature-controlled heating plate includes: The heat-insulating base (100) has a mounting surface (110); A heating plate (120) is disposed on the mounting surface (110). and a restraint system (140) for securing the heating plate (120) to the mounting surface (110), comprising: A translation constraint component (150) is disposed in the central region of the heating plate (120) for constraining the displacement of the heating plate (120) along the mounting surface (110); A vertical constraint component (180) is disposed on the outer periphery of the heating plate (120) for constraining the displacement of the heating plate (120) along the normal direction of the mounting surface (110); A rotation constraint assembly (200) is disposed between the heating plate (120) and the heat insulation base (100) to constrain the rotation of the heating plate (120) about the normal direction of the mounting surface (110); The translation constraint assembly (150) includes a positioning element (160), and the heating plate (120) is provided with a positioning hole (130) that cooperates with the positioning element (160). The positioning element (160) is inserted into the positioning hole (130) to position the heating plate (120) along the mounting surface (110); The coefficient of thermal expansion of the positioning element (160) is less than that of the heating plate (120), so that a clearance gap is formed between the heating plate (120) and the positioning element (160) at high temperature; The vertical constraint assembly (180) includes a plurality of first elastic clamping members (190), which are arranged circumferentially along the heating plate (120). The fixed end of the first elastic clamping member (190) is connected to the heat insulation base (100), and the clamping end of the first elastic clamping member (190) presses against the upper surface or outer peripheral edge of the heating plate (120) to apply an elastic clamping force to the heating plate (120) along the normal direction of the mounting surface (110).
2. The temperature-controlled heating plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The translation constraint assembly (150) also includes a fixing member (170). The positioning member (160) has a through hole along the normal direction of the mounting surface (110). The fixing member (170) passes through the through hole to connect the heating plate (120) to the heat insulation base (100). The material of the fastener (170) is the same as that of the main body of the heating plate (120); And / or, the positioning element (160) is made of ceramic.
3. The temperature-controlled heating plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed end is located at the bottom of the heat insulation base (100), and there is a cross-sectional shrinkage section between the fixed end and the pressing end. The cross-sectional shrinkage section is used to reduce heat conduction from the heating plate (120) to the fixed end. And / or, the outer periphery of the heating plate (120) is provided with a positioning annular groove (191) that mates with the pressing end.
4. The temperature-controlled heating plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotation constraint assembly (200) includes a first abutment part (210), a second abutment part (220), and a rotation drive spring (230). The first abutting part (210) is disposed on the heating plate (120), the second abutting part (220) is disposed on the heat insulation base (100), and the rotation drive spring (230) connects the heating plate (120) and the heat insulation base (100). The direction of force applied by the rotary drive spring (230) is perpendicular to the normal direction of the mounting surface (110) and deviates from the center of the heating plate (120) so that the first abutting part (210) and the second abutting part (220) remain in contact to prevent the heating plate (120) from rotating around the normal direction of the mounting surface (110).
5. The temperature-controlled heating plate according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first abutting part (210) includes a positioning bearing, and the second abutting part (220) includes a heat insulation column (240). The heat insulation base (100) has a plurality of heat insulation columns (240), the top surfaces of the plurality of heat insulation columns (240) cooperate to form the mounting surface (110), and the rotation drive spring (230) is disposed in the gap between the heat insulation columns (240).
6. The temperature-controlled heating plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature-controlled heating plate also includes an insulating conductive plate (250) and a substrate plate (260). The insulating conductive plate (250) is located between the substrate plate (260) and the heating plate (120). The insulating conductive plate (250) and the heating plate (120) are fixed by adsorption. The substrate plate (260) and the insulating conductive plate (250) are fixed by adsorption. The substrate plate (260), the insulating conductive plate (250) and the heating plate (120) are positioned by pin holes.
7. The temperature-controlled heating plate according to claim 6, characterized in that, The constraint system (140) includes a second elastic clamping member (270), which is disposed in the circumference of the heat insulation base (100). The second elastic clamping member (270) is provided with a positioning protrusion (280). The tray (260) is provided with a positioning groove (290) in the circumference that matches the positioning protrusion (280). The positioning groove (290) and the positioning protrusion (280) cooperate to prevent the tray (260) from rotating around the normal direction of the mounting surface (110). In the normal direction of the mounting surface (110), the length of the positioning groove (290) is greater than the length of the positioning protrusion (280).
8. The temperature-controlled heating plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating plate (120) includes a plate body (300) and a channel group (310) disposed within the plate body (300). The channel group (310) includes an adsorption channel, a heating channel and a cooling channel. The channel group (310) is integrally manufactured with the plate body (300) in the form of an insert.
9. A semiconductor probe station, characterized in that, Includes a slide stage base, wherein the slide stage base is provided with a temperature-controlled heating plate as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.