Probe card holder for inspecting wafer

Abstract

To provide a probe card holder capable of holding a self-position by fixing one wafer.SOLUTION: A probe card holder comprises: a first body part 110 in which a probe card 111 is provided to the center, and which includes a guide hole 112 vertically penetrated to the circumference of the probe card 111; a second body part 120 that provides a wafer chuck 121 holding the wafer at the center, and provides a magnet holder 122 so as to be corresponded to the guide hole 112; a weight ring 130 in which a magnet chuck 131 which can be fixed by magnetic force with the magnet holder 122 so as to be inserted into the guide hole 112, and which is assembled to the second body part 120 to the upper part of the first body part 110; and a clamp part 140 that is provided to between the first body part 110 and the weight ring 130, and fixes the interval between the first body part 110 and the weight ring 130.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a probe card holder capable of fixing a probe card and a wafer together for wafer inspection and holding its own position.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, semiconductor elements such as integrated circuit elements of semiconductor devices can be formed by repeatedly performing a series of processing steps on a wafer. For example, a vapor deposition step of forming a film on the wafer, an etching step of forming a pattern having electrical characteristics on the vapor-deposited wafer, an ion implantation step or a diffusion step of implanting or diffusing impurities into the pattern, and a cleaning and rinsing step of removing impurities from the wafer on which the pattern is formed are repeatedly performed, whereby semiconductor elements are formed on the wafer.

[0003] After semiconductor elements are formed through such a series of steps, an electrical inspection step for inspecting the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor elements may be performed. The inspection step is performed by a probe station including a probe card having a large number of probes and a tester connected to the probe card to provide an electrical signal.

[0004] Generally, a probe station includes an inspection chamber, a chuck disposed in the inspection chamber to support a wafer, a chuck transfer device for driving the chuck, a probe card having a large number of probes configured to contact semiconductor elements formed on the wafer, and a tester connected to the probe card to perform a test.

[0005] In such prior art, a chuck transfer device transports the chuck holding the wafer to an inspection chamber, determines the positions of the contact electrodes on the wafer and the probes of the probe card using a vision sensor such as a CCD camera, and controls the chuck transfer device based on the determined position information to bring the contact electrodes of the wafer into contact with the probes for electrical connection. Ideally, the probe station maintains a state in which the wafer mounted on the chuck and the probe card are uniformly in contact with an appropriate pressure by over-drive control.

[0006] However, due to mechanical precision errors and disturbances, it is very difficult for the probe station to actually maintain a perfect contact state between the wafer mounted on the chuck and the probe card. In this state, even if the chuck is raised to a height corresponding to a predetermined over-drive amount, a specific part of the wafer may be pierced too deeply and the wafer may be damaged, or an "open fail" may occur where a specific part is not pierced correctly and the probe and the contact electrode are not in contact, making normal inspection impossible.

[0007] As an alternative to improving the wafer inspection process of such prior art to efficiently inspect a large number of wafers, the present invention attempts to perform wafer inspection by modularizing the probe card and the wafer into one unit. For this purpose, a probe card holder that can hold the precise self-position of the probe card and the wafer during the transfer process is developed and filed for patent.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0008]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a probe card holder for wafer inspection that modularizes a probe card and a wafer for wafer inspection and enables self-position holding of the probe card and the wafer.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The probe card holder for wafer inspection of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a first body portion provided with a probe card at the center and having guide holes vertically penetrating around the probe card, a second body portion provided with a wafer chuck for holding a wafer at the center and provided with a magnet holder corresponding to the guide holes, a magnet chuck provided to be inserted into the guide holes and fixable to the magnet holder by magnetic force, a weight ring assembled to the second body portion at the upper part of the first body portion, and a clamp portion provided between the first body portion and the weight ring for fixing the distance between the first body portion and the weight ring.

[0011] Preferably, at least two magnet chucks are provided at the lower part of the weight ring. More preferably, at least two clamp portions are provided between the first body portion and the weight ring. Even more preferably, at least one clamp portion is provided between the magnet chucks.

[0012] Preferably, the clamp portion includes a shaft having one end fixed to the weight ring or the first body portion, and a pneumatic drive portion fixed to the weight ring or the first body portion and fixed to the shaft by a pneumatic signal.

[0013] Preferably, a guide member for guiding the assembly position is further provided between the first body portion and the weight ring.

Effects of the Invention

[0014] The probe card holder for wafer inspection according to the present invention includes a first body portion provided with a probe card at the center and having guide holes vertically penetrating through the periphery of the probe card, a second body portion provided with a wafer chuck for holding a wafer at the center and provided with a magnet holder corresponding to the guide holes, a magnet chuck provided to be inserted into the guide holes and fixable to the magnet holder by magnetic force, a weight ring assembled to the second body portion at the upper part of the first body portion, and a clamp portion provided between the first body portion and the weight ring for fixing the distance between the first body portion and the weight ring. By modularizing and integrally configuring the wafer and the probe card, there is an effect that a precise self-position can be maintained during the transfer process of the module.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] The specific structural or functional descriptions presented in the embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative for the purpose of explaining the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention, and the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention can be implemented in various forms. Also, it should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in this specification, and it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0017] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective configuration diagram of a probe card holder for wafer inspection according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective configuration diagram of the probe card holder for wafer inspection according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a plan configuration diagram of the probe card holder for wafer inspection according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are a front configuration diagram and a side configuration diagram of the probe card holder for wafer inspection according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a probe card holder (hereinafter also abbreviated as "probe card holder") 100 for wafer inspection according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first body portion 110, a second body portion 120, a weight ring 130, and a clamp portion 140.

[0020] The first body portion 110 has a probe card 111 provided at the center and has guide holes 112 penetrating vertically around the probe card 111. In the present embodiment, the first body portion 110 is a square member having substantially four sides, and the guide holes 112 are shown to be arranged at the four corners of the first body portion 110. However, the shape of the first body portion and the number and position of the guide holes can be variously deformed. Preferably, the first body portion 110 has at least two guide holes 112.

[0021] The first body part 110 is provided with a plurality of rollers 113 that can freely rotate at both ends for transfer. Such rollers can be provided by cam followers with a low coefficient of friction and excellent rotational performance, but are not limited thereto.

[0022] The second body part 120 is provided with a wafer chuck 121 for holding a wafer at the center, and a magnet holder 122 is provided corresponding to the guide hole 112 of the first body part 110. The magnet holder 122 can be provided by a well-known material (for example, a ferromagnetic material) that can have an attractive force acting thereon by magnetic force with the magnet chuck 131. In this embodiment, it shows that four magnet holders 122 are provided at positions corresponding to the guide holes 112. The wafer chuck 121 is provided with an air fitting 121a for vacuum-sucking and fixing the held wafer.

[0023] The weight ring 130 is square-shaped and annular, and a magnet chuck 131 is provided at the lower part. Such magnet chucks 131 are provided in the same number corresponding to the magnet holders 122 of the second body part 120. The magnet chuck 131 can be provided by a permanent magnet or an electromagnet, and preferably, it is provided by a permanent magnet.

[0024] Preferably, a plurality of guide pins 132 can be provided at the lower part of the weight ring 130, and holes 114 are provided on the upper surface of the first body part 110 corresponding to each guide pin 132. During the assembly process of the weight ring 130 and the first body part 110, each guide pin 132 is inserted into the hole 114, so that the assembly positions of the weight ring 130 and the first body part 110 can be aligned. On the other hand, in this embodiment, although the guide pins 132 are shown as being provided on the weight ring 130, a plurality of guide pins can be provided on the first body part, and a plurality of holes are provided on the weight ring corresponding to each guide pin, so that a guide member for guiding the assembly position of the first body part 110 and the weight ring 130 can be provided.

[0025] The clamp part 140 is provided between the first body part 110 and the weight ring 130 and is for fixing the distance between the first body part 110 and the weight ring 130. Preferably, a plurality of clamp parts 140 are provided between the first body part 110 and the weight ring 130.

[0026] Such a clamp part 140 includes a shaft 141 whose upper end is fixed to the lower part of the weight ring 130, and a pneumatic drive part 142 that is fixed to the first body part 110 and fixes the shaft 141 in response to a pneumatic signal. The reference numeral 143 is an air fitting for supplying air pressure.

[0027] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram taken along the line A-A of FIG. 3. For ease of understanding, only the first body part, the weight ring, and the clamp part are shown, and the sizes and ratios of the components are exaggerated for representation.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 5, the clamp portion 140 includes a shaft 141 whose upper end is fixed by a weight ring 130 and a first bolt 144, and a pneumatic drive portion 142 whose lower end is fixed by a first body portion 110 and a second bolt 145 and can fix the shaft 141. According to the pneumatic signal applied to the pneumatic drive portion 142, the shaft 141 moves up and down within the pneumatic drive portion 142, or its position (height) is fixed.

[0029] Preferably, the pneumatic drive portion 142 is a clamp mechanism in the NC (Normal close) state. While a pneumatic signal is applied to the pneumatic drive portion 142, the shaft 141 can move up and down in the pneumatic drive portion 142. On the contrary, if no pneumatic signal is applied to the pneumatic drive portion 142, the shaft 141 is fixed by the pneumatic drive portion 142, and the distance between the first body portion 110 and the weight ring 130 is fixed.

[0030] Such a clamp portion 140 can be provided by the clamp mechanism of the RBPS series sold as "clamping and braking element" manufactured by Zimmer, but is not limited thereto.

[0031] In the probe card holder 100 of the present invention configured as described above, a wafer (not shown) is held by a wafer chuck 121, the first body portion 110 and the weight ring 130 are stacked and assembled on the upper part of the second body portion 120, and the magnet chuck 131 and the magnet holder 122 are fixed by magnetic force, so that the first body portion 110, the second body portion 120, and the weight ring 130 are fixed to each other. On the other hand, by applying a pneumatic signal to the clamp portion 140 during the assembly process of the first body portion 110, the second body portion 120, and the weight ring 130, the shaft 141 can move up and down in the pneumatic drive portion 142. Thereafter, finally, when the pneumatic pressure supplied to the clamp portion 140 is cut off, the distance between the first body portion 110 and the weight ring 130 is fixed by the clamp portion 140, whereby the self-positions of the wafer and the probe card can be fixed.

[0032] In this way, the probe card and the wafer can be transported by being precisely self-positioned and modularized by the probe card holder 100, and can be transferred to the inspection chamber for inspection.

[0033] In FIG. 3, the intervals H1 to H4 at each position between the first body part 110 fixed by the four clamp parts and the weight ring 130 are illustrated and indicated by arrows. For ease of understanding, the intervals (H1 to H4) at each position are exaggeratedly represented. The present invention adopts a magnetic chuck and a clamping part using a pneumatic signal, so that not only in the horizontal state (H1 = H2 = H3 = H4), but also in the case of having a gradient (tilt state) (H1 ≠ H2 ≠ H3 ≠ H4), it has been confirmed that the interval can be precisely maintained within a precise range of less than 10 μm for clamping.

[0034] On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present invention, a probe card holder to which four magnetic chucks and four clamp parts are applied has been illustrated and described. However, depending on the size of the wafer, the arrangement and number of the magnetic chucks and the clamp parts can vary.

[0035] The present invention described above is not limited by the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and various substitutions, modifications, and changes are possible without departing from the technical idea of the present invention, which will be obvious to those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0036] 100 Probe card holder 110 First body part 111 Probe card 112 Guide hole 120 Second body part 121 Wafer chuck 122 Magnetic holder 130 Weight ring 140 Clamp part 131 Magnetic chuck

Claims

1. a first body portion having a probe card at its center and a guide hole extending vertically through the periphery of the probe card; a second body portion having a wafer chuck at its center for holding a wafer and a magnet holder provided in correspondence with the guide hole; a weight ring provided with a magnetic chuck that is inserted into the guide hole and can be fixed to the magnetic holder by magnetic force, the weight ring being assembled to the second body part on an upper portion of the first body part; a clamp portion provided between the first body portion and the weight ring, the clamp portion fixing the distance between the first body portion and the weight ring.

2. 2. The probe card holder for wafer inspection according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the magnetic chucks are provided below the weight ring.

3. 3. The probe card holder for wafer inspection according to claim 2, wherein at least two of the clamping portions are provided between the first body portion and the weight ring.

4. 4. The probe card holder for wafer inspection according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the clamping portions is provided between the magnetic chucks.

5. The clamp portion is a shaft having one end fixed to the weight ring or the first body portion; 2. The probe card holder for wafer inspection according to claim 1, further comprising: a pneumatic drive unit fixed to the weight ring or the first body portion and fixed to the shaft in response to a pneumatic signal.

6. 2. The probe card holder for wafer testing according to claim 1, further comprising a guide member interposed between the first body portion and the weight ring for guiding an assembly position.

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