Improved vertical probe head

Abstract

A probe head (20) for testing a device under test (DUT) integrated on a semiconductor wafer (W) is described, the probe head including a plurality of contact probes (21) each having a body (21') extending along a longitudinal axis (HH) between a first end (21a) and a second end (21b), the first end (21a) configured to contact a contact pad (25) of the device under test (DUT) and the second end (21b) configured to contact a respective contact pad (30). The contact probe (21) includes a number of contact probes (21) and at least one guide (22) placed on a horizontal plane (α) having a number of guide holes (22h) configured to accommodate portions of the contact probes (21), wherein the first end (21a) and the second end (21b) of the contact probes (21) are offset from each other along an offset direction (Dir) relative to the longitudinal axis (HH), thereby defining a scrub direction (Dscrub) of the first end (21a) protruding from each guide hole (22h). The guide (22) has a guide hole (22h) having at least one pair of opposing walls (Wh) inclined relative to the longitudinal axis (HH), the guide hole (22h) having an axis of symmetry that is not perpendicular to the horizontal plane (α) of the guide (22) and defining an abutment point (P) against which a corresponding opposing wall (W) of the contact probe (21) is configured to abut, and the inclined opposing walls are configured to define, by their inclination, deformation of the contact probe (21) while in contact with the device under test (DUT) and to control the movement of a portion of the contact probe (21) housed inside the guide hole (22h), thereby controlling the movement of the scrub direction (Dscrub) of the first end (21a) of the contact probe (21).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a probe head with a plurality of vertical probes for testing electronic devices integrated on a semiconductor wafer, and the following description will be made with reference to that field of application only for the purpose of simplifying the description of the invention. [Background technology]

[0002] As is known, a probe head is an electronic device configured to electrically connect a plurality of contact pads of a microstructure, such as an integrated device, to corresponding channels of a measurement instrument that performs functional testing, particularly electrical testing, or testing in general, of the device.

[0003] Testing performed on integrated devices is particularly useful for detecting and isolating defective devices during production. Typically, probe heads are used to cut out devices integrated on a wafer and perform electrical testing before assembling them inside chip encapsulation packages.

[0004] The probe head essentially comprises a number of movable contact elements or contact probes held by at least a pair of supports or guides, substantially plate-like and parallel to one another, provided with suitable guide holes, positioned at a certain distance from one another so as to leave free areas or gaps for the movement and possible deformation of the contact probes, in which they are slidably accommodated. In particular, said pair of guides comprises an upper guide and a lower guide, both provided with guide holes, in which the contact probes, usually made of wire of a special alloy having good electrical and mechanical properties, slide axially.

[0005] A good connection between the contact probes and the contact pads of the device under test is ensured by the pressure that the probe head applies to the device under test, and during this pressure contact the contact probes are subjected to bending inside the gaps between the guides and sliding inside the respective guide holes. This type of probe head is commonly called a "vertical probe head".

[0006] Essentially, the vertical probe head provides an air gap in which bending of the contact probe occurs, which may be assisted by appropriate configuration of the contact probe or its guide, as shown diagrammatically in FIG.

[0007] In particular, Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a probe head 1 comprising at least one plate-like support or upper guide 2, usually referred to as the "upper die", and a plate-like support or lower guide 3, usually referred to as the "lower die", which have respective guide holes 4 and 5 within which a plurality of contact probes 6 slide.

[0008] Each contact probe 6 terminates at one end in a contact tip 7 intended to abut against a contact pad 8 of a device under test integrated on a wafer 9 so as to achieve mechanical and electrical contact between the device under test and a test apparatus (not shown).

[0009] In this specification and below, the term "contact tip" refers to the end area or region of a contact probe that is intended to contact a contact pad, said end area or area not necessarily being pointed.

[0010] In some cases, the contact probes are fixedly constrained to the probe head at an upper plate-like support, resulting in a "blocked" probe head.

[0011] However, probe heads that are not fixedly blocked but remain interfaced with the so-called board by means of a plurality of contact pads, possibly by means of microcontactors, are more frequently used and are called "non-blocked" probe heads. Microcontactors are usually called "space transformers" because, in addition to contacting the probes, they can spatially redistribute the contact pads formed on them relative to the contact pads present on the device under test, in particular by relaxing the distance constraints between the centers of identical pads.

[0012] 1, each contact probe 6 has a further end area or region that terminates in a so-called contact head 7A towards a contact pad 8A of the space transformer 9A. Good electrical contact between the probe 6 and the space transformer 9A is ensured by pressing the contact head 7A of the contact probe 6 against the contact pad 8A of the space transformer 9A, similar to the way a contact tip 7 contacts a contact pad 8 of a device under test integrated on a wafer 9.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the upper guide 2 and the lower guide 3 are suitably spaced apart by a gap 10 that allows the contact probe 6 to deform. Finally, the guide holes 4 and 5 are sized to allow the contact probe 6 to slide within the guides.

[0014] Proper operation of a vertical probe head of the type described above is essentially linked to two parameters: the vertical shift or overtravel of the contact probes and the horizontal shift or scrub of the contact tips of the contact probes on the contact pads of the device under test.

[0015] All of these characteristics must be evaluated and calibrated during the manufacture of the probe head, as a good electrical connection between the probe and the device under test must always be guaranteed.

[0016] According to a known method, the contact probe 6 is first manufactured into a linear, sometimes rectangular, generally thin, and sometimes pointed shape having a constant cross section throughout its entire length to form the contact end, particularly the contact tip 7 and contact head 7A, as shown in FIG. 1. Next, the upper guide 2 and the lower guide 3 are overlapped to fit into their respective guide holes, i.e., their centers are aligned perpendicular to the guides. The contact probe 6 is then inserted into the guide holes, the upper guide 2 and the lower guide 3 are spaced apart to form a gap 10, and the guides are then shifted, thereby deforming the body of the contact probe 6 at approximately its center, as shown in FIG. 1, to form a probe head. In this case, the probe head has a shifted plate, and the contact probe 6 is also called a "buckling beam."

[0017] Furthermore, the relative shift of the upper guide 2 and the lower guide 3 determines the deformation direction of the contact probes 6 and therefore the movement direction of each contact tip 7 on the contact pads 8 of the device under test integrated on the wafer 9, as shown as the scrub direction Dscrub in Figure 1.

[0018] It is also possible to use a probe that is already pre-deformed, in which case the shift between the guides accentuates the pre-deformation.

[0019] It is also known that in the case of a vertical probe head with shifted plates as shown in FIG. 1, at the moment of contact between the contact tips 7 of the contact probes 6 and the contact pads 8 of the devices under test integrated on the wafer 9, the deformation of the probes 6 causes substantially identical bending of all the contact probes 6, so that each contact tip 7 applies a scrub in the direction D scrub to the contact pad 8, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 1.

[0020] However, the mechanism by which all contact tips 7 of multiple contact probes 6 included in the probe head 1 simultaneously scrub on contact pads 8 of the device under test generates a lateral force (a force parallel to the plane on which the wafer 9 is located) on the wafer 9 including multiple devices under test. In particular, this lateral force is a force acting in the D scrub direction that is equal to the sum of the forces generated on all contact pads 8 by all contact probes 6 (all acting in the same direction D scrub), which can cause a cutting force on the wafer 9 to reach a high value. In particular, the cutting force means a force approximately parallel to the wafer 9 that defines a plane approximately parallel to the plane on which the guides of the probe head 1 are located, and this force acts on the surface of the wafer 9 facing the probe head 1, i.e., the surface on which the contact pads 8 are formed and on which the contact tips 7 of the contact probes 6 abut.

[0021] Because a probe head typically includes many probes, the cutting forces resulting from the scrubbing of all the contact probes against the contact pads of the device under test can cause a significant lateral shift of the wafer 9 while the probe head (of that particular contact probe) is pressed against the wafer 9. This issue is also important when testing a single die, which does not have the same resistance and inertia as an entire semiconductor wafer.

[0022] Therefore, it is desirable to be able to control the lateral shift of the contact tip and the deformation of the probe in order to improve the tests performed by vertical probe heads.

[0023] The technical problem of the present invention is to overcome the limitations and drawbacks still present in probe heads manufactured by the prior art, and in particular to devise a probe head having functional and structural features that allow for simple and efficient control of the movement of the contact tips of the contact probes when contacting a device under test. Summary of the Invention

[0024] The first solution underlying the present invention is to provide a probe head with at least one guide, in particular a lower guide, which is provided with a guide hole inclined with respect to a vertical axis, which guide hole is arranged to provide a fixed abutment point (or abutment point) against a corresponding wall of a contact probe housed therein and to influence (and control as desired) the bending of the contact probe through said fixed abutment point.

[0025] This allows the movement of the portion of the probe within the guide hole to be appropriately controlled, e.g., blocked, by the probe abutting against an abutment point within the guide hole with limited or no clearance, and therefore allows for desired controlled scrubbing of the contact tip of the probe.

[0026] However, being able to tilt the guide holes relative to the longitudinal axis of the probe provides great flexibility and therefore in other embodiments it is also possible to increase the movement of the probe contact tip, particularly by creating an inclination opposite to that seen so far.

[0027] Thus, in general, the present invention provides a guide hole that is inclined (having a non-perpendicular axis of symmetry that is inclined relative to the guide), which allows for easy fine adjustment of the scrubbing action of the contact tip of the contact probe.

[0028] Based on the above solution, the above-mentioned technical problem is solved by a probe head for testing a device under test integrated on a semiconductor wafer, the probe head comprising: a plurality of contact probes each having a body extending along a longitudinal axis between a first end and a second end, the first end being configured to contact a contact pad of the device under test, and the second end being configured to contact each contact pad; and at least one guide placed on a horizontal surface, the guide having a plurality of guide holes configured to accommodate portions of the contact probes, the first end and the second end of the contact probes being offset from each other along a direction offset from the longitudinal axis. The offset from each other defines a scrubbing direction of the first end protruding from each guide hole, the guide has guide holes with at least one pair of opposing walls inclined (substantially similarly) relative to the longitudinal axis, the guide holes have an axis of symmetry that is not perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the guide and define abutment points against which corresponding opposing walls of the contact probe are configured to abut, and the inclined opposing walls are configured to define, by their inclination, deformation of the contact probe while in contact with the device under test and to control the movement of the first end of the contact probe (particularly in the scrubbing direction) by controlling the movement of a portion of the contact probe (21) housed inside the guide hole.

[0029] More particularly, the invention comprises the following additional optional features, taken alone or in combination as appropriate:

[0030] According to one aspect of the present invention, the inclined opposing walls are configured so that the abutment point exerts a reaction force opposing the movement of a portion of the contact probe within the guide hole while the contact probe is flexing in contact with the device under test.

[0031] In particular, the angled opposing walls may be configured to eliminate or at least reduce clearance of a portion of the contact probe within the guide hole, always forcing the opposing walls of the contact probe against the same abutment point.

[0032] Alternatively, according to another aspect of the present invention, the inclined opposing walls may be configured to be biased toward (abut) an abutment point opposite to the abutment point to which they are adjacent in the rest position while the contact probes are flexed in contact with the device under test.

[0033] In particular, the opposing walls may be configured to increase clearance and guide movement of a portion of the contact probe within the guide hole, thus increasing the scrubbing action of the respective first ends.

[0034] According to one aspect of the invention, the angled opposing walls of the guide hole may be generally parallel to one another.

[0035] According to one aspect of the invention, the guide may be a lower guide of the probe head, such that the guide hole may accommodate a lower portion of the contact probe, and the lower guide may be the guide closest to the device under test.

[0036] According to one aspect of the invention, the probe head may further include at least one upper guide separated from the lower guide by a gap and including a plurality of guide holes configured to accommodate at least one corresponding upper portion of the contact probe, the guide holes of the upper guide being shifted in an offset direction relative to the guide holes of the lower guide, thereby defining a scrubbing direction of the first end of the contact probe.

[0037] According to one aspect of the present invention, the guide holes in the upper guide may also be provided with opposing walls that are inclined relative to the longitudinal axis, i.e., holes may be provided with an axis of symmetry that is not perpendicular to the guide (inclined at a certain angle).

[0038] According to one aspect of the present invention, each contact probe may have an undeformed linear shape before assembly into the probe head, and is configured such that a shift between the guide holes of the lower guide and the upper guide causes deformation of the contact probe, resulting in an offset of the ends along the offset direction.

[0039] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the offset along the offset direction may be substantially 5 to 30 μm.

[0040] According to one aspect of the invention, the guide may have a first guide hole for accommodating a first group of contact probes and a second guide hole for accommodating a second group of contact probes, the first and second guide holes having opposing walls that are inclined in a mirror symmetrical manner with respect to the longitudinal axis (e.g., to obtain respective opposing reaction forces or opposing scrubbing actions).

[0041] According to one aspect of the present invention, the first guide holes may be grouped within at least one first region of the guide and the second guide holes may be grouped within at least one second region of the guide, with the ends of the contact probes of the first group of contact probes in the first region having opposing scrubs relative to the ends of the contact probes of the second group of contact probes in the second region, forming distinct regions of the probe head with opposing forces on the semiconductor wafer.

[0042] The present invention also relates to a probe card for use in a test apparatus for electronic devices, the probe card comprising at least one of the above-mentioned probe heads, a space transformer configured to perform space transformation of the distance between contact pads formed on a surface facing the probe head, and / or a printed circuit board configured to interface the probe card with a test apparatus.

[0043] The features and advantages of a probe head according to the invention will become apparent from the following description of examples of embodiments of the invention, given by way of illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0044] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a probe head according to the prior art; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a probe head according to the present invention; [Figure 3A] 10A-10C show contact probes of a probe head according to an embodiment of the present invention in different conditions of use; [Figure 3B] 10A-10C show contact probes of a probe head according to an embodiment of the present invention in different conditions of use; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a probe head in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a probe head according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] Referring to the drawings, 20 generally illustrates a vertical probe head for testing electronic devices integrated on a semiconductor wafer, constructed in accordance with the present invention.

[0046] It should be noted that the drawings are schematic and not drawn to scale, but rather are drawn to highlight important features of the present invention. Furthermore, while various elements are shown schematically in the drawings, their shapes may vary depending on the desired application. It should also be noted that identical reference numerals throughout the drawings refer to items that are identical in shape or function. Finally, certain features described in connection with an embodiment shown in one drawing may also be applicable to other embodiments shown in other drawings.

[0047] Also, note that unless explicitly indicated, process steps can be reversed as desired.

[0048] The probe head 20 is configured to be connected to equipment (not shown) that performs testing of electronic devices integrated on a semiconductor wafer W, and the scrubbing of each contact tip is appropriately controlled as detailed in the following description.

[0049] As shown in Figure 2, the probe head 20 of the present invention comprises a plurality of contact probes 21, each of which is provided with a preferably rod-shaped body 21' extending along a longitudinal axis HH between a first end 21a and a second end 21b, the body 21' having a deformation as will be described in more detail below.

[0050] 2, for simplicity of illustration, only one contact probe 21 is shown, but the drawing is shown as an example that does not limit the scope of the present invention, and it is clear that the number of contact probes can be changed according to the need and situation. Generally, the probe head 20 can be equipped with a large number of contact probes 21.

[0051] The first end 21a of the contact probe 21 is configured to contact a contact pad 25 of a device under test integrated on the semiconductor wafer W, and is also referred to in the art as a "contact tip." Meanwhile, the second end 21b (also referred to in the art as a "contact head") can be configured to contact a contact pad 30 of a space transformer 29 or a printed circuit board (hereinafter also referred to as a PCB), and can also be welded to an upper support, as described below. Note that ends 21a and 21b do not necessarily need to be sharp, and their shapes can be changed as needed and / or depending on the situation.

[0052] It should further be noted that the longitudinal axis HH of the contact probe 21 extends substantially in the direction indicated by the axis z (vertical axis) of the coordinate reference system of FIG.

[0053] The probe head 20 includes a lower guide 22 disposed at the first end 21a of the contact probe 21. The lower guide 22 is provided with a plurality of guide holes 22h for slidably accommodating the contact probe 21. In other words, the guide 22 is the lower guide of the probe head, the guide holes 22h accommodate the lower portions of the contact probes 21, and the lower guide 22 is the guide closest to the device under test DUT.

[0054] The lower guide 22 is a substantially plate-shaped support and may have any suitable shape (e.g. rectangular or square) with a longitudinal extension axis extending perpendicular to the longitudinal extension axis HH of the contact probe 21 in the plane identified by the axes x and y (horizontal axis) of the coordinate reference system of Figure 2.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the probe head 20 also comprises an upper guide 23 arranged at the second end 21b of the contact probe 21 and generally parallel to the lower guide 22, the upper guide 23 being provided with a corresponding plurality of guide holes 23h for slidably accommodating the contact probe 21, in particular for accommodating at least the corresponding upper portion of the contact probe.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 2, the upper guide 23 is separated from the lower guide 22 by a gap G, and is a plate-like support having substantially the same shape and extent as the lower guide 22.

[0057] In accordance with the present invention, the first end 21 a and the second end 21 b of the contact probe 21 are generally offset from one another along an offset direction (herein indicated by the arrow “Dir”) relative to the longitudinal axis HH, which defines a deformation (bending) of the probe and a corresponding scrubbing direction (indicated by “Dscrub” and represented by respective arrows in the drawings) of the first end 21 a protruding from the respective guide hole 22 h of the lower guide 22.

[0058] For example, as shown, the scrubbing direction Dscrub of the first end 21a of the contact probe 21 can be defined by shifting the guide hole 23h of the upper guide 23 in an offset direction Dir relative to the guide hole 22h of the lower guide 22.

[0059] In other words, the lower guide 22 and the upper guide 23 are arranged relative to each other (in particular, offset) so that the first end 21a of each contact probe 21 is offset from the second end 21b with respect to the longitudinal axis HH, i.e. so that the contact probes 21, which are preferably linear in shape, have a deformation of the main body 21'. Thus, in this embodiment, each contact probe 21 has an undeformed linear shape before being assembled into the probe head 20, and a shift between the guide holes of the upper guide 22 and the lower guide 23 is configured to cause a deformation of the contact probe 21 that results in an offset of the ends along the offset direction Dir.

[0060] In a less preferred embodiment, the contact probe 21 may have an initial pre-strain, which may be increased by offsetting the guides. In particular, the offset between the upper and lower guides is related to the offset of their guide holes.

[0061] It should be noted that although the embodiment in which the probe head 20 comprises an upper guide 23 is preferred, other solutions are possible. By way of example, in a less preferred embodiment not shown, the second end 21b of the contact probe 21 can be welded to a support associated with the probe head 20. In this case, the offset between the ends of the probe is obtained by a suitable shift of the guide hole in the lower guide relative to the longitudinal axis HH of the probe.

[0062] As an example, typically the offset along the offset direction Dir may correspond to substantially 5 to 30 μm.

[0063] In either case, the offset of the upper and lower guides, and therefore the offset of their guide holes (and therefore the offset of the ends 21a and 21b of the contact probes 21), determines the desired direction of deformation of the contact probes 21 and, therefore, the direction of movement of each contact tip 21a on the contact pads 25 of the devices under test integrated on the wafer W. In the non-limiting example of Figure 2, due to the particular shape of the contact probes and the distribution of forces occurring within the contact probes during testing of the devices under test, the scrubbing direction Dscrub is theoretically oriented in the negative direction of the axis x.

[0064] The above-mentioned offset of each probe therefore allows for a defined scrub of the first end 21 a of the contact probe 21. However, as mentioned above, this scrubbing action determines the overall lateral force exerted on the semiconductor wafer W, and this lateral force may reach extreme values, which may result in undesirable effects such as a shift of the same semiconductor wafer W.

[0065] Thus, advantageously, according to the present invention, at least some of the guide holes 22h of the lower guide 22 include at least one pair of opposing walls (denoted by Wh) inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis HH, thereby defining an abutment point P against which a corresponding opposing wall (denoted by W) of the contact probe 21 is configured to abut. Preferably, the inclined walls Wh of the guide holes 22h are configured such that, while the contact probe 21 bends in contact with the device under test DUT, the corresponding wall W of the contact probe 21 abuts against the abutment point P, thereby exerting a reaction force F that opposes movement of the probe within the hole, thereby controlling movement of the first end 21a of the probe along the scrubbing direction Dscrub (i.e., in this case, scrubbing is substantially blocked).

[0066] This significantly improves the performance of the probe head 20, as the presence of the above-mentioned angled holes allows for more precise control of the deformation caused while the contact probe 21 is pressed against the device under test, and optimal control of the scrubbing action of the contact tip.

[0067] In other words, the configuration selected for the guide hole 22h substantially blocks movement of the contact probe 21 within the lower inclined hole without the possibility of changing the contact point of the probe, essentially without the possibility of the contact probe 21 pressing against an already positioned point P and changing the contact point P during contact with the test device.

[0068] In one embodiment of the present invention, the angle of inclination of the walls of the angled hole is opposite to the scrub exit angle of the probe, thereby achieving the above-mentioned advantageous technical effect.

[0069] As mentioned above, the reaction force exerted by the inclined opposing walls Wh of the guide hole 22 on the abutment point P blocks movement of the probe within the hole, and the inclined opposing walls Wh are configured in effect to eliminate or at least significantly reduce the clearance of the portion of the probe within the guide hole 22h, always pressing the opposing walls W of the contact probe 21 against the same abutment point P, thereby preventing the probe from changing its abutment point within the guide hole during the over-travel step.

[0070] This allows the movement of the first end 21 a of each contact probe 21 to be controlled to counteract (or at least control as desired) the scrubbing action of the first end 21 a, thereby solving the above-mentioned problem caused by the lateral force exerted by the probe on the semiconductor wafer W. In this way, the abutment point P of the inclined hole is configured to block or at least reduce in a controlled manner the scrubbing action of the first end 21 a of each contact probe 21, and the lateral force exerted by a single probe is applied to the abutment point P.

[0071] Furthermore, it should be noted that these advantages are obtained even when there is movement of the guide 22 during testing.

[0072] As shown in the figure, the opposing inclined walls Wh of the guide hole 22h are generally parallel to each other.

[0073] The opposing inclined walls Wh of the guide hole 22h are inclined at an angle that is not limited by a particular value, but is an angle that is suitable for achieving the above-mentioned effect.

[0074] In an embodiment not shown, the guide hole 23h of the upper guide 23 is also provided with opposing walls Wh that are inclined relative to the longitudinal axis HH in order to more precisely control the deformation of the contact probe 21. Furthermore, it should be noted that the invention is not limited by the number of guides, so that in addition to or as an alternative to the guides already shown, there can also be intermediate guides to which the same idea can be applied.

[0075] 3A and 3B, the contact probe 21 is generally configured to bend during compression contact with the contact pad 25 of the device under test (as shown in FIG. 3B, the probe is in an over-travel step, while FIG. 3A shows the probe in a resting state). Therefore, without the angled hole, the first end 21 a of the contact probe 21 experiences a significant scrubbing motion that cannot be controlled in any way.

[0076] Preferably, according to the present invention, the first wall of the contact probe 21 is configured to contact the corresponding first wall of the guide hole 22h at a first abutment point, thereby counteracting the lateral force exerted by the probe by exerting an opposite reaction force. Furthermore, the second wall opposite to the first wall of the contact probe 21 contacts the corresponding second wall of the guide hole at a second abutment point. As mentioned above, if the guide hole is not inclined, a clearance is defined between the first wall of the contact probe 21 and the first wall of the guide hole. The size of this clearance depends on the size of the guide hole relative to the diameter of the contact probe 21 (here and below, this refers to the maximum lateral dimension, even in the case of probes with non-circular cross-sections). Please note that the first wall of the contact probe 21 (and the first wall of the hole) is the wall behind the longitudinal expansion axis HH of the same probe in the scrub direction Dscrub, while the second wall of the contact probe 21 (and the second wall of the hole) is the wall ahead of the longitudinal axis HH in the scrub direction Dscrub.

[0077] Furthermore, it should be noted that clearance may remain between the walls of the probe and the walls of the hole in the guide, but is in any case significantly reduced by the angled hole.

[0078] The inventive arrangement therefore limits the adverse effects of lateral forces exerted by the contact probes 21 on the semiconductor wafer W. Advantageously, this advantage of the probe head 20 according to the invention is obtained in addition to the fact that it is possible to leave the pitch of the guide holes, and therefore the pitch of the contact probes, unchanged.

[0079] As mentioned above, the presence of the inclined holes prevents the probe from changing its contact point P, limiting the movement of the probe within the holes. This mechanically controls the deformation (bending) of the contact probe 21, significantly reducing scrubbing. However, residual clearance of the contact probe 21 within the guide holes 22h can result in excess scrubbing (although the holes can be dimensioned to allow this excess scrubbing). On the one hand, this excess scrubbing is positive because it contributes to the removal of impurities from the contact pads. On the other hand, depending on the application, the presence of a large number of contact probes can result in the aforementioned lateral forces, which can cause problems during testing (although in any case, these forces are significantly reduced compared to known solutions).

[0080] To this end, in one embodiment of the present invention, the lower guide 22 comprises groups of guide holes with different inclination angles, in particular a first guide hole 22h' for accommodating a first group of contact probes 21 and a second guide hole 22h" for accommodating a second group of contact probes 21, as shown schematically in Figure 4. The offset of the ends of the probes of the first group is opposite to the offset of the probes of the second group, resulting in a mirror-like deformation and therefore a mirror-like scrub. Preferably, the first and second guide holes have opposing walls that are mirror-sloped relative to the longitudinal axis HH (i.e., the holes are mirror-sloped), resulting in opposite reaction forces and a resultant force of all scrubs that is substantially zero.

[0081] In this embodiment, the first guide holes 22h' are grouped in at least one first region A1 of the lower guide 22, and the second guide holes 22h" are grouped in at least one second region A2 of the lower guide 22. As described above, the ends of the contact probes of the first group of probes in the first region A1 have an opposite scrub to the probe ends of the second group of probes in the second region A2, such that scrubbing in one region is offset by scrubbing in another region and the resulting lateral force is substantially zero, thus forming different regions of the probe head 20, in particular two macro regions with opposite scrubs, which apply opposite forces to the semiconductor wafer W.

[0082] The above relates to the case where the inclination of the guide holes is such that the scrubbing action of a single contact probe of the probe head 20 is reduced, if not completely cancelled.

[0083] However, it should be noted that the general teaching of this specification is to provide guide 22 with at least some angled holes, i.e., axes of symmetry that extend non-orthogonally to the plane α in which guide 22 lies, in order to enable desired control of the scrubbing action.

[0084] There are situations where scrubbing is desirable, for example, when wafer movement issues are not present, in which case scrubbing removes impurities from the pad.

[0085] In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, all aspects described above still apply, except that the opposite walls of the hole are sloped in opposite directions (i.e. the hole slopes in the opposite direction and the axis of symmetry is mirror image of the previous state).

[0086] In particular, the inclined opposing walls are configured such that, while the contact probes 21 contact and bend against the device under test DUT, the contact probes 21 are biased toward the abutment point opposite to the abutment point adjacent to the abutment point in the rest position, thereby increasing the clearance of a portion of the contact probes 21 in the guide holes 22h and guiding the movement thereof, thereby increasing the scrubbing action of the respective first ends 21a.

[0087] Again, a similar embodiment can be provided, mutatis mutandis to the embodiment of FIG. 4, in which the scrubbing of the two groups of probes has a resultant force that is zero, allowing for single probe scrubbing (e.g., for removal of impurities on the pad) while still having the advantage that lateral forces on the wafer are substantially cancelled.

[0088] Finally, referring again to FIG. 2, as described above, the probe head 20 is preferably unconstrained and vertical, with the second ends 21b of the contact probes 21 configured to abut against contact pads 30 of the interposer or space transformer 29.

[0089] In particular, space transformer 29 is configured to perform a spacing transformation of the center-to-center distance or pitch of contact pads formed on opposing surfaces thereof. More specifically, on a first surface of space transformer 29 facing probe head 20, contact pads 30 may have a pitch equal to one of contact pads 25 of the device under test, while contact pads (not shown) formed on a second surface of space transformer 29 have a pitch equal to the pitch of contact pads formed on a printed circuit board or PCB (also not shown) to which space transformer 29 is typically connected. In particular, the pitch of these contact pads is higher than the pitch of contact pads 30, thereby facilitating the desired spacing transformation and locating the contact pads on the second opposing surface, facilitating connection to the PCB and therefore to test equipment.

[0090] Therefore, the present invention also relates to a probe card for a testing apparatus for electronic devices, comprising at least one probe head 20 according to the present invention, a space transformer 29 formed on the surface of the contact pads 30 facing the probe head 20 and configured to perform a spacing transformation of the distance between the contact pads, and / or a PCB configured to interface the probe card with the testing apparatus.

[0091] In conclusion, the present invention makes it possible to successfully overcome the technical problems and provides the above-mentioned probe head, which overcomes all the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0092] Preferably, to summarize the above, at least some of the holes in the guides (especially the lower guide) have a non-rectilinear section, i.e. are sloped, to provide the desired probe deformation and optimal control of contact tip scrubbing.

[0093] Advantageously, therefore, the scrubbing action of each probe's contact tip is precisely controlled.

[0094] If the hole is tilted to block the scrub (at an angle opposite to that of the scrub, i.e. a hole with an axis tilted to the axis connecting the centers of the guide holes in which the probe is also housed, and therefore with an axis that corresponds to some extent to the tilt of the probe), a lateral force is exerted on the guide, blocking the lateral movement of the contact tip. In this case, the tilt of the hole is in the opposite direction to the bending of the probe, and it is this tilt of the hole that controls said bending.

[0095] In the case of a group of mirror-like holes (and therefore corresponding probes), the opposing excess scrubs cancel each other out. This preferably results in an overall lateral load exerted by the contact probes on the device under test and the semiconductor wafer carrying it being substantially zero, i.e., the force exerted by the probe head parallel to the surface of the device under test is substantially zero. This allows for more accurate and reliable testing and avoids phenomena such as lateral shift of the semiconductor wafer due to uncompensated lateral (cutting) forces of the contact probes, as occurs in known solutions.

[0096] Furthermore, this solution prevents the probe from getting stuck in the guide hole and, as will be appreciated, also works in the presence of the same guide movements.

[0097] It is therefore clear that the described probe head efficiently solves the technical problem of the present invention and allows improved testing, especially in the case of multiple contact probes.

[0098] Obviously, to meet possible specific requirements, those skilled in the art can bring about various modifications and variations to the above probe head, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A probe head (20) for testing a device under test (DUT) integrated on a semiconductor wafer (W), comprising: a plurality of contact probes (21) each having a body (21') extending along a longitudinal axis (H-H) between a first end (21a) and a second end (21b), the first end (21a) configured to contact contact pads (25) of a device under test (DUT), and the second end (21b) configured to contact respective contact pads (30); At least one guide (22) placed on a horizontal plane (α) and having a plurality of guide holes (22h) configured to accommodate a portion of the contact probe (21); Equipped with the first end (21a) and the second end (21b) of the contact probe (21) are offset from each other along an offset direction (Dir) with respect to the longitudinal axis (H-H), thereby defining a scrubbing direction (Dscrub) of the first end (21a) protruding from each guide hole (22h); The guide (22) comprises a guide hole (22h) having at least one pair of opposing walls (Wh) inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis (H-H); the guide hole (22h) has an axis of symmetry that is not perpendicular to the horizontal plane (α) of the guide (22) and defines an abutment point (P) against which a corresponding opposing wall (W) of the contact probe (21) is configured to abut; The inclined opposing walls are configured to define, by their inclination, the deformation of the contact probe (21) while in contact with the device under test (DUT) and to control the movement of the portion of the contact probe (21) housed inside the guide hole (22h), thereby controlling the movement of the first end (21a) of the contact probe (21) in the scrub direction (Dscrub).

2. 2. The probe head (20) of claim 1, wherein the inclined opposing walls (Wh) are configured such that the abutment point (P) exerts a reaction force (F) opposing the movement of the portion of the contact probe (21) within the guide hole (22h) while the contact probe (21) is in contact with the device under test (DUT) and bending.

3. The probe head (20) of claim 2, wherein the inclined opposing walls (Wh) are configured to eliminate or reduce clearance of the portion of the contact probe (21) within the guide hole (22h) and to always press the opposing walls (W) of the contact probe (21) against the same abutment point (P).

4. 2. The probe head (20) of claim 1, wherein the inclined opposing walls (Wh) are configured to be biased toward an abutment point opposite the abutment point adjacent to the abutment point in a rest position while the contact probe (21) is in contact with the device under test (DUT) and flexing.

5. 5. The probe head (20) of claim 4, wherein the inclined opposing walls (Wh) are configured to increase clearance and guide movement of a portion of the contact probe (21) within the guide hole (22h), thus increasing the scrubbing movement of each first end (21a).

6. The probe head (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the opposing inclined walls (Wh) of the guide hole (22h) are substantially parallel to each other.

7. The probe head (20) of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the guide (22) is a lower guide of the probe head (20), the guide hole (22h) accommodates a lower portion of the contact probe (21), and the lower guide is the guide closest to the device under test (DUT).

8. The probe head (20) further comprises at least one upper guide (23) separated from the lower guide by a gap (G) and including a plurality of guide holes (23h) configured to receive at least one corresponding upper portion of the contact probe (21); 8. The probe head (20) of claim 7, wherein the guide hole (23h) of the upper guide (23) is shifted in the offset direction (Dir) relative to the guide hole (22h) of the lower guide, thereby defining the scrubbing direction (Dscrub) of the first end (21a) of the contact probe (21).

9. The probe head (20) of claim 8, wherein the guide hole (23h) of the upper guide (23) is provided with opposing walls (Wh) inclined relative to the longitudinal axis (HH).

10. A probe head (20) as described in claim 8 or 9, wherein each contact probe (21) has an undeformed linear shape before assembly into the probe head (20), and a shift between the guide holes of the lower guide and the upper guide causes a deformation of the contact probe (21) resulting in the offset of the end along the offset direction (Dir).

11. The probe head (20) of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the offset along the offset direction (Dir) is substantially between 5 and 30 μm.

12. The probe head (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the guide (22) has a first guide hole (22h') that accommodates a first group of the contact probes (21) and a second guide hole (22h'') that accommodates a second group of the contact probes (21), and the first and second guide holes (22h', 22h'') have opposing walls that are inclined in mirror symmetry with respect to the longitudinal axis (H-H).

13. the first guide holes (22h') are grouped in at least one first area (A1) of the guide (22), and the second guide holes (22h'') are grouped in at least one second area (A2) of the guide (22); 13. The probe head (20) of claim 12, wherein the ends of the contact probes of the first group of contact probes in the first region (A1) have opposing scrubs relative to the ends of the contact probes of the second group of contact probes in the second region (A2), forming distinct regions of the probe head (20) with opposing forces on the semiconductor wafer (W).

14. At least one probe head (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, a space transformer (29) configured to perform space transformation of the distance between contact pads (30) formed on a surface facing the probe head (20), and / or a printed circuit board (PCB) configured to interface the probe card with a test device; A probe card for an electronic device test apparatus, comprising:

Images