Wafer Transfer Method

Abstract

To suppress Abbe error that must be taken into consideration when positioning a maintenance target device, which requires high accuracy. [Solution] A wafer transport method for transporting a wafer to a measurement section configured so that the maintained device can be pulled out to one side of the measurement section, in which the wafer is transported to the measurement section from the other side opposite the one side of the measurement section so that the transport direction of the wafer and the pull-out direction of the maintained device are in a straight line.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a prober that inspects the electrical characteristics of a plurality of semiconductor elements (chips) formed on a semiconductor wafer, and in particular to a prober that is provided with a pull-out mechanism that pulls out a device to be maintained to the maintenance area side. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a prober (wafer inspection device) has been proposed that includes a plurality of measurement units (cells), a transport mechanism (loader) that transports objects (wafers) to each measurement unit, and a drawer mechanism (moving mechanism) that draws a pogo frame (device to be maintained) laterally (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to the prober described in Patent Document 1, the pogo frame is drawn laterally while the test head disposed above the pogo frame is raised by the moving mechanism and separated from the pogo frame. Therefore, when the pogo frame is drawn laterally, breakage of the pogo pins of the pogo frame due to friction between the pogo pins and the test head can be prevented. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 2014-179379 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the prober described in Patent Document 1, there is no suggestion what the desirable relationship should be between the pull-out direction of the device to be maintained and the transport direction of the transported object.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to suppress (or eliminate) the Abbe error that must be taken into consideration when positioning a device to be maintained, which requires high precision, in a prober that includes a plurality of measuring units each equipped with a device to be maintained and a pull-out mechanism for pulling out the device to be maintained, and a transport unit that moves to a position accessible to the measuring unit to which the transported item is to be transported and transports the transported item into the measuring unit to which the transported item is to be transported. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the prober of the present invention comprises a plurality of measuring units arranged between a transport area and a maintenance area, each measuring unit comprising a maintainable device used when inspecting semiconductor elements formed on a wafer and a withdrawal mechanism that withdraws the maintainable device toward the maintenance area, and a transport unit that has a housing for storing the transported item and moves within the transport area to a position accessible to the measurement unit to which the transported item is to be transported and transports the transported item into the measurement unit to which the transported item is to be transported, and the withdrawal direction of the maintainable device and the transport direction of the transported item are in a straight line.

[0007] In one aspect of the prober of the present invention, the prober further includes a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the maintenance target device, and the pull-out mechanism is configured to pull out the maintenance target device, which has been raised to a predetermined position by the lifting mechanism, toward the maintenance area.

[0008] In one aspect of the prober of the present invention, the device to be maintained is at least one of a test head and a pogo frame arranged below the test head.

[0009] In one aspect of the prober of the present invention, the device to be maintained is at least one of a test head and a pogo frame arranged below the test head, the lifting mechanism is at least one of a test head lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the test head between a pogo pin connection position where the pogo pins of the pogo frame are electrically connected and a test head extension position above it, and a pogo frame lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the pogo frame between a probe connection position where the probes of a probe card are electrically connected and a pogo frame extension position above it, and the extension mechanism is at least one of a test head extension mechanism that pulls out the test head lifted to the test head extension position toward the maintenance area, and a pogo frame extension mechanism that pulls out the pogo frame lifted to the pogo frame extension position toward the maintenance area.

[0010] In one aspect of the prober of the present invention, the test head lifting mechanism includes a test head cylinder that lifts and lowers the test head, and the pogo frame lifting mechanism includes a pogo frame cylinder that lifts and lowers the pogo frame.

[0011] In one aspect of the prober of the present invention, the test head extension mechanism includes a test head guide rail that guides the extension of the test head that has been raised to the test head extension position, and the pogo frame extension mechanism includes a pogo frame guide rail that guides the extension of the pogo frame that has been raised to the pogo frame extension position.

[0012] In one aspect of the prober of the present invention, the test head lifting mechanism lifts and lowers the test head together with the test head guide rails, and the pogo frame lifting mechanism lifts and lowers the pogo frame together with the pogo frame guide rails.

[0013] In one aspect of the prober of the present invention, the multiple measurement units further include a probe card holding unit arranged below the pogo frame and a wafer chuck, and an alignment device that performs relative alignment between the wafer held by the wafer chuck and the probe card held by the probe card holding unit further includes an alignment device that moves between the multiple measurement units and, at the measurement unit to which it is moved, moves between the transport area side and the maintenance area side.

[0014] In one aspect of the prober of the present invention, the prober comprises a head stage provided in each of the plurality of measurement units and arranged below the pogo frame, a test head positioning mechanism that positions the test head relative to the pogo frame, and a pogo frame positioning mechanism that positions the pogo frame relative to the head stage.

[0015] In one aspect of the prober of the present invention, the transport unit further includes a transport object holding arm that holds the transport object and enters and exits through an opening formed in the housing, the transport object being at least one of a wafer arm that holds the wafer and a probe card arm that holds the probe card.

[0016] In one aspect of the prober of the present invention, the measurement units are arranged two-dimensionally in the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0017] In one aspect of the prober of the present invention, the transported object is loaded into the measurement section.

[0018] In one aspect of the prober of the present invention, a loading section is provided that loads the transported object into the measurement section from the maintenance area side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, in a prober equipped with a plurality of measuring units each equipped with a maintenance device and a withdrawal mechanism for withdrawing the maintenance device, and a transport unit that moves to a position accessible to the measurement unit to which the transported item is to be transported and transports the transported item into the measurement unit to which it is to be transported, it is possible to suppress (or eliminate) the Abbe error that must be taken into consideration when positioning the maintenance device, which requires high precision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a prober according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] Front view of each measuring unit [Figure 3] Perspective view of the transport unit [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a transport unit; [Figure 5] A perspective view of a moving device [Figure 6] Partially enlarged perspective view of the moving device [Figure 7] A longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the transport unit and the measurement unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a prober; [Figure 9] Front view of each measurement section (vertical row) [Figure 10] Schematic diagram showing the relative positions of the headstage, pogo frame, and test head [Figure 11] Partially enlarged perspective view of the measuring section [Figure 12] Schematic showing the test head being pulled out [Figure 13] Schematic diagram showing how the pogo frame is pulled out [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a top view showing that the pull-out direction of the maintenance target device and the conveying direction of the conveyed object are aligned in a straight line. [Figure 15] Top view showing that the transported object is loaded into the measurement section from the maintenance area side. [Figure 16] Conceptual diagram showing an example of a calibration probe card [Figure 17]An explanatory diagram for explaining a method for transporting a probe card PC using a card transport tray. [Figure 18] An explanatory diagram for explaining a method for transporting a probe card PC using a card transport tray. [Figure 19] An explanatory diagram for explaining a method for transporting a probe card PC using a card transport tray. [Figure 20] An explanatory diagram for explaining a method for transporting a probe card PC using a card transport tray. [Figure 21] An explanatory diagram for explaining a method for transporting a probe card PC using a card transport tray. [Figure 22] An explanatory diagram for explaining a method for transporting a probe card PC using a card transport tray. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a prober 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the prober 10 of this embodiment includes a transport item storage section 12, multiple measurement sections 14, a transport unit 16 that moves between the transport item storage section 12 and each measurement section 14 to transport an item (in this embodiment, at least one of a wafer and a probe card) into the transport item storage section 12 or into each measurement section 14, and a moving device 22 that moves the transport unit 16 between the transport item storage section 12 and each measurement section 14.

[0024] The transport object storage section 12 and each measurement section 14 are arranged at a fixed interval in the Y direction with the surfaces accessed by the transport unit 16 facing each other (that is, facing each other).

[0025] The transport unit 16 is disposed between the transport object storage section 12 and each measurement section 14 .

[0026] The transported object storage section 12 includes a wafer storage section 12a that stores a plurality of wafers and a probe card storage section 12b that stores a plurality of probe cards. The number and arrangement of the transported object storage sections 12 are not particularly limited, and in this embodiment, four transported object storage sections 12 including the wafer storage section 12a and the probe card storage section 12b are arranged horizontally (in the X-axis direction) with the side accessed by the transport unit 16 (the right side in FIG. 1) facing in the same direction. The side opposite to the side accessed by the transport unit 16 (the left side in FIG. 1) is accessed by an operator when retrieving wafers or probe cards, etc.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 8, the multiple measurement units 14 are arranged between the transfer area A1 and the maintenance area A2. As shown in Fig. 1, each of the multiple measurement units 14 is a rectangular parallelepiped measurement chamber (also referred to as a prober chamber) configured by combining multiple frames extending in the X-axis direction, multiple frames extending in the Y-axis direction, and multiple frames extending in the Z-axis direction. Inside the measurement unit 14, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, there are arranged a wafer chuck 18 for holding a wafer, a head stage 20, a test head 44 mounted on the head stage 20, a pogo frame 46 arranged between the head stage 20 and the test head 44, and a first probe card holding mechanism (probe card holding unit) 36 (omitted in Figs. 9 and 10) for holding a probe card PC. Also, as shown in Fig. 11, there are arranged inside each measurement unit 14 a test head lifting mechanism 48, a test head extension mechanism 50, a pogo frame lifting mechanism 52, and a pogo frame extension mechanism 54.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a front view of each measuring unit 14.

[0029] The number and arrangement of the measurement units 14 are not particularly limited, and in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a group of measurement units consisting of four measurement units 14 arranged horizontally (X-axis direction) are stacked in three layers vertically (Z-axis direction), and are arranged two-dimensionally with the surface accessed by the transport unit 16 (the surface on the left in Figure 1) facing the same direction.

[0030] An opening 14a is formed in each measurement unit 14 (the surface accessed by the transfer unit 16) through which the wafer holding arm 16b (wafer arm: transfer object holding arm) and the probe card holding arm 16c (probe card arm) of the transfer unit 16 enter and exit. In addition, an opening 14b (see FIG. 8) is formed in each measurement unit 14 on the side opposite to the side on which the opening 14a is formed, for pulling out the test head 44 and the pogo frame 46. The surfaces of each measurement unit 14 other than the surfaces on which the openings 14a and 14b are formed may be closed, or openings may be formed.

[0031] The wafer chuck 18 is adjusted to a high or low target temperature (inspection temperature) by a known temperature adjustment device (for example, a heat plate or chiller device built into the wafer chuck 18).

[0032] The environment within each measurement unit 14 is controlled as follows. For example, the temperature within each measurement unit 14 is controlled to a target temperature (inspection temperature) by the temperature of the wafer chuck 18 disposed within each measurement unit 14. The humidity within each measurement unit 14 is controlled to a target humidity by purging dry air into each measurement unit 14 using a well-known mechanism. The environment within each measurement unit 14 is controlled by purging a predetermined gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) into each measurement unit 14 using a well-known mechanism. Each measurement unit 14 performs multiple types of inspections, such as high-temperature inspections, low-temperature inspections, and inspections under a predetermined gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) atmosphere, as described below. The environment within each measurement unit 14 is controlled to be an environment appropriate for the inspection performed therein. The inspections performed in each measurement unit 14 may be the same or different between the measurement units.

[0033] The first probe card holding mechanism 36 is a means for detachably holding the probe card PC, and is provided above the wafer chuck 18, for example, on the head stage 20 side. The first probe card holding mechanism 36 detachably holds the probe card PC that has been transported to the first probe card holding mechanism 36 by a probe card transport mechanism described below. The first probe card holding mechanism 36 is well known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-150596), and therefore further description thereof will be omitted.

[0034] Each measurement unit group is provided with an alignment device 38 that aligns the relative positions of the probe card PC held by the first probe card holding mechanism 36 and the wafer held by the wafer chuck 18, and a moving device (not shown) that moves the alignment device 38 between the four measurement units 14. The alignment device 38 is moved between the four measurement units 14 included in the measurement unit group in which it is arranged, and is shared among the four measurement units 14. As for the moving device that moves the alignment device 38 between the four measurement units 14, for example, one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-150168 can be applied.

[0035] The alignment device 38 is a means for performing relative alignment between the probe card PC held by the first probe card holding mechanism 36 and the wafer held by the wafer chuck 18, and is composed of a movement / rotation mechanism for moving the wafer chuck 18 in the XYZ-θ directions, including a Z-axis movable part 38a that moves up and down in the Z-axis direction, a Z-axis fixed part 38b, and an XY movable part 38c. The alignment device 38 is mainly used to align the wafer W held by the wafer chuck 18 with the probes of the probe card PC held above the wafer chuck 18 by a well-known method while moving in the XYZ-θ directions, to electrically contact the wafer W and the probes, and to perform an electrical characteristic test of the wafer W via the test head.

[0036] The alignment device 38 moves between a probe card receiving position P1 (see FIG. 7(a)) near the opening 14a and a position P2 (see FIG. 7(b)) below the first probe card holding mechanism 36 while holding the wafer chuck 18 within the measurement unit 14. That is, the alignment device 38 moves between the transfer area A1 side and the maintenance area A2 side within the measurement unit 14 to which it is moved. This movement is achieved by a well-known alignment device moving device (not shown).

[0037] The alignment device moving device moves the alignment device 38, holding the wafer chuck 18 heated to the target temperature, to the probe card receiving position P1 when receiving the probe card PC, and moves the alignment device 38, holding the probe card PC and the wafer chuck 18 heated to the target temperature, to position P2 when transporting the probe card PC to the first probe card holding mechanism 36.

[0038] The alignment device 38 includes a second probe card holding mechanism 40 (also called a card lifter).

[0039] The second probe card holding mechanism 40 is a means for receiving and holding the probe card PC from the probe card holding arm 16c, and is composed of, for example, a holding portion 40a (e.g., a ring-shaped member or multiple pins) attached to the Z-axis movable portion 38a while surrounding the wafer chuck 18, and a lifting mechanism (not shown) for raising and lowering the holding portion 40a in the Z-axis direction relative to the Z-axis movable portion 38a.

[0040] The probe card PC is received and held by, with the alignment device 38 having moved to the probe card receiving position P1, lifting the holding part 40a in the Z-axis direction relative to the Z-axis movable part 38a to abut against the probe card PC (the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface), and then lifting the probe card PC from the probe card holding arm 16c with the holding part 40a rising in the Z-axis direction. The probe card PC is held directly above the wafer chuck 18.

[0041] The probe card transport mechanism is a means for transporting the probe card PC held by the second probe card holding mechanism 40 to the first probe card holding mechanism 36, and is composed of, for example, a Z-axis movable part 38a provided in the alignment device 38 that can be raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction.

[0042] The probe card PC is transported to the first probe card holding mechanism 36 by raising the Z-axis movable part 38a in the Z-axis direction while the alignment device 38 is moved to position P2.

[0043] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the transport unit 16, and FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the transport unit 16.

[0044] The transfer unit 16 is a device that moves in the X-axis and Z-axis directions between the transfer object storage section 12 and each measurement section 14 to transfer and load the wafer W or probe card PC into the transfer object storage section 12 or each measurement section 14. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the transfer unit 16 is a housing that stores the wafer W and the probe card PC and includes a housing 16a having an opening 16f through which the wafer W and the probe card PC (wafer holding arm 16b and probe card holding arm 16c) enter and exit. The housing 16a has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and inside the housing 16a are disposed a wafer holding arm 16b, a probe card holding arm 16c, an arm moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the arms 16b and 16c individually, an environment control unit 16d that controls the environment within the housing 16a, and a sensor 16e that detects the environment within the housing 16a. The number of transfer units 16 is not particularly limited, and in this embodiment, one transfer unit 16 is used. Figure 1 shows two transport units 16, which represent one transport unit 16 accessing the transport item storage section 12 (probe card storage section 12b) (see transport unit 16 drawn in the lower right of Figure 1) and the other transport unit 16 accessing the measurement section 14 (see transport unit 16 drawn in the upper left of Figure 1).

[0045] Wafer holding arm 16b is a means for holding wafer W, and is disposed within housing 16a so as to be movable horizontally along, for example, a guide rail (not shown) provided within housing 16a. Wafer holding arm 16b is housed within housing 16a together with wafer W while holding the wafer W.

[0046] The probe card holding arm 16c is a means for holding the probe card PC and is disposed within the housing 16a so as to be horizontally movable along, for example, a guide rail (not shown) provided within the housing 16a. The probe card holding arm 16c is housed within the housing 16a together with the probe card PC while holding the probe card PC. A ring-shaped card holder CH is attached to the outer periphery of the probe card PC. Specifically, the probe card PC is fitted into a stepped portion of the card holder CH and positioned and fixed by pins, screws, or the like to form an integrated unit. Alternatively, instead of the card holder CH, a ring-shaped seal ring may be fitted and attached to the outer periphery of the probe card PC. The card holder CH or the seal ring constitutes a support surface for supporting the probe card PC by the holding portion 40a of the second probe card holding mechanism 40 described above.

[0047] When the probe card PC is transported by the transport unit 16, the probe card PC may be transported using a card transport tray on which the probe card PC can be mounted. The card transport tray is equipped with a restricting member that contacts the probe card PC mounted on the card transport tray to restrict the position of the probe card PC. The restricting member is, for example, configured by a ring member that contacts the outer periphery of the probe card PC, but is not necessarily limited to this.

[0048] 17 to 22 are explanatory diagrams for explaining a method for transporting a probe card PC using a card transport tray. In this transport method, the card transport tray and the probe card holding arm 16c are paired to transport the probe card PC. Here, the case where the card holder CH or seal ring described above is not attached to the outer periphery of the probe card PC is shown, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the card holder CH or seal ring may be attached to the outer periphery of the probe card PC.

[0049] 17, the transport unit 16 is moved to a position where it can access the measurement unit 14 as the transport destination (a position where the probe card PC can be handed over). At this time, it is assumed that the probe card holding arm 16c of the transport unit 16 holds a card transport tray 80 on which the probe card PC is mounted.

[0050] 18, the probe card holding arm 16c is advanced into the measurement unit 14, and the card carrier tray 80 (card carrier tray 80 carrying the probe card PC) held by the probe card holding arm 16c is handed over to the wafer chuck 18 of the alignment device 38. As a result, the card carrier tray 80 carrying the probe card PC is placed on the wafer chuck 18.

[0051] Next, as shown in FIG. 19, the probe card holding arm 16c is housed in the transport unit 16. Thereafter, the Z-axis movable part 38a is raised in the Z-axis direction to move the wafer chuck 18 closer to the head stage 20, and the probe card PC mounted on the card transport tray 80 is held by the first probe card holding mechanism 36. As a result, the probe card PC is attached to the measurement part 14 (head stage 20). Also, as shown in FIG. 20, only the card transport tray 80 is placed on the wafer chuck 18.

[0052] Next, as shown in FIG. 21, the probe card holding arm 16c is advanced into the measuring section 14, and the card carrier tray 80 placed on the wafer chuck 18 is handed over to the probe card holding arm 16c.

[0053] Next, as shown in FIG. 22, the probe card holding arm 16c holding the card transport tray 80 is housed in the transport unit 16.

[0054] In this manner, the probe card PC is transported from the transport unit 16 to the measurement unit 14. Note that the procedure for removing the probe card PC attached to the measurement unit 14 (head stage 14) and transporting it to the transport unit 16 can be performed in the reverse order of the transport method shown in Figures 17 to 22, and therefore will not be described here.

[0055] The number and arrangement of the arms 16b and 16c are not particularly limited, and in this embodiment, two wafer holding arms 16b and one probe card holding arm 16c are arranged in three vertical stages as shown in Fig. 4. After the transport unit 16 transports the transported object to the measurement section 14, it loads the transported object into the measurement section 14 using the arms 16b and 16c.

[0056] The arm movement mechanism is a well-known mechanism, for example, a drive motor (not shown) provided in the housing 16a. By rotating this drive motor forward and backward, each arm 16b, 16c moves back and forth in the horizontal direction and moves in and out through an opening 16f formed in the housing 16a.

[0057] The conveying unit 16 is equipped with an air curtain forming means 42 .

[0058] The air curtain forming means 42 is a means for forming an air curtain that blocks the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a, thereby making the inside of the housing 16a an airtight or nearly airtight space, and is composed of, for example, a well-known air injection port.

[0059] The number, shape, and arrangement of the air ejection ports are not particularly limited, and in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, multiple air ejection ports are arranged near and along the upper edge of opening 16f (in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 4) in an attitude that ejects air downward.

[0060] The environment within the housing 16a is controlled as follows. For example, the temperature and humidity within the housing 16a are controlled to a target temperature and humidity under a predetermined gas atmosphere by purging each measurement unit 14 with dry air (high-temperature or low-temperature dry air) or a predetermined gas (nitrogen gas). This is achieved by a well-known environment control unit 16d, such as a temperature-adjusted gas supply source including a heater and a cooler, a blower, and a duct (not shown) connecting the blower (none of which are shown) to the housing 16a. The environment control unit 16d may also include a dehumidifier. The gas (high-temperature or low-temperature dry air) whose temperature (and humidity) has been adjusted by the temperature-adjusted gas supply source is supplied into the housing 16a via the duct by the blower, and is sprayed from an air outlet to form an air curtain that closes the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a. This creates a sealed or nearly sealed space within the housing 16a. The supply source of the gas supplied into the housing 16a and the supply source of the gas sprayed from the air nozzle may be the same or different. The surfaces of the housing 16a other than the surface on which the opening 16f is formed may be closed, or may have openings. The environmental control means 16d may be attached to the housing 16a or to the arms 16b and 16c.

[0061] The sensor 16e is a sensor that detects the environment inside the housing 16a, and is, for example, a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor. The sensor 16e may be included in the environment control means 16d.

[0062] The environmental control means 16d controls the environment within the housing 16a to match the environment of the destination of the transported object. Specifically, the environmental control means 16d controls the environment within the housing 16a to a target environment based on the detection results of the sensor 16e. For example, the environmental control means 16d controls the temperature-adjusted gas supply source based on the detection results of the sensor 16e so that the temperature and humidity within the housing 16a reach the target temperature and humidity. The function of the environmental control means 16d is realized, for example, by feedback control using a controller (not shown) electrically connected to the sensor 16e and the temperature-adjusted gas supply source (heater and cooler). The environmental control means 16d and the air curtain generating means 42 may be integrated. That is, in a single device, an air outlet facing downward to block the opening 16f and an air outlet for dry air to control the environment within the housing 16a may be provided. Here, the air outlet for dry air to control the environment within the housing 16a is preferably oriented so that the injected dry air circulates well within the housing 16a. By integrating the environmental control means 16d and the air curtain forming means 42, the space required to provide the environmental control means 16d and the air curtain forming means 42 is reduced, allowing for effective use of the space in the housing 16a. Furthermore, by integrating the environmental control means 16d and the air curtain forming means 42, it is possible to share the same temperature-adjusted gas supply source including a heater and a cooler, as well as a blower, between the environmental control means 16d and the air curtain forming means 42.

[0063] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the moving device 22, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the moving device 22. As shown in FIG.

[0064] The moving device 22 is a means for moving the transport unit 16 in the X-axis and Z-axis directions between the transported object storage section 12 and each measuring section 14, and is composed of, for example, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, a first movable body 24 that moves in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), which is the arrangement direction of each measuring section 14, between the transported object storage section 12 and each measuring section 14, a first movable body moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the first movable body 24 in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), a second movable body 26 that is attached to the first movable body 24 so as to be movable in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), which is the arrangement direction of each measuring section 14, and supports the transport unit 16 so as to be rotatable around the vertical axis (Z-axis) as the center of rotation, a second movable body moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the second movable body 26 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and a transport unit rotation mechanism 28 that is attached to the second movable body 26 and rotates the transport unit 16 around the vertical axis (Z-axis) as the center of rotation.

[0065] The first movable body 24 is, for example, a frame body constructed by connecting the four corners of each of a pair of upper and lower rectangular frames 24a with four frames 24b extending in the Z-axis direction, and its lower part is movably connected to two guide rails 30 extending in the X-axis direction and arranged parallel to each other on a base 34 between the transported item storage section 12 and each measuring section 14.

[0066] The first movable body movement mechanism is configured with a well-known movement mechanism, such as a ball screw connected to the first movable body 24 and a drive motor for rotating the ball screw (neither of which is shown). By rotating this drive motor forward or backward, the first movable body 24 (transport unit 16) moves in the X-axis direction along the guide rail 30. Of course, the first movable body movement mechanism is not limited to this, and may also be a mechanism for self-propelling the first movable body 24, such as wheels provided on the first movable body 24 and a drive motor for rotating the wheels.

[0067] The second movable body 26 is movably connected to two guide rails 32 that are arranged parallel to each other on the first movable body 24 and extend in the Z-axis direction.

[0068] The second movable body movement mechanism is configured with a well-known movement mechanism, such as a ball screw connected to the second movable body 26 and a drive motor for rotating the ball screw (neither of which is shown). By rotating this drive motor forward or backward, the second movable body 26 (transport unit 16) moves in the Z-axis direction along the guide rail 32. Of course, the second movable body movement mechanism is not limited to this, and may also be a mechanism for self-propelling the second movable body 26, such as wheels provided on the second movable body 26 and a drive motor for rotating the wheels.

[0069] The transport unit rotation mechanism 28 is configured with a known rotation mechanism, for example, a rotation shaft (vertical shaft) provided on the second movable body 26, a drive motor 28a that rotates the rotation shaft, and the like. The upper surface of the transport unit 16 is fixed to the rotation shaft (vertical shaft). By rotating this drive motor 28a forward and backward, the transport unit 16 rotates 180° around the vertical axis (Z axis) as the center of rotation, and an opening 16f formed in the transport unit 16, through which the arms 16b and 16c enter and exit, faces the transported object storage section 12 or each measurement section 14.

[0070] The test head 44 is a maintainable device (a device on which maintenance is performed over time) used when inspecting semiconductor elements formed on a wafer, and includes a plurality of terminals (not shown) that are electrically connected to the pogo pins 46b of the pogo frame 46.

[0071] The test head 44 is held by a test head holding mechanism.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 11 , the test head holding mechanism is composed of a base 56 and two test head guide rails 58 fixed on the base 56 and extending in the Y-axis direction. The test head 44 is slidably connected to the test head guide rails 58. The test head holding mechanism (base 56) is movably connected to a vertical guide rail (not shown) extending in the Z-axis direction. The base 56 is provided with a locking mechanism (not shown) that locks (fixes) the test head 44 to the base 56 (and the test head guide rails 58). The locking mechanism is composed of, for example, an engaging portion such as a claw portion that engages with or disengages from the test head 44.

[0073] The test head lifting mechanism 48 is a means for lifting and lowering the test head 44, and is constituted by, for example, an actuator such as a test head cylinder (air or hydraulic cylinder). For example, one end of the cylinder is connected to the base 56, and the other end is connected to the head stage 20. The cylinder may be equipped with a brake. When the test head holding mechanism (base 56) is lifted and lowered in the Z-axis direction along the vertical guide rails by this actuator, the test head 44 is lifted and lowered in the Z-axis direction together with the test head guide rails 58 while locked by the locking mechanism, and moves to the pogo pin connection position P3 (see FIG. 10) or the test head pull-out position P4 (see FIG. 12(a)).

[0074] The pogo pin connection position P3 is a position where the terminals of the test head 44 are electrically connected to the pogo pins 46b of the pogo frame 46. The test head extension position P4 is a position that is determined so that the test head 44 does not come into contact with the pogo pins 46b (and positioning pins 60a, described later) of the pogo frame 46 when the test head 44 is extended (and so that a space for lifting the pogo frame 46, described later, is secured).

[0075] The test head pull-out mechanism 50 (test head slide mechanism) is a means for pulling out the test head 44, which has been raised to the test head pull-out position P4, toward the maintenance area A2, and is configured by, for example, a guide rail 58 for the test head.

[0076] When the operator unlocks the locking mechanism of the test head 44 that has been raised to the test head pull-out position P4 and pulls it toward him, the test head 44 slides in the Y-axis direction along the test head guide rails 58 and is pulled out toward the maintenance area A2 through the opening 14b (see FIG. 12(b)). This allows maintenance of the test head 44 (for example, replacing a circuit board inside the test head, etc.).

[0077] After the maintenance is completed, the test head 44 is slid by the operator in the Y-axis direction along the test head guide rails 58 to the test head pull-out position P4, and then lowered along the vertical guide rails to the pogo pin connection position P3. At this time, the test head 44 is positioned relative to the pogo frame 46 by the test head positioning mechanism 60, and is placed above the pogo frame 46, i.e., at the pogo pin connection position P3, as shown in FIG.

[0078] The test head positioning mechanism 60 is a means for positioning the test head 44 relative to the pogo frame 46, and is composed of, for example, a positioning pin 60a and a recess 60b with which the positioning pin 60a abuts. The positioning pin 60a may be provided on the pogo frame 46 side, or on the test head 44 side. When the positioning pin 60a is provided on the pogo frame 46 side, the recess 60b with which the positioning pin 60a abuts is provided on the test head 44 side. Conversely, when the positioning pin 60a is provided on the test head 44 side, the recess 60b with which the positioning pin 60a abuts is provided on the pogo frame 46 side.

[0079] The pogo frame 46 is a maintainable device (a device that is periodically maintained) used when inspecting semiconductor elements formed on a wafer, and as shown in Fig. 10, is composed of a pogo frame main body 46a and a plurality of pogo pins 46b held by the pogo frame main body 46a. The upper ends of the pogo pins 46b protrude from the upper surface of the pogo frame main body 46a, and the lower ends of the pogo pins 46b protrude from the lower surface of the pogo frame main body 46a. The pogo pins 46b are electrically connected to terminals of the test head 44 and are also electrically connected to probes of the probe card PC held by the first probe card holding mechanism 36.

[0080] The pogo frame 46 is held by a pogo frame holding mechanism.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 11, the pogo frame holding mechanism is made up of a base 62 and two pogo frame guide rails 64 fixed on the base 62 and extending in the Y-axis direction. The pogo frame 46 is slidably connected to the pogo frame guide rails 64. The pogo frame holding mechanism (base 62) is movably connected to a vertical guide rail (not shown) extending in the Z-axis direction. The base 62 is provided with a locking mechanism (not shown) that locks (fixes) the pogo frame 46 to the base 62 (and the pogo frame guide rails 64). The locking mechanism is made up of, for example, an engaging portion such as a claw portion that engages with or disengages from the pogo frame 46.

[0082] The pogo frame lifting mechanism 52 is a means for lifting and lowering the pogo frame 46, and is constituted by, for example, an actuator such as a pogo frame cylinder (air or hydraulic cylinder). For example, one end of the cylinder is connected to the base 62 side, and the other end is connected to the head stage 20 side. The cylinder may be equipped with a brake. When the pogo frame holding mechanism (base 62) is lifted and lowered in the Z-axis direction along the vertical guide rail by this actuator, the pogo frame 46 is lifted and lowered in the Z-axis direction together with the pogo frame guide rail 64 while being locked by the locking mechanism, and moves to the probe connection position P5 (see FIG. 12(a)) or the pogo frame pull-out position P6 (see FIG. 13(a)).

[0083] The probe connection position P5 is a position where the pogo pins 46b of the pogo frame 46 are electrically connected to the probes (not shown) of the probe card held by the first probe card holding mechanism 36. The pogo frame pull-out position P6 is a position where the pogo frame 46 (pogo pins 46b) do not come into contact with the probes of the probe card (and the positioning pins 66a described later) when the pogo frame 46 is pulled out.

[0084] The pogo frame pull-out mechanism 54 (pogo frame slide mechanism) is a means for pulling out the pogo frame 46 that has been raised to the pogo frame pull-out position P6 toward the maintenance area A2, and is configured by a pogo frame guide rail 64, for example.

[0085] When the worker unlocks the locking mechanism of the pogo frame 46 that has been raised to the pogo frame pull-out position P6 and pulls it toward him, the pogo frame 46 slides in the Y-axis direction along the pogo frame guide rail 64 and is pulled out toward the maintenance area A2 through the opening 14b (see FIG. 13(b)). This allows maintenance of the pogo frame 46 (for example, replacing pogo pins, etc.).

[0086] After the maintenance is completed, the pogo frame 46 is slid by the worker in the Y-axis direction along the pogo frame guide rails 64 to the pogo frame pull-out position P6, and then lowered along the vertical guide rails to the probe connection position P5. At this time, the pogo frame 46 is positioned relative to the head stage 20 by the pogo frame positioning mechanism 66, and is placed above the head stage 20, i.e., at the probe connection position P5, as shown in FIG.

[0087] The pogo frame positioning mechanism 66 is means for positioning the pogo frame 46 relative to the head stage 20, and is composed of, for example, a positioning pin 66a and a recess 66b with which the positioning pin 66a abuts. The positioning pin 66a may be provided on the pogo frame 46 side, or on the head stage 20 side. When the positioning pin 66a is provided on the pogo frame 46 side, the recess 66b with which the positioning pin 66a abuts is provided on the head stage 20 side. Conversely, when the positioning pin 66a is provided on the head stage 20 side, the recess 66b with which the positioning pin 66a abuts is provided on the pogo frame 46 side.

[0088] Each device and mechanism, such as the alignment device 38, arm moving mechanism, environmental control means 16d, moving device 22 (first movable body moving mechanism, second movable body moving mechanism, transport unit rotation mechanism 28), test head lifting mechanism 48, and pogo frame lifting mechanism 52, is driven by control means (controller, etc.) not shown.

[0089] Next, an example of the operation of the transport unit 16 in the prober 10 of this embodiment will be described.

[0090] <Example of wafer transfer operation> First, an example of operation when the transfer unit 16 transfers the wafer W from the wafer storage section 12a into the measurement section 14 where an inspection (for example, a high-temperature inspection or a low-temperature inspection) is performed will be described.

[0091] First, the transport unit 16 is moved to a position where it can access the wafer storage section 12a (a position where the wafer W can be removed), and then the transport unit 16 is rotated 180° so that the opening 16f formed in the transport unit 16, through which the arms 16b and 16c move in and out, faces the wafer storage section 12a.

[0092] Next, wafer holding arm 16b advances into wafer storage section 12a, removes one wafer W from wafer storage section 12a, and stores it in housing 16a. At the same time, the environment inside housing 16a is controlled to match the environment of measurement section 14, the destination of wafer W. Specifically, gas whose temperature has been adjusted by a temperature-adjusted gas supply source is supplied into housing 16a, and an air curtain is formed by being sprayed from an air jet port to close opening 16f formed in housing 16a. This makes the inside of housing 16a an airtight or approximately airtight space.

[0093] Next, the transfer unit 16 is moved to a position accessible to the measurement unit 14 at the transfer destination (a position where the wafer W can be handed over), and the transfer unit 16 is rotated 180° so that the opening 16f formed in the transfer unit 16 through which each arm 16b, 16c enters and exits faces the measurement unit 14 at the transfer destination.

[0094] Next, wafer holding arm 16b is advanced in the Y-axis direction into measurement section 14 through opening 16f on the transfer unit 16 side, where the air curtain is formed, and opening 14a on the measurement section 14 side, and wafer W is loaded onto wafer chuck 18. The arrow on the right side in Figure 14 indicates the transfer direction of the transfer object (here, wafer W). Wafer holding arm 16b, holding wafer W, advances into measurement section 14 through opening 16f, which is blocked by the air curtain.

[0095] The loaded wafer W is held by vacuum suction on the wafer chuck 18. Then, the wafer W waits until it reaches the inspection temperature by the wafer chuck 18, and when it reaches the inspection temperature, the alignment device 38 moves in the XYZ-θ directions to align the wafer W held on the wafer chuck 18 with the probes of the probe card PC held above the wafer chuck 18 by a well-known method, and then the wafer chuck 18 moves in the Z-axis direction by the action of the alignment device 38 to electrically contact the wafer W with the probes, thereby conducting an electrical characteristic inspection of the wafer W via the pogo frame 46 (pogo pins 46b) and the test head 44.

[0096] In this way, by controlling the environment inside the transfer unit 16 using the time it takes for the wafer to be transferred from the wafer storage section 12a to the destination measuring section 14 and reducing the difference with the inspection temperature at the destination measuring section 14, it is possible to shorten (or eliminate) the waiting time required for the wafer to approach the inspection temperature in the destination measuring section 14 compared to conventional technology. This makes it possible to improve the throughput (processing capacity per unit time) at the measuring section 14.

[0097] <Example of probe card transport operation> Next, an example of operation when the transport unit 16 transports the probe card PC from the probe card storage section 12b into the measurement section 14 where an inspection (for example, a high-temperature inspection or a low-temperature inspection) is performed will be described.

[0098] First, the transport unit 16 is moved to a position where the probe card storage section 12b is accessible (a position where the probe card PC can be removed), and the transport unit 16 is rotated 180 degrees so that the opening 16f formed in the transport unit 16 through which each arm 16b, 16c enters and exits faces the probe card storage section 12b.

[0099] Next, the probe card holding arm 16c is advanced into the probe card storage section 12b to take out one probe card PC from the probe card storage section 12b and store it in the housing 16a. At the same time, the environment inside the housing 16a is controlled to match the environment of the measurement section 14 to which the probe card PC is transferred. Specifically, gas whose temperature has been adjusted by a temperature-adjusted gas supply source is supplied into the housing 16a, and an air curtain is formed by being sprayed from an air spray port to close the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a. This makes the inside of the housing 16a a sealed or approximately sealed space.

[0100] Next, the transport unit 16 is moved to a position where the destination measurement unit 14 is accessible (a position where the probe card PC can be handed over), and the transport unit 16 is rotated 180 degrees so that the opening 16f formed in the transport unit 16 through which each arm 16b, 16c enters and exits faces the destination measurement unit 14.

[0101] Next, the probe card holding arm 16c is advanced in the Y-axis direction into the measurement unit 14 through the opening 16f on the transport unit 16 side where the air curtain is formed and the opening 14a on the measurement unit 14 side (see FIG. 7(a)). The probe card holding arm 16c, while holding the probe card PC, passes through the opening 16f that is closed by the air curtain and advances in the Y-axis direction into the measurement unit 14. The arrow on the right side in FIG. 14 indicates the direction of transport of the transported object (here, the probe card PC).

[0102] Next, the holding part 40a of the second probe card holding mechanism 40 receives the probe card PC from the probe card holding arm 16c and holds it. Specifically, when the alignment device 38, holding the wafer chuck 18, moves to the probe card receiving position P1, the holding part 40a is raised in the Z-axis direction relative to the Z-axis movable part 38a to abut against the probe card PC (the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface), and the holding part 40a, rising in the Z-axis direction, lifts the probe card PC from the probe card holding arm 16c. As a result, the probe card PC is transferred to the holding part 40a and held directly above the wafer chuck 18 by the holding part 40a.

[0103] Next, the alignment device 38, which is holding the probe card PC and the wafer chuck 18, is moved to position P2 (see FIG. 7(b)).

[0104] Next, the probe card PC is transported to the first probe card holding mechanism 36 (see FIG. 7(b)). Specifically, with the alignment device 38 holding the wafer chuck 18 moved to position P2, the Z-axis movable part 38a (second probe card holding mechanism 40) is raised in the Z-axis direction, thereby transporting the probe card PC held by the second probe card holding mechanism 40 to the first probe card holding mechanism 36. The probe card PC transported to the first probe card holding mechanism 36 is detachably held by the first probe card holding mechanism 36.

[0105] <Test head pull-out operation example> Next, an example of operation when the test head 44 is pulled out toward the maintenance area A2 will be described.

[0106] 12(a), the test head holding mechanism (base 56) is raised from the pogo pin connection position P3 to the test head extraction position P4 by the test head lifting mechanism 48. As a result, the test head 44 moves to the test head extraction position P4 together with the test head guide rails 58 fixed to the base 56 while being locked by the locking mechanism.

[0107] Next, the operator releases the locking mechanism and then pulls the test head 44, which has been raised to the test head pull-out position P4, toward him. As a result, the test head 44 slides in the Y-axis direction along the test head guide rails 58 and is pulled out toward the maintenance area A2 through the opening 14b, as shown in FIG. 12(b). This makes it possible to perform maintenance on the test head 44 (for example, replacing a circuit board inside the test head). The arrow on the left side of FIG. 14 indicates the pull-out direction (and push-in direction) of the device to be maintained (here, the test head 44).

[0108] Next, an example of the operation when the test head 44 after maintenance is returned to the pogo pin connection position P3 will be described.

[0109] First, the operator pushes the test head 44 for which maintenance has been completed along the test head guide rails 58, slides it in the Y-axis direction to the test head pull-out position P4, and locks it at that position using the locking mechanism.

[0110] Next, the test head holding mechanism (base 56) is lowered from the test head pull-out position P4 to the pogo pin connecting position P3 by the test head lifting mechanism 48. As a result, the test head 44, locked by the locking mechanism, moves to the pogo pin connecting position P3 together with the test head guide rails 58 fixed to the base 56. At this time, the test head 44 is positioned relative to the pogo frame 46 by the test head positioning mechanism 60, as shown in FIG. 10, and is placed above the pogo frame 46, i.e., at the pogo pin connecting position P3. As a result, the terminals of the test head 44 and the pogo pins 46b of the pogo frame 46 are aligned, allowing for accurate electrical connection between them.

[0111] As described above, the withdrawal direction (see the left arrow in FIG. 14) of the device to be maintained (here, the test head 44) ​​and the transfer direction (see the right arrow in FIG. 14) of the transferred object (the wafer W or the probe card PC) are aligned in the Y-axis direction, so it is possible to suppress (or eliminate) the Abbe error that must be taken into consideration when positioning the test head 44 with respect to the pogo frame 46, which requires high accuracy. In particular, when returning the test head 44 after maintenance to the pogo pin connection position P3, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the positioning accuracy in the X-axis direction.

[0112] <Example of Pogo frame pull-out operation> Next, an example of the operation when the pogo frame 46 is pulled out toward the maintenance area A2 will be described.

[0113] 12(a), the test head holding mechanism (base 56) is raised from the pogo pin connection position P3 to the test head pull-out position P4 by the test head lifting mechanism 48. As a result, the test head 44 moves to the test head pull-out position P4 together with the test head guide rails 58 fixed to the base 56 while being locked by the locking mechanism. This ensures a lifting space S for the pogo frame 46.

[0114] 13(a), the pogo frame holding mechanism (base 62) is raised from the probe connecting position P5 to the pogo frame drawn-out position P6 by the pogo frame lifting mechanism 52. As a result, the pogo frame 46 moves to the pogo frame drawn-out position P6 together with the pogo frame guide rail 64 fixed to the base 62 while being locked by the locking mechanism.

[0115] Next, the worker releases the locking mechanism and then pulls the pogo frame 46, which has been raised to the pogo frame pull-out position P6, toward him. As a result, the pogo frame 46 slides in the Y-axis direction along the pogo frame guide rail 64 and is pulled out toward the maintenance area A2 through the opening 14b, as shown in FIG. 13(b). This makes it possible to perform maintenance on the pogo frame 46 (for example, replacing pogo pins). The arrow on the left side in FIG. 14 indicates the pull-out direction (and push-in direction) of the device to be maintained (here, the pogo frame 46).

[0116] Next, an example of the operation when the pogo frame 46 after maintenance is returned to the probe connection position P5 will be described.

[0117] First, the worker pushes the pogo frame 46 for which maintenance has been completed along the pogo frame guide rails 64, slides it in the Y-axis direction to the pogo frame pull-out position P6, and locks it at that position using the locking mechanism.

[0118] Next, the pogo frame holding mechanism (base 62) is lowered from the pogo frame pull-out position P6 to the probe connection position P5 by the pogo frame lifting mechanism 52. As a result, the pogo frame 46, locked by the locking mechanism, moves to the probe connection position P5 together with the pogo frame guide rails 64 fixed to the base 62. At this time, the pogo frame 46 is positioned relative to the head stage 20 by the pogo frame positioning mechanism 66, as shown in FIG. 12(a), and is placed above the head stage 20, i.e., at the probe connection position P5. As a result, the pogo pins 46b of the pogo frame 46 and the probes of the probe card are aligned, allowing them to be electrically connected with high precision.

[0119] As described above, the withdrawal direction (see the arrow on the left in FIG. 14) of the device to be maintained (here, the pogo frame 46) and the transfer direction (see the arrow on the right in FIG. 14) of the transfer object (the wafer W or the probe card PC) are aligned in the Y-axis direction, so it is possible to suppress (or eliminate) the Abbe error that must be taken into consideration when positioning the pogo frame 46, which requires high accuracy, with respect to the head stage 20. In particular, when returning the pogo frame 46 after maintenance to the probe connection position P5, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the positioning accuracy in the X-axis direction.

[0120] Furthermore, in the conventional technology, the pogo frame is pulled out without being raised, so the probe card had to be removed from the measurement unit (cell) before the pogo frame was pulled out. In contrast, in this embodiment, the pogo frame 46 is raised to the pogo frame pull-out position P6 and separated from the probe card, and then the pogo frame 46 raised to the pogo frame pull-out position P6 is pulled out. Therefore, the pogo frame 46 can be pulled out without having to remove the probe card PC from the measurement unit 14.

[0121] As described above, according to this embodiment, in a prober 10 equipped with a plurality of measurement units 14 each equipped with a device to be maintained (e.g., at least one of a test head and a pogo frame) and a pull-out mechanism for pulling out the device to be maintained, and a transport unit 16 that moves the transported object (e.g., at least one of a wafer and a probe card) to a position accessible to the measurement unit to which the object is to be transported and transports the object into the measurement unit 14 to which the object is to be transported, by aligning the pull-out direction of the device to be maintained and the transport direction of the object (see Figure 14), it is possible to suppress (or eliminate) the Abbe error that must be taken into consideration when positioning the device to be maintained, which requires high precision.

[0122] That is, with the test head 44 positioned at the pogo pin connection position P3 and the pogo frame 46 positioned at the probe connection position P5, it is necessary to position the probe card PC relative to the pogo frame 46 and the wafer W relative to the probe card PC. However, by transporting these components that require positioning in a straight line, Abbe errors can be suppressed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by transporting these components that require positioning in a straight line, positioning in a straight line can be omitted, making positioning easier. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the direction in which the device to be maintained is pulled out and the direction in which the transported object is transported are in a straight line, so space is saved by eliminating the space required for rotating the test head compared to a technique in which the test head is rotated to expose the pogo pins below the test head for maintenance.

[0123] Furthermore, whereas the prior art did not have a pull-out mechanism for pulling out the test head and the test head could not be pulled out, this embodiment is equipped with a test head lifting mechanism 48 and a test head pull-out mechanism 50, which allow the test head 44 to be pulled out.

[0124] Next, we will explain other modes of loading into the measurement section 14. In the above example, it has been explained that the transported object (wafer W or probe card PC) to be loaded into the measurement section 14 is loaded from the transport area A1 side by the transport unit 16 (see FIG. 14), but in other modes of loading into the measurement section 14, the transported object to be loaded into the measurement section 14 is loaded from the maintenance area A2 side by the loading section 70.

[0125] FIG. 15 is a top view illustrating the loading of a transported object (wafer W and probe card PC) into the measurement unit 14 from the maintenance area A2 side. As shown in FIG. 15, when the transported object is loaded into the measurement unit 14 from the maintenance area A2 side, the transported object is loaded into the measurement unit 14 by the loading unit 70. The loading unit 70 may be provided with a transport means such as the transport unit 16 described above to transport the transported object, or a user or installer of the prober 10 may manually transport the transported object to the loading unit 70 and then load it into the measurement unit 14 by the loading unit 70. The loading unit 70 is not particularly limited, and any known loading means may be employed. For example, the loading unit 70 may load the transported object into the measurement unit by a drawing mechanism, or may load the transported object into the measurement unit by an arm like the transport unit 16.

[0126] In this way, it is possible to load an object to be transported into the measurement section 14 from the transport area A1 side and from the maintenance area A2 side. For example, when loading a probe card PC into the measurement section 14, the transport unit 16 loads the object to the measurement section 14 if the object is for inspecting a semiconductor device, and the loading section 70 loads the object to the measurement section 14 if the object is to be used to calibrate the position of the measurement section 14.

[0127] Furthermore, for example, if the load of the transported object into the measurement unit 14 is frequent, the transported object is loaded into the measurement unit 14 from the transport area A1 side, and if the load of the transported object into the measurement unit 14 is infrequent, the transported object is loaded into the measurement unit 14 from the maintenance area side. Here, high frequency and low frequency differ depending on how the user uses the prober 10, but for example, a high frequency refers to a transported object that needs to be replaced every time a wafer W is measured, and a low frequency refers to a transported object that needs to be loaded, for example, during maintenance or when the prober 10 is installed (started up).

[0128] Furthermore, for example, the transport unit 16 loads the transported object into the measurement section 14 when the environment of the transported object needs to be controlled, and the loading section 70 loads the transported object into the measurement section 14 when the environment of the transported object does not need to be controlled. As described above, since the environment is regulated by the environment control means 16d of the transport unit 16 in the transport area A1, when an object requiring temperature or humidity regulation is to be loaded into the measurement section 14, the object is loaded into the measurement section 14 from the transport area A1 side.

[0129] Furthermore, for example, depending on the type of the transported object, loading may be performed by the transport unit 16 or by the loading section 70. That is, since the transported objects, such as wafers W and probe cards PC, are used for various purposes and types, loading may be performed by the transport unit 16 or by the loading section 70 depending on the purpose and type of the wafers W and probe cards PC.

[0130] For example, the probe card PC includes a measurement probe card for inspecting and measuring the wafer W and a calibration probe card for calibrating the position of the wafer W, etc. Then, for example, the calibration probe card is loaded by the loading unit 70, and the measurement probe card is loaded by the transport unit 16.

[0131] In this way, by changing the side on which the transported object is loaded into the measuring section 14 depending on the transported object and the usage status of the prober 10, more efficient inspection can be performed.

[0132] Here, loading in this application means setting up the probe card PC or wafer W in the measurement section 14. Furthermore, loading by the above-mentioned transport unit 16 and loading by the loading section 70 are preferably arranged in a straight line with the pull-out direction of the device to be maintained and the transport direction of the transported object. Note that the arrow in Fig. 15 indicates the loading direction performed by the loading section 70.

[0133] FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a calibration probe card. FIG. 16(a) is a top view of the probe side of a calibration probe card 72, and FIG. 16(b) is a side view of the calibration probe card 72. The calibration probe card 72 shown in FIG. 16 is calibrated by a calibration probe card main body 72a and probes 72b. The calibration probe card 72 has a total of 18 probes 72b, each paired with one pair at the center and arranged at 45° intervals along the periphery of the calibration probe card 72. The calibration probe card 72 is used to position and align the measurement unit 14. Therefore, for example, the calibration probe card 72 is used to align the measurement unit 14 when starting up or installing the prober 10.

[0134] Next, a modified example will be described.

[0135] In this embodiment, a configuration using the test head lifting mechanism 48, the test head pull-out mechanism 50, the pogo frame lifting mechanism 52, and the pogo frame pull-out mechanism 54 has been exemplified, but this is not limiting, and only the test head lifting mechanism 48 and the test head pull-out mechanism 50 may be used, or only the pogo frame lifting mechanism 52 and the pogo frame pull-out mechanism 54 may be used.

[0136] In addition, in the present embodiment, the pogo frame lifting mechanism 52 is used to pull out the pogo frame 46 in a lifted state, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the pogo frame lifting mechanism 52 may be omitted. In other words, a pogo frame pull-out mechanism similar to that of the prior art may be used to pull out the pogo frame 46 without lifting it.

[0137] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the arms 16b and 16c of the transport unit 16 enter and exit through the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a. However, this is not limiting. For example, a similar opening (not shown) may be formed on the side of the housing 16a of the transport unit 16 opposite the side on which the opening 16f is formed, and the arms 16b and 16c may independently reciprocate horizontally to enter and exit through the opening 16f and the opening on the opposite side. In this way, the transport unit rotation mechanism 28 can be omitted. Furthermore, even if the transport unit rotation mechanism 28 is omitted, that is, without rotating the transport unit 16, the arms 16b and 16c can access the transported object storage section 12 or the measurement sections 14. In this case, in addition to the air curtain forming means 42 that forms an air curtain that blocks the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a of the conveying unit 16, by providing a similar air curtain forming means in the conveying unit 16 that forms an air curtain that blocks the opening formed on the opposite side of the opening 16f, the inside of the housing 16a can be made into an airtight or nearly airtight space, and the same effect as in the above embodiment can be achieved.

[0138] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration in which the measurement units 14 are two-dimensionally arranged in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) has been exemplified, but this is not limiting, and the measurement units 14 may be arranged only in a single row in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), or only in a single row in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). By arranging the measurement units 14 only in a single row in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), the second movable body moving mechanism can be omitted. Furthermore, by arranging the measurement units 14 only in a single row in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), the first movable body moving mechanism can be omitted.

[0139] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration using one transport unit 16 and one moving device 22 has been exemplified, but this is not limiting, and multiple transport units 16 and multiple moving devices 22 may be used. In this way, the throughput of each measurement section 14 can be further improved.

[0140] In addition, in this embodiment, a configuration using wafer holding arm 16b and probe card holding arm 16c has been exemplified, but this is not limited to this, and only wafer holding arm 16b may be used, or only probe card holding arm 16c may be used.

[0141] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the configuration in which the arms 16b and 16c are provided on the transport unit 16 has been exemplified, but this is not limiting, and the arms 16b and 16c (or arms equivalent thereto) may be provided on the transport object storage section 12 side and on the measurement section 14 side. This also allows the arms to remove the transport object from the transport object storage section 12 or the measurement section 14 and store it in the transport unit 16, and also allows the transport object to be removed from the transport unit 16 and delivered to the transport object storage section 12 or the measurement section 14.

[0142] In addition, in this embodiment, the configuration in which the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a is closed with an air curtain has been exemplified, but this is not limiting, and an opening opening / closing means such as a shutter or door that is opened when the transported object is taken out or delivered and closed while the transported object is being transported may be provided in the transport unit 16, and the opening 16f may be opened and closed by this opening opening / closing means. Furthermore, the openings 14a formed in each measurement unit 14 may be closed with a similar air curtain, or the openings 14a may be opened and closed by a similar opening opening / closing means.

[0143] As described above, in a prober that has a plurality of measuring units each equipped with a pull-out mechanism for pulling out the maintainable device and the transport unit that moves to a position accessible to the measuring unit of the destination of the transported item and transports the transported item into the measuring unit of the destination, the idea of ​​suppressing Abbe error that must be taken into consideration when positioning the maintainable device, which requires high precision, by aligning the pull-out direction of the maintainable device with the transport direction of the transported item can be applied not only to the prober of the above embodiment, but also to all kinds of probers that have a plurality of measuring units each equipped with a pull-out mechanism for pulling out the maintainable device and the transport unit that moves to a position accessible to the measuring unit of the destination of the transported item and transports the transported item into the measuring unit of the destination.

[0144] The prober of the present invention has been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 10...prober, 12...transported object storage section, 12a...wafer storage section, 12b...probe card storage section, 14...measurement section, 14a...opening, 16...transport unit, 16a...housing, 16b...wafer holding arm, 16c...probe card holding arm, 16d...environment control means, 16e...sensor, 16f...opening, 18...wafer chuck, 20...head stage, 22...moving device, 24...first movable body, 26...second movable body, 28...transport unit rotation mechanism, 28a...drive motor, 30, 32...guide rail, 34...base, 36...first probe card holding mechanism, 38...alignment device, 40...second probe card holding mechanism, 40 a...holding portion, 42...air curtain forming means, 44...test head, 46...pogo frame, 46a...pogo frame main body, 46b...pogo pin, 48...test head lifting mechanism, 50...test head extraction mechanism, 52...pogo frame lifting mechanism, 54...pogo frame extraction mechanism, 56...base, 58...test head guide rail, 60...test head positioning mechanism, 60a...positioning pin, 60b...recess, 62...base, 64...pogo frame guide rail, 66...pogo frame positioning mechanism, 66a...positioning pin, 66b...recess, 80...card transport tray, CH...card holder, PC...probe card, W...wafer

Claims

[Claim 1] A wafer transport method for transporting a wafer to a measurement unit configured so that a maintenance target device can be pulled out to one side of the measurement unit, comprising: The wafer is transported to the measurement unit from the other side opposite to the one side of the measurement unit so that the transport direction of the wafer and the pull-out direction of the device to be maintained are aligned. Wafer transport method.

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