Probe card, and method for manufacturing a probe card

Abstract

To provide a structure for a probe card that can stabilize the electrical connection between the probe and the wiring board, and a method for manufacturing a probe card that can establish such a structure. [Solution] The probe card 1 comprises a wiring board 10 having a plurality of terminal portions 11, a guide member 20 fixed to the wiring board 10 and having a plurality of through holes 20a formed at positions facing the plurality of terminal portions 11, and a plurality of probes 30 that are insertable and removable into the plurality of through holes 20a and joined to the plurality of terminal portions 11. The guide member 20 comprises a recess 50 surrounding a plurality of joint portions 40 where the plurality of terminal portions 11 and the plurality of probes 30 are joined, and a communication portion 51 that connects the inside of the recess 50 to the outside of the guide member 20.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a probe card and a method for manufacturing the probe card.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a probe card used for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device integrated at high density. This probe card includes a probe having a tip portion that contacts an electrode of a measurement object and a base portion for fixing, a guide plate provided with a guide hole into which the base portion is fitted and electrically connected to the base portion, and a wiring board provided with terminals on one side. The base portion is electrically connected to the terminals through the conductive member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above probe card, the probe is indirectly connected to the terminal of the wiring board through the guide plate, and the probe is not directly connected to the terminal of the wiring board. For this reason, there is a possibility that the electrical connection between the probe and the wiring board becomes unstable.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a structure capable of stabilizing the electrical connection between a probe and a wiring board in a probe card and a method for manufacturing a probe card capable of establishing such a structure.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A probe card according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a wiring board having a plurality of terminal portions, a guide member fixed to the wiring board and having a plurality of through holes formed at positions facing the plurality of terminal portions, and a plurality of probes inserted into the plurality of through holes so as to be insertable and removable and joined to the plurality of terminal portions, wherein the guide member comprises a recess surrounding a plurality of joint portions to which the plurality of terminal portions and the plurality of probes are joined, and a communication portion that connects the inside of the recess with the outside of the guide member.

[0007] A method for manufacturing the probe card according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a bonding material placement step of arranging a plurality of bonding materials on a plurality of terminal portions of a wiring board; a guide member fixing step of fixing a guide member having a plurality of through holes to the wiring board after the bonding material placement step so that the plurality of through holes face the plurality of terminal portions; a probe insertion step of inserting a plurality of probes into the plurality of through holes after the guide member fixing step; and a probe bonding step of melting the plurality of bonding materials after the probe insertion step to bond the plurality of terminal portions and the plurality of probes, wherein the guide member comprises a recess surrounding the plurality of joint portions where the plurality of terminal portions and the plurality of probes are joined, and a communication portion that connects the inside of the recess and the outside of the guide member, and in the probe bonding step, a reducing gas is introduced into the inside of the recess through the communication portion to create a reducing atmosphere around the plurality of joint portions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention described above, it is possible to provide a structure in a probe card that can stabilize the electrical connection between the probe and the wiring board, and a method for manufacturing a probe card that can establish such a structure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the use of the probe card according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of the probe card according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3]This is a flowchart showing the manufacturing method of the probe card according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating step S2. [Figure 5] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating step S4. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the repair process for the probe card according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating step S12. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of the probe card according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a bottom view of the guide member according to the third embodiment, looking at the opposing surface. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, it should be noted that at least a portion of the drawings are schematic, and the ratios of the thicknesses of each part may differ from those of reality. Furthermore, it is also true that there are parts where the dimensional relationships and ratios differ between drawings. Moreover, the embodiments shown below are illustrative examples of devices and methods for realizing the technical idea of ​​this invention, and the embodiments of this invention do not limit the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc. of the components to those described below.

[0011] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the use of the probe card 1 according to the first embodiment. The probe card 1 shown in Figure 1 is attached to an inspection device (not shown) and, for example, the probe 30 is brought into contact with the pads 201 of the wafer 200 to inspect a semiconductor integrated circuit (not shown) formed on the wafer 200.

[0012] The probe card 1 includes a wiring board 10 (space transformer), a guide member 20, a plurality of probes 30, and a printed circuit board 110 (main board). On one surface of the wiring board 10, a plurality of terminal portions 11 (lands) to which the plurality of probes 30 are electrically connected are formed. Also, the guide member 20 is fixed to one surface of the wiring board 10.

[0013] At positions facing the plurality of terminal portions 11 of the guide member 20, a plurality of through-holes 20a are formed. The guide member 20 is formed of an insulating material such as ceramic to ensure electrical insulation between the plurality of through-holes 20a. The plurality of through-holes 20a are each formed in a circular or rectangular shape in plan view. When the through-hole 20a is rectangular in plan view, the orientation of the probe 30 can be specified.

[0014] The plurality of probes 30 are inserted into the plurality of through-holes 20a of the guide member 20 and are electrically connected to the plurality of terminal portions 11 of the wiring board 10. The cross-sectional shape of the probe 30 has the same shape as the opening shape of the through-hole 20a. The probe 30 is a so-called vertical probe that extends in a direction perpendicular to the wiring board 10.

[0015] The probe 30 has a minute dimension with a diameter on the order of, for example, several tens of μm corresponding to the arrangement of the pads 201, and is arranged at a high density with a pitch on the order of, for example, 100 μm or less. In the drawing, only four probes 30 are illustrated, but actually, for example, several hundreds to tens of thousands of probes 30 are provided on the probe card 1.

[0016] Such a probe 30 can be formed of a metal material such as a Ni alloy by MEMS (micro electro mechanical systems) technology. The probe 30 may be stretchable in the vertical direction in order to ensure electrical connection with the pad 201. The probe 30 may, for example, include a spring inside to expand and contract the tip, or may include an elastic deformation portion that is bent or curved halfway to the tip.

[0017] On the other surface of the wiring board 10, a plurality of terminal portions 12 (second terminal portions) are provided at intervals wider than those of the plurality of terminal portions 11 (first terminal portions) provided on one surface of the wiring board 10. The plurality of terminal portions 11 and the plurality of terminal portions 12 are electrically connected via a plurality of connection conductors 13 provided on the wiring board 10. The connection conductors 13 include conductor patterns, vias, etc. provided on the wiring board 10.

[0018] The wiring board 10 functions as an intermediate component for electrically connecting the probe 30 and the printed board 110 by converting the arrangement interval of the probes 30, which is different for each probe card 1 according to the arrangement of the pads 201, by a wiring pattern (connection conductor 13) formed inside. That is, the wiring board 10 enables electrical connection between the plurality of probes 30 arranged at high density in the probe card 1 and the printed board 110 by expanding the space between the terminals.

[0019] The printed board 110 is electrically connected to an inspection device (such as a tester head of an IC tester) not shown. A predetermined voltage or current is applied to the pad 201 by the inspection device, and a signal output from the pad 201 accordingly is sent to the inspection device, and the characteristics of the semiconductor integrated circuit formed on the wafer 200 are inspected.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of the probe card 1 according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, in FIG. 2 and subsequent figures, only the main part of the probe card 1 is shown, and the printed board 110 is not shown. As shown in FIG. 2, the probe card 1 includes a wiring board 10 having a plurality of terminal portions 11, a guide member 20 fixed to the wiring board 10 and having a plurality of through holes 20a formed at positions facing the plurality of terminal portions 11, and a plurality of probes 30 inserted into the plurality of through holes 20a so as to be insertable and removable and joined to the plurality of terminal portions 11.

[0021] The guide member 20 comprises a guide body 21 that is rectangular in plan view and has multiple through holes 20a formed therein, and multiple (four) legs 22 provided at positions corresponding to the four corners of the guide body 21. The number of legs 22 is not limited to four. The multiple legs 22 are arranged around multiple joints 40 to which multiple terminals 11 and multiple probes 30 are joined. The bases of the multiple legs 22 are fixed to the wiring board 10 by joining, fitting, adhesive, etc. The joints 40 are formed from a joining material 41, such as solder.

[0022] The guide body 21 is supported by multiple legs 22 with a gap between it and the wiring board 10. Multiple through holes 20a penetrate from the opposing surface 21A of the guide body 21 facing the wiring board 10 to the non-opposing surface 21B facing the opposite side of the opposing surface 21A. The gap between the guide body 21 and the wiring board 10 forms a recess 50 surrounding multiple joints 40. The recess 50 is surrounded by multiple legs 22.

[0023] The recess 50 can be any shape that can enclose the multiple joints 40, such as a cube, a rectangular prism, a truncated square pyramid, a hemisphere, or a dome. A communication portion 51 is formed in the gap between the multiple legs 22, connecting the inside of the recess 50 to the outside of the guide member 20. In this embodiment, the four gaps between the four legs 22 each serve as a communication portion 51. The communication portion 51 can also be a through-hole extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction in which the probe 30 extends, as long as it can connect the inside of the recess 50 to the outside of the guide member 20.

[0024] Next, we will explain the manufacturing method of the probe card 1 with the above configuration (hereinafter referred to as "this method"). Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the manufacturing method of the probe card 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating step S2 shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating step S4 shown in Figure 3.

[0025] In this method, first, multiple bonding materials 41 are placed on multiple terminal portions 11 of the wiring board 10 (Step S1: Bonding material placement step). Examples of bonding materials 41 include solder balls as shown in Figure 4. Next, in this method, a guide member 20 is fixed to the wiring board 10 so that multiple through holes 20a face multiple terminal portions 11 (Step S2: Guide member fixing step). As a result, the probe card 1 is in the state shown in Figure 4.

[0026] Next, in this method, multiple probes 30 are inserted into multiple through holes 20a of the guide member 20 (Step S3: Probe insertion step). Next, in this method, multiple bonding materials 41 are melted to bond multiple terminal portions 11 and multiple probes 30 (Step S4: Probe bonding step). In Step S4, as shown in Figure 5, the probe card 1 is placed in a vacuum reflow oven equipped with a heat source 300 and heated.

[0027] The vacuum reflow oven is kept in a reducing atmosphere (nitrogen atmosphere or formic acid atmosphere) to improve the wettability of the bonding material 41. The guide member 20 is equipped with a recess 50 that surrounds multiple bonding portions 40 (bonding material 41) and a communication portion 51 that connects the inside of the recess 50 to the outside of the guide member 20. As shown by the reference numeral F1 in Figure 5, reducing gas is introduced into the inside of the recess 50 via the communication portion 51, creating a reducing atmosphere around the multiple bonding portions 40, improving the wettability of the bonding material 41, and enabling the probe 30 and the terminal portion 11 to be joined.

[0028] Furthermore, most of the reducing gas (heated fluid) heated by the heat source 300 flows along the side surface of the guide member 20, as indicated by the symbol F2 in Figure 5, but a portion of it is introduced into the inside of the recess 50 via the communication portion 51, as indicated by the symbol F1 in Figure 5. Therefore, the joining material 41 can be sufficiently heated not only by heat conduction from the heat source 300 but also by convective heating by the heated fluid, enabling a good joining of the probe 30 and the terminal portion 11.

[0029] Next, this method detects the presence or absence of probes 30 with shape defects or bonding defects (repair probes) (step S5). If no repair probes are detected, the manufacturing flow of probe card 1 ends. On the other hand, if repair probes are detected, the process moves to the repair process (step S6). Note that the repair process described below can be performed not only during the manufacturing of probe card 1 but also during the maintenance of probe card 1.

[0030] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the repair process of the probe card 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating step S12 shown in Figure 6. In the repair process, first, the bonding material 41 (joint portion 40) of the probe 30 to be replaced is heated and melted (step S11). In step S11, for example, as shown in Figure 7, the bonding material 41 of the probe 30 to be replaced may be locally heated by laser heating with a laser L1. Alternatively, the entire probe card 1 may be heated in step S11.

[0031] Next, in the repair process, as shown in Figure 7, the probe 30 to be replaced is removed from the through hole 20a of the guide member 20 (step S12). Next, in the repair process, a new bonding material 41 is repositioned on the terminal portion 11 of the wiring board 10 from which the bonding material 41 has been melted and removed (step S13).

[0032] Next, in the repair process, the new probe 30 is reinserted into the through-hole 20a of the guide member 20 from which the probe 30 to be replaced was removed (step S14). Next, in the repair process, the repositioned bonding material 41 is melted to bond the terminal portion 11 and the new probe 30 (step S15). In step S15, the repositioned bonding material 41 may be locally heated by laser heating with the laser L1, as in step S11 described above, or the entire probe card 1 may be heated.

[0033] From this point onward, similar to step S5 described above, the presence or absence of a repair probe is detected (step S16), and if a repair probe is found, the process proceeds to the repair stage again (step S17). In other words, steps S11 to S15 described above are repeated. If no repair probe is detected, the manufacturing flow of probe card 1 ends.

[0034] Furthermore, if the bonding material 41 contains flux, cleaning of the area around the joint 40 is necessary. In this case, a step of cleaning the area around the joint 40 (joint cleaning step) may be added. In the cleaning step, as with reference numeral F1 shown in Figure 5, cleaning fluid can be introduced into the inside of the recess 50 through the communication part 51, so that the areas around multiple joints 40 can be thoroughly cleaned.

[0035] As described above, the probe card 1 according to this embodiment comprises a wiring board 10 having a plurality of terminal portions 11, a guide member 20 fixed to the wiring board 10 and having a plurality of through holes 20a formed at positions facing the plurality of terminal portions 11, and a plurality of probes 30 that are insertable and removable into the plurality of through holes 20a and joined to the plurality of terminal portions 11. The guide member 20 comprises a recess 50 surrounding a plurality of joint portions 40 where the plurality of terminal portions 11 and the plurality of probes 30 are joined, and a communication portion 51 that connects the inside of the recess 50 to the outside of the guide member 20. With this configuration, since the probes 30 are directly connected to the terminal portions 11 of the wiring board 10, the electrical connection between the probes 30 and the wiring board 10 can be stabilized.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guide member 20 is arranged around the multiple joints 40 and has multiple legs 22 fixed to the wiring board 10, the recess 50 is surrounded by the multiple legs 22, and the communication portion 51 is formed in the gap between the multiple legs 22. With this configuration, at least two communication portions 51 that communicate with the inside of the recess 50 are formed, so the convection of reducing gas and cleaning fluid is improved. This makes it easier to create a reducing atmosphere around the joints 40 and to clean the area around the joints 40.

[0037] Furthermore, the manufacturing method of the probe card 1 of this embodiment includes a bonding material placement step of placing a plurality of bonding materials 41 on a plurality of terminal portions 11 of a wiring board 10; a guide member fixing step of fixing a guide member 20 having a plurality of through holes 20a formed therein to the wiring board 10 so that the plurality of through holes 20a face the plurality of terminal portions 11 after the bonding material placement step; a probe insertion step of inserting a plurality of probes 30 into the plurality of through holes 20a after the guide member fixing step; and a probe bonding step of melting the plurality of bonding materials 41 after the probe insertion step to bond the plurality of terminal portions 11 and the plurality of probes 30. The guide member 20 includes a recess 50 surrounding the plurality of joint portions 40 where the plurality of terminal portions 11 and the plurality of probes 30 are joined, and a communication portion 51 that connects the inside of the recess 50 to the outside of the guide member 20. In the probe bonding step, a reducing gas is introduced into the inside of the recess 50 via the communication portion 51 to create a reducing atmosphere around the plurality of joint portions 40. This method improves the wettability of the bonding material 41, enabling a good connection between the probe 30 and the wiring board 10.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after the probe joining process, a joint cleaning process is included in which a cleaning fluid is introduced into the inside of the recess 50 via the communication portion 51 to clean the area around the multiple joint portions 40. With this method, even if the joining material 41 contains flux, the area around the joint portions 40 can be easily cleaned.

[0039] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, components identical or equivalent to those in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be simplified or omitted.

[0040] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the probe card 1 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 8, the guide member 20 of the second embodiment is equipped with a thermal conductive film 60 that has a higher thermal conductivity than the base material of the guide member 20.

[0041] For example, if the base material of the guide member 20 is ceramic, the thermal conductive film 60 may be formed from a metal material such as copper (Cu), silver (Ag), or aluminum (Al), which has a higher thermal conductivity than ceramic. The thermal conductive film 60 can be formed on the guide member 20 by, for example, vapor deposition or thermal spraying of the metal material. Alternatively, the thermal conductive film 60 may be formed by attaching a metal film, metal sheet, or metal plate to the guide member 20. Note that the thermal conductive film 60 is not limited to metal materials, as long as its thermal conductivity is higher than that of the base material of the guide member 20.

[0042] The thermal conductive film 60 is formed on both the opposing surface 21A of the guide body 21 that faces the wiring board 10, and the non-opposing surface 21B that faces the opposite side of the opposing surface 21A. The thermal conductive film 60 may also be formed on either the opposing surface 21A or the non-opposing surface 21B of the guide body 21.

[0043] Thus, in the second embodiment, the guide member 20 has a guide body 21 that faces the wiring board 10 with a gap between it and the wiring board 10, with a plurality of through holes 20a formed therein and a plurality of legs 22. The guide body 21 is provided with a thermal conductive film 60 on at least one of the facing surface 21A that faces the wiring board 10 and the non-facing surface 21B that faces the opposite side of the facing surface 21A, which has a thermal conductive film 60 with a thermal conductivity higher than that of the base material of the guide member 20. With this configuration, the thermal conductive film 60 allows for efficient heat conduction to the joint 40, so that the probe 30 and the terminal portion 11 can be joined well.

[0044] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, components identical or equivalent to those in the above-described embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be simplified or omitted.

[0045] Figure 9 is a bottom view of the guide member 20 according to the third embodiment, looking at the opposing surface 21A side. As shown in Figure 9, the guide member 20 of the third embodiment is provided with a grid-like grid groove 70 on the surface 21A facing the wiring board 10.

[0046] The grid groove 70 comprises a plurality of intersections 71 that intersect at the positions where a plurality of through holes 20a are formed, and a plurality of groove ends 72 that open to the outer surface of the guide member 20. In this case, the recess 50 is configured to include at least the intersections 71. The communication portion 51 is configured to include at least the groove ends 72.

[0047] Thus, in the third embodiment, the guide member 20 has a grid groove 70 formed in a grid pattern on the surface 21A facing the wiring board 10, the recess 50 includes an intersection 71 where at least a plurality of through holes 20a are formed in the grid groove 70, and the communication portion 51 includes a groove end 72 that opens to at least the outer surface of the guide member 20 in the grid groove 70. With this configuration, reducing gas or cleaning fluid can be introduced from the groove end 72 toward the intersection 71 (joint 40), so that the probe 30 and the terminal portion 11 can be joined well. In addition, since the grid groove 70 requires less processing of the guide member 20 compared to the above embodiment, the load on the guide member 20 during processing can be reduced, and the number of man-hours for the guide member can be reduced.

[0048] While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described and explained above, it should be understood that these are illustrative and should not be considered limiting. Additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be considered limited by the foregoing description, but rather limited by the claims.

[0049] Furthermore, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, the components in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate, and the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] 1 Probe Card 10 Wiring board 11 Terminal section 12 Terminal section 13 Connecting conductors 20 Guide members 20a through hole 21 Guide body 21A Opposite surface 21B Non-facing surface 22 Legs 30 probes 40 Joint 41 Bonding material 50 depression 51 Communication part 60 Thermal conductive membrane 70 lattice groove 71 Intersection 72 Groove end 110 Printed circuit boards 200 wafers 201 pad 300 heat source

Claims

1. A wiring board having multiple terminal sections, A guide member fixed to the wiring board, with multiple through holes formed at positions facing the multiple terminal portions, The system comprises a plurality of probes that are removably inserted into the plurality of through holes and joined to the plurality of terminal portions, The guide member is A recess surrounding the multiple joints to which the multiple terminals and the multiple probes are joined, It includes a communication portion that connects the inside of the recess with the outside of the guide member, Probe card.

2. The guide member is arranged around the plurality of joints and comprises a plurality of legs fixed to the wiring board, The recess is surrounded by the plurality of legs, The aforementioned communication portion is formed in the gap between the plurality of leg portions. The probe card according to claim 1.

3. The guide member has a guide body formed with the plurality of through holes and facing the wiring board with a gap between it and the plurality of legs, The guide body is provided with a thermal conductive film having a higher thermal conductivity than the base material of the guide member on at least one of the opposing surface facing the wiring board and the non-opposing surface facing the opposite side of the opposing surface. The probe card according to claim 2.

4. The guide member has a grid-like groove formed on the surface facing the wiring board, The recessed portion includes an intersection of the grid grooves at least at the position where the plurality of through holes are formed. The communicating portion includes at least the groove end of the grid groove that opens to the outer surface of the guide member, The probe card according to claim 1.

5. A bonding material placement process involves placing multiple bonding materials at multiple terminal sections of a wiring board, After the bonding material placement step, a guide member fixing step is performed in which a guide member having a plurality of through holes is fixed to the wiring board such that the plurality of through holes face the plurality of terminal portions. After the guide member fixing step, a probe insertion step is performed in which multiple probes are inserted into the multiple through holes, The probe insertion step is followed by a probe joining step in which the plurality of joining materials are melted and the plurality of terminal portions and the plurality of probes are joined together. The guide member is A recess surrounding the multiple joints to which the multiple terminals and the multiple probes are joined, It includes a communication portion that connects the inside of the recess with the outside of the guide member, In the probe joining process, reducing gas is introduced into the inside of the recess through the communication portion, and the area around the multiple joining portions is made into a reducing atmosphere. A method for manufacturing probe cards.

6. After the probe joining step, a joint cleaning step is performed in which a cleaning fluid is introduced into the inside of the recess through the communication portion and the area around the multiple joints is cleaned. A method for manufacturing a probe card according to claim 5.

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