Inspection device and inspection method

Abstract

To provide a technique that can improve accuracy of movement correction in a stage of moving relative to a probe card.SOLUTION: An inspection device perform electrical inspection of a substrate. The inspection device includes a probe card having a plurality of probes, a stage on which the substrate is placed, the substrate is moved relative to the probe card, and the substrate is brought into contact with the plurality of probes, and a control unit that controls the movement of the stage. The control unit uses a first displacement amount based on a vertical load of the probe card and a second displacement amount based on an unbalanced load of the probe card tilted with respect to the vertical load to calculate a three-dimensional correction amount in the unbalanced load and move the stage on the basis of the calculated correction amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an inspection apparatus and an inspection method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an inspection device that carries out electrical inspection of devices on a wafer by transporting the wafer using an aligner (stage) and bringing the wafer into contact with multiple contact probes on a probe card. This inspection device is equipped with a θ-direction drive unit and an inclination adjustment mechanism on the stage, and performs an operation of aligning the opposing surface of the wafer with the inclination of each contact probe on the probe card as the stage moves. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-61590 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique that can improve the accuracy of correction of movement in a stage that moves relative to a probe card. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an inspection apparatus for performing electrical inspection of a substrate, comprising: a probe card having a plurality of probes; a stage on which the substrate is placed and which moves the substrate relative to the probe card, bringing the substrate into contact with the plurality of probes; and a control unit which controls the movement of the stage, wherein the control unit calculates a three-dimensional correction amount for the unbalanced load using a first displacement amount based on a vertical load of the probe card and a second displacement amount based on an unbalanced load of the probe card which is inclined with respect to the vertical load, and moves the stage based on the calculated correction amount. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one aspect, the accuracy of correction of movement can be improved in a stage that moves relative to the probe card. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an inspection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 10 is a schematic side view illustrating the load applied by the probe card to the wafer and the mounting table. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing measurement of mechanical characteristics of a stage. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the principle and setting of the bias load of the probe card. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing functional blocks formed in the control main body when 3D contact correction is performed. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an inspection method according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an inspection apparatus 1 according to one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection apparatus 1 according to one embodiment performs electrical inspection of a wafer W, which is an example of a substrate. A plurality of semiconductor devices (such as LSIs and semiconductor memories) are formed on the surface of the wafer W as devices under test (hereinafter also referred to as DUTs). The electrical inspection tests the semiconductor devices for abnormalities, electrical characteristics, etc. Note that the substrate is not limited to the wafer W, and may be a carrier on which semiconductor devices are arranged, a glass substrate, a single chip, an electronic circuit board, etc.

[0010] The inspection device 1 includes a loader 10 for transporting a wafer W, a housing 20 arranged adjacent to the loader 10, a tester 30 arranged above the housing 20, a stage 40 housed within the housing 20, and a controller 50 for controlling each component of the inspection device 1.

[0011] The loader 10 removes the wafer W from a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod), not shown, and places it on the stage 40 that has moved within the housing 20. The loader 10 also removes the inspected wafer W from the stage 40 and stores it in the FOUP.

[0012] The housing 20 is formed into a substantially rectangular box-like shape and has an inspection space 21 therein for inspecting the wafer W. A stage 40 for transporting the wafer W is installed below the inspection space 21. In the inspection space 21, the wafer W is placed on the stage 40 from the loader 10 and moves in three dimensions (X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction) by the operation of the stage 40.

[0013] A probe card 32 is held in the upper part of the housing 20 via an interface 31. The interface 31 has a performance board and a number of connection terminals (not shown), and is electrically connected to the tester 30 via a test head (not shown). The tester 30 is connected to a controller 50 of the inspection device 1, and inspects the wafer W under the command of the controller 50.

[0014] The probe card 32 has a plurality of probes 33 (probes) protruding downward into the testing space 21. During testing by the testing device 1, each probe 33 comes into contact with a pad or solder bump of each DUT on the wafer W, which has been moved to an appropriate three-dimensional coordinate position by the stage 40. This electrically connects appropriate circuits formed on one or more test boards (not shown) of the tester 30 to each DUT on the wafer W. In this conductive state, the tester 30 transmits electrical signals from the test head to each DUT on the wafer W, receives device signals in response from each DUT, and determines the presence or absence of abnormalities and the electrical characteristics of each DUT. In addition, the controller 50 sequentially tests each DUT while shifting its position on the wafer W by moving the stage 40 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, thereby testing all DUTs.

[0015] The stage 40 is provided within the housing 20 and transports the wafer W or the probe card 32 in the inspection space 21. For example, the stage 40 transports the wafer W from the loader 10 to a position facing the probe card 32 and raises the wafer W toward the probe card 32, thereby bringing the wafer W into contact with the multiple probes 33. After the inspection, the stage 40 lowers the inspected wafer W from the probe card 32 and further transports the wafer W toward the loader 10.

[0016] Specifically, the stage 40 includes a moving section 41 (an X-axis moving mechanism 42, a Y-axis moving mechanism 43, and a Z-axis moving mechanism 44) that is movable in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, a mounting base 45, and a stage control section 49. The housing 20 also includes a frame structure 22 that supports the moving section 41 and mounting base 45 of the stage 40, and the stage control section 49 in two levels, upper and lower.

[0017] X-axis movement mechanism 42 of movement unit 41 includes a plurality of guide rails 42a that are fixed to the upper surface of frame structure 22 and extend along the X-axis direction, and X-axis movable bodies 42b that are arranged between each of guide rails 42a. X-axis movable body 42b has an X-axis operating unit (motor, gear mechanism, etc.) (not shown) inside, and this X-axis operating unit is connected to stage control unit 49. X-axis movable body 42b reciprocates in the X-axis direction based on power supply from a motor driver (not shown) of stage control unit 49.

[0018] Similarly, Y-axis movement mechanism 43 includes a plurality of guide rails 43a fixed to the upper surface of X-axis movable body 42b and extending along the Y-axis direction, and Y-axis movable body 43b arranged between each of guide rails 43a. Y-axis movable body 43b also has a Y-axis operating unit (motor, gear mechanism, etc.) (not shown) inside, and this Y-axis operating unit is connected to stage control unit 49. Y-axis movable body 43b reciprocates in the Y-axis direction based on power supply from a motor driver (not shown) of stage control unit 49.

[0019] Z-axis movement mechanism 44 has a fixed body 44a installed on Y-axis movable body 43b and a Z-axis movable body 44b that moves up and down along the Z-axis direction relative to fixed body 44a, and holds a mounting table 45 above Z-axis movable body 44b. For example, fixed body 44a is formed in a cylindrical shape extending vertically, and houses Z-axis movable body 44b in an inner hole. Fixed body 44a supports Z-axis movable body 44b via ball bearings 44c (see FIG. 2(A)) provided on its inner circumferential surface so that it can move up and down.

[0020] The Z-axis moving mechanism 44 has a Z-axis operating unit (motor, gear mechanism, etc.) not shown, which is connected to the stage control unit 49. The Z-axis movable body 44b is displaced in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction) based on power supplied to the Z-axis operating unit from a motor driver not shown in the stage control unit 49, and accordingly raises and lowers the wafer W held on the mounting table 45. Note that the moving unit 41 may be configured to rotate the mounting table 45 around an axis (θ direction) in addition to moving the mounting table 45 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions.

[0021] The mounting table 45 is a device on which the wafer W is directly placed, and holds the wafer W on the mounting surface 45s by an appropriate holding means. For example, when the wafer W is vacuum-sucked, the holding means has a suction passage for suction within the mounting table 45, and also includes piping and a suction pump connected to the suction passage at appropriate locations.

[0022] A temperature control mechanism 46 for adjusting the temperature of the wafer W during inspection is preferably provided inside the mounting table 45. For example, the temperature control mechanism 46 may be a temperature control medium circulator that circulates a temperature control medium inside the mounting table 45, a heater that heats the inside of the mounting table 45, or the like.

[0023] The stage control unit 49 is connected to the controller 50 and controls the operation of the stage 40 based on commands from the controller 50. The stage control unit 49 has an integrated control unit that controls the operation of the entire stage 40, a PLC and motor driver that control the operation of the moving unit 41, a lighting control unit, a power supply unit, etc. (all not shown).

[0024] Also provided inside the housing 20 is a position detector 23 that detects the relative position between each probe 33 of the probe card 32 and the wafer W placed on the mounting table 45. Examples of this position detector 23 include a camera and a laser displacement meter. The position detector 23 detects the position of the wafer W during movement of the stage 40 and transmits the position information to the controller 50 or the stage control unit 49. The controller 50 adjusts the movement of the stage 40 as appropriate based on the acquired position information.

[0025] The controller 50 has a control body 51 that controls the entire inspection device 1, and a user interface 55 that is connected to the control body 51. The control body 51 is configured by a computer, a control circuit board, and the like.

[0026] For example, the control unit 51 has a processor 52, a memory 53, an input / output interface (not shown), and an electronic circuit. The processor 52 is one or a combination of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit made up of a plurality of discrete semiconductors, etc. The memory 53 is an appropriate combination of volatile memory and non-volatile memory (e.g., a compact disc, a digital versatile disc (DVD), a hard disk, a flash memory, etc.).

[0027] On the other hand, the user interface 55 may be a keyboard that allows the user to input commands, or a display that visualizes and displays the operating status of the inspection device 1. Alternatively, the user interface 55 may be a touch panel, a mouse, a microphone, a speaker, or other devices.

[0028] The controller 50 controls each component of the inspection apparatus 1 to inspect the wafer W. When inspecting the wafer W, the inspection apparatus 1 moves the mounting table 45 of the stage 40 to bring the wafer W into contact with the multiple probes 33 of the probe card 32. During this operation, the inspection apparatus 1 according to this embodiment performs 3D contact correction to correct the amount of movement of the mounting table 45 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions in response to the loads applied by the multiple probes 33.

[0029] The loads that the multiple probes 33 apply to the wafer W include a vertical load along the vertical direction and an offset load that is inclined relative to the vertical direction. Figure 2 is a schematic side view illustrating the loads that the probe card 32 applies to the wafer W and the mounting table 45, where (A) shows the case where a vertical load is applied and (B) shows the case where an offset load is applied.

[0030] 2A, when the stage 40 moves, the wafer W and the mounting table 45 come into contact with the multiple probes 33 protruding from the probe card 32, and thus receive a vertical load. Although the ball bearing 44c between the fixed body 44a and the Z-axis movable body 44b contacts both members, the Z-axis movable body 44b and the mounting table 45 have enough freedom to move up and down. For this reason, for example, if the probes 33 come into contact with the outer periphery of the mounting table 45 due to the vertical load, the mounting table 45 including the wafer W and the Z-axis movable body 44b may tip slightly.

[0031] In the case of a vertical load in which the load characteristics of each probe 33 of the probe card 32 are completely consistent in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), the controller 50 can set a displacement amount for each of multiple coordinate positions on the mounting surface 45s and correct the movement amount of the mounting table 45 according to the displacement amount. The displacement amount can be expressed as the difference (distance) between the position when no vertical load is applied and the position when the vertical load is applied. This enables the stage 40 to move in three dimensions in response to the tilt of the mounting table 45. The displacement amount of each coordinate position is calculated by measuring the mechanical characteristics of the stage 40 in advance and converting it into data. When each probe 33 comes into contact, the controller 50 can read the displacement amount of that three-dimensional coordinate position and calculate the correction amount using the displacement amount and a proportional equation.

[0032] Fig. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the measurement of the mechanical characteristics of the stage 40. Fig. 3(A) shows the measurement of the X-Y axes when no vertical load is applied, Fig. 3(B) shows the measurement of the X-Y axes when a vertical load is applied, Fig. 3(C) shows the measurement of the Z axis when no vertical load is applied, and Fig. 3(D) shows the measurement of the Z axis when a vertical load is applied.

[0033] 3(A) and 3(B), when measuring the mechanical properties of the stage 40 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction (i.e., the horizontal direction), a camera unit 60, which is an XY displacement measuring device, is attached above the stage 40. Then, the controller 50 commands the stage control unit 49 to move, and performs an operation of virtually contacting the stage with multiple probes (the same operation as when testing an actual wafer W). Furthermore, when measuring the mechanical properties, a measurement wafer (hereinafter referred to as measurement wafer MW) is held on the mounting surface 45s of the mounting table 45.

[0034] When the mounting table 45 rises to the position where the measurement wafer MW is expected to come into contact with each probe, the camera unit 60 measures the X and Y coordinates of the measurement wafer MW without applying a vertical load, as shown in Fig. 3(A). Furthermore, for measuring mechanical characteristics, a jig 61 for applying a vertical load is installed above the stage 40, as shown in Fig. 3(B). This allows the camera unit 60 to measure the X and Y coordinates of the measurement wafer MW with the vertical load applied.

[0035] Through the above measurements, the controller 50 stores the X and Y coordinates for any coordinate position on the measurement wafer MW when the vertical load is applied and when the vertical load is not applied. Therefore, by subtracting the X and Y coordinates for when the vertical load is not applied from the X and Y coordinates for when the vertical load is applied, the controller 50 can obtain the tilt amount of the mounting table 45 in the X and Y directions when the vertical load is applied to any coordinate position. The tilt amount of the mounting table 45 (the difference between the X and Y coordinates) corresponds to the displacement amount Δx in the X direction and the displacement amount Δy in the Y direction when the vertical load is applied.

[0036] 3(C) and 3(D), when measuring the mechanical properties of the stage 40 in the Z-axis direction (i.e., the vertical direction), a laser displacement meter 62, which is a Z-displacement measuring device, is attached above the stage 40. Then, as in the case of measuring the X- and Y-axes, the controller 50 commands the stage control unit 49 to move, and performs an operation of virtually contacting the stage with multiple probes.

[0037] That is, as shown in Fig. 3(C), the laser displacement meter 62 measures the Z coordinate of an arbitrary coordinate position on the measurement wafer MW (mounting surface 45s) when no vertical load is applied. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3(D), after the jig 61 is installed, the laser displacement meter 62 measures the Z coordinate of an arbitrary coordinate position on the measurement wafer MW when a vertical load is applied.

[0038] Through this measurement, the controller 50 stores the Z coordinates for a given coordinate position on the measurement wafer MW when the vertical load is applied and when the vertical load is not applied. Therefore, by subtracting the Z coordinate when the vertical load is not applied from the Z coordinate when the vertical load is applied, the controller 50 can obtain the amount of sinking of the mounting table 45 in the Z-axis direction when the vertical load is applied to the given coordinate position. The amount of sinking of the mounting table 45 (the difference in Z coordinates) corresponds to the displacement Δz in the Z-axis direction when the vertical load is applied.

[0039] The displacements Δx, Δy, and Δz are measured at all of a plurality of measurement points set on the measurement wafer MW. The plurality of measurement points are set, for example, by dividing the upper surface of the wafer W into a matrix.

[0040] Furthermore, the displacement amounts Δx, Δy, and Δz are measured by changing the vertical load applied to the measurement wafer MW by the jig 61 multiple times. Examples of the vertical load applied to the measurement wafer MW by the jig 61 include 0 kg, 50 kg, and 100 kg. Furthermore, the displacement amounts Δx, Δy, and Δz are measured by changing the temperature applied to the measurement wafer MW multiple times. Examples of the temperatures applied to the measurement wafer MW include -50°C, 25°C, and 100°C. Therefore, the controller 50 stores data on the displacement amounts Δx, Δy, and Δz for each combination of vertical loads and temperatures at one measurement point, and this data is provided for each measurement point.

[0041] 2(B), when the wafer W is moved by the stage 40, the probe card 32 may apply an unbalanced load to the wafer W, which is a load that is inclined (non-parallel) to the vertical direction as a load characteristic of each probe 33. For example, the unbalanced load may be caused by an unbalanced arrangement or shape of each probe 33 protruding downward from the probe card 32 or the shape of the probe card 32 itself, which may result in an unbalanced load not being completely vertical. When an unbalanced load is applied to the probe card 32, it becomes impossible to accurately perform 3D contact correction of the stage 40 even if the mechanical characteristics (displacement amounts Δx, Δy, Δz) measured assuming a vertical load are used.

[0042] Therefore, the testing device 1 according to this embodiment is configured to perform correction taking into account the unbalanced load of the probe card 32 according to the probe card 32 attached to the tester 30. Correction of the unbalanced load of the probe card 32 will be explained below with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the principle and setting of the unbalanced load of the probe card 32, where (A) is a schematic side view and (B) is a schematic plan view.

[0043] It can be said that the unbalanced load of the probe card 32 includes a component in the Z-axis direction, which is a vertical load, as well as a horizontal component, which is a vector along the horizontal direction. The Z-axis component can be expressed by the displacements Δx, Δy, and Δz, which are the mechanical characteristics of the stage 40 when a vertical load is applied to an arbitrary coordinate position.

[0044] On the other hand, the horizontal component can be further divided into an X-axis vector component and a Y-axis vector component. Hereinafter, the X-axis vector component will be referred to as the X-axis component amount Δx', and the Y-axis vector component will be referred to as the Y-axis component amount Δy'. For example, the X-axis component amount Δx' can be expressed as the amount of displacement in the X-axis direction (displacement in the left-right direction in μm units in FIG. 4) with the center of the mounting surface 45s as the base point. Similarly, the Y-axis component amount Δy' can be expressed as the amount of displacement in the Y-axis direction (displacement in the up-down direction in μm units in FIG. 4) with the center of the mounting surface 45s as the base point. Note that the X-axis component amount Δx' and the Y-axis component amount Δy' can also be set in other units, such as the percentage (%) of the X-axis vector component and the Y-axis vector component relative to the total unbalanced load.

[0045] The probe card 32 is manufactured by designing the arrangement and shape of each probe 33, and thus can store information about the horizontal components (X-axis component Δx' and Y-axis component Δy') in advance through the design, experiments, or simulations. In other words, the X-axis component Δx' and the Y-axis component Δy' are parameters that apply a steady load in the X-axis and Y-axis directions of the wafer W, regardless of the coordinate position where each probe 33 contacts the wafer W. Taking FIG. 4 as an example, the X-axis component Δx' is set to 30 μm, and the Y-axis component Δy' is set to 5 μm. In other words, when the probe card 32 is designed to apply an unbalanced load to the wafer W, the X-axis component Δx' and the Y-axis component Δy' of the unbalanced load are stored in advance as specification data.

[0046] The inspection device 1 may be configured so that, when the probe card 32 is used, the user inputs the unbalanced load parameters (X-axis component amount Δx', Y-axis component amount Δy') of the probe card 32 via the user interface 55. In this case, the user may input the X-axis component amount Δx' and the Y-axis component amount Δy' described in the specifications of the probe card 32. Alternatively, the inspection device 1 may be configured so that, when the probe card 32 is attached, the unbalanced load information is automatically set by reading information stored in the probe card 32. For example, when the inspection device 1 reads the identification number of the probe card 32, the inspection device 1 can access an appropriate server (not shown) and obtain the unbalanced load information from the server.

[0047] When the probe card 32 has information on the unbalanced load, the displacement amounts Δxp, Δyp, and Δzp for the unbalanced load can be calculated by adding the X-axis component amount Δx' and the Y-axis component amount Δy' of the unbalanced load to the displacement amounts Δx, Δy, and Δz of the vertical load, as shown in the following equations (1) and (2). Δxp=Δx+Δx' …(1) Δyp=Δy+Δy' …(2)

[0048] That is, in the 3D contact correction of the probe card 32 having an unbalanced load, the control body 51 of the controller 50 uses the displacement amounts Δxp, Δyp, Δzp (=Δz) for the unbalanced load. As a result, even if the probe card 32 has an unbalanced load, the stage 40 can be moved with high precision, and the wafer W can be brought into stable contact with each probe 33.

[0049] 5 is a block diagram showing functional blocks formed in the control main body 51 when performing 3D contact correction. As shown in Fig. 5, the control main body 51 includes an information acquisition unit 70, a position acquisition unit 71, a load extraction unit 72, a correction amount calculation unit 73, and an operation command unit 74 as components for performing correction including the unbalanced load of the probe card 32.

[0050] The information acquiring unit 70 acquires information about the probe card 32, including information about the unbalanced load, when the probe card 32 is attached to the tester 30. The information about the probe card 32 may be input by a user via the user interface 55, or the control unit 51 may automatically read the information about the probe card 32. In a configuration in which the information is input by a user, the information acquiring unit 70 displays an input screen for inputting information about the probe card 32 on the user interface 55. In this case, the information acquiring unit 70 displays information having input fields for the X-axis component amount Δx' and the Y-axis component amount Δy' as an input screen for the horizontal component of the unbalanced load, for example, as shown in FIG. 4(B). The information acquiring unit 70 then stores the information input by the user in a correction data storage unit 79 formed in the memory 53.

[0051] The correction data storage unit 79 stores in advance, for each of a plurality of coordinate positions, displacement data D1 of the vertical load measured by the method shown in Fig. 3 as a mechanical characteristic of the stage 40. In addition to this displacement data D1 of the vertical load, horizontal component data D2 of the unbalanced load is also stored in the correction data storage unit 79.

[0052] The control body 51 continues to hold the horizontal component data D2 of the unbalanced load while recognizing that the probe card 32 is attached to the inspection device 1. Then, the control body 51 automatically deletes the horizontal component data D2 of the unbalanced load when the probe card 32 is removed from the inspection device 1. This makes it possible to prevent the use of data of the previously attached probe card 32 when a new probe card 32 is attached.

[0053] Meanwhile, the position acquisition unit 71 acquires information (position information) on the coordinate positions of the wafer W and the mounting table 45 detected by the position detector 23 while the stage 40 is moving, and temporarily stores the information in the memory 53.

[0054] When the stage 40 moves, the load extraction unit 72 refers to the memory 53 based on the coordinate position acquired by the position acquisition unit 71, and extracts the stored mechanical characteristics of the vertical load (displacement amounts Δx, Δy, Δz), the X-axis component amount Δx' and the Y-axis component amount Δy' of the unbalanced load, etc. At this time, if the X-axis component amount Δx' and the Y-axis component amount Δy' of the unbalanced load are zero (blank), the probe card 32 applies the vertical load without applying an unbalanced load to the wafer W. If the X-axis component amount Δx' and the Y-axis component amount Δy' of the unbalanced load are non-zero, the probe card 32 applies an unbalanced load to the wafer W.

[0055] The correction amount calculation unit 73 calculates the correction amount for the 3D contact correction. When the probe card 32 applies only a vertical load to the wafer W, the correction amount calculation unit 73 directly applies the displacement amounts Δx, Δy, and Δz extracted by the load extraction unit 72. As described above, the displacement amounts Δx, Δy, and Δz are measured in advance for each coordinate position for each of a plurality of temperatures and a plurality of loads and stored in the correction data storage unit 79. For example, the correction amount calculation unit 73 acquires the load and temperature actually applied to the wafer W, references the two closest upper and lower data of the load and temperature stored for the detected load and detected temperature, and linearly approximates the two data to calculate the correction amount.

[0056] On the other hand, when the probe card 32 applies an unbalanced load to the wafer W, the correction amount calculation unit 73 calculates the displacement amounts Δxp, Δyp, and Δzp for the unbalanced load using the above equations (1), (2), etc. This allows the inspection device 1 to obtain the correction amounts of the 3D contact correction corresponding to both the normal load and the unbalanced load according to the probe card 32.

[0057] The operation command unit 74 calculates the amount of movement in three-dimensional directions when moving the stage 40, based on the target coordinates when the control body 51 brings each probe 33 into contact with a predetermined DUT on the wafer W and the correction amount calculated by the correction amount calculation unit 73. Then, the operation command unit 74 commands the calculated amount of movement to the stage control unit 49. This allows the stage control unit 49 to move the wafer W on the mounting table 45 with high precision in the 3D contact correction.

[0058] The inspection device 1 according to this embodiment is basically configured as described above, and its operation (inspection method) will be described below with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the inspection method according to one embodiment.

[0059] Before inspecting the wafer W, the inspection apparatus 1 attaches the probe card 32 for inspecting the wafer W to the tester 30. As the probe card 32 is attached, the information acquiring unit 70 of the control main body 51 acquires information about the attached probe card 32 (step S1). As described above, the information about the probe card 32 is acquired by a user's input or automatically by the control main body 51. If the acquired information about the probe card 32 includes horizontal component data D2 of the unbalanced load, the information acquiring unit 70 stores this information in the correction data storage unit 79. This allows the inspection apparatus 1 to prepare for 3D contact correction that takes into account the unbalanced load of the probe card 32.

[0060] Thereafter, the control body 51 starts the inspection of the wafer W by receiving a test operation for carrying out an electrical inspection of the wafer W from the user via the user interface 55 (step S2).

[0061] In the electrical inspection of the wafer W, the control body 51 sends a command to move the loader 10 and the stage 40 to the stage control unit 49, transfers the wafer W from the loader 10 to the mounting table 45, and transports the wafer W within the inspection space 21 (step S3). At this time, the stage control unit 49 moves the mounting table 45 in the horizontal direction using the X-axis movement mechanism 42 and the Y-axis movement mechanism 43 so that the contact position of the wafer W faces each probe 33, and then moves the mounting table 45 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) using the Z-axis movement mechanism 44.

[0062] When the mounting table 45 is raised, the first of the probes 33 comes into contact with the wafer W, thereby starting electrical continuity between the tester 30 and the wafer W (step S4). In response to this start of electrical continuity, the control body 51 performs 3D contact correction during the movement of the mounting table 45.

[0063] In the 3D contact correction, the position acquisition unit 71 of the control body 51 detects the coordinate position where each probe 33 contacts the wafer W using the position detector 23, and acquires position information from the position detector 23 (step S5).

[0064] Then, based on the acquired position information, the load extraction unit 72 of the control body 51 reads out the displacement data D1 of the vertical load stored in the memory 53, and extracts the horizontal component data D2 of the unbalanced load if stored (step S6).

[0065] The correction amount calculation unit 73 of the control body 51 calculates the displacement amounts Δxp, Δyp, Δzp for the unbalanced load as the correction amounts for the stage 40 based on the read-out displacement amounts Δx, Δy, Δz of the vertical load and the X-axis component amount Δx' and Y-axis component amount Δy' of the unbalanced load (step S7). Alternatively, if the X-axis component amount Δx' and Y-axis component amount Δy' of the unbalanced load are zero, the correction amount calculation unit 73 uses the displacement amounts Δx, Δy, Δz of the vertical load as the correction amounts for the stage 40 as they are.

[0066] Then, the operation command unit 74 of the control body 51 calculates the movement amount of the mounting table 45 in the three-dimensional direction by adding the calculated correction amount to the target coordinates for the predetermined DUT, and commands the calculated movement amount in the three-dimensional direction to the stage control unit 49 (step S8). This allows the stage control unit 49 to move the mounting table 45 on which the wafer W is placed with high precision in accordance with the command.

[0067] During 3D contact correction, the control body 51 determines whether or not the movement of the stage 40 has finished (step S9). If the stage 40 is moving (step S11: NO), the 3D contact correction continues. On the other hand, if the movement of the stage 40 has finished (step S9: YES), the process proceeds to step S10.

[0068] In step S10, the control body 51 performs an electrical inspection of the wafer W using the tester 30. By performing the above-described 3D contact correction, the inspection device 1 brings each probe 33 into accurate contact with each target DUT on the wafer W. Therefore, the inspection device 1 can stably perform the electrical inspection of the wafer W using the tester 30.

[0069] The technical ideas and effects of the present disclosure explained in the above embodiments will be described below.

[0070] A first aspect of the present disclosure is an inspection apparatus 1 for performing electrical inspection of a substrate (wafer W), comprising: a probe card 32 having a plurality of probes 33; a stage 40 on which the substrate is placed and which moves the substrate relative to the probe card 32 to bring the substrate into contact with the plurality of probes 33; and a control unit (controller 50) for controlling the movement of the stage 40, wherein the control unit calculates a three-dimensional correction amount for the unbalanced load using a first displacement amount (displacement amounts Δx, Δy, Δz) based on a vertical load of the probe card 32 and a second displacement amount (X-axis component amount Δx', Y-axis component amount Δy') based on an unbalanced load of the probe card 32 tilted with respect to the vertical load, and moves the stage 40 based on the calculated correction amount.

[0071] As described above, the inspection device 1 can improve the accuracy of correcting the movement of the stage 40 when bringing the substrate (wafer W) into contact with the multiple probes 33, even when an unbalanced load is generated by the probe card 32. That is, whereas conventionally, correction was made only based on the vertical load without considering the unbalanced load of the probe card 32, the inspection device 1 of the present disclosure calculates the amount of correction taking into account the unbalanced load of the probe card 32. By using this amount of correction, the inspection device 1 can move the stage 40 with high accuracy and bring the substrate into contact with each probe 33.

[0072] The first displacement amount includes a displacement amount Δx in the X-axis direction, a displacement amount Δy in the Y-axis direction, and a displacement amount Δz in the Z-axis direction, and the second displacement amount includes an X-axis component amount Δx' and a Y-axis component amount Δy' as horizontal components of the unbalanced load of the probe card 32. When calculating the correction amounts in the three-dimensional directions, the control unit (controller 50) adds the X-axis component amount Δx' to the X-axis displacement amount Δx and adds the Y-axis component amount Δy' to the Y-axis displacement amount Δy. This allows the control unit to simply and accurately calculate the displacement amounts Δxp, Δyp, and Δzp associated with the unbalanced load of the probe card 32.

[0073] The inspection device 1 also has a position detector 23 that detects positions where the substrate (wafer W) comes into contact with the multiple probes 33, and the control unit (controller 50) pre-stores first displacement amounts (displacement amounts Δx, Δy, Δz) corresponding to each of multiple coordinate positions where the multiple probes 33 come into contact with the substrate, and extracts first displacement amounts corresponding to the multiple coordinate positions where the multiple probes 33 come into contact, which are identified from information on the multiple positions detected by the position detector 23. This allows the inspection device 1 to use an appropriate first displacement amount for each of the multiple coordinate positions, thereby further improving the accuracy of correction.

[0074] The stage 40 also has a mounting table 45 on which a substrate (wafer W) is placed, and the first displacement amount is calculated in advance by subtracting the coordinates of the mounting table 45 when no vertical load is applied to the mounting table 45 from the coordinates of the mounting table 45 when a vertical load is applied to the mounting table 45, and is stored in the control unit (controller 50). This allows the inspection device 1 to appropriately obtain the first displacement amount according to the mechanical characteristics of the stage 40.

[0075] Moreover, the second displacement amount is set for each probe card 32 attached to the inspection device 1. This allows the inspection device 1 to appropriately use the bias load generated by each probe 33 of the probe card 32, which is set for each probe card 32, as the second displacement amount.

[0076] Furthermore, the control unit (controller 50) continues to store the second displacement amount in the memory unit (correction data memory unit 79) while the probe card 32 is attached to the inspection device 1, and deletes the second displacement amount from the memory unit when the probe card 32 is detached from the inspection device 1. This allows the inspection device 1 to easily use the second displacement amount of the probe card 32 while the probe card 32 is attached.

[0077] The control unit (controller 50) also has an information acquisition unit 70 configured to acquire the second displacement amount according to the probe card 32 attached to the inspection device 1. This allows the inspection device 1 to easily acquire the second displacement amount based on the unbalanced load.

[0078] Furthermore, the information acquiring section 70 acquires the second displacement amount input by the user via the user interface 55. This allows the inspection device 1 to easily set the second displacement amount.

[0079] Furthermore, the information acquiring unit 70 acquires the second displacement amount based on information about the probe card 32 attached to the inspection device 1. This allows the inspection device 1 to reliably set the second displacement amount with less effort on the part of the user.

[0080] A second aspect of the present disclosure is an inspection method for performing an electrical inspection of a substrate in an inspection apparatus 1 including a probe card 32 having a plurality of probes 33 and a stage 40 on which a substrate (wafer W) is placed and which moves the substrate relative to the probe card 32 to bring the substrate into contact with the plurality of probes 33, the inspection method including the steps of: calculating a correction amount in a three-dimensional direction for the unbalanced load using a first displacement amount based on a vertical load of the probe card 32 and a second displacement amount based on an unbalanced load of the probe card 32 that is inclined with respect to the vertical load; and moving the stage 40 based on the calculated correction amount. Even in this case, the inspection method can improve the accuracy of the movement correction in the stage 40 that moves relative to the probe card 32.

[0081] The inspection apparatus and inspection method according to the presently disclosed embodiments are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The embodiments may be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The features described in the above embodiments may be configured differently within a consistent range, and may be combined within a consistent range. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1. Inspection equipment 32 probe card 33 Probe 40 stages 50 Controllers W wafer

Claims

1. An inspection device for performing electrical inspection of a substrate, a probe card having a plurality of probes; a stage on which the substrate is placed and which moves the substrate relative to the probe card to bring the substrate into contact with the plurality of probes; a control unit that controls the movement of the stage, the control unit calculates a correction amount in a three-dimensional direction for the unbalanced load of the probe card using a first displacement amount based on the vertical load of the probe card and a second displacement amount based on the unbalanced load of the probe card inclined with respect to the vertical load, moving the stage based on the calculated correction amounts in the three-dimensional directions; Inspection equipment.

2. the first displacement amount includes a displacement amount Δx in an X-axis direction, a displacement amount Δy in a Y-axis direction, and a displacement amount Δz in a Z-axis direction, the second displacement amount includes an X-axis component amount Δx′ and a Y-axis component amount Δy′ as horizontal components of the offset load of the probe card, the control unit, when calculating the correction amounts in the three-dimensional directions, adds an X-axis component amount Δx′ to an X-axis displacement amount Δx and adds a Y-axis component amount Δy′ to a Y-axis displacement amount Δy. The inspection device according to claim 1 .

3. a position detector for detecting positions at which the substrate comes into contact with the plurality of probes; the control unit stores in advance the first displacement amounts corresponding to a plurality of coordinate positions at which the plurality of probes come into contact with the substrate, extracting the first displacement amount corresponding to a coordinate position identified from the position information detected by the position detector; 3. The inspection device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the stage has a mounting table on which the substrate is placed, the first displacement amount is calculated in advance by subtracting coordinates of the mounting table when the vertical load is not applied from coordinates of the mounting table when the vertical load is applied to the mounting table, and is stored in the control unit. The inspection device according to claim 3 .

5. the second displacement amount is set for each of the probe cards attached to the inspection device. The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the control unit continues to store the second displacement amount in a storage unit while the probe card is being attached to the inspection device, and deletes the second displacement amount from the storage unit when the probe card is detached from the inspection device. The inspection device according to claim 5 .

7. the control unit has an information acquisition unit configured to acquire the second displacement amount in accordance with the probe card attached to the inspection device. The inspection device according to claim 6.

8. the information acquisition unit acquires the second displacement amount input by a user via a user interface. The inspection device according to claim 7.

9. the information acquiring unit acquires the second displacement amount based on information of the probe card attached to the inspection device. The inspection device according to claim 7.

10. a probe card having a plurality of probes; a stage on which a substrate is placed and which moves the substrate relative to the probe card to bring the substrate into contact with a plurality of the probes, calculating a correction amount in a three-dimensional direction for the unbalanced load by using a first displacement amount based on a vertical load of the probe card and a second displacement amount based on an unbalanced load of the probe card inclined with respect to the vertical load; and moving the stage based on the calculated correction amount. Testing method.

Images