Prova

Abstract

To provide a prober that can perform more efficient testing.SOLUTION: A prober 10 includes a measurement unit 14 that contacts a probe card PC having a plurality of probes arranged thereon with a wafer W to inspect electrical characteristics, and a test head 44 electrically connected to the probe card PC. A maintenance area A2 for maintaining the test head 44 is positioned on the opposite side of the measurement unit 14 from a transport area A1 for transporting the wafer W to the measurement unit 44, and the probe card PC is configured to be able to be loaded into the measurement unit 44 from both the transport area A1 side and the maintenance area A2 side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present invention relates to a prober for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a plurality of semiconductor elements (chips) formed on a semiconductor wafer, and more particularly to a prober provided with a drawing mechanism for pulling out a maintenance target device to the maintenance area side. 【Background Art】 【0002】 Conventionally, a prober (wafer inspection device) has been proposed that includes a plurality of measurement units (cells), a transfer mechanism (loader) for transferring a transfer object (wafer) to each measurement unit, and a drawing mechanism (moving mechanism) for pulling out a pogo frame (maintenance target device) in a lateral direction (for example, see Patent Document 1). According to the prober described in Patent Document 1, since the test head disposed above the pogo frame is lifted by the moving mechanism and separated from the pogo frame, and the pogo frame is pulled out in the lateral direction, when the pogo frame is pulled out in the lateral direction, it is possible to prevent breakage of the pogo pins due to rubbing of the pogo pins of the pogo frame against the test head. 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0003】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-179379 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0004】 However, in the prober described in Patent Document 1, no proposal has been made regarding what relationship is desirable between the drawing direction of the maintenance target device and the transfer direction of the transfer object. 【0005】 The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to suppress (or eliminate) Abbe errors that must be considered when positioning a device to be maintained, in a prober comprising a plurality of measuring units 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 where it can access the measuring unit at the destination of the transported object and transports the transported object into the measuring unit at the destination. [Means for solving the problem] 【0006】 To achieve the above objective, the prober of the present invention comprises a plurality of measuring units arranged between a transport area and a maintenance area, each measuring unit having a device to be maintained used when inspecting a semiconductor element formed on a wafer, and a pull-out mechanism for pulling the device to be maintained towards the maintenance area, and a transport unit having a housing for storing a transported object, which moves within the transport area to a position where it can access the measuring unit to which the transported object is to be transported, and transports the transported object into the measuring unit to which it is to be transported, wherein the pull-out direction of the device to be maintained and the transport direction of the transported object are in a straight line. 【0007】 In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, a lifting mechanism is further provided for raising and lowering the device to be maintained, and the pulling mechanism is configured to pull out the device to be maintained, which has been raised to a predetermined position by the lifting mechanism, toward the maintenance area. 【0008】 In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, the device to be maintained is at least one of a test head and a pogo frame located below it. 【0009】 In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, the device to be maintained is at least one of a test head and a pogo frame located below it, the lifting mechanism is at least one of a test head lifting mechanism that raises the test head between a pogo pin connection position to which the pogo pins of the pogo frame are electrically connected and a test head withdrawal position above it, and a pogo frame lifting mechanism that raises the pogo frame between a probe connection position to which the probes of the probe card are electrically connected and a pogo frame withdrawal position above it, and the withdrawal mechanism is at least one of a test head withdrawal mechanism that withdraws the test head, which has been raised to the test head withdrawal position, toward the maintenance area, and a pogo frame withdrawal mechanism that withdraws the pogo frame, which has been raised to the pogo frame withdrawal position, toward the maintenance area. 【0010】 In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, the test head lifting mechanism includes a test head cylinder for raising and lowering the test head, and the pogo frame lifting mechanism includes a pogo frame cylinder for raising and lowering the pogo frame. 【0011】 In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, the test head pull-out mechanism includes a test head guide rail for guiding the pull-out of the test head after it has been raised to the test head pull-out position, and the pogo frame pull-out mechanism includes a pogo frame guide rail for guiding the pull-out of the pogo frame after it has been raised to the pogo frame pull-out position. 【0012】 In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, the test head lifting mechanism raises and lowers the test head together with the guide rail for the test head, and the pogo frame lifting mechanism raises and lowers the pogo frame together with the guide rail for the pogo frame. 【0013】 In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, the plurality of measuring units further comprises a probe card holding unit disposed below the pogo frame and a wafer chuck, and the alignment device for performing relative positioning between the wafer held in the wafer chuck and the probe card held in the probe card holding unit further comprises an alignment device that moves between the plurality of measuring units and, at the destination measuring unit, moves between the transport area side and the maintenance area side. 【0014】 In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, each of the plurality of measuring sections is provided with a head stage positioned below the pogo frame, a test head positioning mechanism for positioning the test head relative to the pogo frame, and a pogo frame positioning mechanism for positioning the pogo frame relative to the head stage. 【0015】 In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, the transport unit is further provided with a transport object holding arm that moves in and out of an opening formed in the housing and holds the transport object, wherein the transport object is at least one of a wafer and a probe card, and the transport object holding arm is at least one of a wafer arm that holds the wafer and a probe card arm that holds the probe card. 【0016】 In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, each measuring unit is arranged two-dimensionally in the horizontal and vertical directions. 【0017】 In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, the transported material is loaded into the measuring section. 【0018】 In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, a loading unit is provided for loading the transported material into the measuring unit from the maintenance area side. [Effects of the Invention] 【0019】 According to the present invention, in a prober including a plurality of measurement units each having a maintenance target device and a drawing mechanism for drawing out the maintenance target device, and a transfer unit that moves to a position accessible to the measurement unit at the transfer destination of the transfer object and transfers the transfer object into the measurement unit at the transfer destination, it is possible to suppress (or eliminate) an Abbe error that must be considered when positioning a maintenance target device that requires high precision. 【Brief Description of Drawings】 【0020】 [Figure 1] Perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the prober of the present embodiment [Figure 2] Front view of each measurement unit [Figure 3] Perspective view of the transfer unit [Figure 4] Vertical cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the transfer unit [Figure 5] Perspective view of the moving device [Figure 6] Partial enlarged perspective view of the moving device [Figure 7] Vertical cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the transfer unit and the measurement unit [Figure 8] Perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the prober [Figure 9] Front view of each measurement unit (in a vertical row) [Figure 10] Schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the head stage, pogo frame, and test head [Figure 11] Partial enlarged perspective view of the measurement unit [Figure 12] Schematic diagram showing the state where the test head is pulled out [[ID=四十二]] [Figure 13] Schematic diagram showing the state where the pogo frame is pulled out [Figure 14] Top view showing that the drawing direction of the maintenance target device and the transfer direction of the transfer object are in a straight line [Figure 15] Top view showing that the transfer object is loaded into the measurement unit from the maintenance area side [Figure 16] Conceptual diagram showing an example of a calibration probe card 【Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention】 【0021】 Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. 【0022】 Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the prober 10 of this embodiment. 【0023】 As shown in Figure 1, the prober 10 of this embodiment includes a transport object storage unit 12, a plurality of measuring units 14, a transport unit 16 that moves between the transport object storage unit 12 and each measuring unit 14 to transport an object (at least one of wafers and probe cards in this embodiment) into the transport object storage unit 12 or each measuring unit 14, and a moving device 22 that moves the transport unit 16 between the transport object storage unit 12 and each measuring unit 14. 【0024】 The transported material storage section 12 and each measuring section 14 are arranged at a constant distance in the Y direction with their sides, which are accessed by the transport unit 16, facing each other (i.e., facing each other). 【0025】 The transport unit 16 is positioned between the transported object storage section 12 and each measuring section 14. 【0026】 The transport item storage section 12 includes a wafer storage section 12a for storing multiple wafers and a probe card storage section 12b for storing multiple probe cards. The number and arrangement of the transport item storage sections 12 are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, four transport item 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 sides accessed by the transport unit 16 (the right side in Figure 1) facing the same direction. The side opposite to the side accessed by the transport unit 16 (the left side in Figure 1) is accessed by an operator when retrieving wafers or probe cards, etc. 【0027】 As shown in Figure 8, the multiple measurement units 14 are arranged between the transport area A1 and the maintenance area A2. Each of the multiple measurement units 14 is a rectangular parallelepiped measurement chamber (also called a probe chamber) formed 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, as shown in Figure 1. Inside the chamber are a wafer chuck 18 for holding wafers, a head stage 20, a test head 44 placed on the head stage 20, a pogo frame 46 positioned between the head stage 20 and the test head 44, and a first probe card holding mechanism (probe card holding unit) 36 (omitted in Figures 9 and 10) for holding probe cards PC, as shown in Figures 9 and 10. In addition, as shown in Figure 11, a test head lifting mechanism 48, a test head extraction mechanism 50, a pogo frame lifting mechanism 52, and a pogo frame extraction mechanism 54 are arranged inside each measurement unit 14. 【0028】 Figure 2 is a front view of each measuring unit 14. 【0029】 The number and arrangement of the measuring units 14 are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a group of measuring units consisting of four measuring units 14 arranged horizontally (X-axis direction) is stacked in three layers vertically (Z-axis direction), and is arranged two-dimensionally with the sides accessed by the transport unit 16 (the left side in Figure 1) facing the same direction. 【0030】 Each measuring section 14 (the side accessed by the transport unit 16) has an opening 14a through which the wafer holding arm 16b (wafer arm: transport object holding arm) and probe card holding arm 16c (probe card arm) of the transport unit 16 enter and exit. On the side of each measuring section 14 opposite to the side with the opening 14a, an opening 14b (see Figure 8) is formed for pulling out the test head 44 and pogo frame 46. The sides of each measuring section 14 other than the sides with the openings 14a and 14b may be closed or may have openings formed therein. 【0031】 The wafer chuck 18 is adjusted to a target temperature (inspection temperature), either high or low, by a well-known temperature control 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 located 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. Multiple types of inspections are performed in each measurement unit 14, such as high-temperature inspection, low-temperature inspection, and inspection under a predetermined gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) atmosphere, as described later. The environment within each measurement unit 14 is controlled to correspond to the inspection performed in that measurement unit 14. The inspections performed in each measurement unit 14 may be the same across all measurement units, or they may differ from one another. 【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 the probe card transport mechanism described later. The first probe card holding mechanism 36 is well known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-150596), so no further explanation is provided. 【0034】 Each measurement unit group is equipped with an alignment device 38 for performing relative positioning between 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) for moving 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 located, and is shared among the four measurement units 14. For example, the moving device for moving the alignment device 38 between the four measurement units 14 can be the one described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-150168. 【0035】 The alignment device 38 is a means for performing relative positioning between a probe card PC held in a first probe card holding mechanism 36 and a wafer held in a wafer chuck 18. It consists of a moving and rotating mechanism that moves the wafer chuck 18 in the XYZ-θ direction, 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 in the wafer chuck 18 with the probe of the probe card PC held above the wafer chuck 18 in a well-known manner while moving in the XYZ-θ direction, to electrically contact the wafer W and the probe, and to perform electrical characteristic testing of the wafer W via a test head. 【0036】 The alignment device 38 moves within the measurement unit 14, holding the wafer chuck 18, between the probe card receiving position P1 near the opening 14a (see Figure 7(a)) and the position P2 below the first probe card holding mechanism 36 (see Figure 7(b)). That is, the alignment device 38 moves between the transport area A1 side and the maintenance area A2 side within the measurement unit 14 at the destination. 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, which is 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, which is 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 is equipped with 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 consists of, for example, a holding part 40a (for example, a ring-shaped member or a plurality of pins) attached to the Z-axis movable part 38a while surrounding the wafer chuck 18, and a lifting mechanism (not shown) that raises and lowers the holding part 40a in the Z-axis direction relative to the Z-axis movable part 38a. 【0040】 The receiving and holding of the probe card PC is achieved by moving the alignment device 38 to the probe card receiving position P1, raising the holding part 40a in the Z-axis direction relative to the Z-axis movable part 38a to bring it into contact with the probe card PC (outer peripheral edge of the lower surface), and lifting the probe card PC from the probe card holding arm 16c with this Z-axis rising holding part 40a. 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 on the alignment device 38 that moves up and down in the Z-axis direction. 【0042】 The transport of the probe card PC to the first probe card holding mechanism 36 is achieved by raising the Z-axis movable part 38a in the Z-axis direction while the alignment device 38 is moved to position P2. 【0043】 Figure 3 is a perspective view of the transport unit 16, and Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the transport unit 16. 【0044】 The transport unit 16 is a means for transporting and loading wafers W or probe cards PC into the transport item storage unit 12 or into the measurement units 14 by moving in the X-axis and Z-axis directions between the transport item storage unit 12 and each measurement unit 14. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, it is a housing for housing wafers W and probe cards PC, and includes a housing 16a with an opening 16f through which wafers W and probe cards PC (wafer holding arm 16b and probe card holding arm 16c) enter and exit. The housing 16a is rectangular parallelepiped, and inside it are a wafer holding arm 16b, a probe card holding arm 16c, an arm movement mechanism (not shown) for individually moving each arm 16b and 16c, an environment control means 16d for controlling the environment inside the housing 16a, and a sensor 16e for detecting the environment inside the housing 16a. The number of transport units 16 is not particularly limited, and in this embodiment, one transport unit 16 is used. Figure 1 shows two transport units 16, which represent one transport unit 16 accessing the transported object storage unit 12 (probe card storage unit 12b) (see transport unit 16 depicted in the lower right of Figure 1) and the other accessing the measurement unit 14 (see transport unit 16 depicted in the upper left of Figure 1). 【0045】 The wafer holding arm 16b is a means for holding the wafer W, and is positioned within the housing 16a so as to be movable horizontally along a guide rail (not shown) provided within the housing 16a. The wafer holding arm 16b is housed within the housing 16a together with the 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 positioned within the housing 16a so as to be movable horizontally along 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 it. The probe card PC includes a card holder CH. A sealing ring may be included instead of the card holder CH. 【0047】 The number and arrangement of each arm 16b, 16c are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, two wafer-holding arms 16b and one probe card-holding arm 16c are arranged in three vertical rows. The transport unit 16 then uses each arm 16b, 16c to load the transported object into the measuring unit 14 after transporting it to the measuring unit 14. 【0048】 The arm movement mechanism is composed of a well-known mechanism, for example, a drive motor (not shown) provided on the housing 16a. By rotating this drive motor in forward and reverse directions, each arm 16b, 16c moves back and forth individually in the horizontal direction, moving in and out through the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a. 【0049】 The transport unit 16 is equipped with an air curtain forming means 42. 【0050】 The air curtain forming means 42 is a means for forming an air curtain that closes the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a, thereby sealing or substantially sealing the inside of the housing 16a, and is composed of, for example, a well-known air injection port. 【0051】 The number, shape, and arrangement of the air nozzles are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, multiple air nozzles are arranged near the upper edge of the opening 16f, along the upper edge (in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 4), in a position where air is injected downwards. 【0052】 The environment inside the housing 16a is controlled as follows. For example, the temperature and humidity inside the housing 16a are controlled to target temperature and humidity under a predetermined gas atmosphere by purging dry air (high-temperature or low-temperature dry air) or a predetermined gas (nitrogen gas) into each measuring unit 14. This is achieved by a well-known environmental control means 16d, for example, a temperature-controlled gas supply source including a heater and a cooler, a blower, and a pipeline (not shown) connecting the blower (neither shown) to the housing 16a. The environmental control means 16d may also include a dehumidifier. The gas (high-temperature or low-temperature dry air) whose temperature (and humidity) is regulated by the temperature-controlled gas supply source is supplied into the housing 16a via the pipeline by the blower, and an air curtain is formed by being injected from an air injection port to close the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a. As a result, the inside of the housing 16a becomes a sealed or substantially sealed space. The gas supply source for the gas supplied into the housing 16a and the gas supply source for the gas injected from the air injection port may be the same or different. Surfaces of the housing 16a other than the surface on which the opening 16f is formed may be closed or may have openings formed therein. The environmental control means 16d may be attached to the housing 16a or to the arms 16b and 16c. 【0053】 Sensor 16e is a sensor that detects the environment inside the housing 16a, and is, for example, a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor. Sensor 16e may also be included in the environment control means 16d. 【0054】 The environmental control means 16d controls the environment inside the housing 16a to match the environment of the destination of the transported object. Specifically, the environmental control means 16d controls the environment inside 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-controlled gas supply source based on the detection results of the sensor 16e so that the temperature and humidity inside the housing 16a reach the target temperature and humidity. This function of the environmental control means 16d is realized, for example, by feedback control by a controller (not shown) to which the sensor 16e and the temperature-controlled gas supply source (heater and cooler) are electrically connected. Note that the environmental control means 16d and the air curtain forming means 42 may be integrated. That is, in a single device, an air injection port facing downward to close the opening 16f may be provided, and an air injection port for dry air to control the environment inside the housing 16a may also be provided. Here, it is preferable that the air injection port for dry air to control the environment inside the housing 16a is provided in a direction such that the injected dry air circulates well inside the housing 16a. By integrating the environmental control means 16d and the air curtain forming means 42, the space required for installing the environmental control means 16d and the air curtain forming means 42 is reduced, allowing for more effective use of the space within the housing 16a. Furthermore, by integrating the environmental control means 16d and the air curtain forming means 42, the heater, the temperature-controlled gas supply source including the cooler, and the blower can be shared between the environmental control means 16d and the air curtain forming means 42. 【0055】 Figure 5 is a perspective view of the mobile device 22, and Figure 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the mobile device 22. 【0056】 The moving device 22 is a means for moving the transport unit 16 between the transported object storage section 12 and each measuring section 14 in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. For example, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, it is composed of a first movable body 24 that moves horizontally (in the X-axis direction), which is the direction in which each measuring section 14 is arranged, 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 horizontally (in the 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 (in the Z-axis direction), which is the direction in which each measuring section 14 is arranged, and supports the transport unit 16 so as to be rotatable about the vertical axis (Z-axis); a second movable body moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the second movable body 26 vertically (in the 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 about the vertical axis (Z-axis) as the center of rotation. 【0057】 The first movable body 24 is a frame body formed 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, which are arranged parallel to each other on a base 34 between the transported object storage section 12 and each measuring section 14. 【0058】 The first movable body movement mechanism is composed of a well-known movement mechanism, such as a ball screw connected to the first movable body 24 and a drive motor that rotates it (neither of which are shown). By rotating this drive motor in forward and reverse directions, the first movable body 24 (transport unit 16) moves along the guide rail 30 in the X-axis direction. Of course, the first movable body movement mechanism is not limited to this, and may also be a mechanism for making the first movable body 24 self-propelled, such as wheels provided on the first movable body 24 and a drive motor that rotates them. 【0059】 The second movable body 26 is movably connected to the first movable body 24 by two guide rails 32 that extend in the Z-axis direction and are arranged parallel to each other. 【0060】 The second movable body movement mechanism is composed of a well-known movement mechanism, such as a ball screw connected to the second movable body 26 and a drive motor that rotates it (neither of which are shown). By rotating this drive motor in forward and reverse directions, the second movable body 26 (transport unit 16) moves along the guide rail 32 in the Z-axis direction. Of course, the second movable body movement mechanism is not limited to this, and may also be a mechanism for making the second movable body 26 self-propelled, such as wheels provided on the second movable body 26 and a drive motor that rotates them. 【0061】 The transport unit rotation mechanism 28 is composed of a well-known rotation mechanism, for example, a rotation shaft (vertical axis) provided on the second movable body 26 and a drive motor 28a that rotates it. The upper surface of the transport unit 16 is fixed to the rotation shaft (vertical axis). By rotating this drive motor 28a in forward and reverse directions, the transport unit 16 rotates 180° around the vertical axis (Z axis) as the center of rotation, so that the opening 16f formed in the transport unit 16 through which each arm 16b, 16c enters and exits faces the transported object storage section 12 or each measuring section 14. 【0062】 The test head 44 is a maintenance-required device (a device that undergoes maintenance over time) used when inspecting semiconductor elements formed on a wafer, and includes a number of terminals (not shown) electrically connected to the pogo pins 46b of the pogo frame 46. 【0063】 The test head 44 is held in place by a test head holding mechanism. 【0064】 As shown in Figure 11, the test head holding mechanism consists of a base 56 and two test head guide rails 58 extending in the Y-axis direction and fixed on the base 56. 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 consists of, for example, an engaging part such as a claw that engages with or disengages from the test head 44. 【0065】 The test head lifting mechanism 48 is a means for raising and lowering the test head 44, and is composed of an actuator such as a test head cylinder (air or hydraulic cylinder). The cylinder has, for example, one end connected to the base 56 and the other end connected to the head stage 20. The cylinder may also have a brake. By this actuator, the test head holding mechanism (base 56) is raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction along the vertical guide rail, and the test head 44, locked by the locking mechanism, is raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction together with the test head guide rail 58 to move to the pogo pin connection position P3 (see Figure 10) or the test head withdrawal position P4 (see Figure 12(a)). 【0066】 Pogo pin connection position P3 is the position where the terminals of the test head 44 and the pogo pins 46b of the pogo frame 46 are electrically connected. Test head withdrawal position P4 is a position that is designed so that when the test head 44 is withdrawn, the test head 44 does not come into contact with the pogo pins 46b (and the positioning pins 60a described later) of the pogo frame 46 (and so that there is space for the pogo frame 46 to rise, as described later). 【0067】 The test head extraction mechanism 50 (test head slide mechanism) is a means for pulling out the test head 44, which has been raised to the test head extraction position P4, toward the maintenance area A2, and is composed of, for example, a test head guide rail 58. 【0068】 Once the test head 44 has been raised to the test head extension position P4, the operator releases the lock mechanism and pulls it towards them, causing it to slide along the test head guide rail 58 in the Y-axis direction and be pulled out through the opening 14b towards the maintenance area A2 (see Figure 12(b)). This allows for maintenance of the test head 44 (for example, replacement of the circuit board inside the test head). 【0069】 After maintenance is complete, the test head 44 is slid by the operator along the test head guide rail 58 in the Y-axis direction to the test head withdrawal position P4, and then lowered along the vertical guide rail to the pogo pin connection position P3. At this time, as shown in Figure 10, the test head 44 is positioned above the pogo frame 46, i.e., at the pogo pin connection position P3, with the test head positioning mechanism 60 positioned relative to the pogo frame 46. 【0070】 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 into 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. If the positioning pin 60a is provided on the pogo frame 46 side, the recess 60b into which the positioning pin 60a abuts is provided on the test head 44 side. Conversely, if the positioning pin 60a is provided on the test head 44 side, the recess 60b into which the positioning pin 60a abuts is provided on the pogo frame 46 side. 【0071】 The pogo frame 46 is a maintenance device (a device that undergoes maintenance over time) used when inspecting semiconductor elements formed on a wafer. As shown in Figure 10, it consists of a pogo frame body 46a and a plurality of pogo pins 46b held by the pogo frame body 46a. The upper ends of the pogo pins 46b protrude from the upper surface of the pogo frame body 46a, and the lower ends of the pogo pins 46b protrude from the lower surface of the pogo frame body 46a. The pogo pins 46b are electrically connected to the terminals of the test head 44 and also to the probes of the probe card PC held by the first probe card holding mechanism 36. 【0072】 The pogo frame 46 is held in place by the pogo frame holding mechanism. 【0073】 As shown in Figure 11, the pogo frame holding mechanism consists of a base 62 and two pogo frame guide rails 64 extending in the Y-axis direction and fixed to the base 62. 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 consists of, for example, an engaging part such as a claw that engages with or disengages from the pogo frame 46. 【0074】 The pogo frame lifting mechanism 52 is a means for raising and lowering the pogo frame 46, and is composed of an actuator such as a pogo frame cylinder (air or hydraulic cylinder). The cylinder, for example, has one end connected to the base 62 and the other end connected to the head stage 20. The cylinder may also have a brake. By this actuator, the pogo frame holding mechanism (base 62) is raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction along the vertical guide rail, and the pogo frame 46, locked by the locking mechanism, is raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction together with the pogo frame guide rail 64 to move to the probe connection position P5 (see Figure 12(a)) or the pogo frame withdrawal position P6 (see Figure 13(a)). 【0075】 The probe connection position P5 is the position where the pogo pins 46b of the pogo frame 46 are electrically connected to the probe (not shown) of the probe card held by the first probe card holding mechanism 36. The pogo frame withdrawal position P6 is a position designed so that when the pogo frame 46 is withdrawn, the pogo frame 46 (pogo pins 46b) does not come into contact with the probe (and the positioning pins 66a described later) of the probe card. 【0076】 The pogo frame extension mechanism 54 (pogo frame sliding mechanism) is a means for extending the pogo frame 46, which has been raised to the pogo frame extension position P6, towards the maintenance area A2, and is composed of, for example, a guide rail 64 for the pogo frame. 【0077】 Once the pogo frame 46 has been raised to the pogo frame extension position P6, the operator releases the lock mechanism and pulls it towards them, causing it to slide along the pogo frame guide rail 64 in the Y-axis direction and be pulled out through the opening 14b towards the maintenance area A2 (see Figure 13(b)). This allows for maintenance of the pogo frame 46 (e.g., replacement of pogo pins). 【0078】 After maintenance is complete, the pogo frame 46 is slid by the operator along the pogo frame guide rail 64 in the Y-axis direction to the pogo frame extension position P6, and then lowered along the vertical guide rail to the probe connection position P5. At this time, as shown in Figure 12(a), the pogo frame 46 is positioned above the head stage 20, i.e., at the probe connection position P5, with the pogo frame positioning mechanism 66 positioned relative to the head stage 20. 【0079】 The pogo frame positioning mechanism 66 is a 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 into 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. If the positioning pin 66a is provided on the pogo frame 46 side, the recess 66b into which the positioning pin 66a abuts is provided on the head stage 20 side. Conversely, if the positioning pin 66a is provided on the head stage 20 side, the recess 66b into which the positioning pin 66a abuts is provided on the pogo frame 46 side. 【0080】 Furthermore, each of the devices and mechanisms, such as the alignment device 38, arm movement mechanism, environmental control means 16d, moving device 22 (first movable body movement mechanism, second movable body movement 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. 【0081】 Next, an example of the operation of the transport unit 16 in the prober 10 of this embodiment will be described. 【0082】 <Example of wafer transport operation> First, we will describe an example of operation when the transport unit 16 transports the wafer W from the wafer storage section 12a into the measurement section 14 where inspection (for example, high-temperature inspection or low-temperature inspection) is performed. 【0083】 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 the transport unit 16 is rotated 180° so that the opening 16f formed in the transport unit 16 through which each arm 16b and 16c enters and exits faces the wafer storage section 12a. 【0084】 Next, the wafer holding arm 16b is extended into the wafer storage section 12a to remove one wafer W from the wafer storage section 12a and store it in the housing 16a. Simultaneously, the environment inside the housing 16a is controlled to match the environment of the measurement section 14 at the transport destination. Specifically, a gas whose temperature has been adjusted by a temperature-controlled gas supply source is supplied into the housing 16a, and an air curtain is formed by air being injected from an air injection port to close the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a. As a result, the inside of the housing 16a becomes a sealed or nearly sealed space. 【0085】 Next, the transport unit 16 is moved to a position where it can access the measurement unit 14 at the transport destination (a position where the wafer W can be handed over), and the transport unit 16 is rotated 180° so that the opening 16f formed in the transport unit 16 through which each arm 16b and 16c enters and exits faces the measurement unit 14 at the transport destination. 【0086】 Next, the wafer holding arm 16b is advanced into the measurement section 14 in the Y-axis direction through the opening 16f on the transport unit 16 side and the opening 14a on the measurement section 14 side, where an air curtain is formed, and the wafer W is loaded into the wafer chuck 18. The arrow on the right in Figure 14 indicates the transport direction of the transported object (in this case, the wafer W). The wafer holding arm 16b, while holding the wafer W, advances into the measurement section 14 by passing through the opening 16f, which is closed by the air curtain. 【0087】 The loaded wafer W is held in the wafer chuck 18 by vacuum suction. The wafer W then waits in the wafer chuck 18 until it reaches the inspection temperature. Once it reaches the inspection temperature, the alignment device 38 moves in the XYZ-θ direction and aligns the wafer W held in the wafer chuck 18 with the probe of the probe card PC held above the wafer chuck 18 in a well-known manner. Then, the wafer chuck 18 moves in the Z-axis direction by the action of the alignment device 38, bringing the wafer W and the probe into electrical contact, thereby performing electrical characteristic testing of the wafer W via the pogo frame 46 (pogo pins 46b) and the test head 44. 【0088】 In this way, by controlling the environment inside the transport unit 16 during the time it takes to transport the wafer from the wafer storage unit 12a to the destination measurement unit 14, and reducing the difference with the inspection temperature in the destination measurement unit 14, the waiting time required to bring the wafer closer to the inspection temperature in the destination measurement unit 14 can be shortened (or eliminated) compared to conventional technology. As a result, the throughput (processing capacity per unit time) in the measurement unit 14 can be improved. 【0089】 <Example of probe card transport operation> Next, we will describe 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 inspection (for example, high-temperature inspection or low-temperature inspection) is performed. 【0090】 First, the transport unit 16 is moved to a position where the probe card storage section 12b can be accessed (a position where the probe card PC can be removed), and the transport unit 16 is rotated 180° 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. 【0091】 Next, the probe card holding arm 16c is extended into the probe card storage section 12b, and one probe card PC is removed from the probe card storage section 12b and stored in the housing 16a. At the same time, the environment inside the housing 16a is controlled to match the environment of the measurement unit 14 at the destination. Specifically, a gas whose temperature has been adjusted by a temperature-controlled gas supply source is supplied into the housing 16a, and an air curtain is formed by being injected from an air injection port to close the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a. As a result, the inside of the housing 16a becomes a sealed or nearly sealed space. 【0092】 Next, the transport unit 16 is moved to a position where it can access the measurement unit 14 at the destination (a position where the probe card PC can be handed over), and the transport unit 16 is rotated 180° so that the opening 16f formed in the transport unit 16 through which each arm 16b and 16c enters and exits faces the measurement unit 14 at the destination. 【0093】 Next, the probe card holding arm 16c is advanced into the measurement section 14 in the Y-axis direction through the opening 16f on the transport unit 16 side where the air curtain is formed and the opening 14a on the measurement section 14 side (see Figure 7(a)). The probe card holding arm 16c advances into the measurement section 14 in the Y-axis direction, passing through the opening 16f which is closed by the air curtain, while holding the probe card PC. The arrow on the right in Figure 14 indicates the transport direction of the transported object (in this case, the probe card PC). 【0094】 Next, the holding portion 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, with the alignment device 38, which is holding the wafer chuck 18, moved to the probe card receiving position P1, the holding portion 40a is raised in the Z-axis direction relative to the Z-axis movable portion 38a and brought into contact with the probe card PC (outer peripheral edge of the lower surface), and the probe card PC is lifted from the probe card holding arm 16c by the holding portion 40a which is raised in the Z-axis direction. As a result, the probe card PC is handed over to the holding portion 40a and held directly above the wafer chuck 18 by the holding portion 40a. 【0095】 Next, the alignment device 38, holding the probe card PC and wafer chuck 18, is moved to position P2 (see Figure 7(b)). 【0096】 Next, the probe card PC is transported to the first probe card holding mechanism 36 (see Figure 7(b)). Specifically, with the alignment device 38, which is 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. 【0097】 <Example of test head extraction operation> Next, we will explain an example of the operation when the test head 44 is pulled out to the maintenance area A2 side. 【0098】 First, as shown in Figure 12(a), the test head lifting mechanism 48 raises the test head holding mechanism (base 56) from the pogo pin connection position P3 to the test head withdrawal position P4. As a result, the test head 44, while locked by the locking mechanism, moves to the test head withdrawal position P4 together with the test head guide rail 58 fixed to the base 56. 【0099】 Next, after the operator releases the lock mechanism, they pull the test head 44, which has been raised to the test head extension position P4, towards them. As a result, the test head 44 slides along the test head guide rail 58 in the Y-axis direction and is pulled out through the opening 14b towards the maintenance area A2, as shown in Figure 12(b). This allows for maintenance of the test head 44 (for example, replacement of the circuit board inside the test head). The arrow on the left in Figure 14 indicates the direction of extension (and extension) of the device to be maintained (in this case, the test head 44). 【0100】 Next, we will describe an example of the operation when returning the test head 44, after maintenance has been completed, to the pogo pin connection position P3. 【0101】 First, the operator pushes the completed test head 44 along the test head guide rail 58 and slides it in the Y-axis direction to the test head withdrawal position P4, and then locks it in place using the locking mechanism. 【0102】 Next, the test head lifting mechanism 48 lowers the test head holding mechanism (base 56) from the test head extension position P4 to the pogo pin connection position P3. As a result, the test head 44, locked by the locking mechanism, moves to the pogo pin connection position P3 together with the test head guide rail 58 fixed to the base 56. At this time, as shown in Figure 10, the test head 44 is positioned above the pogo frame 46, i.e., at the pogo pin connection position P3, with the test head positioning mechanism 60 positioned relative to the pogo frame 46. This aligns the terminals of the test head 44 with the pogo pins 46b of the pogo frame 46, allowing for a precise electrical connection between the two. 【0103】 As described above, since the withdrawal direction of the device under maintenance (in this case, the test head 44) ​​(see the left arrow in Figure 14) and the transport direction of the transported material (wafer W or probe card PC) (see the right arrow in Figure 14) are aligned in a straight line with respect to the Y axis, it is possible to suppress (or eliminate) the Abbe error that must be considered when positioning the test head 44 relative to the pogo frame 46, where high precision is required. In particular, when returning the test head 44 after maintenance to the pogo pin connection position P3, it is possible to suppress the decrease in positioning accuracy in the X axis direction. 【0104】 <Example of pogo frame pull-out operation> Next, we will explain an example of how to pull out the pogo frame 46 to the maintenance area A2. 【0105】 First, as shown in Figure 12(a), the test head lifting mechanism 48 raises the test head holding mechanism (base 56) from the pogo pin connection position P3 to the test head withdrawal position P4. As a result, the test head 44, while locked by the locking mechanism, moves to the test head withdrawal position P4 together with the test head guide rail 58 fixed to the base 56. This secures the space S for raising the pogo frame 46. 【0106】 Next, as shown in Figure 13(a), the pogo frame lifting mechanism 52 raises the pogo frame holding mechanism (base 62) from the probe connection position P5 to the pogo frame extension position P6. As a result, the pogo frame 46 moves to the pogo frame extension position P6 together with the pogo frame guide rail 64 fixed to the base 62, while being locked by the locking mechanism. 【0107】 Next, the worker releases the lock mechanism and pulls the pogo frame 46, which has been raised to the pogo frame extension position P6, towards them. As a result, the pogo frame 46 slides along the pogo frame guide rail 64 in the Y-axis direction and is pulled out through the opening 14b towards the maintenance area A2, as shown in Figure 13(b). This allows for maintenance of the pogo frame 46 (e.g., replacement of pogo pins). The arrow on the left in Figure 14 indicates the direction of extension (and extension) of the device being maintained (in this case, the pogo frame 46). 【0108】 Next, we will describe an example of the operation when returning the pogo frame 46, after maintenance has been completed, to the probe connection position P5. 【0109】 First, the worker pushes the pogo frame 46, which has been maintained, along the guide rail 64 for the pogo frame and slides it in the Y-axis direction to the pogo frame extension position P6, and then locks it in place using the locking mechanism. 【0110】 Next, the pogo frame lifting mechanism 52 lowers the pogo frame holding mechanism (base 62) from the pogo frame extension position P6 to the probe connection position P5. 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 rail 64 fixed to the base 62. At this time, as shown in Figure 12(a), the pogo frame 46 is positioned above the headstage 20, i.e., at the probe connection position P5, with the pogo frame positioning mechanism 66 positioned relative to the headstage 20. This aligns the pogo pins 46b of the pogo frame 46 with the probes of the probe card, allowing for a precise electrical connection between the two. 【0111】 As described above, since the withdrawal direction of the device under maintenance (in this case, the pogo frame 46) (see the left arrow in Figure 14) and the transport direction of the transported material (wafer W or probe card PC) (see the right arrow in Figure 14) are aligned in a straight line with respect to the Y axis, it is possible to suppress (or eliminate) the Abbe error that must be considered when positioning the pogo frame 46 relative to the head stage 20, where high precision is required. In particular, when returning the pogo frame 46 after maintenance to the probe connection position P5, it is possible to suppress the decrease in positioning accuracy in the X axis direction. 【0112】 Furthermore, in the conventional technology, the pogo frame is pulled out without raising it, so the probe card had to be removed from the measurement unit (cell) before the pogo frame could be 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 that has been raised to the pogo frame pull-out position P6 is pulled out. Therefore, the pogo frame 46 can be pulled out without removing the probe card PC from the measurement unit 14. 【0113】 As described above, according to this embodiment, in a prober 10 comprising a plurality of measuring units 14 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 to a position where it can access the measuring unit to which the transported object (e.g., at least one of a wafer and a probe card) is to be transported, and transports the transported object into the measuring unit 14 to be transported, by making the pull-out direction of the device to be maintained and the transport direction of the transported object in a straight line (see Figure 14), it is possible to suppress (or eliminate) Abbe errors that must be considered when positioning the device to be maintained, which requires high precision. 【0114】 In other words, 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. By transporting these configurations that require positioning in a straight line, Abbe errors can be suppressed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the transport direction of the device to be maintained and the transport direction of the transported object are in a straight line, it is more space-saving compared to the technique of rotating the test head to expose the pogo pins under the test head for maintenance, as there is no space required for the test head to rotate. 【0115】 Furthermore, while conventional technology lacked a mechanism for extending the test head, making it impossible to extend the test head, this embodiment is equipped with a test head lifting mechanism 48 and a test head extension mechanism 50, thereby enabling the extension of the test head 44. 【0116】 Next, other configurations of loading into the measurement unit 14 will be described. In the example described above, the transported material (wafer W or probe card PC) to be loaded into the measurement unit 14 was loaded from the transport area A1 side by the transport unit 16 (see Figure 14). However, in other configurations of loading into the measurement unit 14, the transported material to be loaded into the measurement unit 14 is loaded from the maintenance area A2 side by the loading unit 70. 【0117】 Figure 15 is a top view showing that transported materials (wafer W and probe card PC) are loaded into the measurement unit 14 from the maintenance area A2 side. As shown in Figure 15, when transported materials are loaded into the measurement unit 14 from the maintenance area A2 side, the loading unit 70 loads the transported materials into the measurement unit 14. The loading unit 70 may be equipped with a transport means such as the transport unit 16 described above to transport the transported materials, or the user or installer of the prober 10 may manually transport the transported materials to the loading unit 70, and then the loading unit 70 loads them into the measurement unit 14. The loading unit 70 is not particularly limited and can employ known loading means. For example, the loading unit 70 may load the transported materials into the measurement unit by a drawer mechanism, or it may load the transported materials into the measurement unit by an arm, as in the transport unit 16. 【0118】 Thus, the measuring unit 14 can be loaded with transported objects from both the transport area A1 side and the maintenance area A2 side. For example, when loading a probe card PC into the measuring unit 14, the transport unit 16 loads the transported object into the measuring unit 14 if the transported object is for inspecting semiconductor elements, and the loading unit 70 loads the transported object into the measuring unit 14 if the transported object is used for calibrating the position of the measuring unit 14. 【0119】 For example, if the transported material is loaded into the measurement unit 14 frequently, it is loaded into the measurement unit 14 from the transport area A1 side, and if the transported material is loaded into the measurement unit 14 infrequently, it 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, high frequency refers to transported material that needs to be replaced every time the wafer W is measured, and low frequency refers to transported material that needs to be loaded, for example, during maintenance or when the prober 10 is installed (started up). 【0120】 For example, the transport unit 16 loads the transported object into the measuring unit 14 when the transported object requires environmental control, and the loading unit 70 loads the transported object into the measuring unit 14 when the transported object does not require environmental control. As described above, in the transport area A1, the environment is adjusted by the environmental control means 16d of the transport unit 16, so when transporting an object that requires temperature or humidity adjustment is loaded into the measuring unit 14, the transported object is loaded into the measuring unit 14 from the transport area A1 side. 【0121】 For example, loading by the transport unit 16 or loading by the loading unit 70 may be performed separately depending on the type of transported material. That is, since wafers W and probe cards PC, which are the transported materials, are used for various purposes and types, loading by the transport unit 16 or loading by the loading unit 70 may be performed separately depending on the purpose and type of wafer W and probe card PC. 【0122】 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. 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. 【0123】 In this way, by changing the side on which the conveyed material is loaded into the measuring unit 14, depending on the usage of the conveyed material and the prober 10, more efficient inspection can be performed. 【0124】 In this application, loading refers to placing the probe card PC or wafer W into the measurement unit 14. Furthermore, it is preferable that the loading by the transport unit 16 and the loading by the loading unit 70 are arranged in a straight line with respect to the withdrawal direction of the device to be maintained and the transport direction of the transported object. Note that the arrows in Figure 15 indicate the loading direction performed by the loading unit 70. 【0125】 Figure 16 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a calibration probe card. Figure 16(a) is a top view of the probe side of the calibration probe card 72, and Figure 16(b) is a side view of the calibration probe card 72. The calibration probe card 72 shown in Figure 16 consists of a calibration probe card body 72a and probes 72b. The calibration probe card 72 has a total of 18 probes 72b, which come in pairs (one set), and are arranged along the outer circumference of the calibration probe card 72 with one set in the center and one set at 45° intervals. The calibration probe card 72 is used for positioning and alignment of the measuring unit 14. Therefore, for example, the calibration probe card 72 is used to position the measuring unit 14 when starting up or installing the prober 10. 【0126】 Next, I will explain some variations. 【0127】 In this embodiment, a configuration using a test head lifting mechanism 48, a test head extraction mechanism 50, a pogo frame lifting mechanism 52, and a pogo frame extraction mechanism 54 has been illustrated, but the system is not limited to this configuration. Only the test head lifting mechanism 48 and the test head extraction mechanism 50 may be used, or only the pogo frame lifting mechanism 52 and the pogo frame extraction mechanism 54 may be used. 【0128】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration is shown in which a pogo frame lifting mechanism 52 is used to pull out the pogo frame 46 in a raised state, but the system 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 raising it. 【0129】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration in which each arm 16b, 16c of the transport unit 16 moves in and out through an opening 16f formed in the housing 16a is illustrated. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and for example, a similar opening (not shown) may be formed on the side of the housing 16a of the transport unit 16 opposite to the side where the opening 16f is formed, and each arm 16b, 16c may be configured to move back and forth individually in the horizontal direction to move in and out through the opening 16f and the opening on the opposite side. In this way, the transport unit rotation mechanism 28 can be omitted. And even though the transport unit rotation mechanism 28 is omitted, that is, without rotating the transport unit 16, access to the transported object storage section 12 or each measuring section 14 by each arm 16b, 16c can be achieved. In this case, in addition to the air curtain forming means 42 that forms an air curtain to close the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a of the transport unit 16, by providing the transport unit 16 with a similar air curtain forming means that forms an air curtain to close the opening formed on the opposite side of the opening 16f, the inside of the housing 16a can be sealed or a substantially sealed space, and the same effects as in the above embodiment can be achieved. 【0130】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration in which each measuring unit 14 is arranged two-dimensionally in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) is illustrated, but the configuration is not limited to this, and each measuring unit 14 may be arranged in a single row in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) or in a single row in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). By arranging each measuring unit 14 in a single row in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), the second movable body movement mechanism can be omitted. Also, by arranging each measuring unit 14 in a single row in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), the first movable body movement mechanism can be omitted. 【0131】 Furthermore, although this embodiment illustrates a configuration using one transport unit 16 and one moving device 22, it is not limited to this configuration, and multiple transport units 16 and multiple moving devices 22 may be used. In this way, the throughput at each measurement unit 14 can be further improved. 【0132】 Furthermore, although this embodiment illustrates a configuration using a wafer holding arm 16b and a probe card holding arm 16c, it is not limited to this configuration, and only the wafer holding arm 16b or only the probe card holding arm 16c may be used. 【0133】 Furthermore, although this embodiment illustrates a configuration in which arms 16b and 16c are provided on the transport unit 16, the system is not limited to this configuration. Arms 16b and 16c (or equivalent arms) may also be provided on the transport item storage unit 12 side and the measuring unit 14 side. In this configuration as well, the arms can be used to take transport items from the transport item storage unit 12 or the measuring unit 14 and store them in the transport unit 16, and to take transport items from the transport unit 16 and hand them over to the transport item storage unit 12 or the measuring unit 14. 【0134】 Furthermore, although this embodiment illustrates a configuration in which the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a is closed with an air curtain, the system is not limited to this. The transport unit 16 may be provided with opening / closing means such as shutters or doors that open when the transported items are removed or handed over, and close during the transport of the transported items, and the opening 16f may be opened and closed by these opening / closing means. Alternatively, the openings 14a formed in each measuring section 14 may be closed with a similar air curtain, or the openings 14a may be opened and closed by similar opening / closing means. 【0135】 As described above, in a prober comprising a device to be maintained and a plurality of measuring units equipped with a pull-out mechanism for pulling out the device to be maintained, and a transport unit that moves to a position where it can access the measuring unit at the destination of the transported object and transports the transported object into the measuring unit at the destination, the idea of ​​suppressing Abbe errors that must be considered when positioning a device to be maintained, which requires high precision, by making the pull-out direction of the device to be maintained and the transport direction of the transported object in a straight line, can be applied not only to the prober of the above embodiment, but to any type of prober comprising a device to be maintained and a plurality of measuring units equipped with a pull-out mechanism for pulling out the device to be maintained, and a transport unit that moves to a position where it can access the measuring unit at the destination of the transported object and transports the transported object into the measuring unit at the destination. 【0136】 Although the probe of the present invention has been described in detail above, 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] 【0137】 10…Probe, 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…Environmental 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 rails, 34…Base, 36…First probe card holding mechanism, 38…Alignment device, 40…Second probe card holding Holding mechanism, 40a…holding part, 42…air curtain forming means, 44…test head, 46…pogo frame, 46a…pogo frame 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…guide rail for test head, 60…test head positioning mechanism, 60a…positioning pin, 60b…recess, 62…base, 64…guide rail for pogo frame, 66…pogo frame positioning mechanism, 66a…positioning pin, 66b…recess, CH…card holder, PC…probe card, W…wafer

Claims

[Claim 1] A prober for testing the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device formed on a wafer, A measurement unit that inspects electrical characteristics by bringing a probe card on which multiple probes are arranged into contact with the wafer, A test head electrically connected to the probe card, Equipped with, The maintenance area for maintaining the test head is located on the opposite side of the measurement unit from the transport area for transporting the wafer to the measurement unit. The probe cards are configured to be loadable into the measurement unit from both the transport area side and the maintenance area side, in a direction toward the measurement unit. Prova.