Prova

Abstract

To provide a prober equipped with a transport unit that transports an object between a transport object storage portion and a measurement portion, capable of improving throughput in the measurement portion.SOLUTION: A prober 10 includes a transport unit 16 that transports transported objects (e.g., wafers and probe cards) between a transported object storage portion 12 and a plurality of measurement portions 14. The transport unit 16 has environment control means that controls the transport environment of the transported object such that the transport environment of the transported object approaches the environment of the transported object storage portion 12 when transporting the object from the measurement portion 14 to the transported object storage portion 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

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. In particular, the present invention relates to a transfer unit that moves between a carrier storage unit and a plurality of measurement units to transfer a carrier to the carrier storage unit or each measurement unit, and a prober including the transfer unit.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a prober (wafer inspection device) has been proposed that includes a carrier storage unit for storing a plurality of carriers (a cassette stock unit for storing a plurality of wafers), a plurality of measurement units (wafer inspection units), and a transfer unit (a self-propelled vehicle platform) that moves between the carrier storage unit and each measurement unit to transfer the carrier to the carrier storage unit or each measurement unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to the prober described in Patent Document 1, for example, when using N measurement units, the inspection time can be shortened to 1 / N compared to the case of using one measurement unit.

[0003] Also, conventionally, in a prober, inspection of electrical characteristics at high temperature (or low temperature) of a wafer (high temperature inspection or low temperature inspection) has been carried out. This inspection is usually performed by transferring a wafer from a cassette to a wafer chuck by a transfer arm, heating (or cooling) the wafer to the inspection temperature on the wafer chuck to perform an inspection of electrical characteristics, cooling (or heating) the wafer on the wafer chuck after the inspection is completed, and returning the wafer to the cassette by the transfer arm after the temperature returns to room temperature.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the prober described in Patent Document 1, when high-temperature or low-temperature testing is performed at each measurement unit, the following problems arise due to the difference between the environment of the conveyed material storage unit (usually a room temperature environment) and the environment of each measurement unit (high-temperature or low-temperature environment).

[0006] For example, when performing high-temperature testing, a waiting time is required in each measurement unit to bring the wafers and probe cards, which are at room temperature, closer to the test temperature (preheating) before the test begins, which reduces the throughput (processing capacity per unit time) in each measurement unit. In particular, when performing high-temperature testing again after replacing wafers or probe cards, it takes time for the wafer chuck to heat up again, further increasing the waiting time before the next high-temperature test can be performed, and further reducing the throughput in each measurement unit. Also, when performing high-temperature testing, if wafers or probe cards are replaced after the test is completed, a waiting time is required in each measurement unit to bring the high-temperature wafers and probe cards closer to room temperature, which also reduces the throughput in each measurement unit.

[0007] Similarly, when performing low-temperature testing, a waiting period is required in each measurement unit before the start of testing to bring the wafers and probe cards, which are at room temperature, closer to the test temperature, which reduces the throughput in each measurement unit. In particular, when performing low-temperature testing again after replacing wafers or probe cards, it takes time for the wafer chuck to become cold again, further increasing the waiting time before the next low-temperature testing can be performed, and further reducing the throughput in each measurement unit. In addition, when performing low-temperature testing, a waiting period is required in each measurement unit after the test is completed to bring the cold wafers and probe cards, which are at a temperature where condensation does not occur (usually room temperature), which also reduces the throughput in each measurement unit.

[0008] As described above, in the prober described in Patent Document 1, when high-temperature or low-temperature testing is performed in each measurement unit, the environment of the transported material storage unit (usually a room temperature environment) differs from the environment of each measurement unit (high-temperature or low-temperature environment). This results in a longer waiting time for the transported material to approach a predetermined temperature (e.g., inspection temperature or room temperature) within each measurement unit, leading to a decrease in throughput in each measurement unit. Therefore, there is a need to improve this and increase throughput in each measurement unit.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to provide a prober and a transport unit that can improve throughput at each measurement unit, in a prober equipped with a transport unit that moves between a transport object storage unit and a plurality of measurement units to transport transport objects (for example, at least one of wafers and probe cards) to the transport object storage unit or each measurement unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above objective, the prober of the present invention comprises a transport object storage section for storing a plurality of transport objects, a plurality of measuring sections, a housing for storing the transport objects, and environmental control means for controlling the environment inside the housing; a transport unit that moves between the transport object storage section and each measuring section to transport the transport objects into the transport object storage section or into each measuring section; and a moving device that moves the transport unit between the transport object storage section and each measuring section. The environmental control means controls the environment inside the housing so that it corresponds to the environment of the destination to which the transport objects are transported.

[0011] The transport unit in one embodiment of the prober of the present invention further comprises a sensor for detecting the environment inside the housing, and the environment control means controls the environment inside the housing to a target environment based on the detection result of the sensor.

[0012] In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, when the destination of the transport unit is a measuring unit, the environmental control means controls the environment inside the housing to be an environment corresponding to the inspection performed in the measuring unit at the destination.

[0013] In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, when the destination of the transport unit is a measurement section where high-temperature inspection is performed, the environmental control means controls the environment inside the housing so that the transported object housed inside the housing is heated.

[0014] In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, when the destination of the transport unit is the transported object storage section, and the transport unit transports the transported object, which has become hot due to high-temperature inspection, into the transported object storage section, the environmental control means controls the environment inside the housing so that the transported object stored inside the housing is cooled.

[0015] In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, when the destination of the transport unit is a measurement unit where low-temperature inspection is performed, the environmental control means controls the environment inside the housing so that the transported object housed inside the housing is cooled.

[0016] In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, when the destination of the transport unit is the transported object storage section, and the transport unit transports the transported object, which has been brought to a low temperature state by low-temperature inspection, into the transported object storage section, the environmental control means controls the environment inside the housing so that the transported object stored inside the housing is heated.

[0017] In one embodiment of the prober of the present invention, when the destination of the transport unit is a measuring unit where inspection is performed under a predetermined gas atmosphere, the environmental control means controls the environment inside the housing so that the inside of the housing becomes the predetermined gas atmosphere.

[0018] One embodiment of the prober of the present invention comprises a transportable object holding arm provided in the transport unit for holding the transportable object, the transportable object holding arm moves in and out through an opening formed in the housing and is housed in the housing together with the transportable object while holding it.

[0019] The conveyance object storage unit and each measurement unit of one aspect of the prober of the present invention are arranged at a constant interval with the surfaces on the side accessed by the conveyance unit facing each other, and the conveyance unit is arranged between the conveyance object storage unit and each measurement unit.

[0020] One aspect of the prober of the present invention includes a conveyance unit rotation mechanism that rotates the conveyance unit so that the opening through which the conveyance object holding arm enters and exits faces the conveyance object storage unit or each measurement unit.

[0021] Each measurement unit of one aspect of the prober of the present invention is two-dimensionally arranged in the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0022] One aspect of the prober of the present invention includes a first movable body that moves in the horizontal direction, which is the arrangement direction of each measurement unit, between the conveyance object storage unit and each measurement unit; a first movable body movement mechanism that moves the first movable body in the horizontal direction; a second movable body that is movably attached to the first movable body in the vertical direction, which is the arrangement direction of each measurement unit, and supports the conveyance unit so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis; a second movable body movement mechanism that moves the second movable body in the vertical direction; and a conveyance unit rotation mechanism that is attached to the second movable body and rotates the conveyance unit about a vertical axis.

[0023] The conveyance object of one aspect of the prober of the present invention is at least one of a wafer and a probe card, and the conveyance 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.

[0024] Each of the plurality of measurement units of one aspect of the prober of the present invention includes a wafer chuck that is adjusted to a target temperature and a probe card holding portion to which the probe card is detachably attached.

[0025] The environment control means of one aspect of the prober of the present invention is provided on the upper surface inside the housing.

[0026] The environmental control means of one aspect of the prober of the present invention is provided substantially at the center of the upper surface.

[0027] A transport unit according to another aspect of the present invention is a transport unit that moves between a transport object storage unit that stores a plurality of transport objects and a plurality of measurement units, and transports the transport objects into the transport object storage unit or each measurement unit. The transport unit includes a housing that stores the transport objects, and environmental control means for controlling the environment inside the housing so that the environment inside the housing becomes an environment corresponding to the environment of the transport destination of the transport objects.

Advantages of the Invention

[0031] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the prober 10 of this embodiment.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, the prober 10 of this embodiment includes a transport object storage section 12, a plurality of measuring sections 14, a transport unit 16 that moves between the transport object storage section 12 and each measuring section 14 to transport an object (at least one of wafers and probe cards in this embodiment) into the transport object storage section 12 or each measuring section 14, and a moving device (transport unit moving device) 22 that moves the transport unit 16 between the transport object storage section 12 and each measuring section 14.

[0033] 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., opposite each other).

[0034] The transport unit 16 is positioned between the transported object storage section 12 and each measuring section 14.

[0035] 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.

[0036] Each of the multiple measurement units 14 is a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped 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, as shown in Figure 7, are arranged a wafer chuck 18 for holding wafers, a head stage 20, a test head (not shown) placed on the head stage 20, and a first probe card holding mechanism 36 for holding probe cards PC.

[0037] Figure 2 is a front view of each measuring unit 14.

[0038] 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.

[0039] Each measuring section 14 (the side accessed by the transport unit 16) has an opening 14a through which the wafer holding arm (wafer arm: transport object holding arm) 16b and probe card holding arm (probe card arm) 16c of the transport unit 16 enter and exit. The sides of each measuring section 14 other than the side on which the opening 14a is formed may be closed or may have openings formed therein.

[0040] 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).

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] The alignment device 38 moves within the measuring section 14, holding the wafer chuck 18, between a probe card receiving position P1 near the opening 14a (see Figure 7(a)) and a preheating position P2 below the first probe card holding mechanism 36 (see Figure 7(b)). This movement is achieved by a well-known alignment device moving device (not shown).

[0046] 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 the preheating position P2 when transporting the probe card PC to the first probe card holding mechanism 36.

[0047] The alignment device 38 is equipped with a second probe card holding mechanism 40 (also called a card lifter).

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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 in the preheat position P2.

[0052] 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.

[0053] The transport unit 16 is a means for transporting a wafer W or probe card PC into the transport item storage unit 12 or into the measurement unit 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 the wafer W and probe card PC, and includes a housing 16a with an opening 16f through which the wafer W and probe card PC (wafer holding arm 16b and probe card holding arm 16c) enter and exit. The housing 16a is rectangular parallelepiped, and inside it are arranged a wafer holding arm 16b, a probe card holding arm 16c, an arm moving 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).

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] The transport unit 16 is equipped with an air curtain forming means 42.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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 being injected downwards. Arrow 44 in Figure 4 indicates an example of the flow of dry air injected from the environmental control means 16d, and shows the wafer chuck 18.

[0061] The environment inside the housing 16a is controlled as follows. For example, the temperature and humidity inside the housing 16a are controlled to a 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] Furthermore, each device and mechanism, such as the alignment device 38, arm movement mechanism, environmental control means 16d, and movement device 22 (first movable body movement mechanism, second movable body movement mechanism, transport unit rotation mechanism 28), is driven by control means (controller, etc.) not shown.

[0072] Next, an example of the operation of the transport unit 16 in the prober 10 of this embodiment will be described.

[0073] <Wafer transport operation example 1> First, we will describe an example of operation when the transport unit 16 transports the wafer W from the wafer storage section 12a (for example, at room temperature of 23°C) into the measurement section 14 where high-temperature inspection (for example, inspection temperature of 80°C) is performed.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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 destination measurement section 14 (in this case, the 80°C high-temperature inspection performed in the measurement section 14). Specifically, a gas whose temperature has been adjusted by a temperature-controlled gas supply source (for example, dry air or nitrogen adjusted to 60°C) 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. Note that the target temperature adjusted by the temperature-controlled gas supply source is not limited to 60°C, but can be an appropriate temperature considering the distance and time it takes for the wafer W to be transported from the wafer storage section 12a to the destination measurement section 14, the inspection temperature at the destination measurement section 14, etc.

[0076] 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. During this time, the wafer W stored inside the transport unit 16 is continuously heated by the gas supplied to the housing 16a (a sealed or nearly sealed space).

[0077] Next, the wafer holding arm 16b is moved into the measuring section 14 through the opening 16f on the transport unit 16 side and the opening 14a on the measuring section 14 side, where an air curtain is formed, and the wafer W is loaded into the wafer chuck 18. The wafer holding arm 16b, while holding the wafer W, moves into the measuring section 14 by passing through the opening 16f, which is closed by the air curtain. At this time, the wafer W is further heated by the air curtain.

[0078] Thus, by closing the opening 16f with an air curtain instead of a physical door or shutter as in conventional technology, the following effects can be achieved.

[0079] Firstly, similar to the case where the opening 16f is closed with a physical door or shutter, the inside of the housing 16a can be made into a sealed or nearly sealed space, and by supplying temperature-controlled gas into this sealed housing 16a, the environment inside the housing 16a can be made to match the environment of the measurement unit 14 at the transport destination (in this case, the 80°C high-temperature inspection performed inside the measurement unit 14).

[0080] Secondly, the probe card holding arm 16c can be extended into the measurement section 14 while keeping the inside of the housing 16a sealed.

[0081] Thirdly, compared to closing the opening 16f with a physical door or shutter, the time required to open and close the physical door or shutter is eliminated, allowing the probe card holding arm 16c to be quickly advanced into the measurement section 14.

[0082] Fourthly, when the probe card PC is handed over, the probe card PC can be heated by the action of an air curtain blown onto it.

[0083] Fifth, when the opening 16f is closed with a physical door or shutter, the gas supplied to the inside of the housing 16a comes into contact with the physical door or shutter and is radiated to the external environment through the physical door or shutter, causing the temperature of the gas supplied to the inside of the housing 16a to decrease. In contrast, when the opening 16f is closed with an air curtain, as in this example, the gas supplied to the inside of the housing 16a comes into contact with the air curtain, which is at the same temperature, thus suppressing the decrease in the temperature of the gas supplied to the inside of the housing 16a.

[0084] The loaded wafer W is held in the wafer chuck 18 by vacuum suction. The wafer W is then heated by the wafer chuck 18 until it reaches the inspection temperature (80°C in this case). Once the inspection temperature is reached, the alignment device 38 moves in the XYZ-θ directions 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. Subsequently, 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 an electrical characteristic test of the wafer W via the test head.

[0085] In this way, by using the time it takes to transport the wafer from the wafer storage unit 12a to the destination measurement unit 14 to control the environment inside the transport unit 16 (heating the wafer) and reduce 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. This improves the throughput in the measurement unit 14.

[0086] <Wafer transport operation example 2> Next, we will describe an example of operation when the transport unit 16 transports a wafer W, which has reached a high temperature (for example, 80°C) due to high-temperature inspection, from the measurement unit 14 into the wafer storage unit 12a (for example, room temperature 23°C).

[0087] First, the wafer W, immediately after the high-temperature inspection is completed, is removed from the measurement unit 14 by the wafer holding arm 16b and stored in the housing 16a. This is performed in the reverse order of wafer transport operation example 1 described above. At the same time, the environment inside the housing 16a is controlled to match the environment of the destination wafer storage unit 12a (here, room temperature of 23°C). Specifically, a gas whose temperature has been adjusted by a temperature-controlled gas supply source (for example, dry air or nitrogen adjusted to 40°C) is supplied into the housing 16a, and an air curtain is formed by spraying air 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. Note that the target temperature adjusted by the temperature-controlled gas supply source is not limited to 40°C, but can be an appropriate temperature considering the distance and time it takes for the wafer W to be transported from the measurement unit 14 to the destination wafer storage unit 12a, the temperature at the destination wafer storage unit 12a, etc. Immediately after the high-temperature inspection is completed, the wafer W, held by the wafer holding arm 16b, is taken out of the measuring unit 14 by passing through the opening 16f, which is closed by an air curtain, and is stored in the housing 16a. At this time, the wafer W is cooled by the air curtain blown onto it and further cooled by the gas supplied into the housing 16a.

[0088] Next, the transport unit 16 is moved to a position where it can access the wafer storage section 12a 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 wafer storage section 12a at the transport destination. During this time, the wafer W stored in the transport unit 16 is continuously cooled by the gas supplied to the housing 16a (a sealed or nearly sealed space).

[0089] Thus, by closing the opening 16f with an air curtain instead of a physical door or shutter as in conventional technology, the same effects as in wafer transport operation example 1 can be achieved.

[0090] Next, the wafer holding arm 16b is extended into the wafer storage section 12a, returning the wafer W to the wafer storage section 12a.

[0091] In this way, by controlling the environment inside the transport unit 16 (cooling the wafer) during the time it takes to transport the wafer from the measurement unit 14 to the destination wafer storage unit 12a, the temperature difference with the destination wafer storage unit 12a can be reduced. Compared to conventional technology, this eliminates (or shortens) the waiting time required to bring the wafer closer to room temperature inside the measurement unit 14, and allows the wafer, after high-temperature inspection is complete, to be immediately removed from the measurement unit 14 and returned to the wafer storage unit 12a. This improves the throughput in the measurement unit 14. In addition, it eliminates (or shortens) the waiting time for the operator to retrieve the wafer after it has been stored.

[0092] <Wafer transport operation example 3> Next, we will describe an example of operation when the transport unit 16 transports the wafer W from the wafer storage section 12a (for example, at room temperature of 23°C) into the measurement section 14 where low-temperature inspection (for example, inspection temperature of -10°C) is performed.

[0093] 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.

[0094] 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 destination measurement section 14 (in this case, the -10°C low-temperature inspection performed in the measurement section 14). Specifically, a gas whose temperature or humidity has been adjusted by a temperature-controlled gas supply source (for example, dry air or nitrogen adjusted to -15°C) 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. Note that the target temperature adjusted by the temperature-controlled gas supply source is not limited to -15°C, but can be an appropriate temperature considering the distance and time it takes for the wafer W to be transported from the wafer storage section 12a to the destination measurement section 14, the inspection temperature at the destination measurement section 14, etc.

[0095] 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 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 destination. During this time, the wafer W stored in the transport unit 16 is continuously temperature-controlled (e.g., cooled) and dried by the gas supplied to the housing 16a (a sealed or nearly sealed space). This prevents condensation from forming on the wafer W as it is being transported to the measurement unit 14 at the destination.

[0096] Next, the wafer holding arm 16b is moved into the measuring section 14 through the opening 16f on the transport unit 16 side and the opening 14a on the measuring section 14 side, where an air curtain is formed, and the wafer W is loaded into the wafer chuck 18. The wafer holding arm 16b, while holding the wafer W, moves into the measuring section 14 by passing through the opening 16f, which is closed by the air curtain. At this time, the wafer W is further cooled and dried by the air curtain. This prevents condensation from forming on the wafer W during the transfer of the wafer W.

[0097] Thus, by closing the opening 16f with an air curtain instead of a physical door or shutter as in conventional technology, the same effects as in wafer transport operation example 1 can be achieved.

[0098] The loaded wafer W is held in the wafer chuck 18 by vacuum suction. The wafer W is then cooled by the wafer chuck 18 until it reaches the inspection temperature (in this case, -10°C). Once the inspection temperature is reached, the alignment device 38 moves in the XYZ-θ directions 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. Subsequently, 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 an electrical characteristic inspection of the wafer W via the test head. In addition, a gas with a dew point that does not condense at the cooling temperature of the wafer and probe card (for example, dry air at 20°C) is supplied to the measurement unit 14 at the transport destination by a well-known means to prevent condensation from occurring on the wafer and probe card during low-temperature inspection, and the low-temperature inspection is performed in an environment where this gas is supplied.

[0099] In this way, by using the time it takes to transport the wafer from the wafer storage unit 12a to the destination measurement unit 14 to control the environment inside the transport unit 16 (cooling the wafer) and reduce the difference with the inspection temperature of the destination measurement unit 14, the waiting time required to bring the wafer closer to the inspection temperature inside the destination measurement unit 14 can be shortened (or eliminated) compared to conventional technology. This improves the throughput at the measurement unit 14.

[0100] <Wafer transport operation example 4> Next, we will describe an example of operation when the transport unit 16 transports a wafer W, which has been brought to a low temperature state (for example, -40°C) by low-temperature inspection, from the measurement unit 14 into the wafer storage unit 12a (for example, room temperature 23°C).

[0101] First, the wafer W, immediately after the low-temperature inspection is completed, is removed from the measurement unit 14 by the wafer holding arm 16b and stored in the housing 16a. This is performed in the reverse order of wafer transport operation example 3 described above. At the same time, the environment inside the housing 16a is controlled to match the environment of the destination wafer storage unit 12a (here, room temperature of 23°C). Specifically, a gas whose temperature or humidity has been adjusted by a temperature-controlled gas supply source (for example, dry air or nitrogen adjusted to 15°C) is supplied into the housing 16a, and an air curtain is formed by spraying air from an air injection port to close the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a. As a result, the inside of the housing 16a is sealed or nearly sealed. Note that the target temperature adjusted by the temperature-controlled gas supply source is not limited to 15°C, but can be an appropriate temperature considering the distance and time it takes for the wafer W to be transported from the measurement unit 14 to the destination wafer storage unit 12a, the temperature in the destination wafer storage unit 12a, etc. Immediately after the low-temperature inspection is completed, the wafer W is held by the wafer holding arm 16b and taken out of the measuring unit 14 by passing through the opening 16f, which is closed by an air curtain, and stored in the housing 16a. At this time, the wafer W is heated by the air curtain blown onto it and further heated by the gas supplied into the housing 16a. This prevents condensation from occurring on the wafer W during its transfer.

[0102] Next, 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 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 wafer storage section 12a. During this time, the wafer W stored in the transport unit 16 is continuously heated by the gas supplied to the housing 16a (a sealed or nearly sealed space). This prevents condensation from forming on the wafer W as it is being transported to the wafer storage section 12a.

[0103] Thus, by closing the opening 16f with an air curtain instead of a physical door or shutter as in conventional technology, the same effects as in wafer transport operation example 1 can be achieved.

[0104] Next, the wafer holding arm 16b is extended into the wafer storage section 12a, returning the wafer W to the wafer storage section 12a.

[0105] In this way, by controlling the environment inside the transport unit 16 (heating the wafer) during the time it takes to transport the wafer from the measurement unit 14 to the destination wafer storage unit 12a, and reducing the temperature difference with the destination wafer storage unit 12a, the waiting time required to bring the wafer closer to room temperature in the measurement unit 14 can be eliminated (or shortened) compared to conventional technology, and the wafer after low-temperature inspection can be immediately removed from the measurement unit 14 and returned to the wafer storage unit 12a. This improves the throughput in the measurement unit 14. In addition, it becomes possible to create a temperature environment that prevents condensation from occurring on the wafer before it is transported into the wafer storage unit 12a.

[0106] <Wafer transport operation example 5> Next, an example of operation will be described when the transport unit 16 transports the wafer W from the wafer storage section 12a (for example, at room temperature of 23°C) into the measurement section 14 where inspection is performed under a predetermined gas atmosphere (for example, nitrogen gas).

[0107] First, the transport unit 16 is moved to a position where it can access the wafer storage section 12a (a position where the wafer 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.

[0108] 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. At the same time, the environment inside the housing 16a is controlled to match the environment of the measurement section 14 at the transport destination (in this case, inspection under a predetermined gas atmosphere (e.g., nitrogen gas)). Specifically, a gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) to prevent oxidation of wiring (especially copper wiring) and probes on the probe card exposed on the wafer surface is supplied into the housing 16a, and an air curtain is formed by spraying from the 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.

[0109] 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 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 destination. During this time, an antioxidant gas is continuously supplied to the inside of the transport unit 16 (a sealed or nearly sealed space). This prevents the wafer W from oxidizing while it is being transported to the measurement unit 14 at the destination. Note that an antioxidant gas is also supplied to the measurement unit 14 at the destination by a well-known means.

[0110] Next, the wafer holding arm 16b is moved into the measuring section 14 through the opening 16f on the transport unit 16 side and the opening 14a on the measuring section 14 side, where an air curtain is formed, and the wafer W is loaded into the wafer chuck 18. The wafer holding arm 16b moves into the measuring section 14 while holding the wafer W, passing through the opening 16f which is closed by the air curtain. At this time, oxidation of the wafer W is prevented by the action of the air curtain.

[0111] Thus, by closing the opening 16f with an air curtain instead of a physical door or shutter as in conventional technology, the same effects as in wafer transport operation example 1 can be achieved.

[0112] The loaded wafer W is held in the wafer chuck 18 by vacuum suction. The alignment device 38 moves in the XYZ-θ directions 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 an electrical characteristic test of the wafer W via the test head. The test is performed in an environment where an anti-oxidation gas is supplied.

[0113] In this way, from the time the wafer is transported from the wafer storage section 12a to the measurement section 14, the wafer is placed in the same environment as the measurement section 14, where inspection is performed under a predetermined gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) atmosphere. This prevents the wiring (especially copper wiring) exposed on the wafer surface from oxidizing during transport and delivery.

[0114] Furthermore, this operation example 5 can also be performed in combination with the wafer transport operation examples 1 to 4 described above.

[0115] <Probe card transport operation example 1> 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 (for example, at room temperature of 23°C) into the measurement section 14 where high-temperature testing (for example, testing temperature of 80°C) is performed.

[0116] 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.

[0117] 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 destination measurement section 14 (in this case, the 80°C high-temperature inspection performed inside the measurement section 14). Specifically, a gas whose temperature has been adjusted by a temperature-controlled gas supply source (for example, dry air or nitrogen adjusted to 60°C) 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. Note that the target temperature adjusted by the temperature-controlled gas supply source is not limited to 60°C, but can be an appropriate temperature considering the distance and time it takes for the probe card PC to be transported from the probe card storage section 12b to the destination measurement section 14, the inspection temperature at the destination measurement section 14, etc.

[0118] 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. During this time, the probe card PC housed inside the transport unit 16 is continuously heated by the gas supplied to the housing 16a (a sealed or nearly sealed space).

[0119] Next, the probe card holding arm 16c is advanced into the measurement section 14 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 (see Figure 7(a)). The probe card holding arm 16c advances into the measurement section 14 by passing through the opening 16f, which is closed by the air curtain, while holding the probe card PC. At this time, the probe card PC is further heated by the air curtain blown onto it.

[0120] Thus, by closing the opening 16f with an air curtain instead of a physical door or shutter as in conventional technology, the same effects as in wafer transport operation example 1 can be achieved.

[0121] 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 heated to the target temperature (in this case, the inspection temperature of 80°C), 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 this Z-axis rising holding portion 40a. 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. During this time, the probe card PC is heated by the radiant heat of the wafer chuck 18 below it.

[0122] Next, the alignment apparatus 38, which holds the probe card PC and the wafer chuck 18 heated to the target temperature (in this case, the inspection temperature of 80°C), is moved to the preheat position P2 (see Figure 7(b)). During this time, the probe card PC is also heated by the radiant heat from the wafer chuck 18 below it.

[0123] 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 heated to the target temperature (in this case, the inspection temperature of 80°C), moved to the preheating 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. Once transported to the first probe card holding mechanism 36, the probe card PC is detachably held by the first probe card holding mechanism 36. During this time, the probe card PC is also heated by the radiant heat from the wafer chuck 18 below it.

[0124] As described above, the probe card PC is not only heated within the transport unit 16, but is also continuously and seamlessly heated (preheated) by the radiant heat of the wafer chuck 18 from the time it is handed over from the probe card holding arm 16c until it is held in the first probe card holding mechanism 36.

[0125] As a result, even if it takes 10 to several tens of seconds for the probe card PC, which has been heated in the transport unit 16, to be handed over from the probe card holding arm 16c and held in the first probe card holding mechanism 36, the temperature of the probe card PC will not decrease during this process, and the preheated probe card PC can be held in the first probe card holding mechanism 36.

[0126] In this way, by controlling the environment inside the transport unit 16 (heating the probe card) during the time it takes to transport the probe card from the probe card storage unit 12b to the destination measurement unit 14, the difference between the transport unit's temperature and the inspection temperature at the destination measurement unit 14 can be reduced. Compared to conventional technology, the waiting time required to bring the probe card closer to the inspection temperature (preheating) within the destination measurement unit 14 can be shortened (or eliminated). This improves the throughput at the measurement unit 14.

[0127] <Probe card transport operation example 2> Next, we will describe an example of operation when the transport unit 16 transports the probe card PC, which has reached a high temperature (for example, 80°C) due to high-temperature inspection, from the measurement unit 14 to the probe card storage unit 12b (for example, room temperature 23°C).

[0128] First, the probe card PC, immediately after the high-temperature inspection is completed, is removed from the measurement unit 14 by the probe card holding arm 16c and stored in the housing 16a. This is performed in the reverse order of the probe card transport operation example 1 described above. At the same time, the environment inside the housing 16a is controlled to match the environment of the destination probe card storage unit 12b (here, room temperature of 23°C). Specifically, a gas whose temperature has been adjusted by a temperature-controlled gas supply source (for example, dry air or nitrogen adjusted to 40°C) 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. Note that the target temperature adjusted by the temperature-controlled gas supply source is not limited to 40°C, but can be an appropriate temperature considering the distance and time it takes for the probe card PC to be transported from the measurement unit 14 to the destination probe card storage unit 12b, the temperature at the destination probe card storage unit 12b, etc. Immediately after the high-temperature test is completed, the probe card PC, held by the probe card holding arm 16c, is retrieved from the measurement unit 14 by passing through the opening 16f, which is closed by an air curtain, and is stored inside the housing 16a. At this time, the probe card PC is cooled by the air curtain blown onto it and further cooled by the gas supplied into the housing 16a.

[0129] Next, the transport unit 16 is moved to a position where it can access the probe card storage section 12b 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 probe card storage section 12b at the destination. During this time, the probe card PC stored inside the transport unit 16 is continuously cooled by the gas supplied to the housing 16a (a sealed or nearly sealed space).

[0130] Thus, by closing the opening 16f with an air curtain instead of a physical door or shutter as in conventional technology, the same effects as in wafer transport operation example 1 can be achieved.

[0131] Next, the probe card holding arm 16c is extended into the probe card storage section 12b, and the probe card PC is returned to the probe card storage section 12b.

[0132] In this way, by controlling the environment inside the transport unit 16 (cooling the probe card) during the time it takes to transport the probe card from the measurement unit 14 to the destination probe card storage unit 12b, and reducing the temperature difference with the destination probe card storage unit 12b, the waiting time required to bring the probe card closer to room temperature in the measurement unit 14 can be eliminated (or shortened) compared to conventional technology. After the high-temperature inspection is completed, the probe card can be immediately removed from the measurement unit 14 and returned to the probe card storage unit 12b. This improves the throughput in the measurement unit 14. In addition, the waiting time from when the probe card is stored until the operator retrieves the probe card can be eliminated (or shortened).

[0133] <Probe card transport operation example 3> 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 (for example, at room temperature of 23°C) into the measurement section 14 where low-temperature testing (for example, testing temperature of -10°C) is performed.

[0134] First, the transport unit 16 is moved to a position where it can access the probe card storage section 12b (a position where the probe card 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 probe card storage section 12b.

[0135] 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 section 14 at the destination (in this case, a low-temperature inspection at -10°C performed in the measurement section 14). Specifically, a gas whose temperature or humidity has been adjusted by a temperature-controlled gas supply source (for example, dry air or nitrogen adjusted to -15°C) 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. Note that the target temperature adjusted by the temperature-controlled gas supply source is not limited to -15°C, but can be an appropriate temperature considering the distance and time it takes for the probe card PC to be transported from the probe card storage section 12b to the measurement section 14 at the destination, the inspection temperature at the measurement section 14 at the destination, etc.

[0136] 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. During this time, the probe card PC housed in the transport unit 16 is continuously cooled and dried by the gas supplied to the housing 16a (a sealed or nearly sealed space). This prevents condensation from forming on the probe card PC while it is being transported to the measurement unit 14 at the destination.

[0137] Next, the probe card holding arm 16c is advanced into the measurement section 14 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 (see Figure 7(a)). The probe card holding arm 16c advances into the measurement section 14 by passing through the opening 16f, which is closed by the air curtain, while holding the probe card PC. At this time, the probe card PC is further cooled and dried by the air curtain blown onto it. This prevents condensation from forming on the probe card PC when it is handed over.

[0138] Thus, by closing the opening 16f with an air curtain instead of a physical door or shutter as in conventional technology, the same effects as in wafer transport operation example 1 can be achieved.

[0139] 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 cooled to the target temperature (in this case, the inspection temperature -10°C), 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. During this time, the probe card PC is cooled by the wafer chuck 18 below it.

[0140] Next, the alignment device 38, holding the probe card PC and the wafer chuck 18 cooled to the target temperature (in this case, the inspection temperature -10°C), is moved to position P2 (see Figure 7(b)). During this time, the probe card PC is cooled by the wafer chuck 18 below it.

[0141] 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 cooled to the target temperature (in this case, the inspection temperature -10°C), 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. Once transported to the first probe card holding mechanism 36, the probe card PC is detachably held by the first probe card holding mechanism 36. During this time, the probe card PC is also cooled by the wafer chuck 18 below it.

[0142] As described above, the probe card PC is not only cooled within the transport unit 16, but is also continuously cooled seamlessly by the wafer chuck 18 from the time it is handed over from the probe card holding arm 16c until it is held in the first probe card holding mechanism 36.

[0143] As a result, even if it takes 10 to several tens of seconds for the probe card PC, which has been cooled in the transport unit 16, to be handed over from the probe card holding arm 16c and held in the first probe card holding mechanism 36, the temperature of the probe card PC will not rise during this time, and the cooled probe card PC can be held in the first probe card holding mechanism 36. In addition, a gas with a dew point that does not condense at the cooling temperature of the wafer and probe card (for example, dry air at 20°C) is supplied to the measurement unit 14 at the transport destination by known means.

[0144] In this way, by using the time it takes to transport the probe card from the probe card storage unit 12b to the destination measurement unit 14 to control the environment inside the transport unit 16 (cooling the wafer) and reduce the difference with the inspection temperature of the destination measurement unit 14, the waiting time required to bring the probe card closer to the inspection temperature inside the destination measurement unit 14 can be shortened (or eliminated) compared to conventional technology. This improves the throughput at the measurement unit 14.

[0145] <Probe card transport operation example 4> Next, we will describe an example of operation when the transport unit 16 transports the probe card PC, which has been brought to a low temperature state (for example, -40°C) by the low-temperature inspection, from the measurement unit 14 into the probe card storage unit 12b (for example, room temperature 23°C).

[0146] First, the probe card PC, immediately after the low-temperature test has been completed, is removed from the measurement unit 14 by the probe card holding arm 16c and stored in the housing 16a. This is performed in the reverse order of the probe card transport operation example 3 described above. At the same time, the environment inside the housing 16a is controlled to match the environment of the destination probe card storage unit 12b (here, room temperature of 23°C). Specifically, a gas whose temperature or humidity has been adjusted by a temperature-controlled gas supply source (for example, dry air or nitrogen adjusted to 15°C) 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. Note that the target temperature adjusted by the temperature-controlled gas supply source is not limited to 15°C, but can be an appropriate temperature considering the distance and time it takes for the probe card PC to be transported from the measurement unit 14 to the destination probe card storage unit 12b, the temperature at the destination probe card storage unit 12b, etc. Immediately after the low-temperature test is completed, the probe card PC is held by the probe card holding arm 16c and retrieved from the measurement unit 14 by passing through the opening 16f, which is closed by an air curtain, and stored in the housing 16a. At this time, the probe card PC is heated by the air curtain blown onto it and further heated by the gas supplied into the housing 16a. This prevents condensation from forming on the probe card PC during its transfer.

[0147] Next, the transport unit 16 is moved to a position where it can access the probe card storage section 12b 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 probe card storage section 12b at the destination. During this time, the probe card PC stored inside the transport unit 16 is continuously heated by the gas supplied to the housing 16a (a sealed or nearly sealed space). This prevents condensation from forming on the probe card PC as it is being transported to the probe card storage section 12b.

[0148] Thus, by closing the opening 16f with an air curtain instead of a physical door or shutter as in conventional technology, the same effects as in wafer transport operation example 1 can be achieved.

[0149] Next, the probe card holding arm 16c is extended into the probe card storage section 12b, and the probe card PC is returned to the probe card storage section 12b.

[0150] In this way, by controlling the environment inside the transport unit 16 (heating the probe card) during the time it takes to transport the probe card from the measurement unit 14 to the destination probe card storage unit 12b, and reducing the temperature difference with the destination probe card storage unit 12b, the waiting time required to bring the probe card closer to room temperature in the measurement unit 14 can be eliminated (or shortened) compared to conventional technology. After the low-temperature test is completed, the probe card can be immediately removed from the measurement unit 14 and returned to the probe card storage unit 12b. This improves the throughput in the measurement unit 14. In addition, it becomes possible to create a temperature environment that prevents condensation from occurring on the probe card before it is transported into the probe card storage unit 12b.

[0151] <Probe card transport operation example 5> 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 (for example, at room temperature of 23°C) into the measurement section 14 where the inspection is performed under a predetermined gas atmosphere (for example, nitrogen gas).

[0152] First, the transport unit 16 is moved to a position where it can access the probe card storage section 12b (a position where the probe card 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 probe card storage section 12b.

[0153] 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 section 14 to which the probes are transported (in this case, inspection under a predetermined gas atmosphere (e.g., nitrogen gas)). Specifically, a gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) to prevent oxidation of wiring (especially copper wiring) exposed on the wafer surface and the probes on the probe card is supplied into the housing 16a, and an air curtain is formed by spraying air from the air injection port to close the opening 16f formed in the housing 16a. As a result, the inside of the housing 16a is sealed or nearly sealed.

[0154] 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. During this time, an antioxidant gas is continuously supplied to the inside of the transport unit 16 (a sealed or nearly sealed space). This prevents the probe card PC from oxidizing while it is being transported to the measurement unit 14 at the destination. Note that an antioxidant gas is also supplied to the measurement unit 14 at the destination by a well-known means.

[0155] Next, the probe card holding arm 16c is advanced into the measurement section 14 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. The probe card holding arm 16c advances into the measurement section 14 by passing through the opening 16f, which is closed by the air curtain, while holding the probe card PC. At this time, oxidation of the probe card PC is prevented by the action of the air curtain.

[0156] Thus, by closing the opening 16f with an air curtain instead of a physical door or shutter as in conventional technology, the same effects as in wafer transport operation example 1 can be achieved.

[0157] Thereafter, the probe card PC is transported to the first probe card holding mechanism 36 using the same procedure as in the probe card transport operation examples 1 and 3 described above, and is detachably held by the first probe card holding mechanism 36.

[0158] In this way, even while the probe card is being transported from the probe card storage unit 12b to the measurement unit 14, the probe card is kept in the same environment as the measurement unit 14, where the inspection is performed under a predetermined gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) atmosphere. This prevents the probe on the probe card from oxidizing during transport and handover.

[0159] Furthermore, this operation example 5 can also be performed in combination with the probe card transport operation examples 1 to 4 described above.

[0160] As described above, according to this embodiment, a prober 10 equipped with a transport unit 16 that moves between a transport object storage unit 12 and a plurality of measurement units 14 to transport transport objects (for example, at least one of wafers and probe cards) to the transport object storage unit 12 or each measurement unit 14 can be provided that can improve throughput at each measurement unit 14.

[0161] This is because the environment inside the transport unit 16 (housing 16a) (e.g., temperature and humidity) is controlled using the time it takes to transport the transported object to the destination (measurement unit 14 or transported object storage unit 12), and as a result, the waiting time required to bring the transported object to a predetermined temperature (e.g., inspection temperature or room temperature) within each measurement unit can be shortened (or eliminated) compared to conventional technology.

[0162] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, instead of controlling the environment of the entire prober 10, the environment within the housing 16a, which is smaller than the entire prober 10, is controlled. In other words, the environment within the housing 16a is controlled locally, so energy savings can be achieved compared to when the environment of the entire prober 10 is controlled. In addition, the amount of gas (dry air or nitrogen gas) supplied into the housing 16a can be reduced.

[0163] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the installation area of ​​the prober 10 can be minimized. In addition, the time it takes for the transport unit 16 to access the transported object storage section 12 or each measuring section 14 can be minimized.

[0164] This is because 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., opposite each other), and the transport unit 16 is positioned between the transported material storage section 12 and each measuring section 14.

[0165] Next, other embodiments of the transport unit 16 will be described.

[0166] Figure 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the transport unit 16 in another embodiment. Note that parts that have already been described in Figure 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0167] The transport unit 16 shown in Figure 8 has an environmental control means 16d and an air curtain forming means 42 provided separately. By providing the environmental control means 16d and the air curtain forming means 42 separately (independently), the environmental control means 16d and the air curtain forming means 42 can be operated independently. For example, the environmental control means 16d can be operated independently to control the environment inside the housing 16a with hot air, and the air curtain forming means 42 can be operated independently to close the opening 16f with cold air. Furthermore, when the environmental control means 16d and the air curtain forming means 42 are provided separately, the environmental control means 16d can be provided on the upper surface inside the housing 16a, allowing the environmental control means 16d to efficiently control the environment inside the housing 16a. Furthermore, if the environmental control means 16d and the air curtain forming means 42 are provided separately, by providing the environmental control means 16d at approximately the center of the upper surface of the housing 16a, the environmental control means 16d can control the environment inside the housing 16a more efficiently. Here, "approximately the center" means that it does not have to be the exact center, but rather it is sufficient to be near the center or close to the center.

[0168] Next, I will explain some variations.

[0169] In this embodiment, a configuration is illustrated in which each arm 16b, 16c of the transport unit 16 moves in and out through an opening 16f formed in the housing 16a. However, the configuration is not limited to this. 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.

[0170] 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.

[0171] 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.

[0172] Furthermore, although this embodiment illustrates a configuration using a wafer holding arm 16b and a probe card holding arm 16c, the invention is not limited to this configuration, and only the wafer holding arm 16b or only the probe card holding arm 16c may be used.

[0173] 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.

[0174] 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.

[0175] As explained above, the idea of ​​controlling the environment inside the transport unit (housing) to match the environment of the destination (measurement unit or transported object storage unit) by utilizing the time it takes to transport the transported object to the destination (measurement unit or transported object storage unit) can be applied not only to the prober of the above embodiment, but also to any type of transport unit (for example, the self-propelled chassis described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-343497) that moves between the transported object storage unit and multiple measurement units to transport the transported object into the transported object storage unit or into the multiple measurement units.

[0176] 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]

[0177] 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, CH…Card holder, PC…Probe card, W…Wafer

Claims

[Claim 1] A transportable object storage section for storing transported objects, Multiple measuring units having an environment different from that of the transported material storage unit, and positioned opposite the transported material storage unit at a predetermined distance, The system includes a transport unit that transports the transported object between the transported object storage section and the measuring section, The transport unit has environmental control means for controlling the transport environment of the transported object, The environmental control means controls the transport environment of the transported object so that, when transporting the transported object from the measuring unit to the transported object storage unit, the transport environment of the transported object approaches the environment of the transported object storage unit. Prova.

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