Prober and wafer test system

Abstract

This prober comprises: a prober main body for inspecting a semiconductor chip; a load port part on which is placed a cassette accommodating a plurality of semiconductor wafers, and for which are set a docking position where a semiconductor wafer can be loaded and unloaded between the cassette and the prober main body, and an undocking position where the cassette is transferred to a conveyance device that is disposed above and moves on a line; and an adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the undocking position to a position allowing for transfer of the cassette by the conveyance device in a situation where the prober main body is installed such that a probe card can be transferred by the conveyance device at a preset replacement position.

Description

Prober and Wafer Test System

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a prober and a wafer test system.

[0002] Japanese Patent No. 7539624 discloses a system that automatically transports a cassette having a mechanism for holding a wafer when automatically transporting a probe card without an operator, that is, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) and a probe card, using the same overhead traveling automatic guided vehicle.

[0003] In the system described in Japanese Patent No. 7539624, in order to transport a probe card by an overhead traveling automatic guided vehicle, it is necessary to pull out the probe card to a position that does not cover the test head or the prober main body. However, since probe cards differ in size and shape depending on the tester, the aforementioned position differs for each probe card, which may not match the transport line of the overhead traveling automatic guided vehicle. Additionally, attempting to change the transport line of the overhead traveling automatic guided vehicle increases facility costs.

[0004] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present disclosure is to easily obtain a prober and a wafer test system that can automate the transport of both probe cards of various shapes and cassettes accommodating semiconductor wafers while suppressing an increase in facility costs.

[0005] A prober according to a first aspect comprises: a prober main body that inspects a plurality of semiconductor chips formed on a semiconductor wafer by bringing probe needles of a probe card into contact with the semiconductor chips; a load port portion on which a cassette accommodating the plurality of semiconductor wafers is placed, wherein a docking position where the semiconductor wafer can be loaded and unloaded between the cassette and the prober main body, and an undocking position where the cassette is delivered to a transport device that is disposed above and moves on a line are set; and an adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the undocking position to a position where the cassette can be delivered by the transport device when the prober main body is installed such that the probe card can be delivered to and from the transport device at a preset replacement position.

[0006] A wafer test system according to a second embodiment includes the prober of the present disclosure and the transport device.

[0007] The prober and wafer testing system described herein has the excellent effect of easily automating the transport of both probe cards of various shapes and cassettes containing semiconductor wafers, while suppressing increases in equipment costs.

[0008] This is a schematic diagram showing a wafer test system according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. This is a schematic plan view showing a transport mechanism according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. This is a schematic side view showing a part of the transport mechanism in Figure 2. This is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a prober according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. This is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the adjustment mechanism in the prober according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. This is a side cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the inspection unit and the extraction mechanism. This is a side view showing the schematic configuration of the extraction mechanism. This is a schematic top view showing a load port unit mounted on the prober according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. This is a schematic top view showing a modified example of the load port unit in Figure 8. This is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the prober according to the second embodiment of this disclosure before un-docking position adjustment. This is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the prober according to the second embodiment of this disclosure after un-docking position adjustment. This is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the prober according to the third embodiment of this disclosure. This is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the prober according to the fourth embodiment of this disclosure. This is a schematic perspective view showing the load port unit and loader unit in Figure 13. This is a schematic perspective view showing the robot unit in Figure 14.

[0009] <First Embodiment> A wafer test system 1 equipped with a prober 10 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the figures.

[0010] (Wafer Test System 1) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a wafer test system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The wafer test system 1 automatically inspects the electrical characteristics of each semiconductor chip (hereinafter referred to as a chip; not shown) formed on a semiconductor wafer W using a prober 10 described later. The wafer test system 1 also automatically replaces the probe card 34 of the prober 10 and the cassette CS that houses the semiconductor wafer W.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the wafer test system 1 comprises one or more probers 10, a transport mechanism 20, and a GEM (Generic Model For Communications and Control Of Manufacturing Equipment) computer, which is a GEM host 60. The one or more probers 10, the transport mechanism 20, and the GEM host 60 are each connected to one another via a known network 62.

[0012] (Transportation Mechanism 20) Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing a transport mechanism 20 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the transport mechanism 20 is capable of transporting probe cards 34 and cassette CS between one or more probers 10 and a predetermined storage area 50. The transport mechanism 20 includes one or more transport rails 22, one or more overhead-traveling unmanned transport vehicles (OHTs) 24, and a GEM host 60. In this disclosure, the OHT 24 corresponds to a transport device. In this disclosure, the GEM host 60 controls various transport operations.

[0013] Each transport rail 22 extends in any direction in accordance with the manufacturing process on the ceiling of the manufacturing process where semiconductor manufacturing takes place. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2 as an example, each transport rail 22 extends in the X direction and is provided in multiple rows in the Y direction on the ceiling of the manufacturing process. That is, a transport rail 22 is provided for each row of probers 10 arranged in multiple rows in the X direction.

[0014] Specifically, the transport rail 22 is installed on the ceiling so that, when viewed from above in the Z direction, i.e., in a top view, it corresponds to the probe card 34 mounted on each prober 10 in each row of probers 10. In other words, the probers 10 are installed so that the probe card 34 corresponds to the transport rail 22. In this embodiment, as an example, the prober 10 is positioned such that, in a top view, the center C1 of the probe card 34 of the prober 10 coincides with a position Y1 in the Y direction of the transport rail 22. That is, this position Y1 becomes the replacement position Y1 for the probe card 34. However, in a transport mechanism in which, for example, the OHT 24 is mounted at a position offset from the transport rail 22 in a top view, the transport rail 22 and the probe card 34 do not need to strictly coincide in a top view. That is, when the lifting and lowering holding part 24A of the OHT 24, which runs along the transport rail 22, is lowered, it is sufficient that the lifting and lowering holding part 24A can move to a position directly above the probe card 34.

[0015] One end of each transport rail 22 is connected to a storage area 50. As shown in Figure 1, this storage area 50 stores multiple cassettes CS containing multiple semiconductor wafers W before inspection, as well as multiple probe cards 34 of various types corresponding to the semiconductor chip types of the semiconductor wafers W. Note that the storage area 50 where the cassettes CS are stored and the storage area 50 where the probe cards 34 are stored may be located in different places.

[0016] Each OHT 24 is provided on each transport rail 22 and moves along the line of the transport rail 22. Specifically, the OHT 24 travels along the transport rail 22. In this embodiment, each OHT 24 is movable in the X direction. This allows the OHT 24 to move to a position directly above (including approximately directly above) the probe card 34 mounted on each prober 10. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, each OHT 24 is equipped with a lifting and lowering holding part 24A that is movable up and down in the Z direction (vertical direction) and whose position in the Y direction can be finely adjusted.

[0017] Figure 3 is a schematic side view illustrating the transport mechanism 20 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In Figure 3, the left figure shows the state in which the lifting and lowering holding unit 24A is raised, and the right figure shows the state in which the lifting and lowering holding unit 24A is lowered. The lifting and lowering holding unit 24A performs a retrieval process for each of the multiple probers 10, which involves retrieving the probe card 34 before replacement and transporting it to the storage area 50, and a loading process, which involves transporting a new probe card 34 from the storage area 50 to the replacement position before the mounting process. At this time, as shown in Figure 3, the OHT 24 holds or releases the probe card 34 by lowering the lifting and lowering holding unit 24A from the raised position shown in the left figure to the lowered position shown in the right figure.

[0018] Furthermore, the transport mechanism 20 not only handles the probe card 34 but also the retrieval and loading of the cassette CS containing the semiconductor wafer W. The retrieval and transport processes for the cassette CS will be explained in detail later.

[0019] (Probe 10) Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the probe 10 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 5 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the probe 10 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In the figures, of the mutually orthogonal XYZ directions, the XY direction is the horizontal direction and the Z direction is the vertical direction. Also, in Figure 4, the tester 36 and the slewing device 41 for slewing the tester 36 are not shown. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the probe 10 comprises a probe body 11, a loader section 12 adjacent to the probe body 11 in the X direction, and a load port section 13 adjacent to the loader section 12 in the Y direction. The load port section 13 is located on the front side of the loader section 12 in the X direction.

[0020] As shown in Figure 4, the prober body 11 comprises an inspection unit 30 disposed inside and a housing 14 that houses the inspection unit 30. The housing 14 has an openable and closable door 14A on the upper front side in the Y direction. The prober body 11 also has a pull-out mechanism 15 that allows the probe card 34 to be pulled out to the replacement position Y1 (see Figures 1 and 5). Since the detailed configuration of the prober 10 is publicly known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-104175), only a partial description of the prober 10's configuration will be given here.

[0021] Figure 6 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of the inspection unit 30 and the extraction mechanism 15. As shown in Figure 6, the inspection unit 30 includes a probe card 34 having probe needles 32 that contact the electrodes of the chip to be inspected, a tester 36, and a wafer chuck 38. The tester 36 has a test head 40 and an interface 42 that electrically connects the terminals of the test head 40 and the terminals of the probe card 34.

[0022] As shown in Figure 5, a swivel device 41 is connected to the tester 36, and as shown in Figure 6, the tester 36 is moved to or from directly above the probe card 34 by this swivel device 41. In this embodiment, the swivel device 41, as an example, is provided with a swivel shaft 41A that is disposed adjacent to the prober body 11 in the X-axis direction and extends in the Y-direction, and the tester 36 is rotated around this swivel shaft 41A. Note that known technologies using a motor or the like can be used for the swivel device 41.

[0023] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the tester 36 is moved directly above the probe card 34 by the swivel device 41 and supplies power and various test signals to multiple chips formed on the semiconductor wafer W from terminals connected to the probe needle 32 via the interface 42. The tester 36 analyzes the signals output to the electrodes of the chips to confirm whether the chips are functioning correctly.

[0024] The probe card 34 is detachably held in a probe card mounting portion 14C, which is formed by an opening in the head stage 14B, as shown in Figure 4. Specifically, the probe card mounting portion 14C detachably holds the probe card 34 via a card holder 35 that holds the outer circumference of the probe card 34, as shown in Figure 6.

[0025] As shown in Figure 6, the probe card 34 has multiple probe needles 32 formed on its lower surface, that is, the surface facing the wafer chuck 38. The probe card 34 also has a held portion 34A on its upper surface, that is, the surface facing the tester 36, which is held by the lifting and lowering holding portion 24A (see Figure 3) of the OHT 24 that constitutes the transport mechanism 20 described later.

[0026] The wafer chuck 38 is placed on the base 16 and positioned below the probe card 34, facing the probe card 34. The wafer chuck 38 has a holding surface 44 formed on its upper surface for holding the semiconductor wafer W. The holding surface 44 holds the semiconductor wafer W by various holding methods such as vacuum suction. Inside the wafer chuck 38, there is a temperature control unit (not shown) for adjusting the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W.

[0027] Furthermore, a chuck movement mechanism 46 is connected to the wafer chuck 38, and the chuck movement mechanism 46 is composed of a known actuator such as a motor. This chuck movement mechanism 46 makes it possible to move the wafer chuck 38 in the XYZθ direction. Here, the θ direction is the direction around an axis parallel to the Z direction. This makes it possible to move the semiconductor wafer W held on the holding surface 44 of the wafer chuck 38 and the probe needle 32 relative to each other in the XYZθ direction.

[0028] In the inspection of the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor wafer W (wafer-level inspection) performed using the inspection unit 30 configured in this way, first, the semiconductor wafer W before inspection is placed on the holding surface 44 of the wafer chuck 38 and held. Then, using an alignment camera (not shown) and a needle position detection camera, the relative position (alignment) of the electrodes of the semiconductor wafer W and the probe needles 32 of the probe card 34 is performed. After that, the wafer chuck 38 is moved upward toward the probe card 34 by the chuck movement mechanism 46, and the electrodes of the chips of the semiconductor wafer W are brought into contact with the probe needles 32 of the probe card 34. In this state, power and various test signals are supplied from the tester 36 to the probe needles 32, and the electrical characteristics are inspected by detecting the signals output from the chips.

[0029] In the inspection unit 30 configured in this way, the probe cards 34 used for inspecting chips are replaced, for example, depending on the type of chip, or after a predetermined number of inspections. In the wafer test system 1 of this embodiment, the probe cards 34 are replaced automatically using the chuck movement mechanism 46 described above, the extraction mechanism 15 described later, and the transport mechanism 20. The term "replacement of probe cards 34" here includes the case where a new probe card 34 is attached to the prober 10 when no probe card 34 is attached to the prober 10, and the case where an old probe card 34 already held in the probe card mounting section 14C is replaced with a new probe card 34.

[0030] As shown in Figure 6, the extraction mechanism 15 is mounted on a base 16 and is movable in the Y direction. For example, the extraction mechanism 15 has a connecting portion 15A on the lower part of the surface facing the wafer chuck 38. The extraction mechanism 15 is connected to a connecting portion 38A of the wafer chuck 38, which is located opposite the connecting portion 15A, and is therefore movable in the Y direction together with the wafer chuck 38 by the chuck moving mechanism 46. For example, the connecting portion 38A is housed inside the wafer chuck 38 except when the probe card 34 is being replaced, and protrudes from the side of the wafer chuck 38 in the Y direction and connects to the extraction mechanism 15 when the probe card 34 is being replaced. Alternatively, the wafer chuck 38 and the extraction mechanism 15 may always be moved together without the connecting portion 38A. Alternatively, a mechanism for moving the extraction mechanism 15 separately from the chuck moving mechanism 46 may be provided.

[0031] The extraction mechanism 15, together with the chuck movement mechanism 46, performs a separation process to pull the card holder 35 and the probe card 34 before replacement from the "holding position" to the "replacement position" as a single unit when the probe card 34 is replaced, and a mounting process to transport the card holder 35 and the new probe card 34 from the "replacement position" to the "holding position" as a single unit. Here, the "holding position" is the position where the probe card 34 and the card holder 35 are held by the probe card mounting portion 14C. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the holding position Y2 is the position in the Y direction of the center C2 of the probe card mounting portion 14C.

[0032] Furthermore, the "exchange position" is the exchange position Y1 described above, which is the position in the prober 10 where the probe card 34 is replaced, or more specifically, the position where the probe card 34 can be retrieved and transported by the OHT 24 (see Figure 1), which will be described later. In this embodiment, as described above, the exchange position Y1 is set on the line of the transport rail 22.

[0033] The extraction mechanism 15, when the probe card 34 is replaced, connects the connected portion 15A to the wafer chuck 38 via the aforementioned connecting portion 38A, thereby transporting the card holder 35 and the probe card 34 together between the holding position and the replacement position.

[0034] Figure 7 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of the drawer mechanism 15. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the drawer mechanism 15 is equipped with a substantially flat tray 15B capable of holding (supporting) the probe card 34 and the card holder 35. The drawer mechanism 15 holds the tray 15B so that it can be displaced between a reclined state parallel to the XZ plane, as shown in the left view of Figure 7, and an upright state parallel to the XY plane, as shown in the center view of Figure 7. Furthermore, the drawer mechanism 15 holds the tray 15B in the upright state so that it can be raised and lowered in the Z direction, as shown in the right view of Figure 7. The tray 15B has a holding portion (not shown) near its center that holds the outer periphery of the card holder 35, and in the upright state of the tray 15B, the card holder 35 is held by the holding portion. As a result, the tray 15B holds the probe card 34 and the card holder 35 together.

[0035] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the tray 15B holding the probe card 34 via the card holder 35 is pulled out and retracted between the holding position and the replacement position. In this embodiment, as an example, as shown in Figure 5, the prober 10 is installed such that the center C1 of the probe card 34 held in the tray 15B pulled out by the pull-out mechanism 15 is located at the replacement position Y1.

[0036] Next, the loader unit 12 will be described. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the loader unit 12 is adjacent to the prober body 11 in the X direction. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the loader unit 12 is positioned behind the tray 15B that has been pulled out to the replacement position Y1. The loader unit 12 is equipped with a transport arm 12A inside.

[0037] The transport arm 12A loads and unloads the semiconductor wafer W, which is housed in the cassette CS, between the cassette CS and the prober body 11 at the docking position D1 of the load port section 13 (described later). The transport arm 12A is configured to be movable in the XYZθ directions and can hold the semiconductor wafer W by vacuum suction using, for example, a suction mechanism. The transport arm 12A can utilize known technologies.

[0038] Next, the load port section 13 will be described. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the load port section 13 is adjacent to the front side of the loader section 12 in the Y direction. The load port section 13 is on which a cassette CS for accommodating multiple semiconductor wafers W is placed. Here, the center of the upper surface on which the cassette CS is placed in the load port section 13 is defined as the center C3. The load port section 13 is also configured with a docking position D1 on which semiconductor wafers W can be loaded and unloaded between the cassette CS and the prober body section 11, and an undocking position D2 on which the cassette CS is handed over to the OHT 24 (see Figure 8).

[0039] The docking position D1 is set to a position where the semiconductor wafer W can be attracted and held by the transport arm 12A placed at the docking position D1 and transported to the holding surface 44 (see Figure 6) of the wafer chuck 38 of the prober body 11. The docking position D1 can be freely determined for each prober 10. In this embodiment, as an example, the docking position D1 is set between the exchange position Y1 and the holding position Y2. When the center C3 of the load port section 13 is located at the docking position D1, the semiconductor wafer W can be transported by the transport arm 12A.

[0040] The undocking position D2 is set to a position where the cassette CS can be held when the elevation holding portion 24A of the above-mentioned OHT 24 is lowered. In the present embodiment, the undocking position D2 is set to the exchange position Y1. When the center C3 of the load port portion 13 is located at the undocking position D2, the cassette CS can be transported by the OHT 24.

[0041] As described above, since the OHT 24 moves along the transport rail 22, it is movable in the X direction. However, although the elevation holding portion 24A of the OHT 24 is capable of fine position adjustment in the Y direction, its movable range ΔY has a limit (for example, about ten-odd mm). On the other hand, the probe card 34 used for chip inspection varies in size and shape depending on the type and size of the tester 36. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the center C1 of the probe card 34 differs for each probe card 34.

[0042] For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the probe card 34 mounted on the tray 15B is relatively large, if the prober 10 is installed such that the center C1 of the probe card 34 is located at the exchange position Y1, the center C3 of the load port portion 13 will be located on the rear side in the Y direction relative to the exchange position Y1. In this case, when the elevation holding portion 24A of the OHT 24 is lowered, the elevation holding portion 24A cannot hold the cassette CS mounted on the load port portion 13.

[0043] Therefore, in order to enable the collection processing and carry-in processing by the transport mechanism 20 for both the probe card 34 and the cassette CS, both the position of the center C1 of the probe card 34 set at the exchange position Y1 and the position of the center C3 of the load port portion 21 need to be arrangeable on the line of the transport rail 22.

[0044] Therefore, in the present embodiment, the prober 10 includes an adjustment mechanism 17 capable of adjusting the undocking position D2 set on the load port portion 13 to a position where the cassette CS can be transferred by the OHT 24 when the prober main body portion 11 is installed at a preset exchange position Y1 so that the probe card 34 can be transferred by the OHT 24.

[0045] FIG. 8 is a top view schematically showing the load port unit 13 mounted on the prober 10 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 8, the load port unit 13 includes a main body portion 13A and a rectangular carrier base 13B disposed on an upper surface of the main body portion 13A and having a cassette CS placed thereon. In the present embodiment, the center C3 of the load port unit 13 described above is the center C3 of the carrier base 13B. On the upper surface of the main body portion 13A and below the carrier base 13B, a linear guide 13C constituted by a pair of rails along the Y direction is provided.

[0046] The load port unit 13 is connected to the carrier base 13B by a connecting plate 13D, and includes a driving portion 13E that moves the carrier base 13B along the linear guide 13C. Note that in the present embodiment, the driving portion 13E also serves as the adjustment mechanism 17. The driving portion 13E includes a cylinder 13F as an example, and the cylinder 13F is connected to the connecting plate 13D. The stroke of the cylinder 13F in the Y direction is formed longer than that of a cylinder that moves the carrier base 13B between a docking position and an undocking position in a conventional prober (the movement amount is approximately 80 mm).

[0047] That is, as described above, even when the probe card 34 placed on the tray 15B is relatively large, the cylinder 13F is designed to have such a length that when the prober 10 is installed such that the center C1 (see FIG. 5) of the probe card 34 is located at the replacement position Y1, the center C3 of the carrier base 13B can be positioned at the replacement position Y1. Note that an electromagnetic valve (not shown) is piped to the cylinder 13F, and the driving of the cylinder 13F is controlled by controlling this electromagnetic valve by a control unit described later.

[0048] Three kinematic pins 13G for positioning the cassette CS are provided on the upper surface of the carrier base 13B. Further, in the vicinity of each of the kinematic pins 13G, a presence sensor 13H for detecting the presence of the cassette CS is provided respectively. The presence sensor 13H detects whether or not the cassette CS is correctly placed on the kinematic pins 13G.

[0049] Furthermore, a lock cylinder 13J is provided on the underside of the carrier base 13B. When the load sensor 13H detects that a cassette CS has been placed on the carrier base 13B, the cassette CS is secured by this lock cylinder 13J. With the cassette CS secured by the lock cylinder 13J on it, the carrier base 13B is moved by the drive unit 13E in the Y direction, that is, along the linear guide 13C.

[0050] In this embodiment, since the stroke of the cylinder 13F in the Y direction is longer than that of the cylinder of a conventional prober, as described above, the carrier base 13B can be moved in the Y direction by the drive unit 13E, thereby positioning the center C3 of the carrier base 13B at the exchange position Y1. In other words, the un-docking position D2 can be set to the exchange position Y1.

[0051] In this embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 17 includes a control unit (not shown) that controls the drive unit 13E. This control unit may be mounted on the GEM host 60, for example. The control unit controls the drive unit 13E, thereby controlling the stopping position of the carrier base 13B. Specifically, the control unit controls the drive unit 13E to stop the center C3 of the carrier base 13B at the docking position D1 and the undocking position D2.

[0052] The amount of movement of the carrier base 13B moved by the drive unit 13E, i.e., the position of the undocking position D2, is determined by the size and shape of the probe card 34. Therefore, the amount of movement of the carrier base 13B moved by the drive unit 13E can be specified by the parameters set in the prober 10. Specifically, once the tester 36 to be connected is determined, the size of the probe card 34 is determined, and the amount of movement is set in the prober 10 according to the parameters related to the tester 36. This allows the undocking position D2 to be automatically set according to the tester 36 to be connected. The various parameters can be set by the GEM host 60.

[0053] In the load port section 13 configured as described above, the cassette CS is placed by the OHT 24 at the unloading position D2, and the load sensor 13H detects whether the cassette CS has been placed correctly. When it is detected that the cassette CS has been placed correctly, the lock cylinder 13J fixes the cassette CS in place.

[0054] With the cassette CS, which is fixed by the lock cylinder 13J, placed on the carrier base 13B, the drive unit 13E moves it along the linear guide 13C to the docking position D1. At the docking position D1, the front cover (not shown) of the cassette CS is removed by a door opener (not shown), allowing the semiconductor wafer W contained in the cassette CS to be removed. The semiconductor wafer W is then removed by the transport arm 12A (see Figure 5) and transferred to the wafer chuck 38 (see Figure 6) of the prober body 11. The semiconductor wafer W, placed and held on the holding surface 44 of the wafer chuck 38, is then inspected for electrical characteristics by the inspection unit 30.

[0055] Meanwhile, once the inspection by the inspection unit 30 is complete, the semiconductor wafer W is placed in the cassette CS by the transport arm 12A (see Figure 5). The carrier base 13B, with the cassette CS containing the inspected semiconductor wafer W on top, is moved to the undocking position D2 by the drive unit 13E. The front cover of the cassette CS may be attached at the docking position D1. At the undocking position D2, the lock cylinder 13J releases the cassette CS, and the cassette CS is held by the lifting and holding unit 24A, which is lowered from the OHT 24. The lifting and holding unit 24A rises while holding the cassette CS, and the cassette CS is transported to the storage area 50 by the OHT 24. In this way, the cassette CS is transported.

[0056] (Operation and Effects) Next, the operation and effects of the first embodiment will be described.

[0057] In the prober 10 of the first embodiment, when the prober body 11 is installed at a preset exchange position Y1 so that the probe card 34 can be transferred by the OHT 24, an adjustment mechanism 17 is provided that allows the un-docking position D2 set in the load port 13 to be adjusted to a position where the cassette CS can be transferred by the OHT 24. First, in the prober 10, when the probe card 34 is replaced with a probe card 34 of a different shape, it is necessary to adjust the position of the prober body 11 so that the center C1 of the probe card 34 to be replaced coincides with the exchange position Y1. In this embodiment, when the probe card 34 is replaced with a probe card 34 of a different shape in the prober 10, and the prober body 11 is installed at the exchange position Y1 so that the probe card 34 can be transferred by the OHT 24, the adjustment mechanism 17 allows the un-docking position D2 to be adjusted to a position where the cassette CS can be transferred by the OHT 24.

[0058] Thus, in the prober 10 of the first embodiment, the position of the un-docking position D2 can be adjusted by the adjustment mechanism 17, so that both the probe card 34 and the cassette CS can be transported using the existing transport mechanism 20. Therefore, the replacement of the probe card 34 and the cassette CS can be performed on a line using the existing transport mechanism 20. This makes it possible to automate the transport of both probe cards 34 of various shapes and cassette CS containing semiconductor wafers while suppressing an increase in equipment costs.

[0059] Furthermore, in the prober 10 of the first embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 17 adjusts the un-docking position D2 to a position where the cassette CS can be handed over when the prober body 11 is installed in a way that allows the probe card 34 pulled out by the drawer mechanism 15 to be handed over. Therefore, the exchange of the probe card 34 and the cassette CS can be performed on the same transport mechanism 20 line.

[0060] Furthermore, in the prober 10 of the first embodiment, the drive unit 13E, which also serves as an adjustment mechanism 17, adjusts the un-docking position D2 of the load port 13. That is, the drive unit 13E can move the center C3 of the carrier base 13B to a position where the cassette CS can be transferred, thereby allowing the un-docking position D2 to be adjusted.

[0061] <Modification> In the first embodiment described above, the drive unit 13E is equipped with a cylinder 13F, and the carrier base 13B is driven by the cylinder 13F, but the technology of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Figure 9 is a schematic top view showing a modification of the load port section 13 of Figure 8. As shown in Figure 9, in the modification, the prober 10 is equipped with a drive unit 13K equipped with a ball screw 13L and a motor 13M instead of the drive unit 13E equipped with a cylinder 13F.

[0062] The ball screw 13L is positioned on the upper surface of the main body 13A, with its axial direction extending along the Y-direction. The motor 13M rotates the ball screw 13L, thereby moving the carrier base 13B in the Y-direction.

[0063] Thus, when the drive unit 13K uses motor drive, positioning can be performed with easier control compared to when using cylinder drive. Furthermore, the amount of movement of the carrier base 13B can be determined by controlling parameters such as the rotation speed of the motor 13M. Therefore, the stopping position of the center C3 of the carrier base 13B can be easily controlled, and even if the exchange position Y1 changes due to the replacement of the probe card 34, the un-docking position D2 can be easily adjusted.

[0064] Furthermore, the drive unit is not limited to cylinder drive and motor drive; for example, a method such as driving a pulley and belt with a motor may also be employed.

[0065] <Second Embodiment> Next, a prober 10A according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 10 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the prober 10A according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure before adjustment of the un-ocking position D2, and Figure 11 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the prober 10A according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure after adjustment of the un-ocking position D2. In the prober 10A according to the second embodiment, components that are the same as those described in the first embodiment above will be given the same numbers and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0066] In this embodiment, the prober 10A includes a load port section 13 in the loader section 12. In Figures 10 and 11, the loader section 12, including the load port section 13, is enclosed by a thick line frame. In the embodiment described above, the adjustment of the undocking position D2 by the adjustment mechanism 17 is performed by moving only the carrier base 13B in the Y direction, but in this embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 17A moves the entire loader section 12, including the load port section 13, that is, the part enclosed by the thick line frame, in the Y direction.

[0067] In this embodiment, a cylinder similar in size to the one used in conventional probers to move the carrier base 13B between the docking position and the undocking position (with a movement amount of approximately 80 mm) is installed, but the cylinder 13F of the first embodiment is not installed.

[0068] Therefore, as shown in Figure 10, if the probe card 34 placed on the tray 15B is relatively large, and the prober 10 is installed so that the center C1 of the probe card 34 is located at the replacement position Y1, the center C3 of the load port section 13 will be located behind the replacement position Y1 in the Y direction. In this case, when the lifting and lowering holding section 24A of the OHT 24 is lowered, the lifting and lowering holding section 24A cannot hold the cassette CS placed on the load port section 13.

[0069] Therefore, in this embodiment, a drive unit 13N which also serves as an adjustment mechanism 17A is provided. The drive unit 13N is provided, for example, at the lower part of the loader unit 12. Although not shown in the figures, the drive unit 13N is provided, for example, with a linear guide disposed on the upper surface of a base provided on the lower side of the loader unit 12 and extending along the Y-axis direction. The entire loader unit 12 is mounted on the upper part of the linear guide so as to be movable along the linear guide. The drive unit 13N also includes a ball screw connected to the loader unit 12 via a connecting plate or the like, and a motor that rotates the ball screw.

[0070] As shown in Figure 11, the adjustment mechanism 17A includes a control unit (not shown) that controls the drive unit 13N, similar to the first embodiment described above. This control unit controls the drive unit 13N, thereby moving the entire loader unit 12 in the Y direction and controlling its stopping position in the Y direction. Specifically, the control unit controls the drive unit 13N to stop the center C3 of the carrier base 13B at the docking position D1 and the undocking position D2.

[0071] (Effects and Actions) Next, the effects and actions of the second embodiment will be described.

[0072] In the prober 10A of the second embodiment, the drive unit 13N moves the entire loader unit 12, including the load port unit 13, in the Y direction. By moving the entire loader unit 12, including the load port unit 13, the position of the un-docking position D2 can be adjusted.

[0073] In the second embodiment described above, the drive unit 13N is configured to include a linear guide, a ball screw, and a motor, but the technology of this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the drive unit 13N may be configured to include a rack and pinion structure and a motor with a reduction gear, a timing belt, a pulley, and a motor, or a linear motor instead of a ball screw and a motor.

[0074] <Third Embodiment> Next, a prober 10B according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 12 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the prober 10B according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. In the prober 10B according to the third embodiment, components that are the same as those described in the first and second embodiments above will be given the same numbers and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0075] As shown in Figure 12, in this embodiment, the prober 10B does not include the load port section 13 in the loader section 12, and the load port section 13 is surrounded by a thick line frame. In the second embodiment described above, the adjustment of the undocking position D2 by the adjustment mechanism 17A is performed by moving the entire loader section 12, including the load port section 13, in the Y direction. In contrast, the adjustment mechanism 17B of the prober 10B in this embodiment adjusts the undocking position D2 by moving only the load port section 13 in the Y direction.

[0076] In this embodiment, a cylinder similar in size to the one used in conventional probers to move the carrier base 13B between the docking position and the undocking position (with a movement amount of approximately 80 mm) is installed, but the cylinder 13F of the first embodiment is not installed.

[0077] Therefore, as shown in Figure 12, if the probe card 34 placed on the tray 15B is relatively large, and the prober 10 is installed so that the center C1 of the probe card 34 is located at the replacement position Y1, the center C3 of the load port section 13 will be located behind the replacement position Y1 in the Y direction. In this case, when the lifting and lowering holding section 24A of the OHT 24 is lowered, the lifting and lowering holding section 24A cannot hold the cassette CS placed on the load port section 13.

[0078] Therefore, in this embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 17B adjusts the installation position of the load port section 13 to an un-docking position D2 in which the CS cassette can be transferred by the OHT 24. In this embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 17B is provided, for example, at the bottom of the load port section 13. Specifically, the adjustment mechanism 17B includes a fixing mechanism that fixes the entire load port section 13 with an elongated hole (not shown) and a bolt (not shown). That is, the elongated hole is formed along the Y direction, and the load port section 13 is moved along this elongated hole in the Y direction. The load port section 13 is fixed by a bolt with its center C3 positioned at the un-docking position D2. Note that the fixing mechanism is not limited to the above, and a groove may be applied instead of an elongated hole, or it may be changed as appropriate.

[0079] As another example, the adjustment mechanism 17B includes, for example, a wheel (not shown) provided at the bottom of the load port section 13 and a fixing foot (not shown). That is, the wheel is configured to move on the XY plane including the Y direction. The foot is, for example, provided near the wheel and configured to be raised and lowered. That is, when the foot is raised, the entire load port section 13 can be moved by the wheel. On the other hand, when the foot is lowered, the foot is fixed to the ground, making it impossible for the load port section 13 to move by the wheel, and it is fixed in an arbitrary position. The adjustment mechanism 17B fixes the load port section 13 by lowering the foot while the entire load port section 13 is moved by the wheel so that the center C3 of the load port section 13 is located at the undocking position D2.

[0080] (Operation and Effects) Next, the operation and effects of the third embodiment will be described.

[0081] In the prober 10B of the third embodiment, the entire load port section 13 is moved in the Y direction by the adjustment mechanism 17B, thereby fixing the center C3 of the load port section 13 in the un-docking position D2. In this way, in this embodiment, the position of the un-docking position D2 can be adjusted by moving the entire load port section 13 by the adjustment mechanism 17B.

[0082] <Fourth Embodiment> Next, a prober 10C according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 13 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the prober 10C according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. In the prober 10C according to the fourth embodiment, components that are the same as those described in the third embodiment above will be given the same numbers and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0083] In the third embodiment described above, the entire load port section 13 is moved in the Y direction by the adjustment mechanism 17B, thereby fixing the center C3 of the load port section 13 in the docking position D2. However, in this state, the transport arm 12A used in the above embodiment may not be able to reach the cassette CS placed at the docking position D1.

[0084] Therefore, the prober 10C of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, is further equipped with a robot section 18 in addition to the adjustment mechanism 17B of the third embodiment. Figure 14 is a schematic perspective view showing the load port section 13 and loader section 12 of Figure 13, and Figure 15 is a schematic perspective view showing the robot section 18 of Figure 14. In Figure 14, the cover of the loader section 12 is omitted from the illustration, and the inside of the loader section 12 is visible.

[0085] As shown in Figure 14, the robot unit 18 is housed inside the loader unit 12. As shown in Figure 15, the robot unit 18 is equipped with a transport arm 18A on its upper part, and this transport arm 18A is configured to move in the Y direction (forward and backward direction), the Z direction (up and down direction), and rotate around the Z axis. Since the transport arm 18A can use a known structure similar to the transport arm 12A in the embodiment described above, a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0086] The robot unit 18 loads and unloads semiconductor wafers W between the cassette CS, which is placed at the docking position D1 of the load port unit 13 (see Figures 8 and 9), and the semiconductor wafer W transfer position in the prober main unit 11.

[0087] Specifically, the robot unit 18, equipped with a transport arm 18A, is made movable in the Y direction (forward and backward direction). That is, the robot unit 18 is configured to move relative to the load port unit 13 in the Y direction (forward and backward direction). Specifically, as an example, a travel axis (not shown) extending in the Y direction is provided on the floor surface of the loader unit 12, and the robot unit 18 is made movable along this travel axis. The movement of the robot unit 18 along the travel axis is performed by a known structure such as a motor (not shown).

[0088] (Effects and Actions) Next, the effects and actions of the fourth embodiment will be described.

[0089] In the prober 10C of the fourth embodiment, the robot unit 18 can be brought closer to the load port unit 13 by moving the robot unit 18 relative to the load port unit 13. This allows the transport arm 18A of the robot unit 18 to adsorb and hold the semiconductor wafer W contained in the cassette CS placed at the docking position D1. Furthermore, by moving the robot unit 18, which is adsorbing and holding the semiconductor wafer W, along the travel axis, the transport arm 18A can transfer the semiconductor wafer W to the prober body 11 at the semiconductor wafer W transfer position in the prober body 11. In other words, in the prober 10C of this embodiment, it is possible to load and unload semiconductor wafers W between the docking position D1 set in the load port unit 13 and the semiconductor wafer W transfer position in the prober body 11.

[0090] In the embodiments described above, the adjustment of the undock position D2 by the adjustment mechanisms 17, 17A, and 17B is performed in the Y direction, but the technology of this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, it can be appropriately changed to suit the layout of the transport line 22 and various devices.

[0091] The configuration of this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the configuration can be modified as appropriate, as long as the problem can be solved.

[0092] Furthermore, the disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-057140, filed on 28 March 2025, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. All documents, patent applications, and technical standards described herein are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if the incorporation of each individual document, patent application, and technical standard were specifically and individually noted.

Claims

1. A prober comprising: a prober body that inspects semiconductor chips formed on a semiconductor wafer by contacting the probe needles of a probe card with the semiconductor chips; a load port section on which a cassette containing a plurality of semiconductor wafers is placed, and which has a docking position where the semiconductor wafers can be loaded and unloaded between the cassette and the prober body, and an undocking position where the cassette is handed over to a transport device positioned above and moving on a line; and an adjustment mechanism that, when the prober body is positioned at a preset exchange position so that the probe card can be handed over by the transport device, adjusts the undocking position to a position where the cassette can be handed over by the transport device.

2. The prober according to claim 1, wherein the prober body is equipped with a pull-out mechanism for pulling out the probe card to the exchange position, and the adjustment mechanism adjusts the un-docking position to a position that allows the cassette to be transferred when the prober body is installed in a position that allows the probe card pulled out by the pull-out mechanism to be transferred.

3. The prober according to claim 1, wherein the load port section comprises a carrier base on which the cassette is placed, and a drive unit connected to the carrier base and moving the carrier base along a rail, and the drive unit, which also serves as an adjustment mechanism, adjusts the un-locking position of the load port section.

4. The prober according to claim 1, comprising: a loader section including the load port section, in which the semiconductor wafer is loaded and unloaded between the cassette placed at the docking position and the prober body section; and a drive section for moving the entire loader section, wherein the drive section, which also serves as an adjustment mechanism, adjusts the undocking position of the load port section.

5. The prober according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism adjusts the installation position of the load port to the un-locking position where the cassette can be transferred by the transport device.

6. A prober according to claim 5, comprising: a loader unit adjacent to the load port unit and on which the semiconductor wafer is loaded and unloaded between the cassette placed on the docking position and the prober body; and a robot unit provided on the loader unit and movable along a travel axis, which loads and unloads the semiconductor wafer between the cassette placed on the docking position of the load port unit and the semiconductor wafer transfer position in the prober body, wherein the robot unit moves relative to the load port unit with the adjustment mechanism to the undocking position where the cassette can be transferred by the transport device, thereby enabling the transfer of the semiconductor wafer at the transfer position.

7. A wafer testing system comprising: a prober according to any one of claims 1 to 6; and the transport device.

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