Probe Card Preheating via Chuck Top Gap Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In recent years, the complexity of wafer inspection conditions, particularly in high-temperature and low-temperature environments, has necessitated preheating of probe cards before inspection, but existing methods face challenges in maintaining a consistent gap between the probe card and the chuck top, affecting preheating efficiency and stability.
Innovation Solution
A prober system with a probe card and a chuck top, where gap adjustment members maintain a constant gap between the two components, allowing preheating of the probe card using the chuck top's adjustable temperature, even when the wafer is not mounted, ensuring consistent preheating conditions across different inspection rooms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If preheating is performed without a wafer mounted on the chuck top, then preheating efficiency is improved, but the gap between probe card and chuck top becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
A gap adjustment member is introduced as an intermediary component between the probe card and chuck top. This member maintains a predetermined gap distance, ensuring consistent spacing during preheating operations even when no wafer is mounted on the chuck top.
Solution Approach 2:
The gap adjustment member allows for controlled parameter changes in the gap distance between the probe card and chuck top. By adjusting this parameter to a predetermined value, the system maintains optimal preheating conditions while ensuring consistency across different operational states.
2Productivity
If the gap between probe card and chuck top is reduced for better preheating, then preheating efficiency is improved, but the risk of contact between probes and chuck top increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gap adjustment member serves as a protective intermediary that precisely controls the spacing between the probe card and chuck top. It maintains the gap at an optimal predetermined distance that is close enough for efficient heat transfer but far enough to prevent probe contact with the chuck top surface.
3Manufacturing precision
If preheating is performed with wafer mounted on chuck top, then gap consistency is maintained, but preheating time increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The gap adjustment member enables preheating operations to be performed efficiently without requiring a wafer to be mounted on the chuck top. It maintains the necessary gap consistency through its mechanical structure, eliminating the time loss associated with wafer mounting while ensuring uniform preheating conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach stabilizes the preheating time and ensures efficient preheating of the probe card while maintaining a constant gap, enabling effective inspection in varying temperature environments without compromising the positional relationship between the probe card and the chuck top.
Implementation Method 1
The probe card is preheated by heat of the chuck top whose temperature is adjusted by the temperature adjuster
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a prober including inspection rooms. Each of the inspection rooms includes: a probe card having probes; a chuck top configured to mount a wafer; and a temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of the chuck top. At least one of the probe card and the chuck top includes a gap adjustment member configured to maintain a constant gap between the probe card and the chuck top. The probe card is preheated by heat of the chuck top whose temperature is adjusted by the temperature adjuster, in a state in which the wafer is not mounted on the chuck top and in a state in which the probe card and the chuck top are connected with each other via the gap adjustment member.