Wafer Prober Chuck Slope Adjustment via Independent Lifting Pillars
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wafer probers face challenges in adjusting the slope and maintaining flatness of the chuck surface during semiconductor inspections, leading to contact failures due to eccentric weight-induced distortion and inadequate rigidity.
Innovation Solution
A wafer prober with a chuck and wafer probing stage featuring multiple independently driven lifting pillars, weight measurement sensors, and a force slope retainment module, allowing for precise adjustment of the chuck's height and slope to maintain flatness and rigidity across the entire surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single lifting pillar is used to adjust the chuck height, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to adjust the slope and maintain flatness of the chuck surface deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The single lifting pillar is segmented into multiple lifting pillars (first, second, third, and fourth lifting pillars) arranged at different positions on the chuck. Each lifting pillar can be independently adjusted to control the height and slope of the chuck surface, enabling precise flatness adjustment while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Each lifting pillar is equipped with independent height adjustment capability, allowing local adjustment of the chuck surface at different positions. This enables precise control of the chuck surface flatness and slope by adjusting individual lifting pillars based on their specific positional requirements.
2Strength
If the chuck is designed with high rigidity to resist distortion, then the structural strength is improved, but the ability to adjust the slope deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting pillars are designed with adjustable height capabilities, transforming the static chuck structure into a dynamic system. The chuck can adapt its slope and flatness by adjusting the heights of the lifting pillars, while the chuck body itself maintains high rigidity to resist distortion during operation.
3Volume of moving object
If the lifting pillars are arranged close together, then the device size is reduced, but the rigidity across the entire chuck area deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The four lifting pillars are arranged asymmetrically at specific positions on the chuck (front, rear, left, and right sides), optimized to provide adequate rigidity across the entire chuck area. This asymmetric arrangement ensures structural stability while maintaining a compact device size suitable for wafer probing applications.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a wafer prober. The wafer probing stage of the wafer prober includes: a lower plate; a plurality of lifting pillars mounted on an upper surface of the lower plate; and an upper plate mounted on upper ends of the plurality of lifting pillars, wherein the plurality of lifting pillars are located between the upper plate and the lower plate and ends of the lifting pillars are configured to lift up and down in a vertical direction, and wherein a height and a slope of the upper plate are adjusted according to heights of the lifting pillars. The wafer probing stage can adjust a height of the chuck arranged on the upper plate and a slope or flatness of the chuck by adjusting a height of each lifting pillar according to a weight applied to each lifting pillar.