JPS58196029A - Probe card changeover device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To contrive reduction of labor required for changeover of probe cards as well as to perform the inspection of semiconductor elements continuously by a method wherein a device is constituted in such a manner that a probe card conforming to the prescribed conditions is automatically selected from two or more probe cards. CONSTITUTION:The information pertaining to the kind of wafers to be inspected by probe cards 51-54 are sent to a driving control mechanism 11 through the intermediaries of a signal lines 13 and 15 and a probe 12, and the rotation of a supporting member 4 is stopped at the point of time when the cards 51-54, to be selected by rotation of a rotating shaft 6, are positioned under the adapter 3 to be used for probe cards. Then, the shaft 6 and the supporting member 4 are raised, and the cards 51-54 are fixed at the adapter 3 through the intermediary of a contact pin 7. Subsequently, the probe 8 of the selected cards 51-54 and the wafer 9 are contacted each other by raising the wafer stage 10 having the wafer 9, an electric signal for inspection is sent from the adapter 3, thereby enabling to perform the inspection on the semiconductor element 9.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a blow test for testing semiconductor devices.
The present invention relates to a device that automatically switches probe cards that are brought into electrical contact with semiconductor elements.

Conventionally, one probe card is attached to one blow μ, and the semiconductor device is tested by bringing the probe card into electrical contact with the semiconductor device. The probe card consists of a needle-like probe that contacts the semiconductor element, and a substrate that supports the probe and has a pattern on the front and back sides that is wired to the probe.It is attached to the bottom of the head plate of the blow μ and set on the wafer stage. is placed above and facing the semiconductor element.

Since the number of probe cards attached to one blow μ is one, for example, each time a different type of sea urchin is to be inspected, a probe card that is compatible with that type of wafer must be selected and replaced. Must be. Therefore, when a small number of blows μ are used to test a wide variety of products in small quantities, the number of probe card replacement operations increases significantly, and the efficiency of inspection operations decreases.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by automatically selecting a probe card that meets predetermined conditions from among two or more probe cards, and testing a semiconductor element with the selected probe card. It is characterized by the fact that

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2, the device of the present invention has a probe card adapter 3 attached to a prober head plate 2 supported by a fixing part 1 on the body of a blow μ, and a blow card support 4 attached to the adapter 3. are arranged so as to be rotatable and movable up and down, and several types (four types in the embodiment) of glove cards 515 are mounted on the support 4! ... 5n, rotate the support 4 around the rotating shaft 6, and install several types of pro 1 cards 5.
A negative probe card is selected from +, 5s...5n, and the selected probe card is attached to and detached from the adapter 5 by raising and lowering the support 4. The selected probe card and the adapter 3 are electrically connected by contact pins 7, and input/output signals of the probes 8 of each probe card are transmitted by the adapter 5. Further, a wafer stage 10 on which a wafer 9 is placed is installed below the adapter 3 so as to be movable up and down. Further, the rotation shaft 6 of the support body 4 is interlocked with a drive control mechanism 11 that rotates and raises and lowers the rotation shaft 6.
A control signal is input to 1 through a signal line 13 from a propper 12. On the other hand, data necessary for selecting a probe card to be selected is inputted to the properr 12 from an input device 14 through a signal line 15.

Next, the operation when selecting a probe card using the apparatus of the present invention will be described.

If there are four types of wafers to be inspected, four types of probe cards 5+, 5t g5 are used as shown in Figure 1.
s and 5n are set at predetermined positions on the support 4.

When information about the type of wafer to be inspected with the probe card 5I is input from the input device 14, the information is transmitted to the signal line 13.1.
5 and the propper 12 to the drive control mechanism 11, the rotation shaft 6 is rotated based on the information, and when the probe card 51 to be selected is located under the probe card adapter 3, the support 4 is rotated. to stop. Next, the rotating shaft 6 and the support body are raised, and the selected probe card 51 is connected to the adapter 3 via the contact pin 7.
to be fixed. In this state, place the wafer 9 of the type to be inspected with the probe card 5I on the wafer stage 10, raise it to below the probe card 5, and
The semiconductor element 9 is tested by bringing the probe I into contact with the wafer and sending an electrical signal for testing from the adapter 3.

During the above operation, when the inspection of a specific type of wafer 9 using the glove card 5I is completed and the next type of wafer is to be inspected, information on that type is inputted from the input device 14. As a result, the rotating shaft 6 and the support body 4
lowers once, disconnects the probe card 5I from the adapter 3, and then moves on to the next probe card 5! It rotates until it is located under the adapter 3, and then stops. Then, the rotating shaft 6 and the support body 4 are raised again, and the probe card is fixed to the adapter 3 via the contact pins 7.

Thereafter, by similarly inputting information on the wafer type from the input device 14 each time the wafer type is changed, the corresponding probe card will be automatically selected and replaced.

As explained above, according to the present invention, since the probe card can be automatically replaced at the same time as the product type is changed, labor can be saved, and semiconductor devices can be continuously tested simply by making electrical settings. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, inspection of a large variety of wafers in small quantities was described, but it is also possible to use two or more types of probe cards of the same type and replace the probe cards one after another as the probes of the probe cards deteriorate. A similar effect can be obtained when applied to varieties.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view seen from below the probe card, FIG. 2 is a sectional view, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the information path. 3... Adapter for probe card 4... Support bodies 51 to 5n... Globe card 12... Prober

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In the blow μ, which tests semiconductor devices by electrically contacting the semiconductor device in the wafer state with a probe card, a probe card adapter is attached to the blow μ, and a glove card support is attached to the adapter. 1. A probe card switching device, characterized in that the device is arranged to be rotatable and up and down, and has two or more probe cards attached to the support.