KR102708183B1 - Probe card with screw probe and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a probe card equipped with a screw probe and a manufacturing method thereof. The probe card comprises an upper plate part and a lower plate part coupled together and a plurality of probe units mounted therein, wherein the probe units include a body part formed in a twisted shape that forms a body, a head part formed at an upper end of the body part, and a tip part formed in a pointed shape at a lower end of the body part, and the probe unit can generate a rotational moment when the body part is twisted and comes into contact with a wafer mounted on a device.

Description

{PROBE CARD WITH SCREW PROBE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF}

The disclosed subject matter relates to a probe card equipped with a screw probe and a method for manufacturing the same.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the matters described in this identifier are not prior art to the claims of this application, and their description in this identifier is not an admission that they are prior art.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are the integration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators, and electronics onto a conventional substrate, such as a silicon substrate, using microfabrication techniques. While the electronic devices are fabricated using integrated circuit (IC) process sequences (e.g., CMOS, Bipolar, or BICOMS processes), the micromechanical components are fabricated using compatible "micromachining" processes that selectively etch specific portions of the silicon wafer or add new structural layers to form mechanical and electromechanical devices.

MEMS devices contain structures that are micrometer-scale (one millionth of a meter). Significant parts of MEMS technology are adopted from integrated circuit technology. For example, like integrated circuits, MEMS structures are implemented in thin film form and patterned using photolithography methods.

Like integrated circuits, MEMS structures are fabricated on wafers by a series of deposition, lithography, and etching processes. As the complexity of MEMS structures increases, the fabrication process for the MEMS device also increases. For example, an array of MEMS probes can be assembled into a probe card. A probe card is an interface between an electronic test system and a semiconductor wafer under test. The probe card provides an electrical path between the test system and the circuits on the wafer, thereby enabling validation and testing of the circuits at the wafer level before the chips on the wafer are cut and packaged.

In general, a probe card is used to inspect each semiconductor device on a wafer after a specific semiconductor manufacturing process (FAB; Fabrication Facility) has been completed. It is a key device used to distinguish between good and bad products on a wafer by contacting the pad of each semiconductor device to be tested using probe pins and transmitting the electrical signal of the test system to the semiconductor device.

A process for testing the electrical characteristics of semiconductor devices, such as the electric die sorting (EDS) process, can increase yield by determining whether there are any defects by testing the electrical characteristics of semiconductor devices, and can reduce costs incurred in assembly and package testing by removing defective semiconductor devices early.

The equipment for inspecting semiconductor elements formed on a semiconductor wafer is composed of a tester and a probe system, and a probe card that makes mechanical contact with the electrode pads of the semiconductor element is installed in the probe system.

As semiconductor devices become more highly integrated, the spacing and size of electrode pads are also decreasing. Since the probe pins provided on the probe card are structured to physically contact the electrode pads, this change in pad structure causes technical difficulties such as bending fatigue, durability, and probe stability related to the structure and arrangement of the probe.

1. Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-2072451 (announced on February 4, 2020)

The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and provides a probe card equipped with a screw probe in which the body of the probe unit is formed in a twisted shape so that a rotational moment is generated when it comes into contact with a wafer to efficiently penetrate an oxide film of the wafer, and the width of the first space of the upper plate part and the width of the third space of the lower plate part are different so that the probe unit is arranged to be bent so as to efficiently come into contact with the wafer and perform inspection, and a method for manufacturing the same.

It is also clear that the technical challenges are not limited to those described above, and that other technical challenges may be derived from the following description.

A probe card equipped with a screw probe according to the present invention is a probe card in which an upper plate part and a lower plate part are connected and a plurality of probe units are mounted inside the upper plate part, wherein the probe unit includes a body part formed in a twisted shape that forms a body, a head part formed on an upper end of the body part, and a tip part formed in a pointed shape on a lower end of the body part, and the probe unit can generate a rotational moment when the body part is twisted and comes into contact with a wafer mounted on a device.

The above body part can be formed in a state where the upper and lower parts are twisted within an angle difference of 90° to 180°.

The upper plate portion includes a plurality of first pinholes formed therein, a first space formed inside the upper plate portion and positioned on one side of the first pinhole, and a second space formed inside the upper plate portion and positioned on the other side of the first pinhole, and the first space may be formed to have a wider width than the second space.

A method for manufacturing a probe card equipped with a screw probe according to the present invention can be formed by stacking the body portion in a twisted shape in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the probe unit using a plating method.

The method may include a positioning step of arranging the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion to face each other, and a joining step of moving the upper plate portion and aligning it to match the lower plate portion, and in this process, the probe unit may include a body portion bending into a buckling state.

The lower plate portion may further include a probing step in which a plurality of second pinholes are formed, and a process performed after the bonding step in which the tip portion exposed through the second pinholes of the lower plate portion and the wafer mounted on the device come into contact, causing the body portion to bend and rotate, thereby further progressing the buckling state and the rotational moment.

The probe unit with a twisted body, unlike a conventional probe with a non-twisted body, additionally generates a rotational moment according to the twisted shape (twisted shape), so that it can effectively penetrate the oxide film covering the wafer with an appropriate reaction force, thereby making stable contact with the semiconductor element and stably and efficiently detecting whether the element is defective.

Even if the tip of the probe unit comes into contact with the wafer and is subject to frequent bending deformation, the body portion is formed in a twisted shape, so that deformation or damage is reduced, thereby improving durability.

After combining the upper plate part and the lower plate part, the bending characteristic of the probe can be further improved due to the positional deviation of each first pinhole and second pinhole, so that bending can be performed more flexibly when contacting the device.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a probe card equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a probe card probe unit equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.
Figure 3 is a diagram showing the usage status of a probe card equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the disclosed content.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a stacking method of a probe unit body according to a method for manufacturing a probe card equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the disclosed content.
FIG. 5 is a process diagram according to a method for manufacturing a probe card equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the disclosed content.
FIG. 6 is a probing step diagram according to a method for manufacturing a probe card equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the disclosed content.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation effects of a preferred embodiment will be examined with reference to the attached drawings. For reference, in the drawings below, each component is omitted or schematically illustrated for convenience and clarity, and the size of each component does not reflect the actual size. In addition, the same reference numerals refer to the same components throughout the specification, and drawing numerals for the same configuration in individual drawings are omitted.

Hereinafter, a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the disclosed content, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a probe unit (300) of a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the disclosed content, and FIG. 3 is a usage state diagram of a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the disclosed content.

The present invention relates to a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe, in which a body part (310) of a probe unit (300) is formed in a twisted shape so that a rotational moment is generated when it comes into contact with a wafer (10), thereby efficiently penetrating an oxide film of the wafer (10) and thereby increasing the stability of the contact. A probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to an example of the present invention may include an upper plate part (100), a lower plate part (200), and a probe unit (300).

A probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to the present invention is a probe card in which an upper plate part (100) and a lower plate part (200) are combined and a plurality of probe units (300) are mounted therein, wherein the probe unit (300) includes a body part (310) formed in a twisted shape that forms a body, a head part (320) formed in the upper part of the body part (310), and a tip part (330) formed in a pointed shape at the lower part of the body part (310), and since the probe unit (300) has a twisted body part (310), a rotational moment is generated when it comes into contact with a wafer (10) mounted on a device, and the body part (310) can be formed in a twisted state within an angle difference of 90° to 180° between the upper and lower parts.

As can be seen from the example of Fig. 1, the probe unit (300) is a conductive pin having a predetermined length, which can be brought into contact with a wafer (10) mounted on a device to test the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor element placed on the wafer (10) and distinguish defective products, and can include a body (310), a head (320), and a tip (330).

As can be seen from the examples of FIGS. 1 to 3, the body part (310) forms the body of the probe unit (300), and is formed in a twisted shape so that when the tip part (330) described below comes into contact with the wafer (10), it can play a role in generating a rotational moment (rotational force) in the probe unit (300).

For example, a probe unit (300) having a twisted body (310) can generate a rotational moment according to the twisted shape (twisted shape) in addition to the scrub generated at a normal probe tip where the body (310) is not twisted. This rotational moment can effectively penetrate the oxide film covering the wafer (10) with an appropriate counterforce, thereby stably contacting the semiconductor element and stably and efficiently detecting whether the element is defective.

As can be seen from the example of Fig. 2, for example, the body part (310) can be formed in a state where the upper and lower parts are twisted within a difference of 90° to 180°.

For example, in a body (310) having a square rod shape, if the angle between the upper and lower vertices located on a line extending from one vertex of the upper part of the body (310) to the lower part is less than 90°, the rotational moment is weak, making it difficult to penetrate an oxide film on the wafer (10) with an appropriate reaction force, and if the angle is more than 180°, there may be a problem with the durability of the body (310) or the rotational moment is strong, making it possible to penetrate the oxide film and even the device pattern with a high reaction force. In addition, if the tip (330) of the probe unit (300) described below comes into contact with the wafer (10), the probe unit (300) may bend, and due to frequent bending deformation, fatigue may easily accumulate and the probe unit may be deformed or damaged. However, if the body (310) is twisted, the deformation or damage may be reduced, so that durability may be improved.

As can be seen from the examples of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the head portion (320) is formed at the upper end of the body portion (310), and the tip portion (330) is formed in a pointed shape at the lower end of the body portion (310) and is a portion that comes into contact with the wafer (10) to be inspected.

The upper plate portion (100) includes a plurality of first pinholes (110) formed therein, a first space (150) formed inside the upper plate portion (100) and positioned on one side of the first pinhole (110), and a second space (160) formed inside the upper plate portion (100) and positioned on the other side of the first pinhole (110), and the first space (150) may be formed to have a wider width than the second space (160).

As can be seen from the example of Fig. 1, for example, the probe card may be formed by combining an upper plate part (100) and a lower plate part (200), mounting a plurality of probe units (300) therein, combining an MLC (20) on the top of each probe unit (300), connecting a plurality of interposers (30) to the MLC (20), forming the interposer (30) on a PCB (40), and combining an upper fixture (50) on the top of the PCB (40).

As can be seen from the examples of FIG. 1 or FIG. 5, for example, the upper plate portion (100) may include a plurality of first pinholes (110), and the lower plate portion (200) may include a plurality of second pinholes (210). For example, the upper portion of the body portion (310) may be inserted and positioned in the first pinhole (110), and the lower portion of the body portion (310) may be inserted and positioned in the second pinhole (210).

As can be seen from the examples of FIG. 1 or FIG. 5, for example, the first space (150) is formed inside the upper plate portion (100) and is located on one side of the first pinhole (110), and the second space (160) is formed inside the upper plate portion (100) and is located on the other side of the first pinhole (110), so that the width of the first space (150) can be formed longer than the width of the second space (160).

In addition, as an example, the lower plate portion (200) includes a plurality of second pinholes (210) formed therein, a third space (250) formed inside the lower plate portion (200) and positioned on one side of the second pinhole (210), and a fourth space (260) formed inside the lower plate portion (200) and positioned on the other side of the second pinhole (210), and the third space (250) may be formed to have a width equal to or narrower than the fourth space (260).

As can be seen from the examples of FIG. 1 or FIG. 5, for example, the third space (250) is formed inside the lower plate portion (200) and is located on one side of the second pinhole (210), and the fourth space (260) is formed inside the lower plate portion (200) and is located on the other side of the second pinhole (210), and the width of the third space (250) can be formed to be equal to or narrower than the width of the fourth space (260).

As can be seen from the examples of FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, for example, the width of the first space (150) of the upper plate part (100) and the width of the second space (160) are formed differently, and the width of the third space (250) of the lower plate part (200) and the width of the fourth space (260) are formed identically, so that the probe unit (300) can be bent when the upper plate part (100) and the lower plate part (200) are combined. In addition, as an example, the width of the first space (150) of the upper plate part (100) and the width of the second space (160) are formed differently, and the width of the third space (250) of the lower plate part (200) is formed shorter than the width of the fourth space (260), so that the probe unit (300) can be bent when the upper plate part (100) and the lower plate part (200) are combined.

Of course, as an example, the width of the first space (150) of the upper plate part (100) and the width of the second space (160) may be formed to be the same, and the width of the third space (250) of the lower plate part (200) may be formed to be shorter or longer than the width of the fourth space (260) so that the probe unit (300) may be bent when the upper plate part (100) and the lower plate part (200) are combined. As an example, the probe unit (300) may be combined in a state where it is bent at a predetermined curvature so as to have pre-stress considering the bending elasticity.

The present invention relates to a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe, in which a body part (310) of a probe unit (300) is formed in a twisted shape so that a rotational moment is generated when it comes into contact with a wafer (10), thereby efficiently penetrating an oxide film of the wafer (10) and increasing the stability of the contact, and in which the width of a first space (150) of an upper plate part (100) and the width of a third space (250) of a lower plate part (200) are different, so that the probe unit (300) is arranged to be bent, so that buckling occurs when it comes into contact with the wafer (10), thereby efficiently coming into contact with the wafer (10) and performing a measurement.

The probe unit (300) having a twisted body (310) generates a rotational moment according to the twisted shape (twisted shape) in addition to a conventional probe in which the body (310) is not twisted, so that it can effectively penetrate the oxide film covering the wafer (10) with an appropriate reaction force, thereby stably contacting the semiconductor element and stably and efficiently detecting whether the element is defective. Even if the tip (330) of the probe unit (300) contacts the wafer (10) and frequent bending deformation occurs, the body (310) is formed in a twisted shape, so that deformation or damage is reduced, thereby improving durability. After combining the upper plate portion (100) and the lower plate portion (200), the bending characteristic of the probe unit (300) can be further improved due to the positional deviation of the first pinhole (110) and the second pinhole (210), so that the bending of the probe unit (300) can be performed more flexibly when the device comes into contact.

Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a stacking method of a probe unit (300) body (310) according to a manufacturing method of a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the disclosed content.

A method for manufacturing a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to an example of the present invention may include an upper plate portion (100), a lower plate portion (200), and a probe unit (300), and the description of the probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to an embodiment of the present invention may be analogically applied to the upper plate portion (100), the lower plate portion (200), and the probe unit (300).

The method for manufacturing a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to the present invention may include a placement step (S1), a bonding step (S2), and a probing step (S3), as can be seen in the examples of FIG. 5 or FIG. 6.

The method for manufacturing a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to the present invention can be formed by stacking the body part (310) in a twisted shape in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the probe unit (300) using a plating method.

As can be seen from the example of Fig. 4, for example, the body part (310) can be formed in a twisted shape while being laminated in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the probe unit (300), and can be formed while being laminated using a plating method.

FIG. 5 is a process diagram according to a method for manufacturing a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the disclosed content, and FIG. 6 is a probe step diagram according to a method for manufacturing a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to one embodiment of the disclosed content.

The method for manufacturing a probe card (900) equipped with a screw probe according to the present invention may include a positioning step (step S1) of positioning an upper plate part (100) and a lower plate part (200) so as to face each other, and a joining step (step S2) of moving the upper plate part (100) to align it with the lower plate part (200), and during this process, the probe unit (300) may include a body part (310) that is bent and buckled, and the lower plate part (200) may be formed with a plurality of second pinholes (210), and as a process performed after the joining step, may further include a probing step (step S3) in which the tip part (330) exposed through the second pinholes (210) of the lower plate part (200) and the wafer (10) mounted on the device come into contact, causing the body part (310) to bend and rotate, thereby further progressing the buckling state and the rotational moment.

(S1) Step is a step of arranging the upper and lower plate parts (100, 200) so that the upper plate part (100) and the lower plate part (200) are facing each other. As illustrated in Fig. 5, for example, in this step, the probe unit (300) can be arranged in a straight line.

(S2) Step is a step of joining upper and lower plate parts (100, 200) by moving the upper plate part (100) sideways to align it with the lower plate part (200). In this step, the probe unit (300) may be in a buckling state due to the body part (310) being bent. The degree of bending of the probe unit (300) may vary depending on the difference in width between the first space (150) and the third space (250) of the upper and lower plate parts (100, 200).

Step (S3) is a process performed after step (S2), and is a probing step in which the tip (330) exposed outside the second pinhole (210) of the lower plate portion (200) comes into contact with the wafer (10) mounted on the device. This step is a step in which the probe unit (300) comes into contact with the wafer (10) to determine whether there is a defect in the device placed on the wafer (10). As can be seen in the example of FIG. 6, as the tip (330) comes into contact with the wafer (10), the body portion (310) bends and rotates, further progressing the buckling state and rotational moment, enabling efficient probing.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the attached drawings, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention, and it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modified examples that can replace them at the time of this application. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative and not restrictive in all respects, and the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and the equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

10 : Wafer
100 : Upper plate part
110 : 1st pinhole
150 : 1st space
160 : Second space
200 : Lower plate part
210 : 2nd pinhole
250 : The Third Space
260: The 4th space
300 : Probe Unit
310 : Body part
320 : Head
330 : Fleet
900: Probe card with screw probe

Claims (6)

In a probe card in which an upper plate part and a lower plate part are combined and a plurality of probe units are mounted inside,
The above probe unit,
The body part is formed in a twisted shape, forming the body;
a head formed on the upper part of the above body; and
Including a tip formed in a pointed shape at the lower end of the above body portion;
The above body part is formed in a twisted state with the upper and lower parts having an angle difference of 90° to 180°.
The upper plate portion includes a first space formed inside the upper plate portion and positioned on one side of the first pinhole, and a second space formed inside the upper plate portion and positioned on the other side of the first pinhole and having a narrower width than the first space.
The lower plate portion includes a plurality of second pinholes formed therein, a third space formed inside the lower plate portion and located on one side of the second pinhole, and a fourth space formed inside the lower plate portion and located on the other side of the second pinhole and having a wider width than the third space.
The upper plate part and the lower plate part are combined so that the width of the third space is formed narrower than the width of the first space, and the probe unit is arranged to be bent.
The above probe unit has a twisted body and is bent due to a difference in width between the first space and the third space, so that when it comes into contact with a wafer, a rotational moment and buckling occur together, thereby effectively penetrating the oxide film covering the wafer with a predetermined reaction force, thereby stably coming into contact with a semiconductor element and stably and efficiently detecting whether the element is defective.
A probe card equipped with a screw probe having improved durability with less deformation or damage even when the body part is formed in a twisted shape and the tip part comes into contact with the wafer and is subject to frequent bending deformation. delete delete A method for manufacturing a probe card equipped with a screw probe as described in claim 1,
A method for manufacturing a probe card equipped with a screw probe formed by stacking the above body portion in a twisted shape in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the probe unit using a plating method. In claim 4,
A placement step of arranging the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion so that they face each other; and
A method for manufacturing a probe card equipped with a screw probe, comprising: a joining step of moving the upper plate part to align it with the lower plate part, and in this process, the probe unit causes the body part to bend and enter a buckling state; In claim 5,
The above lower plate portion is formed with a plurality of second pinholes,
A method for manufacturing a probe card equipped with a screw probe, further comprising a probing step in which the tip portion exposed through the second pinhole of the lower plate portion and the wafer mounted on the device come into contact with each other, thereby causing the body portion to bend and rotate, thereby further progressing the buckling state and the rotational moment, as a process performed after the above-mentioned bonding step.

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