Method of positioning probe tips relative to pads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10996239-B1
Application number	US-202016872390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 12, 2020
Priority date	May 12, 2020
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A method of positioning probe tips relative to pads includes: focusing on each of the probe tips in a first image as viewed by a microscope and collecting the coordinates of the corresponding probe tip relative to a first reference point in the first image; focusing on each of the pads in a second image as viewed by the microscope and collecting the coordinates of the corresponding pad relative to a second reference point in the second image, a relative position of the second reference point to the first reference point being predetermined; matching the pads with the probe tips when the quantity of the probe tips and the pads are equal while minimizing a maximum value of the distances calculated between each of the probe tips and the corresponding pad; and moving the probe tips to touch the pads with the maximum value minimized.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of positioning a plurality of probe tips relative to a plurality of pads, comprising:
focusing on each of the probe tips in a first image as viewed by a microscope along a direction and collecting a plurality of coordinates of the corresponding probe tip relative to a first reference point in the first image;
focusing on each of the pads in a second image as viewed by the microscope along a direction and collecting a plurality of coordinates of the corresponding pad relative to a second reference point in the second image, a relative position of the second reference point to the first reference point being predetermined;
comparing a quantity of the probe tips in the first image and a quantity of the pads in the second image;
matching the pads with the probe tips when the quantity of the probe tips and the quantity of the pads are equal while minimizing a first maximum value of a plurality of first distances calculated between each of the probe tips and the corresponding pad; and
moving the probe tips to touch the pads with the first maximum value minimized.

2. The positioning method of claim 1 , further comprising:
assigning one of the pads to match with the corresponding probe tip when the quantity of the probe tips and the quantity of the pads are unequal while minimizing a second maximum value of a plurality of second distances calculated between each of the probe tips to be matched and the corresponding pad to be matched.

3. The positioning method of claim 1 , further comprising:
stopping matching the pads with the probe tips when the quantity of the probe tips and the quantity of the pads are unequal.

4. The positioning method of claim 1 , further comprising:
offsetting the probe tips by an overtravel distance before the probe tips touching the pads such that the minimized first maximum value is maintained after the probe tips touch the pads by sliding the probe tips on the pads by the overtravel distance.

5. The positioning method of claim 1 , wherein matching the pads with the probe tips comprises:
manually instructing to match the pads with the probe tips.

6. The positioning method of claim 1 , wherein the coordinates of the probe tips and the coordinates of the pads are respectively three-dimensional coordinates.

7. A method of positioning a plurality of probe tips relative to a plurality of pads disposed on a chuck, comprising:
focusing on each of the probe tips in a first image as viewed by a first microscope along a first direction and collecting a plurality of coordinates of the corresponding probe tip relative to a first reference point in the first image;
focusing on each of the pads in a second image as viewed by a second microscope along a second direction and collecting a plurality of coordinates of the corresponding pad relative to a second reference point in the second image, the second direction being opposite to the first direction, a relative position of the second reference point to the first reference point being predetermined;
comparing a quantity of the probe tips in the first image and a quantity of the pads in the second image;
matching the pads with the probe tips when the quantity of the probe tips and the quantity of the pads are equal while minimizing a first maximum value of a plurality of first distances calculated between each of the probe tips and the corresponding pad; and
moving the probe tips to touch the pads with the first maximum value minimized.

8. The positioning method of claim 7 , wherein the first microscope is connected with the chuck.

9. The positioning method of claim 7 , wherein being viewed by the second microscope comprises:
moving the chuck relative to the second microscope such that the pads disposed on the chuck are viewed by the second microscope.

10. The positioning method of claim 7 , wherein being viewed by the second microscope comprises:
moving the chuck together with the second microscope relative to the probe tips such that the pads disposed on the chuck are viewed by the second microscope.

11. The positioning method of claim 7 , further comprising:
assigning one of the pads to match with the corresponding probe tip when the quantity of the probe tips and the quantity of the pads are unequal while minimizing a second maximum value of a plurality of second distances calculated between each of the probe tips to be matched and the corresponding pad to be matched.

12. The positioning method of claim 7 , further comprising:
stopping matching the pads with the probe tips when the quantity of the probe tips and the quantity of the pads are unequal.

13. The positioning method of claim 7 , further comprising:
offsetting the probe tips by an overtravel distance before the probe tips touching the pads such that the minimized first maximum value is maintained after the probe tips touch the pads by sliding the probe tips on the pads by the overtravel distance.

14. The positioning method of claim 7 , wherein matching the pads with the probe tips comprises:
manually instructing to match the pads with the probe tips.

15. The positioning method of claim 7 , wherein the coordinates of the probe tips and the coordinates of the pads are respectively three-dimensional coordinates.

Assignees

• Mpi Corp

Inventors

• Berg Ingo
• Chen Chien-Hung
• Fehrmann Frank
• Giessmann Sebastian

Classifications

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H10P74/23 Primary

  characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes · CPC title

• G01Q70/06

  Probe tip arrays · CPC title

• G01Q20/02 Primary

  by optical means · CPC title