Electrical connecting device and inspection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11709182-B2
Application number	US-202117216078-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2021
Priority date	Apr 8, 2020
Publication date	Jul 25, 2023
Grant date	Jul 25, 2023

Abstract

An electrical connecting device includes a probe head, and probes for measurement and probes for confirmation held by the probe head. The probe head holds the probes for measurement and the probes for confirmation in a state in which the respective tip ends are exposed therefrom. An exposed length from the probe head to the tip end is shorter for the probes for confirmation than for the probes for measurement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connecting device comprising:
a probe head;
a probe for measurement held by the probe head in a state in which a tip end is exposed from the probe head and used for a measurement of an inspection object; and
a probe for confirmation held by the probe head in a state in which a tip end is exposed from the probe head and having a shorter tip-end length than the probe for measurement, the tip-end length being an exposed length from the probe head to the tip end;
wherein the probe for measurement is brought into contact with the inspection object in a confirmation state in which the tip end of the probe for confirmation is also brought into contact with the inspection object, and an overdrive amount acting on the probe for measurement in the confirmation state is stored, the stored overdrive amount corresponding to a predetermined pressure or force to be applied to the probe for measurement during the measurement of the inspection object;
wherein the tip end of the probe for measurement contacts the inspection object during the measurement of the inspection object; and
wherein the probe for confirmation has a stepped structure in which a diameter changes at a part exposed from the probe head and a circumferential surface is recessed toward a middle, and the probe for confirmation is cut off or bent at a part provided with the stepped structure so that the tip end of the probe for confirmation does not contact the inspection object during the measurement of the inspection object.

2. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1 , wherein a difference in the tip-end length between the probe for measurement and the probe for confirmation is set depending on a pressure at which the probe for measurement is brought into contact with the inspection object.

3. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of probes for confirmation having different tip-end lengths.

4. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the probe head holds the probe for confirmation on an outside of a region in which the probe head holds the probe for measurement in a plan view.

5. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the probe for measurement and the probe for confirmation are present and mixed together in a region in which the probe head holds the probe for measurement.

6. An inspection method comprising:
preparing a probe head configured to hold a probe for measurement and a probe for confirmation in a state in which tip ends of the probe for measurement and the probe for confirmation are exposed therefrom, the probe for confirmation having a shorter tip-end length which is an exposed length from the probe head to the tip end than the probe for measurement;
decreasing a gap between the probe head and an object for inspection to bring the probe for measurement into contact with the object for inspection in a confirmation state in which the tip end of the probe for confirmation is also brought into contact with the object for inspection;
storing an overdrive amount acting on the probe for measurement in the confirmation state, the stored overdrive amount corresponding to a predetermined pressure or force to be applied to the probe for measurement during a measurement of the object for inspection;
wherein the tip end of the probe for measurement contacts the object for inspection during the measurement of the object for inspection; and
wherein the probe for confirmation has a stepped structure in which a diameter changes at a part exposed from the probe head and a circumferential surface is recessed toward a middle, and the probe for confirmation is cut off or bent at a part provided with the stepped structure so that the tip end of the probe for confirmation does not contact the object for inspection during the measurement of the object for inspection.

7. The inspection method according to claim 6 , wherein a difference in the tip-end length between the probe for measurement and the probe for confirmation is set depending on a pressure at which the probe for measurement is brought into contact with the inspection object.

8. The inspection method according to claim 6 , wherein an electrical connection between the probe for confirmation and the substrate for inspection is detected so as to detect the contact between the probe for confirmation and the substrate for inspection.

9. The inspection method according to claim 6 , further comprising executing a tip-end processing of shortening the tip-end length of the probe for confirmation after bringing the probe for confirmation into contact with the substrate for inspection.

Assignees

• Nihon Micronics Kk

Inventors

• Hetsugi Shota

Classifications

• G01R1/06794 Primary

  Devices for sensing when probes are in contact, or in position to contact, with measured object · CPC title

• G01R1/073

  Multiple probes · CPC title

• G01R1/06733 Primary

  Geometry aspects (G01R1/06727 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R1/07321 Primary

  the probes being of different lengths · CPC title

• G01R1/06738 Primary

  related to tip portion · CPC title