Alignment method and inspection apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12253559-B2
Application number	US-202217747867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2022
Priority date	May 31, 2021
Publication date	Mar 18, 2025
Grant date	Mar 18, 2025

Abstract

An alignment method of a probe card includes a plurality of probe groups provided corresponding to a plurality of chips, comprising: a first mode for calculating a gradient and a center of a probe group based on position information of two or more probes included in the probe group for each of the plurality of chips and calculating a gradient and a center of the probe card based on the calculated gradients and the calculated centers of the plurality of probe groups.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inspection apparatus comprising:
a substrate support on which a substrate is placed;
a probe card including a plurality of probe groups provided to respectively correspond to a plurality of chips formed on the substrate, wherein each of the plurality of chips includes electrode pads, and each of the plurality of probe groups includes probes that correspond to the electrode pads of each of the plurality of chips;
a camera for detecting positions of the probes; and
a controller,
wherein the controller is configured to perform a first mode for:
calculating a probe group vector of the probe group based on position information of two or more probes included in the probe group for each of the plurality of chips, wherein the position information is obtained by imaging the probe card using the camera,
calculating a probe group center of the probe group based on the position information of two or more probes included in the probe group for each of the plurality of chips,
calculating a probe card center of the probe card based on the calculated probe group centers of the plurality of probe groups,
calculating a probe card vector of the probe card based on the calculated probe group vectors of the plurality of probe groups,
calculating a deviation amount of the calculated probe card vector with respect to a designed probe card vector and a deviation amount of the calculated probe card center with respect to a designed probe card center; and
aligning the electrode pads of the chips with the probes of the probe groups based on the calculated deviation amount of the probe card vector and the calculated deviation amount of the probe card center.

2. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the two or more probes are two or more probes among the probes located at four corners of the probe group.

3. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to perform a second mode for:
calculating the probe card vector and the probe card center of the probe card based on position information of two or more probes included in the plurality of probe groups.

4. The inspection apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the two or more probes included in the plurality of probe groups are two or more probes among probes located at four corners of the plurality of probe groups.

5. The inspection apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to select the first mode or the second mode.

6. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to perform a third mode for:
calculating the probe group vector based on the position information of the two or more probes included in the probe group for each of the plurality of chips, and calculating the probe card vector based on the calculated vectors of the plurality of probe groups, and
calculating the probe card center based on the position information of two or more probes included in the plurality of probe groups.

7. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to perform a fourth mode for:
calculating the probe card vector based on the position information of two or more probes included in the plurality of probe groups, and
calculating the probe group center based on the position information of the two or more probes included in the probe group for each of the plurality of chips, and calculating the probe card center based on the calculated centers of the plurality of probe groups.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Watanabe Shinjiro

Classifications

• G01R1/07364

  with provisions for altering position, number or connection of probe tips; Adapting to differences in pitch · CPC title

• G01R31/2889

  Interfaces, e.g. between probe and tester (G01R31/31905 and G01R1/07364 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R31/2891 Primary

  related to sensing or controlling of force, position, temperature (G01R31/2874 takes precedence; sensing of force G01L; sensing of position G01B, G01D; sensing of temperature G01K; controlling in general G05) · CPC title

• G01R31/2887 Primary

  involving moving the probe head or the IC under test; docking stations (moving single probes G01R1/06705; moving individual probes in multiple probes G01R1/07392) · CPC title

• G01R31/28

  Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer ({EMC, EMP or similar testing of electronic circuits G01R31/002;} testing for short-circuits, discontinuities, leakage or incorrect line connection G01R31/50; checking computers {or computer components} G06F11/00; checking static stores for correct operation G11C29/00 {; testing receivers or transmitters of transmission systems H04B17/00}) · CPC title