Probe-pad qualification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9885749-B2
Application number	US-201615176186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2016
Priority date	Jun 8, 2015
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A method in accordance with various embodiments may include: measuring a contact force between at least one probe and at least one contact pad for a plurality of probe overdrive positions, and determining a relationship between contact force and probe overdrive position from the measured contact forces; determining a first region in the relationship exhibiting a non-linear dependence of the contact force from the probe overdrive position, and a second region exhibiting a linear dependence of the contact force from the probe overdrive position; and determining a process window for a pad probing process based on the determined first region and second region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
measuring a contact force between at least one probe and at least one contact pad for a plurality of probe overdrive positions, and determining a relationship between contact force and probe overdrive position from the measured contact forces;
determining a first region in the relationship exhibiting a non-linear dependence of the contact force from the probe overdrive position, and a second region exhibiting a linear dependence of the contact force from the probe overdrive position;
determining a process window for a pad probing process based on the determined first region and second region; and
carrying out the pad probing process using the determined process window.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring a contact force between at least one probe and at least one contact pad comprises:
measuring a contact force between a probe and a contact pad for a first probe overdrive position at a first lateral probe position at the contact pad; and
measuring a contact force between the probe and the contact pad for a second probe overdrive position at a second lateral probe position at the contact pad.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring a contact force between at least one probe and at least one contact pad comprises:
measuring, in a first measurement, a contact force between a probe and a contact pad for a first plurality of probe overdrive positions ranging from a first minimum probe overdrive position to a first maximum probe overdrive position; and subsequently
measuring, in a second measurement, a contact force between the probe and the contact pad for a second plurality of probe overdrive positions ranging from a second minimum probe overdrive position to a second maximum probe overdrive position.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein, in the second measurement, the probe is placed at a different lateral position at the pad than in the first measurement.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring a contact force between at least one probe and at least one contact pad comprises:
measuring a contact force between a first probe and a first contact pad for a first plurality of probe overdrive positions ranging from a first minimum probe overdrive position to a first maximum probe overdrive position; and
measuring a contact force between a second probe and a second contact pad for a second plurality of probe overdrive positions ranging from a second minimum probe overdrive position to a second maximum probe overdrive position.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring a contact force between at least one probe and at least one contact pad comprises measuring a contact force between at least one probe and a plurality of contact pads so as to obtain a plurality of measurement values for each of the probe overdrive positions, and averaging the plurality of measurement values for each of the probe overdrive positions.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring a contact force between at least one probe and at least one contact pad comprises providing a randomized measurement setup, in which contact forces for a plurality of probe overdrive positions are measured at a respective plurality of contact pads.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one probe comprises a cantilever probe.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one probe comprises a probe card comprising a single probe.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one probe comprises a probe card comprising a plurality of probes.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring a contact force between at least one probe and at least one contact pad comprises measuring a normal force between the at least one probe and the at least one contact pad.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring a contact resistance between the at least one probe and the at least one contact pad for each position of the plurality of probe overdrive positions.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring a contact force between the at least one probe and the at least one contact pad comprises:
bringing the at least one probe and the at least one contact pad in contact with one another; and subsequently
at least one of moving the at least one contact pad towards the at least one probe or moving the at least one probe towards the at least contact pad.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first region and second region comprises performing a curve fitting process.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the curve fitting process comprises performing a linear fit.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the curve fitting process comprises performing a residual analysis.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first region and second region comprises determining a function representing the relationship between contact force and probe overdrive position, and determining a derivative of the function.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process window is defined in a parameter space comprising a number of probe-pad contacts and the probe overdrive position as parameters.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the process window comprises at least one of a maximum probe overdrive position for a given number of probe-pad contacts and a maximum number of probe-pad contacts for a given probe overdrive position.

20. A method for probe-force investigation, comprising:
performing a plurality of probe-pad contacting processes with a probing apparatus;
measuring probe-pad contact forces for a plurality of probe overdrive positions applied during the plurality of probe-pad contacting processes;
analyzing a relationship between the measured probe-pad contact forces and the applied probe overdrive positions to determine a first probe-pad parameter region, in which a pad is plastically deformed by a probe, and a second probe-pad parameter region, in which the probe may cause damage to a layer underneath the pad;
calibrating the probing apparatus with a process window based on the first probe-pad parameter region and the second probe-pad parameter region; and
controlling the probing apparatus to perform a pad probing process according to the process window to reduce damage to the layer underneath the pad.

21. A probing apparatus, comprising:
a measuring device configured to measure a contact force between at least one probe and at least one contact pad of a semiconductor device for a plurality of probe overdrive positions;
a determining device configured to determine a relationship between contact force and probe overdrive position from the measured contact forces;
a determining device configured to determine a first region in the relationship exhibiting a non-linear dependence of the contact force from the probe overdrive position, and a second region exhibiting a linear dependence of the contact force from the probe overdrive position;
a determining device configured to determine a process window for a pad probing process based on the determined first region and second region; and
one or more processors configured to control the probing apparatus to perform the pad probing process using the process window to reduce damage to the semiconductor device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the measuring device comprises:
a probe card comprising at least one probe;
a holding member for holding at least one wafer;
a moving member for at least one of moving the holding member towards the probe card or moving the probe card towar

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Penjovic Ivan
• Hennig Josef Martin Paul
• Nagler Oliver

Classifications

• G01R1/067

  Measuring probes · CPC title

• G01R1/06716

  Elastic · CPC title

• H05K1/0268

  for electrical inspection or testing · CPC title

• G01R1/06794

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

• G01R31/2887

  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