System and method for inspecting a semiconductor device with...

Details System and method for inspecting a semiconductor device with... System and method for inspecting a semiconductor device with...

2001-01-05

2003-09-16

Nguyen, Vinh P. (Department: 2829)

Electricity: measuring and testing

Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components

Of individual circuit component or element

C324S754090

Reexamination Certificate

active

06621286

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for inspecting a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a system and method suitable for inspecting a semiconductor device whose terminals are formed from solder balls and protrude from a package.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIGS. 9 and 10
show inspection sockets which have conventionally been used for inspecting a semiconductor device of ball grid array (BGA) type or a semiconductor device of chip-size package (CSP) type. In
FIGS. 9 and 10
, reference numeral
10
designates the bottom of a package of a semiconductor device which is an object of inspection. Further, reference numeral
12
designates a solder ball provided as a terminal on the bottom
10
of the package.
An inspection socket
14
shown in
FIG. 9
is of leaf spring type. A leaf spring
16
is provided on an interface substrate (simply called IF substrate)
15
. Further, the inspection socket
14
is provided with a slide guide for adjusting the position of the leaf spring
16
. The leaf spring
16
clamps the solder ball
12
from both sides thereof by means of elastic force of the leaf spring
16
, thus achieving desired contact.
An inspection socket
17
shown in
FIG. 10
is of POGO type, and has an extendable POGO pin
18
provided on the IF substrate
15
. A semiconductor device is set on the IF substrate
15
such that each of the POGO pins
18
comes into contact with the corresponding solder ball
12
, whereby the inspection socket
17
of this type can achieve desired contact.
In the case of the inspection socket
14
of leaf spring type shown in
FIG. 9
, the leaf spring
14
must provide sufficient elastic force. Therefore, a comparatively long distance; particularly, a distance of about 10 mm, must be ensured between the IF substrate
15
and the solder ball
12
. Inductance arising between the IF substrate
15
and the solder ball
12
increases with the distance therebetween. A signal exchanged between the IF substrate
15
and the solder ball
12
is degraded in, particularly, a high-frequency range, as inductance existing between the IF substrate
15
and the solder ball
12
becomes greater. For this reason, the inspection socket
14
of leaf spring type is not suitable for high-speed testing of a semiconductor device.
The inspection socket
17
of POGO pin type shown in
FIG. 10
achieves desired contact by means of applying contact pressure to the solder ball
12
from below. The contact pressure acts as a load on a package of the semiconductor device. The load imposed on the package increases with the number of pins of the semiconductor device. If excessive load is exerted on the package, the semiconductor element provided within the package will be damaged. For this reason, the inspection socket
17
of POGO pin type has a problem of being likely to inflict damage on a semiconductor device having a plurality of pins.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been conceived to solve such a drawback of the background art and is aimed at providing an inspection system for inspecting at high speed a semiconductor device having a plurality of pins.
The present invention is also aimed at providing an inspection method of inspecting at high speed a semiconductor device having a plurality of pins.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5163834 (1992-11-01), Chapin et al.
patent: 5800184 (1998-09-01), Lopergolo et al.
patent: 6046597 (2000-04-01), Barabi
patent: 6222378 (2001-04-01), Campbell et al.
patent: 6293808 (2001-09-01), Ochiai
patent: 6474997 (2002-11-01), Ochiai

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