Measuring and testing – Specimen stress or strain – or testing by stress or strain... – By loading of specimen
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-27
2003-02-25
Fuller, Benjamin R. (Department: 2855)
Measuring and testing
Specimen stress or strain, or testing by stress or strain...
By loading of specimen
C073S831000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06523419
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrode tensile test method and apparatus for testing the tensile strength between a substrate and an electrode by using a probe, a substrate/probe support device for an electrode tensile test, and an electrode-probe bonding device for an electrode tensile test.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Packaging high integration density is recently demanded to reduce the cost of electronic devices in computers, automobiles, home electric appliances, and the like and to downsize them into small, low-profile devices. Among several high-density packaging methods that are currently available, a packaging method using a bump electrode (e.g., BGA, CSP, flip chip, TAB, or the like) attracts attention because it requires a smaller bonding area than other packaging methods while providing a high bonding strength.
The reliability of the packaging method of this type include the tensile strength between a bump electrode and a substrate land. In order to examine this tensile strength, a bump electrode tensile test is generally used.
As an electrode tensile test method of this type, for example, the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-111417 is known. According to this method, a probe is directly heated by using a heater. A bump electrode is fused with the heat of the probe and is bonded with the probe. Then, the probe is pulled to test the bonding strength between the bump electrode and the substrate.
An actual packaging process, however, does not heat only a member to be connected to the bump electrode. When the above prior art is used, the substrate and the electrode as the members to be tested undergo a temperature condition different from that in the actual packaging process, and the resultant tensile strength is sometimes different from that of an actual product.
In the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-111417 described above, each time one bump is to be measured, a procedure including heating, fusion, cooling, and measurement must be performed. Hence, measurement takes time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in order to solve the problems of the prior art, and has as its object to provide an electrode tensile test method and apparatus which can provide test results of an electrode tensile strength closer to that obtained in a packaging process, a substrate/probe support device for an electrode tensile test, and an electrode-probe bonding device for an electrode tensile test.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrode tensile test method and apparatus, which can run an electrode tensile test efficiently, a substrate/probe support device for an electrode tensile test, and an electrode-probe bonding device for an electrode tensile test.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing an electrode tensile test method of fixing a probe and an electrode on a substrate to each other, and pulling the probe, thereby testing the tensile strength of the electrode with respect to the substrate, comprising: an electrode fusing step of fusing the electrode; an inserting step of inserting the probe into the electrode fused by the electrode fusing step: a cooling step of cooling the electrode, into which the probe has been inserted by the inserting step, together with the probe; and a measuring step of pulling the probe, fixed to the electrode through the cooling step, from the substrate, and measuring the tensile strength between the electrode and the substrate.
In a preferred embodiment, the inserting step is the step of inserting the probe into the fused electrode using the weight of the probe itself.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing an electrode tensile test method of fixing a probe and an electrode on a substrate to each other, and pulling the probe, thereby testing the tensile strength of the electrode with respect to the substrate, comprising: an inserting step of inserting the probe into the electrode; an electrode fusing step of directly applying heat to the electrode into which the probe has been inserted, thereby fusing the electrode; a cooling step of cooling the electrode, fused by the electrode fusing step, together with the probe; and a measuring step of pulling the probe, fixed to the electrode through the cooling step, from the substrate, and measuring the tensile force between the electrode and the substrate.
In a preferred embodiment, the electrode fusing step is the step of increasing an ambient temperature of a space including the probe and the electrode.
In a preferred embodiment, the electrode fusing step comprises heating the substrate and the probe in a reflow furnace.
In a preferred embodiment, the electrode fusing step is the step of placing the substrate and the probe in a chamber, and blowing heated air into the chamber, thereby heating the interior of the chamber.
In a preferred embodiment, the electrode fusing step comprises blowing at least nitrogen into the chamber.
In a preferred embodiment, the electrode fusing step comprises the step of applying heat to the electrode through the substrate.
In a preferred embodiment, the inserting step is the step of arranging the substrate above the probe and inserting the probe facing up into the electrode facing down.
In a preferred embodiment, the inserting step comprises the positioning step of defining a position of the substrate with respect to the probe.
In a preferred embodiment, in each of the electrode fusing step, the inserting step, and the cooling step, a plurality of electrodes on one substrate and a plurality of probes corresponding thereto are processed simultaneously.
Further, according to the present invention, the foregoing object is also attained by providing an electrode tensile test apparatus for fixing a probe to an electrode and pulling the probe, thereby testing the tensile strength of the electrode with respect to a substrate, comprising: electrode fusing means for directly applying heat to the electrode, thereby fusing the electrode; and measuring means for pulling the probe which is inserted in the electrode fused by the heating means and is cooled so as to be fixed to the electrode, from the substrate, and measuring a tensile force between the electrode and the substrate.
In a preferred embodiment, the electrode fusing means is heating means for increasing the ambient temperature of space including the probe and the electrode.
In a preferred embodiment, the heating means is a reflow furnace.
In a preferred embodiment, the heating means comprises: a chamber in which the substrate and the probe are placed; and means for blowing heated air into the chamber, thereby heating the interior of the chamber.
In a preferred embodiment, the heating means has means for blowing at least nitrogen into the chamber.
In a preferred embodiment, the electrode fusing means comprises substrate heating means for heating the substrate in order to transmit heat to the electrode through the substrate.
In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus further having: substrate support means for supporting the substrate; and probe guiding means for guiding the probe to the electrode.
In a preferred embodiment, the probe guiding means guides a plurality of probes to a plurality of electrodes simultaneously.
In a preferred embodiment, the substrate support means supports the substrate to face down; and the probe guiding means supports the probe to face up; wherein the substrate support means and the probe guiding means being arranged such that the substrate is located above the probe.
In a preferred embodiment, the substrate support means has positioning means for defining the distance between the distal end of the probe and the substrate.
In a preferred embodiment, the probe has a rod-like portion, and a distal end portion to be fixed to the electrode, the probe guiding means is a plate-like member having a probe inserting hole with a larger diameter than that of the rod-like portion, the substrate support means has a supp
Nonaka Nobuyoshi
Torimitsu Tadashi
Fuller Benjamin R.
Kabushiki Kaisha Arctek
Merchant & Gould P.C.
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