Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Of individual circuit component or element
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-27
2003-09-30
Karlsen, Ernest (Department: 2829)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
Of individual circuit component or element
C324S765010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06628127
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a technique permitting a probe to be easily formed and testing to be made at great reliability.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditionally, a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit is formed in a structure in which as shown in
FIG. 18
, a through-hole
2
is formed to penetrate an insulating substrate
1
made of e.g. polyimide or glass so that the through-hole
2
electrically connects one surface to the other surface. The through-hole
2
is plated to form a wiring
3
connect the one surface of the substrate
1
to the other surface thereof.
On the one surface, a probe for contact with the semiconductor integrated circuit is made as a metallic bump
4
of nickel and such like by e.g. plating. At a position on the wiring
3
on the other surface which is opposite to the position where the metallic bump
4
is formed, an electrode
5
for inputting/outputting an electric signal is formed by a solder bump or anisotropic conductive rubber. The probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit has been improved in various forms, and the related arts are disclosed in JP-A-10-90307 and JP-A-10-111315.
In the case that the substrate
1
is made of a polyimide film, a conventional probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit is defective in that it generates misalignment in high temperature testing because of a large difference in the linear expansion coefficient between the polyimide film and the semiconductor integrated circuit, thereby deteriorating the reliability of the testing. The conventional probe card is also defective in that in order to form the metallic bump
4
having a certain height as a probe, plural times of plating must be carried out because a sufficient height cannot be made when plating is made only once, thereby increasing the number of steps in the manufacturing process and complicating the process.
Since each metallic bump
4
and each electrode
5
are formed at opposite positions with respect to the substrate, when there is a difference in the height between the metallic bumps
4
and the electrodes
5
, the metallic bumps
4
are not brought into contact with the semiconductor integrated circuit at some positions. This deteriorates the reliability of testing.
The present invention has been accomplished in order to solve the problems described above, and intends to provide a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit which can be easily manufactured and can test the semiconductor integrated circuit with great reliability, and a method of manufacturing such a probe card.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to first aspect of the invention, A probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit, having a plurality of probes adapted to input/output an electric signal for verifying an operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit to/from a plurality of positions on the semiconductor integrated circuit, the probe card comprises an insulating substrate defining a plurality of convex portions on a surface thereof, and conductive film depositing on the surface of the convex portions of the insulating substrate to form the plurality of probes.
Second aspect of the invention proposes a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein an uppermost layer of the conductive film is made of tungsten film.
According to third aspect of the invention a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit, having a plurality of probes adapted to input/output an electric signal for verifying an operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit to/from a plurality of positions on the semiconductor integrated circuit, the probe card comprises:
an insulating substrate defining a plurality of concave portions; and
a plurality of the conductive members embedded in the concave portions to protrude upper ends of the conductive members from an upper surface of the insulating substrate, thereby to form the plurality of the probes.
According to fourth aspect of the invention, a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit, having a plurality of probes adapted to input/output an electric signal to/from a plurality of positions of the semiconductor integrated circuit for verifying an operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit, the probe card comprises:
an insulating substrate defining a plurality of through-holes; and
a plurality of conductive members embedded in the plurality of through-holes,
wherein one end of the conducive members contacting with the semiconductor integrated circuit is protruded from an upper surface of the insulating substrate.
Fifth aspect of the invention proposes a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the fourth aspect of the invention, further comprising an electrode adapted to input/output an electric signal, the electrode formed on a surface different from a side of the plurality of probes formed.
Sixth aspect of the invention proposes a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the invention, wherein the probes are formed to have a surface coarseness of 0.3 &mgr;m or less.
Seventh aspect of the invention proposes a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the invention, wherein the probes are formed to have an angle in a range of 15 to 35 degree between a contacted surface of the semiconductor integrated circuit and a surface of the probes when the probes are brought into contact with the semiconductor integrated circuit.
According to eighth aspect of the invention, a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit comprises:
an insulating substrate;
a plurality of probes adapted to input/output an electric signal for verifying an operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit to/from a plurality of positions of the semiconductor integrated circuit, the probes formed on one surface of the insulating substrate;
through-holes formed to pass through the insulating substrate at positions which are different from positions of the probes so as to electrically connect the probes to side of the other surface of the insulating substrate which is different from one surface formed the probes, respectively;
electrodes each formed on each of the through-holes, adapted to input/output the electric signal,
wherein each of relationships of relative positions between each of the probes and each of the through-holes connected to each of the probes are the same.
According to a ninth aspect of the invention, a probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit comprises:
an insulating substrate;
a plurality of probes adapted to input/output an electric signal for verifying an operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit to/from a plurality of positions of the semiconductor integrated circuit, the plurality of probes formed on one surface of the insulating substrate; and
through-holes formed to pass through the insulating substrate so as to electrically connect the probes to side of the other surface of the insulating substrate with each other, which is different from one surface formed the probes, respectively, each of the through-holes having sectional shape in an approximately U-shaped,
wherein each of concave sides of the sectional shape of the through-holes face to positions of the probes
According to tenth aspect of the invention, A probe card for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit comprises:
an insulating substrate;
a plurality of probes adapted to input/output an electric signal for verifying an operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit to/from a plurality of positions of the semiconductor integrated circuit, the probes formed on one of surfaces of the insulating substrate;
through-holes formed
Deguchi Yoshinori
Kashiba Yoshihiro
Maekawa Shigeki
Takemoto Megumi
Tanaka Masahiro
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Karlsen Ernest
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
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