Process for testing a semiconductor device

Details Process for testing a semiconductor device Process for testing a semiconductor device

2000-01-20

2002-08-13

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

06433571

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to testing, and in particular, to probe tips, probe cards, semiconductor devices, processes for testing semiconductor devices using the probe tips, probe cards, and semiconductor devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Semiconductor devices are typically tested after manufacturing to make sure that a functional semiconductor device has been formed. Other sorts of tests, such as classifying a functioning semiconductor device according to speed, etc., is usually performed also using the same or similar equipment.
One type of equipment has a probe card with probe tips.
FIG. 1
includes an illustration of a portion of a probe card
10
that includes a base
14
and a probe tip
12
. The base
14
is typically an insulating material, and the probe tip
12
is typically a conductor, such as a metal-containing material. The probe tip
12
includes a beam section
122
and a tip section
124
. The beam section forms an angle &igr; with respect to the bottom surface of the base
14
. Angle &thgr; is typically 3 degrees. Angle &OHgr; is formed between the beam section
122
and the tip section
124
and in a range of 103-106 degrees.
FIG. 2
includes another type of probe card
20
that includes a base
24
with an opening
26
. The probe tip
22
includes a beam portion
222
and a tip portion
224
that are two discrete portions. Probe tip
22
further includes a bump
226
that allows the probe tip to move a limited distance in a vertical direction because the combination of the tip portion
224
and the bump
226
is larger than the diameter of the opening
26
.
The probe tips of
FIG. 1
or
2
are used to scrape a portion of a pad of a semiconductor device to break through an oxide on the pad. If the pad includes aluminum, the aluminum forms aluminum oxide when exposed to air. Aluminum oxide is an insulator and must be broken through in order to probe properly the semiconductor device.
FIG. 3
includes an illustration of the probe card
20
during the probing of a semiconductor device
30
. The semiconductor device
30
includes a base
32
that includes an insulating layer, a pad
34
, and a passivation layer
36
. When the semiconductor device
30
is tested, the semiconductor device
30
is typically moved toward the base
24
of the probe card
20
. When the probe tip
22
contacts the semiconductor substrate
30
, the probe tip
22
moves upward until the bump
226
hits the base
24
.
After the bump
226
hits the base
24
, the tip section
224
below the base
24
is deflected which causes the end of the probe tip
24
to move along the pad
34
. The end of the probe tip
24
typically moves one unit of distance along the pad
34
for every ten units or less of vertical movement of the substrate. As can be seen in
FIG. 3
, the probe tip
22
can hit the passivation layer
36
causing a piece
362
of the passivation layer
36
to break. When this piece
362
is removed, an edge
38
of the pad
34
is now exposed which may allow moisture or other contaminants to migrate beneath the passivation layer. Such a result is typically not desired due to problems with reliability. The probe tip
12
of
FIG. 1
suffers from a similar problem because the probe tip can move too far and break off a piece of passivating material.
A need exists for testing integrated circuits in a non- destructive manner that allows accurate probing. A need also exists for testing semiconductor devices with small pad pitch.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4468615 (1984-08-01), Jamet et al.
patent: 4480223 (1984-10-01), Aigo
patent: 4518914 (1985-05-01), Okubo et al.
patent: 4523144 (1985-06-01), Okubo et al.
patent: 4563640 (1986-01-01), Hasegawa
patent: 4780670 (1988-10-01), Cherry
patent: 4998062 (1991-03-01), Ikeda
patent: 5006808 (1991-04-01), Watts
patent: 5126662 (1992-06-01), Jinbo
patent: 5436571 (1995-07-01), Karasawa
patent: 5773987 (1998-06-01), Montoya
Integrated Circuit Engineering Corp. (ICE), Construction Analysis, Intel A80502-120 Pentium Processor, Report #: SUB 9506-02, 6 pgs. (Month unavailable).
Karl F. Zimmerman, 1996 IEEE, “SiPROBE—A New Technology for Wafer Probing”, Paper 4.3, pp. 106-112. (Month unavailable).

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