Probe tile for probing semiconductor wafer

Details Probe tile for probing semiconductor wafer Probe tile for probing semiconductor wafer

2000-12-04

2003-07-01

Nguyen, Vinh P. (Department: 2829)

Electricity: measuring and testing

Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components

Of individual circuit component or element

C324S761010, C324S762010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06586954

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to semiconductor test equipment, and more particularly, to a system and method for using a plurality of probe tiles and probes for electrically probing a semiconductor wafer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The semiconductor industry has a need to access many electronic devices on a semiconductor wafer. As the semiconductor industry grows and devices become more complex, engineers and scientists require tools to access devices quickly and easily on a semiconductor wafer. Many wafer tests take hours, days, or weeks to perform, and would more efficiently be performed in parallel. Probe cards have been developed to probe long rows or areas of the wafer. However, these developments are still geared to a short-term electrical tests and a limited temperature range.
Semiconductor wafer probing is typically performed with probe cards built using FR-4, polyamide or a similar material. Such cards typically use an epoxy ring to hold tungsten probes in place. These types of probe cards are generally designed for probing one device at a time on the wafer in a narrow temperature range. The larger vendors of these types of probe cards are Cerprobe, Probe Technology, MJC Japan, and others. Probers, built by companies such as Electraglass and TEL, step the probe card across the wafer so the devices on the wafer can be electrically probed.
Ceramic versions of a typical probe card have been developed, however these are limited to, and designed for, probing a single device. Other ceramic probe cards have been designed for probing a confined area of a wafer at a narrow temperature range. These probe cards can be permanently damaged and broken if driven into the wafer.
No method is currently known to probe multiple locations over a broad area on a semiconductor wafer. The need to access several locations on a semiconductor wafer will increase as design rules shrink device features, the speed of devices increases, and device shipments continue to grow at high rates. Therefore, there is a need for a way to probe multiple locations on a semiconductor wafer. Further, there is a need for a robust probe card which may probe a wafer at a wide temperature range without breaking.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment of the present invention, a tile used to hold one or more probes for testing a semiconductor wafer is disclosed. The tile has one or more sites for inserting one or more probes to test the semiconductor wafer. Each site has one or more holes. Each hole is coupled with a slot forming an angle. A probe is inserted into the tile from a top of the tile through the hole and seated on the slot. The probe has a probe tip. The probe tip is in contact with the semiconductor wafer at one end of the slot at a bottom of the tile. The probe tip is aligned with X and Y coordinates of a bond pad on the semiconductor wafer.


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