JP5886694B2 - Cantilever type probe and probe card or probe unit including the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cantilever type probe used for inspection of characteristics of a semiconductor element and inspection of a liquid crystal panel, and a probe card or a probe unit including the cantilever type probe.

  For inspection of characteristics of various semiconductor elements formed on a wafer and inspection of a liquid crystal panel, a probe card or a probe unit incorporating a cantilever type probe has been conventionally used as seen in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3. In recent years, various methods for manufacturing a cantilever type probe using MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) have been proposed (for example, Patent Document 4, 5).

  In order to arrange the cantilever probes at a narrow pitch in response to the narrowing of the electrode pitch, it is conceivable to narrow the width of each probe as one measure. However, if the width of the cantilever probe is narrowed and the thickness in the width direction is reduced, the resistance of the probe to the force from the lateral direction becomes weak due to the structure in which the needle tip is supported in a cantilevered state. There is a problem. If the resistance of the cantilever probe to the force from the lateral direction is not sufficient, the tip of the cantilever probe is displaced by, for example, the Coulomb force that is applied when a voltage is applied to the probe or the lateral load that occurs during contact. In some cases, however, there may be a problem that adjacent probes come into contact with each other and cause a short circuit. For this reason, conventionally, it has been considered that there is a limit to narrowing the width of the cantilever type probe, and there is a limit to narrowing the pitch.

JP 2012-18176 A JP 2011-153998 A JP 2008-164427 A JP 2007-285802 A JP 2010-286360 A

  The present invention has been made in order to eliminate the disadvantages of the conventional cantilever type probe described above, and has sufficient resistance to the force from the lateral direction, and is arranged with a narrow width and a narrow pitch. However, a cantilever type probe in which adjacent probes are not likely to come into contact with each other by Coulomb force, a probe assembly in which a plurality of such cantilever type probes are arranged, and such a cantilever type probe or probe assembly. It is an object to provide a probe card or a probe unit comprising:

  As a result of intensive research to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that in the cantilever type probe, the needle tip passes through a path in which the connecting member that supports the needle tip portion in a cantilever state is expanded in the horizontal direction. The connecting member is shaped to connect the body part and the body part, and the bulging direction in each path is made to be opposite to each other between the existing connecting members, thereby reducing the width and reducing the thickness in the width direction. The present invention was completed by finding that a cantilever type probe having sufficient resistance to lateral force can be obtained.

  That is, the present invention includes a needle tip portion having a contact needle that contacts an electrode of a semiconductor element to be inspected, a main body portion, and at least two connecting members that connect the needle tip portion and the main body portion. And when the direction of the contact needle is downward, at least two of the connecting members are arranged in the vertical direction, and each of the at least two connecting members passes through a path swelled in the horizontal direction. A cantilever type in which the needle tip portion and the main body portion are connected, and the direction of the bulge in one of the at least two connecting members is opposite to the direction of the bulge in the other path. By providing a probe, the above-described problems are solved.

  The cantilever type probe of the present invention has a shape for connecting the needle tip portion and the main body portion through a path in which at least two connecting members that support the needle tip portion in a cantilever state are expanded in the horizontal direction. In addition, since the directions of the bulges in the path are opposite to each other, the resistance to the force from the lateral direction is increased compared to the case where the needle tip portion is supported by a linear connecting member having the same width, Even if the width of the cantilever probe is narrowed and arranged at a narrow pitch, the possibility that adjacent probes are brought into contact with each other by Coulomb force or the like is significantly reduced.

  Note that connecting the needle tip part and the main body part through a path swelled in the horizontal direction means that the needle tip part and the main body part are not connected by a straight path of the shortest distance, but a horizontal path that bypasses the straight path. This means that the needle tip part and the main body part are connected to each other through a path swelled in the direction, in a so-called bow. Such a swelled in the horizontal direction may be constituted only by a curve such as an arc or an elliptical arc, may be constituted only by a straight line obtained by combining two straight lines in a mountain shape, and further, a curved line. And a straight line. Further, the path that bulges in the horizontal direction only needs to have at least one bulge in the horizontal direction, and the number of bulges in one path may be two or more.

  Further, the present invention is a probe assembly in which a plurality of the cantilever probes of the present invention are arranged, and when the direction of the contact needle is downward, the connecting member of each cantilever probe is arranged in the vertical direction. The above-described problems are solved by providing a probe assembly in which the bulging direction of the path is the same in each of the connecting members having the same position and the same vertical position. is there. Furthermore, this invention solves the said subject by providing the probe card or probe unit provided with the cantilever type probe of this invention, or one or more probe assemblies of this invention.

  In the probe assembly according to the present invention, or a probe card or a probe unit including the probe assembly, the vertical position of the connecting member in each cantilever type probe constituting the probe assembly and the direction of the bulge coincide. Therefore, it is possible to arrange a plurality of cantilever type probes of the present invention having a connecting member for connecting the needle tip part and the main body part through a path swelled in the horizontal direction and arranged at a narrow pitch.

  According to the present invention, even if the width of the cantilever type probe is narrowed to reduce the thickness in the width direction, it is possible to secure a resistance force against a lateral load. Provides the advantage that the possibility of contact between adjacent probes is significantly reduced. Further, according to the present invention, a plurality of cantilever probes having a narrow width can be arranged adjacent to each other at a narrow pitch so that the positions and directions of the bulges in the connecting member coincide with each other. There is an advantage that a probe assembly, a probe card, or a probe unit corresponding to pitching can be realized.

It is a front view which shows an example of the cantilever type | mold probe of this invention. It is X-X 'sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 2 is a Y-Y ′ sectional view of FIG. 1. It is a left view of FIG. It is a figure showing the relationship between a horizontal direction load and a displacement amount. It is a side view which shows an example of the probe card formed by arranging a plurality of cantilever type probes of the present invention. It is X-X 'sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 7 is a Y-Y ′ sectional view of FIG. 6. It is a front view which shows another example of the cantilever type probe of this invention. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X ′ of FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a left side view of FIG. 9. It is a side view which shows another example of the probe card which arrange | positions multiple cantilever type | mold probes of this invention.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated one.

  FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a cantilever type probe of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a cantilever type probe (hereinafter simply referred to as “probe”), 2 is a needle tip portion thereof, 3 is a main body portion, 4 is a connecting portion for connecting the needle tip portion 2 and the main body portion 3, 5 Is a contact needle provided in the needle tip 2. The probe 1 is usually attached to a substrate 6 such as a probe card or a probe unit in the main body portion 3, and the needle tip portion 2 is supported in a cantilever state by the connecting portion 4.

  In this example, the connection part 4 is comprised by the three connection members 4a, 4b, and 4c arrange | positioned at intervals up and down. In the present specification, as shown in FIG. 1, “upper and lower” means the upper and lower directions when the probe 1 is arranged so that the contact needle 5 is directed downward, and the horizontal direction is relative to the upper and lower directions. The horizontal direction, that is, the direction orthogonal to the direction of the contact needle 5 is assumed. Further, the lateral direction means a horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1) orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the connecting members 4a, 4b, 4c, and the vertical plane means a surface orthogonal to the horizontal direction. To do.

  2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X ′ of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y-Y ′ of FIG. 1. 2 and 3, 4 a is an upper connecting member, 4 b is an intermediate connecting member, 4 c is a lower connecting member, and A is a horizontal straight line connecting the needle tip portion 2 and the main body portion 3 with the shortest distance. Yes. Usually, since the needle tip 2 and the main body 3 are located on the same straight line, the straight line A usually has a longitudinal center in the horizontal cross section of the needle tip 2 and a length in the horizontal cross section of the main body 3. It becomes a straight line connecting the center of the direction, and on the vertical plane including the straight line A, the tip of the contact needle 5 and the fulcrum of each of the connecting members 4a, 4b, 4c indicated by the symbol C are located.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connecting members 4 a, 4 b, and 4 c do not connect the needle tip portion 2 and the main body portion 3 with a straight path of the shortest distance along the straight line A, but instead of the straight line A. The needle tip portion 2 and the main body portion 3 are connected in a so-called bow shape through a path α, β, or γ that swells in the horizontal direction that detours to the left and right. That is, each of the connecting members 4a, 4b, and 4c is configured by an arcuate curve extending from the needle tip portion 2 to the main body portion 3, and at the central portions 7a, 7b, and 7c, the connecting members 4a, 4b, The needle tip portion 2 and the main body portion 3 are connected through paths α, β, and γ that are most swollen in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of 4c. However, the path α of the upper connecting member 4a and the path γ of the lower connecting member 4c have the same bulging direction, but the path β of the middle connecting member 4b has the bulging direction of the upper and lower stages. This is opposite to the direction of bulging in the paths α and γ of the connecting members 4a and 4c.

  FIG. 4 is a left side view of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper and lower connecting members 4a and 4c swell leftward in the horizontal direction, while the middle connecting member 4b swells rightward in the opposite horizontal direction. Thus, in the probe 1 of this example, the three connecting members 4a, 4b, and 4c connect the needle tip portion 2 and the main body portion 3 through the paths α, β, and γ that bulge in the horizontal direction. Since the direction of the bulge in the paths α and γ of the connecting members 4a and 4c and the direction of the bulge in the path β of the connecting member 4b are opposite to each other, the contact needle 5 that is the point of action of the force in the probe 1 is used. Even if a lateral force acts on the position, the probe 1 resists these forces well, and the displacement amount of the probe 1 about the fulcrum C in the left-right direction is extremely small.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the load and the displacement when a lateral load is applied to the probe 1 of the present invention having the shape shown in FIG. 1 by computer simulation. However, the width of the probe 1 is 15 μm, the amount of bulging in the horizontal direction of the connecting members 4 a, 4 b, and 4 c is 40 μm, and the lateral load is above the contact needle 5 in the needle tip 2 and the middle connecting member 4 b It was made to act on the position which becomes the same height as the central position in the vertical direction. As a contrast, the load and displacement amount of the probe of the same shape and the same size as the probe 1 of the present invention are the same except that the connecting members 4a, 4b, and 4c are all linear members that do not bulge in the horizontal direction. The relationship was obtained by computer simulation, and the results are shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the conventional probe in which the connecting members 4a to 4c do not have a bulge in the horizontal direction, a displacement of about 18 μm exceeding the probe width of 15 μm occurred with a lateral load of 0.02 g. . On the other hand, in the probe of the present invention in which the connecting members 4a to 4c have a bulge in the horizontal direction, only about 9 μm is displaced with a lateral load of 0.02 g, and the displacement is much smaller than the probe width. there were. Further, in the present invention, the amount of displacement with respect to the lateral load is suppressed to about ½ of the conventional probe. As described above, the probe of the present invention is an excellent probe suitable for narrowing the pitch because the amount of displacement with respect to the lateral load is small even when the width is reduced and the thickness in the width direction is reduced.

  In the probe 1 of this example, the connecting members 4a, 4b, and 4c swell to the left and right in the horizontal direction at the center portions 7a, 7b, and 7c, and the connecting member 4a, the connecting member 4b, and the connecting member The member 4b and the connecting member 4c are plane symmetric with respect to a vertical plane including the straight line A. However, in some cases, the connecting members 4a, 4b, and 4c are the most horizontally left and right at locations other than the central portions 7a, 7b, and 7c. It does not have to be plane-symmetric with respect to the vertical plane including the straight line A. Furthermore, in the probe 1 of this example, the connecting members 4a, 4b, and 4c have the same vertical thickness, but the connecting members 4a, 4b, and 4c may have different vertical thicknesses.

  Further, in the probe 1 of this example, there are three connecting members constituting the connecting portion 4, and the other two of the connecting members 4 b positioned in the middle of the connecting members 4 b are positioned in the horizontal direction. The direction of the bulge in the horizontal direction of the upper or lower linking member 4a or 4c is opposite to the direction of the bulge in the horizontal direction of the other two linking members. You may do it. However, if the direction of the bulge in the horizontal direction of the connecting member 4b located in the middle stage is opposite to the direction of the bulge in the horizontal direction of the other two connecting members 4a and 4c located above and below, the needle tip Even when a lateral force acts on the upper part or the lower part of the part 2, the probe 1 is less likely to twist around the horizontal axis, which is preferable.

FIG. 6 is a left side view showing an example of a probe card in which a plurality of probes 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are arranged. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 8 denotes a probe card, and a plurality of probes 1 _k , 1 _l , 1 _m ... Are attached to the substrate 6 of the probe card 8. The plurality of probes 1 _k , 1 _l , 1 _m ... Have the same shape and the same size, and form a probe assembly 9. Although only seven probes 1 _k to 1 _q are shown in FIG. 6, it goes without saying that the number of probes 1 attached to the probe card 8 is not limited to seven.

Since the probes 1 _k , 1 _l , 1 _m ... Constituting the probe assembly 9 have the same shape and the same size, the connecting members 4 a _k , 4 a _l , 4 a _m. They are aligned at the same height, the connection member _{4b k, 4b l, 4b m} ··· and the connection member _{4c k,} 4c l, the same applies to _4c m · · ·. The connecting member _{4a k, 4a l, 4a} m direction bulge ... are consistent in each probe _{1 k, 1 l, 1 m} ···, connecting members _{4b k, 4b l, 4b m} · .. and the connecting members 4c _k , 4c _l , 4c _m . Therefore, even if a plurality of probes 1 _k , 1 _l , 1 _m ... Are adjacently arranged at a narrow pitch, the connecting members 4 a _k , 4 a _l , 4 a _m ..., The connecting members 4 b _k , 4 b _l , 4 b _m · · ·, or the connecting member _{4c k,} 4c l, never bulge of _4c m · · · are in contact with each other, the probe ₁ k of this _{example, 1 l,} 1 m ··· adjacent a narrow pitch It is possible to arrange.

7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX ′ of FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line YY ′ of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in the plurality of probes 1 _k , 1 _l , 1 _m ... Constituting the probe assembly 9, the horizontal direction of the connecting members 4 a _k , 4 a _l , 4 a _m. The swell direction is the same, and the connecting members 4b _k , 4b _l , 4b _m ... Swell in the horizontal direction. Similarly, although not shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the connecting member _{4c k,} 4c l, the direction of expansion of the horizontal _4c m · · · is also the same. As described above, the probes 1 _k , 1 _l , 1 _m ... Of the present invention can be arranged adjacent to each other at a narrow pitch, and as described above, sufficient resistance against a lateral load. Have power. Accordingly, a probe assembly, a probe card, or a probe unit in which a plurality of probes of the present invention are arranged adjacent to each other is a probe assembly, a probe card, or a probe unit corresponding to the narrowing of the electrode pitch in the element to be inspected. Is preferred.

  FIG. 9 is a front view showing another example of the probe of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X ′ in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 9, in the probe 1 of this example, the connection part 4 is comprised by the two connection members 4a and 4b arrange | positioned at intervals up and down two steps. As shown in FIG. 10, the two connecting members 4a and 4b do not connect the needle tip portion 2 and the main body portion 3 with a straight path having the shortest distance along the straight line A, but instead connect the straight line A to the left and right. The needle tip portion 2 and the main body portion 3 are connected in a so-called bow shape through a path α or β bulging in the horizontal direction that detours in the horizontal direction.

Further, in the probe 1 of this example, the paths α and β of the connecting members 4a and 4b are configured by two straight lines instead of arcs. That is, each of the connecting members 4a and 4b has straight portions 4a ₁ and 4b ₁ extending obliquely from the needle tip portion 2 in the horizontal plane, and linear portions 4a ₂ and 4b ₂ extending obliquely from the main body portion 3 in the horizontal plane. Are connected at the centers of the connecting members 4a and 4b, respectively, and the central portions 7a and 7b have a shape that swells in the horizontal direction as indicated by arrows in the figure. In other words, the connecting members 4a and 4b are composed of two straight lines, and pass through a path α or β that is most swollen in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the connecting members 4a and 4b at the central portions 7a and 7b. The needle tip 2 and the main body 3 are connected. However, the path α of the upper connecting member 4a and the path β of the lower connecting member 4b are opposite to each other.

  FIG. 11 is a left side view of FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the upper connecting member 7a swells toward the left side in the figure, while the lower connecting member 7b swells toward the right side in the figure. Is the opposite direction. For this reason, even if a lateral force acts on the position of the contact needle 5, which is the force application point in the probe 1, the probe 1 resists these forces well, and the probe 1 centered on the fulcrum C The amount of displacement in the left-right direction is extremely small.

FIG. 12 is a left side view showing an example of a probe card in which a plurality of probes 1 shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 are arranged. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 8 denotes a probe card, and a plurality of probes 1 _k , 1 _l , 1 _m ... Are attached to the substrate 6 of the probe card 8. Also in the probe card 8 of this example, since the plurality of probes 1 _k , 1 _l , 1 _m ... Constituting the probe assembly 9 are the same shape and the same size, each probe 1 _k , 1 _l , 1 coupling the _m · · · member _{4a k,} 4a l, vertical position of _4a m · · · are aligned at the same height, the connection member _{4b k,} 4b l, also the vertical position of _4b m · · · They are at the same height. Also, each probe _{1 k, 1 l, 1} m connected in ... members _{4a k, 4a l, 4a m} ··· and the connection member _{4b k,} 4b l, also the direction of the bulge _4b m ..., respectively Match. Therefore, even if a plurality of probes 1 _k , 1 _l , 1 _m ... Are arranged adjacent to each other, the connecting members 4 a _k , 4 a _l , 4 a _m ... Or the connecting members 4 b _k , 4 b _l , 4 b _m. The bulge portions of the probes do not contact each other, and the probes 1 _k , 1 _l , 1 _m ... In this example can be arranged adjacent to each other at a narrow pitch.

  In the example described above, the number of bulges in the horizontal direction in the paths α, β, and γ of the connecting member 4a and the like is one, but the number of bulges in each path is not limited to one. Or three or more. Further, the bulging position may be a position where the most bulging position deviates from the central portion of the connecting member 4a or the like. Further, in the example described above, the paths α, β, and γ of the connecting member 4a and the like are configured by curves or straight lines, but the paths α, β, and γ may be configured by combining curves and straight lines. . In the example described above, the number of connecting members is three or two, but it is needless to say that the number of connecting members may be four or more.

  The probe 1 of the present invention as described above can be manufactured by an appropriate method, but preferably, for example, by a microfabrication technique applying a semiconductor manufacturing technique as seen in Patent Documents 4 and 5. Can be manufactured.

  According to the cantilever type probe of the present invention, even when the width of the probe is narrowed corresponding to the narrowing of the pitch, it is possible to secure a resistance force against a lateral load, so that a plurality of cantilever type probes are adjacent to each other. It is possible to arrange with a narrow pitch. Therefore, by using the cantilever type probe of the present invention, it is possible to realize a probe assembly, a probe card, or a probe unit that can suitably cope with the narrowing of the electrode pitch in the inspection target element. The present invention makes a great contribution in the field of various semiconductor element inspection technologies, and has great industrial applicability.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cantilever type probe 2 Needle tip part 3 Main body part 4 Connection part 4a, 4b, 4c Connection member 5 Contact needle 6 Substrate 7a, 7b, 7c Center part 8 Probe card 9 Probe assembly alpha, beta, gamma Path of connection member

Claims (4)

  A needle tip portion having a contact needle that comes into contact with an electrode of a semiconductor element to be inspected; a main body portion; and at least two connecting members that connect the needle tip portion and the main body portion; When the orientation of the at least two connecting members is downward, at least two of the connecting members are arranged in the vertical direction, and at least two of the connecting members are respectively in a horizontal direction and swelled in the horizontal direction. A cantilever-type probe that is connected to a main body and in which the direction of bulge in one of the at least two connecting members is opposite to the direction of bulge in the other path.   The cantilever type probe according to claim 1, wherein the path is configured by a curve and / or a straight line.   A probe assembly in which a plurality of cantilever probes according to claim 1 or 2 are arranged, and when the direction of the contact needle is downward, the vertical position of the connecting member in each cantilever probe is The probe assembly in which the bulge directions of the paths coincide with each other in the connecting members that are aligned and have the same vertical position.   A probe card or probe unit comprising one or more cantilever probes according to claim 1 or 2 or a probe assembly according to claim 3.

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