JPH03129846A - Probing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent dust from falling on the surface of a wafer by a method wherein the surface of the wafer is faced to the direction lower than the wafer or to the lateral direction of the wafer. CONSTITUTION:The surface of a stage 4a, on which a wafer 1 is fixed and held, is faced downward and a probe card 5 is arranged on the side lower than the stage 4a, whereby for example, when probes 2 come into contact to the surface of the wafer 1, dust heavier than the air does not fall on the surface of the wafer 1 by a natural fall even it the dust falls. If a measurement is performed while the surface of the water 1 is sprayed with clean dry nitrogen gas or the like according to the need, the effect of the measurement is further increased. Thereby, such a fall of dust as the performance of a solid-state image sensing element on the surface of the wafer is deteriorated can be prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a probing device for measuring electrical characteristics of a solid-state image sensor formed on a wafer.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of probing apparatus measures the electrical characteristics of a large number of solid-state imaging devices formed on a wafer by contacting them with a probe. FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of a probing device for explaining a conventional probing device. As shown in the figure, this probing device includes a stage 4 on which a wafer 1 on which a large number of solid-state image sensors are formed, a probe card 5 having probe needles 2 that come into contact with the input/output terminals of the solid-state image sensors, and a solid-state image sensor. It had an inker 3 for attaching a marker for identifying the quality of the image sensor. Although not shown in this drawing, a control system that transfers data obtained from the probe needle 2 and determines its acceptability, and a drive control device that relatively moves the stage 4 and probe card 5 are added. When testing a solid-state image sensor using such a probing device that forms a tester device, first, the drive control device moves the position of the solid-state image sensor to be measured under the probe card 5. Move 0 Next, probe card 5
The probe needle 2 is brought into contact with the input/output terminal of the solid-state image sensor.Next, the control system applies voltage through the probe needle 2 and collects electrical signals to control the image sensor. Determining pass/fail Next, if it is determined in the measurement whether the image sensor is pass/fail, the inker 3 inscribes a mark to identify the pass/fail. In this way, the solid-state imaging devices formed on the wafer 1 were sequentially inspected.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional probing equipment described above, the probe needle and inker needle are applied to the wafer surface with the wafer surface facing upward, so that relatively high-density debris (metallic debris) attached to the tip of the wafer is removed from the wafer. There is a problem in that the particles fall on the surface and deteriorate the performance of the solid-state image sensor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve this problem and provide a probing device in which dust does not fall onto the wafer surface.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The probing apparatus of the present invention comprises: - a stage for fixing and holding a wafer having a large number of functional elements formed on its main surface; a probe card disposed opposite to this stage; a probe needle that is attached to the probe card and comes into contact with the input/output terminal of the functional element to measure the performance of the functional element; an inker that is attached to the probe card and prints an identification mark as to whether the functional element is good or bad; In the probing apparatus, the probe card is arranged to face the stage from below at any one of the lateral angles.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining a first embodiment of the probing device of the present invention. In this 10-bing device, as shown in the figure, a stage 4a that holds a wafer 1 fixedly faces downward, and a probe card 5 is disposed below the stage 1. By arranging the stage 4a and probe card 5 in this way,
For example, when the probe needle 2 comes into contact with the wafer 1 surface,
Even if dust falls, dust that is heavier than air will not fall onto the wafer surface due to natural fall.

Furthermore, if the measurement is performed while spraying clean dry nitrogen gas or the like onto the entire surface of the wafer as necessary, the effect will be even greater. Note that the stage 4 that fixes and holds the wafer 1 is
A large number of exhaust holes are provided on the surface, and the wafer 1 is held by evacuation.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view for explaining a second embodiment of the probing device of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this probing apparatus has a stage 4b and a probe card 5 disposed horizontally facing each other. With this structure, the wafer surface stands vertically, so even if dust falls due to contact with the probe needle 2, it will not fall onto the wafer surface due to natural fall.

The above embodiments have been explained with examples in which the stage and probe card are arranged upside down and in horizontal orientation, but it is also possible to arrange the stage and probe card at an angle halfway between horizontal orientation and downward orientation. A similar effect can be obtained.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, by orienting the wafer surface downwardly or laterally, the dust adhering to the probe needles and inker needles falls off by itself, so that dust that may deteriorate the performance of the solid-state image sensor on the wafer surface is removed. This has the effect of providing a probing device that does not fall.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view for explaining the first embodiment of the probing device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view for explaining the second embodiment of the probing device of the present invention, and FIG. The figure is a partial sectional view for explaining an example of a conventional probing device. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Wafer, 2... Probe needle, 3... Inker needle, 4.4a, 4b... Stage, 5... Probe card.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A stage that fixedly holds a wafer having a large number of functional elements formed on one main surface, a probe card that is placed opposite to this stage, and a probe card that is attached to this probe card and that is in contact with the input/output terminals of the functional elements. In the probing device, the probe card has a probe needle that measures the performance of the functional element, and an inker that is attached to the probe card and that prints an identification mark as to whether the functional element is good or bad. A probing device characterized in that the probing device is disposed facing either of the direction angles.