JP2010008206A - Probe card - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a probe card that can smoothly move a contact unit up and down with respect to a main board and that can prevent the contact unit from moving in the horizontal direction.
A contact unit 3 having a main board 2 and a contact probe 31 and capable of moving up and down relative to the main board 2, and a stopper 4 fixed to the main board 2 and receiving the contact unit below the main board 2. And one or more flexible substrates 9 that electrically connect the contact unit 3 and the main substrate 2, and two or more fixed portions supported by the main substrate 2, and a flexible substrate disposed between the fixed portions. And a plate 10 that crosses the flexible substrate 9. Since the plate 10 is prevented from moving in the horizontal direction, the contact probe 31 can be reliably brought into contact with the electrode pad that is the object to be inspected, and the electrical characteristic inspection can be reliably performed.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a probe card, and more particularly to an improvement of a probe card used when inspecting electrical characteristics of an inspection object such as a device formed on a semiconductor wafer.

  The probe card is an electrical connection means for taking out an electrical signal from an electrode pad by bringing a contact probe (contact probe) into contact with the electrode pad of the semiconductor integrated circuit. A probe card generally uses a multilayer wiring board, and a plurality of contact probes are arranged on one surface of the multilayer wiring board in accordance with the number and pitch of electrode pads. An electrical signal input from the contact probe is guided through the wiring of the multilayer wiring board to external terminals arranged at predetermined intervals on the multilayer wiring board.

  When using this probe card to inspect the electrical characteristics of a device on a semiconductor wafer, the probe card is attached to the probe device, and the electrical signal of the external terminal of the probe card can be taken out of the probe device. Make a good connection. And an electrical signal can be taken out by making an electrode pad and a contact probe contact.

  Normally, in order to satisfactorily connect the contact probe and the electrode pad, an operation (overdrive) of pressing the contact probe against the electrode pad is performed after the contact probe starts to contact the electrode pad. Thus, during the overdrive operation, a predetermined load (needle pressure) for pressing the electrode pad is applied to the contact probe, and the contact probe is pressed against the electrode pad.

  The present applicant has proposed a probe card disclosed in Patent Document 1 in order to perform the overdrive. The probe card disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a main board, a contact unit including a contact board on which a contact probe is formed, and a stopper that supports the contact unit so as to be movable up and down with respect to the main board. . The probe card is configured to suspend the contact unit from the main board by receiving the contact unit with a stopper. Furthermore, the contact unit is attached with a load member so that a predetermined load is applied to the contact probe during overdrive.

According to such a configuration, the contact probe is brought closer to the inspection object together with the main substrate, the contact probe and the inspection object are brought into contact, and then the main substrate and the inspection object are further brought closer. Then, the contact unit is separated from the stopper, and only the weight of the contact unit is substantially applied to each contact probe, and overdrive is performed.
JP 2007-51906 A

  In the probe card disclosed in Patent Document 1, the stopper for receiving the contact unit is formed by a metal pin having a flange portion at one end. The other end of the metal pin is fixed to the main board while the contact unit is received by the flange. The contact unit has a through hole through which the metal pin is inserted, and the contact unit moves up and down using the metal pin as a guide member.

  In order for the contact unit to smoothly move up and down along the metal pin, there is a slight gap between the inner diameter of the through hole formed in the contact unit and the outer diameter of the metal pin. Necessary. Accordingly, the contact unit can move in the horizontal direction within a gap formed between the through hole of the contact unit and the metal pin.

  In the probe card disclosed in Patent Document 1, the contact unit is electrically connected to the main board via a flexible board. The flexible substrate is deformed as the contact unit moves up and down with respect to the main substrate.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a probe card that prevents the contact unit from moving in the horizontal direction and allows the contact unit to move up and down smoothly relative to the main board. With the goal.

  A probe card according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a main board to which a signal is input from the outside, a plurality of contact probes, a contact unit that can move up and down with respect to the main board, and affixed to the main board. A stopper for receiving the contact unit below the main board; a flexible board for electrically connecting the contact unit and the main board; and two or more fixing parts supported by the main board; A plate that is fixed to the flexible substrate disposed therebetween and that crosses the flexible substrate.

  In the probe card of the present invention, the flexible substrate is fixed to the plate between two fixed portions of the plate supported by the main substrate. Since the flexible substrate is fixed to the plate, the flexible substrate is prevented from moving in the horizontal direction. As a result, the probe card of the present invention can reliably prevent the contact unit, to which one end of the flexible substrate is connected, from moving in the horizontal direction, and reliably contact the contact probe with the inspection object. Can be made.

  As described above, according to the probe card of the present invention, it is possible to smoothly move up and down by preventing the contact unit from moving in the horizontal direction at the time of inspection. it can.

  In the probe card according to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, the plate is formed of an elastically deformable material so that the shape between the fixed portions is an arcuate shape protruding downward. It is configured.

  In the probe card of the present invention, even if the flexible substrate and the plate are fixed, the plate is formed of an elastically deformable material so that the shape between the fixed portions is a bow shape protruding downward. Therefore, when the flexible board moves as the contact unit moves upward, the plate is pushed upward and elastically deformed in conjunction with the movement of the flexible board. . Thus, since the plate can be elastically deformed in conjunction with the movement of the flexible substrate, it is possible to prevent the vertical movement of the contact unit by the flexible substrate.

  As a result, the probe card of the present invention can perform the vertical movement of the contact unit at the time of inspection, and can further prevent the contact unit from moving in the horizontal direction. Electrical property inspection can be performed.

  In the probe card according to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the plate is formed in a frame shape. With this configuration, even when the plurality of flexible substrates are arranged so as to extend radially with respect to the center of the contact unit, a large number of fixing portions are provided on the frame-shaped plate. By disposing the flexible substrate between the fixing portions, the plate can be easily attached to the main substrate in a state where all the flexible substrates are traversed.

  In the probe card according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the fixing portion of the plate is fixed to the stopper. Thus, the plate can be disposed near the contact unit by fixing the plate to the existing stopper. As a result, at the time of overdrive, the portion of the flexible substrate close to the contact unit can be fixed to the plate, so that the movement of the contact unit in the horizontal direction can be more reliably prevented.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a probe card comprising: a main board to which a signal is inputted from the outside; a plurality of contact probes; a contact unit that can move up and down relative to the main board; A stopper configured to receive the contact unit below the main board, and an elastically deformable plate having a first fixing part supported by the main board and a second fixing part fixed to the contact unit. Has been.

  In the probe card according to the present invention, the contact unit is connected to the main board through the elastically deformable plate in a state where movement in the horizontal direction is prevented. Further, since the plate can be elastically deformed with the vertical movement of the contact unit, it does not hinder the vertical movement of the contact unit. As a result, the probe card of the present invention reliably prevents the contact unit from moving in the horizontal direction, and can smoothly move up and down, so that the contact probe can be reliably attached to the inspection object. Can be contacted.

  As a result, the probe card of the present invention can perform the vertical movement of the contact unit at the time of inspection, and can further prevent the contact unit from moving in the horizontal direction. Electrical property inspection can be performed.

  In the probe card according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the plate is formed in a band shape having a bent portion in plan view, and the first fixing portion is formed in the bent portion. Therefore, the plate can be formed into an L-shaped strip plate, can be formed into a strip plate having two bent portions, or can be formed into a rectangular strip plate. As described above, the plate can be fixed to the main board and the contact unit at three or more locations by forming a strip having a bent portion, so that the horizontal movement in the direction intersecting each other can be ensured. Can be prevented.

  The probe card according to the seventh aspect of the present invention is configured such that, in addition to the above configuration, the first fixing portion of the plate is supported by the stopper. In this way, by supporting the plate on the stopper that receives the contact unit, the second fixing portion of the plate can be fixed to a portion of the contact unit located above the contact probe. As a result, at the time of overdrive, the contact unit can be smoothly moved up and down without the plate contacting the inspection object.

  According to the probe card of the present invention, the plate can reliably prevent the flexible substrate from moving in the horizontal direction. Electrical property inspection can be performed.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a probe card according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external view showing an example of a probe card 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a view from below. FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the probe card 1. FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of the probe card 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the probe card 1 includes a main board 2 and a contact unit 3 that is supported so as to be movable up and down with respect to the main board 2 and has a plurality of contact probes 31. The contact unit 3 is supported by a stopper 4 fixed to the main board 2 so as to be movable up and down with respect to the main board 2.

  Further, a coil spring 51 is provided between the main board 2 and the contact unit 3, and the contact unit 3 is biased downward by the coil spring 51, which is a direction away from the main board 2.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the main board 2 is a disk-shaped printed board, and has an external terminal 21 for performing signal input / output with a tester device. In the present embodiment, a multilayer printed circuit board mainly composed of glass epoxy is used as the main board 2. The main substrate 2 is a substrate that is detachably attached to the probe device and supports the contact unit 3. Many external terminals 21 are formed on the peripheral edge of the main board 2. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the main board 2 is formed with a screw hole 22 penetrating the spring receiving position adjusting screw 6 at the center thereof.

  The entire lower surface of the reinforcing plate 7 is fixed to the upper surface of the main substrate 2, and the main substrate 2 and the reinforcing plate 7 are integrated. The reinforcing plate 7 has a first through hole 71 through which the spring receiving position adjusting screw 6 is inserted at the center, and a plurality of second through holes 72 around the first through hole 71. A fixing screw 73 for fixing the reinforcing plate 7 and a spring receiving and holding plate 8 to be described later to the main board 2 is inserted into the second through hole 72.

  On the lower surface of the main board 2, a ring-plate shaped spring support holding plate 8 having an opening 81 penetrating in the center is fixed, and the main board 2 and the spring support holding plate 8 are integrated. ing. A plurality of first screw holes 82 are formed on the upper surface side of the spring receiving and holding plate 8 so as to be screwed with fixing screws 73 inserted from the upper surface side of the reinforcing plate 7. In addition, a plurality of second screw holes 83 are formed on the lower surface of the spring receiver holding plate 8 so as to be screwed with the fixing screw 41 of the stopper 4. A disc-shaped coil spring receiver 52 is accommodated in the opening 81 of the spring receiver holding plate 8 so as to be movable up and down.

  The contact unit 3 is disposed below the main board 2 and is supported by the main board 2 so as to be movable up and down via a stopper 4 fixed to the spring support holding plate 8. The contact unit 3 includes a contact substrate 32 on which a large number of contact probes 31 are formed, a backing plate 33 bonded to the upper surface of the contact substrate 32, and a plate-shaped guide member 34 bonded to the upper surface of the backing plate 33. It has.

  In the present embodiment, the contact substrate 32 is configured using a rectangular silicon substrate, and a large number of contact probes 31 are formed on the lower surface of the contact substrate 32 and a wiring pattern is formed. The wiring pattern is formed by wiring patterns of a power supply line, a ground line, and a signal line. In the present embodiment, the contact probe 31 is constituted by a metal needle formed by electroforming. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a large number of contact probes 31 are arranged in alignment at the center of the lower surface of the contact substrate 32.

  The backing plate 33 has a rectangular shape with a surface area larger than the plane area of the contact substrate 32. Further, the lower surface of the backing plate 33 is bonded to the entire upper surface of the contact substrate 32, and the upper surface of the backing plate 33 is bonded to the lower surface of the guide member 34.

  One end of a flexible substrate 9 as a wiring member is connected to the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the backing plate 33. The flexible substrate 9 is electrically connected to the contact probe 31 through the backing plate 33.

  The other end of the flexible substrate 9 is connected to the main substrate 2. The flexible substrate 9 is electrically connected between the wirings formed on the main substrate 2 and the backing plate 33, respectively. The flexible substrate 9 is connected to the main substrate 2 and the backing plate 33 with a gently curved surface so as to change according to the vertical movement of the contact unit 3.

  The flexible substrate 9 is an assembly of conductive wires that electrically connect the main substrate 2 and the contact substrate 32, and a wiring pattern is formed on a thin insulating substrate having flexibility. Here, a film substrate having a shape that is branched into two on the main substrate 2 side and a film substrate having a shape that is branched into four are used, and the tip of each branched portion is shown in FIG. As described above, the connectors 91 that are detachably engaged with the connectors 23 of the main board 2 are provided. In the present embodiment, the flexible substrate 9 uses a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) in which a wiring pattern is printed on a flexible film. In the schematic cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 2, the flexible substrate 9 is directly connected to the main substrate 2.

  The guide member 34 is formed in a rectangular shape having a flat area larger than the flat area of the backing plate 33. The guide member 34 is disposed so as to face the spring receiver holding plate 8 fixed to the main board 2. The guide member 34 has a guide hole 34a through which a shaft portion of a fixing screw 41 constituting the stopper 4 and a cylindrical spacer 42 arranged around the shaft portion are inserted. The guide holes 34 a are formed so as to penetrate through the four corners of the rectangular frame-shaped member, and are formed so as to have an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the spacer 42.

  Furthermore, a plurality of circular recesses 34 b with which the end portions of the coil springs 51 are in pressure contact are formed on the surface of the guide member 34 that faces the main board 2. The guide member 34 is received by the stopper 4 at the lower surface of the portion protruding from the backing plate 33.

  The coil spring receiver 52 is made of a circular plate-like member, and a plurality of circular recesses 52 a that receive the coil spring 51 are formed on a surface (lower surface) facing the guide member 34.

  A spring receiving position adjusting screw 6 is screwed into the screw hole 22 formed in the main board 2. The tip end surface of the spring receiving position adjusting screw 6 comes into contact with the center of the upper surface of the coil spring receiving 52 facing the main board 2.

  The stopper 4 includes a fixing screw 41 having a shaft portion and a flange portion formed at one end of the shaft portion, a spacer 42 through which the fixing screw 41 is inserted, a lower surface in contact with a flange portion of the fixing screw 41, and an upper surface being A rectangular ring-shaped support member 43 that contacts the guide member 34 is formed. In the four corners of the rectangular ring-shaped support member 43, fixing screws 41 are inserted, and through holes having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the spacer 42 are formed.

  The fixing screw 41 is inserted into the through hole of the support member 43 from below, and the flange portion of the fixing screw 41 is brought into contact with the support member 43. Then, the fixing screw 41 and the spacer 42 are inserted into the guide hole 34 a of the guide member 34 in a state where the spacer 42 is fitted to the shaft portion of the fixing screw 41 protruding from the support member 43. At this time, the guide member 34 is in a state where the backing plate 33 and the contact substrate 32 are assembled to form the contact unit 3. In this state, the fixing screw 41 is screwed into the second screw hole 83 of the spring receiver holding plate 8 so that the support member 43 is spaced from the lower surface of the spring receiver holding plate 8 by a distance of the length of the spacer 42. In this state, it is fixed to the spring support holding plate 8.

  In the present embodiment, with the contact substrate 32, the backing plate 33, and the guide member 34 joined, the outer peripheral edge on the lower surface of the guide member 34 abuts on the support member 43 of the stopper 4, The plate 33 is arranged within the frame of the support member 43. Further, the guide member 34 is slid along the fixing screw 41 of the stopper 4 inserted into each guide hole 34 a, so that the gap between the lower surface of the spring support holding plate 8 and the upper surface of the support member 43 of the stopper 4 is It can be moved up and down.

  Then, when the support member 43 of the stopper 4 receives the guide member 34, the contact unit 3 is supported in a suspended state with respect to the main substrate 2 so as not to move below a predetermined position. As described above, the guide member 34 can be supported by the support member 43 of the stopper 4 and the fixing screw 41 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction along the fixing screw 41 of the stopper 4.

  After the contact unit 3 is supported on the main substrate 2 via the stopper 4, the flexible substrate 9 is connected to the backing plate 33 of the contact unit 3 and the main substrate 2.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, after connecting the flexible substrate 9 to the backing plate 33 and the main substrate 2, the thin plate 10 having a rectangular frame shape is attached to the flexible substrate 9. It is arranged below. As shown in the schematic plan view of the plate 10 as viewed from below in FIG. 4, the four corners are fixed to the upper spring support holding plate 8 together with the support member 43 by using the fixing screws 41 of the stopper 4. ing. The plate 10 can be formed of a metal or a synthetic resin. In the case of forming with a metal, it is preferable to use an insulating metal.

  Specifically, though not shown, a through-hole through which the fixing screw 41 is penetrated is formed at the corner of the plate 10, and the fixing screw 41 is inserted into the through-hole so that the flange of the fixing screw 41 is inserted. The part is brought into contact with the lower surface of the plate 10. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the fixing screw 41 inserted in the through hole is inserted into the through hole provided in the support member 43 of the stopper 4, and the second screw hole 83 provided in the spring support holding plate 8 is inserted. By tightening the screws, the plate 10 is fixed to the spring receiver holding plate 8 together with the support member 43. The upper surface of the corner portion of the plate 10 is in contact with the lower surface of the support member 43.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the plate 10 has an arcuate shape (bow shape) in which the central portion of each side of the rectangular frame protrudes downward with respect to the planar portion of the corner portion serving as the fixed portion. ). As shown in FIG. 2, the lower surface of the protruding portion of the arch on the plate 10 is fixed to the flexible substrate 9 with an adhesive 10a.

  By the way, in the probe card for connecting the main board 2 and the contact unit 3 with the flexible board 9, when the contact unit 3 moves up by overdrive at the time of inspection, the flexible board 9 also moves along with this movement. In addition, when the flexible substrate 9 is fixed to the plate 10, if the adhesive portion of the flexible substrate 9 with the plate 10 is fixed so as not to move in the vertical direction, the flexible substrate uses the adhesive portion as a fulcrum. To the connection part to the contact unit 3 moves as the contact unit 3 moves up and down. Therefore, in this case, the flexible substrate 9 needs to slightly bend the portion from the adhesive portion to the connection portion to the contact unit 3 so that the contact unit 3 can be smoothly moved up and down.

  In the present embodiment, in order to allow the flexible substrate 9 to be connected to the contact unit 3 and the plate 10 without being bent, the plate 10 is formed in an arch shape, and the plate 10 is also moved by the movement of the flexible substrate 9. In conjunction with this, the arch portion is pushed upward to be elastically deformed.

  FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of the plate 10 during non-inspection. As shown in FIG. 5, when the plate 10 is not inspected, the distance between the two bent portions forming the arch is a1, and the flexible substrate starts from the position of the lower surface of the support member 43 (the phantom line indicated by a two-dot broken line). The height to the lower surface of 9 is b1. In the present embodiment, the plate 10 is configured to be in a natural state (stress free) at the time of non-inspection where the contact unit 3 is supported by the support member 43.

  FIG. 6 shows a schematic side view of the plate 10 at the time of inspection. Even during the inspection, the plate 10 has an arch shape. As shown in FIG. 6, the plate 10 has a flexible substrate 9 in which the distance between the two bent portions forming the arch is a2 and the position of the lower surface of the support member 43 (the phantom line indicated by a two-dot broken line) at the time of inspection. The height to the lower surface is b2.

  As can be seen from a comparison between FIGS. 5 and 6, during the inspection, the plate 10 is pushed up by the flexible substrate 9 and elastically deformed, so that the distance between the two bent portions forming the arch is not inspected. The distance a2 at the time of inspection is greater than the distance a1 at the time, and the height b1 is greater than the distance b2 at the time of non-inspection.

  As described above, the flexible substrate 9 of the present embodiment can move both the fixed portions up and down in accordance with the vertical movement of the contact unit 3 without changing the horizontal position. As a result, the flexible substrate 9 can shorten the distance from the bonded portion to the connection unit to the contact unit 3 as much as possible, so that excessive stress is not generated in the connection unit to the contact unit 3 in the flexible substrate 9. In addition, the contact unit 3 can be smoothly moved up and down.

  In the present embodiment, the plate 10 has an arch shape in which the lowermost position of the lower surface of the plate 10 at the time of non-inspection is located higher than the position of the tip of the contact probe 31 when overdriven. Further, the plate 10 sets the amount of change from the height b1 to b2 due to elastic deformation as the amount of change that does not hinder the lifting / lowering operation (overdrive amount) of the contact unit 3.

  In the present embodiment, when adjusting the needle pressure of the contact probe 31 by the coil spring 51, the spring receiving position adjusting screw 6 is tightened to counter the elastic force of the coil spring 51. 52 moves toward the contact unit 3 in the opening 81. The coil spring 51 sandwiched between the coil spring receiver 52 and the guide member 34 urges the contact unit 3 by its repulsive force. In this way, the distance between the lower surface of the coil spring receiver 52 and the upper surface of the guide member 34 is adjusted, and the spring receiver position adjusting screw 6 is moved until the repulsive force of the coil spring 51 reaches a predetermined biasing force. Then tighten the screws.

  At the time of inspection, the contact probe 31 is inspected by bringing the probe card 1 relatively close to the inspection object, bringing the contact probe 31 of the contact unit 3 into contact with the inspection object, and further overdriving. It is pressed down by the object. At this time, the coil spring 51 is compressed by the coil spring receiver 52, and the contact unit 3 moves upward toward the main board 2.

  In this embodiment, since the flexible substrate 9 and the plate 10 are fixed by the adhesive 10a, even if the contact unit 3 moves up and down, the flexible substrate is horizontal by the plate 10 fixed by the adhesive 10a. Movement in the direction is prevented. As a result, the contact unit 3 is prevented from moving in the horizontal direction, and the contact probe 31 can be reliably brought into contact with the electrode pad that is the object to be inspected, so that the electrical characteristic inspection can be reliably performed.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, all the flexible substrates 9 are traversed using the four sides of the rectangular plate 10. Further, the adjacent sides of the plate 10 are orthogonal to each other, and the positions of the fixing screws 41 that fix the four corners that are the starting points of bending of the plate 10 are the same distance from the center of the contact substrate 32. Is arranged. As a result, the plate 10 forms each side in the same arch shape, so that the stress acting on each side of the plate 10 is evenly distributed, and there is no deviation in the X direction and Y direction perpendicular to each other in the horizontal direction. That is, the pair of sides of the plate 10 can prevent the contact unit 3 from moving in the X direction in the horizontal direction, and the other pair of sides can prevent movement in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction. it can.

  As a result, the contact unit 3 is prevented from moving in the horizontal direction and is also prevented from tilting, so that the contact unit 3 can be smoothly moved up and down, and even if overdrive is performed, The contact probe 31 can be reliably brought into contact with the electrode pad that is the object to be inspected, and the electrical characteristic inspection can be reliably performed.

  Further, the plate 10 of the present embodiment can be elastically deformed by pushing up the plate 10 in accordance with the movement of the flexible substrate 9 at the time of inspection by making the shape of the plate 10 an arch shape. Therefore, the contact unit 3 can smoothly move up and down with the length from the connection portion of the flexible substrate 9 to the contact unit 3 to the bonding portion with the plate 10 as short as possible, and in the horizontal direction. The movement to is surely prevented.

  Note that a portion of the flexible substrate between the plate 10 and the main substrate 2 is in a deformed state so as to have a gently curved surface. And since a flexible substrate differs in length and the state of a deformation | transformation according to the location connected to a contact unit and a main substrate, the dispersion | variation arises in the stress by a deformation | transformation. Therefore, the thickness of the plate is set so as to suspend the stress generated in the flexible substrate.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, the plate 10 is disposed below the flexible substrate 9, and the flexible substrate 9 is disposed between the support member 43 and the plate 10. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the plate 10 is disposed above the flexible substrate 9 and the flexible substrate 9 is bonded to the plate 10.

  In the present embodiment, except for the configuration in which the plate 10 is disposed above the flexible substrate 9, the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the same reference numerals are used. The description of the configuration is omitted. The plate 10 of the present embodiment also has the same shape, size and material as those of the first embodiment.

  Further, in the present embodiment, after the contact unit 3 is supported on the main board 2 via the stopper 4, before the flexible board 9 is connected to the backing plate 33 of the contact unit 3 and the main board 2, the rectangular frame The plate 10 is fixed to the spring support holding plate 8 together with the support member 43 using the fixing screw 41 of the stopper 4.

  In this embodiment, the upper surface of the corner portion of the plate 10 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the support member 43 so that the plate 10 is fixed to the spring support holding plate 8, and then the flexible substrate 9 is attached to the backing plate 33 and the main substrate. Connect to 2. Accordingly, the plate 10 is placed above the flexible substrate 9 as shown in FIG.

  Furthermore, also in the present embodiment, the plate 10 is formed in an arch shape in which the central portion of each side of the rectangular frame protrudes downward with respect to the flat portion of the corner portion serving as the fixed portion. The plate 10 is fixed to the support member 43 so that the protruding portion of the arch faces downward with respect to the main board 2. Also in the present embodiment, the plate 10 and the flexible substrate 9 are fixed by an adhesive.

  FIG. 8 shows a schematic side view of the plate 10 during non-inspection. As shown in FIG. 8, when the plate 10 is not inspected, the distance between the two bent portions forming the arch is a1, and the flexible substrate from the position of the lower surface of the support member 43 (the phantom line indicated by a two-dot broken line) The height to the upper surface of 9 is b1. In the present embodiment, the plate 10 is configured to be in a natural state (stress free) at the time of non-inspection where the contact unit 3 is supported by the support member 43.

  FIG. 9 shows a schematic side view of the plate 10 at the time of inspection. Even during the inspection, the plate 10 has an arch shape. As shown in FIG. 9, the plate 10 has a flexible substrate 9 in which the distance between the two bent portions forming the arch is a2 and the position of the lower surface of the support member 43 (the phantom line indicated by a two-dot broken line) at the time of inspection. The height to the top surface of b2 is b2.

  Also in the present embodiment, at the time of inspection, as shown in FIG. 9, the contact unit 3 is moved upward by overdrive, so that the flexible substrate 9 connected to the contact unit 3 is also moved upward. To do. The plate 10 bonded to the flexible substrate 9 is pushed up by the flexible substrate 9 so that the arch is elastically deformed.

  In this embodiment, as can be seen by comparing FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the plate 10 is elastically deformed with the deformation of the flexible substrate 9 at the time of inspection, so that the two bent portions forming the arch are formed. The distance a2 at the time of inspection is larger than the distance a1 at the time of non-inspection, and the height b2 is lower than the distance b1 at the time of non-inspection.

  When the flexible substrate 9 moves to the main substrate 2 side together with the contact unit 3 by overdrive at the time of inspection, the plate 10 is also pushed up. Although the flexible substrate 9 is bonded to the plate 10, the plate 10 is also elastically deformed as the flexible substrate 9 moves, so that the contact unit 3 can be moved smoothly even if the flexible substrate 9 moves upward.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, the plate 10 and the flexible substrate 9 are fixed by an adhesive, so that the plate 10 can reliably prevent the flexible substrate 9 from moving in the horizontal direction. As a result, it is possible to prevent the contact unit 3 from moving in the horizontal direction and to prevent the contact unit 3 from tilting and to smoothly move the contact unit 3 up and down. The contact probe 31 can be reliably brought into contact with the electrode pad that is the object to be inspected, and the electrical characteristic inspection can be reliably performed.

  Since the four sides of the rectangular plate 10 are also bonded to all the flexible substrates 9 in this embodiment, the stress acting on the plate 10 is reduced by forming each side in the same arch shape. Evenly distributed, the contact units 3 can be reliably prevented from moving in the X direction in the horizontal direction and in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
Next, a third embodiment of the probe card according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 10 is a schematic sectional view of the probe card 1.

  Similar to the first embodiment, the probe card 1 includes a main board 2 and a contact unit 3 supported by the main board 2 so as to be movable up and down and having a plurality of contact probes 31. The contact unit 3 is supported by a stopper 4 fixed to the main board 2 so as to be movable up and down with respect to the main board 2.

  Further, a plurality of coil springs 51 in the elastic unit 5 are provided between the main board 2 and the contact unit 3, and the contact unit 3 is attached to the lower direction, which is a direction away from the main board 2 by the coil spring 51. It is energized.

  The main board 2 is a disk-like printed board as in the first embodiment, and has an external terminal for performing signal input / output with the tester device. In the present embodiment, a multilayer printed circuit board mainly composed of glass epoxy is used as the main board 2. The main substrate 2 is a substrate that is detachably attached to the probe device and supports the contact unit 3. Many external terminals are formed on the peripheral edge of the main board 2.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, an opening 24 having a size capable of arranging the coil spring receiver 52 of the elastic unit 5 is formed in the central portion of the main board 2. The opening 24 is formed in the through hole. The main board 2 is formed with bolt insertion holes 25 through which the fixing bolts 75 are inserted, and spacer insertion holes 26 that are formed at four locations around the opening 24 and through which the spacer 42 of the stopper 4 is inserted.

  A reinforcing plate 7 is fixed to the upper surface of the main substrate 2, and the main substrate 2 and the reinforcing plate 7 are integrated. The reinforcing plate 7 is also formed with an opening 74 that penetrates the coil spring receiver 52 of the elastic unit 5 so as to be continuous with the opening 24 of the main board 2. The reinforcing plate 7 has a first screw hole 76 into which a fixing bolt 75 connecting the main board 2 and the reinforcing plate 7 is screwed, and a second screw hole 77 into which the fixing screw 41 of the stopper 4 is screwed. A third screw hole 78 into which a fixing bolt 54 for joining the reinforcing plate 7 and the fixing plate 53 of the elastic unit 5 is screwed is formed.

  A fixing plate 53 of the elastic unit 5 is fixed on the upper surface of the reinforcing plate 7 so as to cover the opening 74, and the reinforcing plate 7 and the fixing plate 53 are joined by a fixing bolt 54. The fixing plate 53 is formed with a plurality of insertion holes through which the fixing bolts 54 are inserted facing the third screw holes 78 of the reinforcing plate 7 and screw holes 57 into which the spring receiving fixing screws 56 of the elastic unit 5 are screwed. Yes. These screw holes 57 are formed to penetrate therethrough.

  The contact unit 3 is disposed below the main board 2 and supported by the main board 2 so as to be movable up and down via a stopper 4 fixed to the reinforcing plate 7. The contact unit 3 includes a contact substrate 32 on which a large number of contact probes 31 are formed, a backing plate 33 bonded to the upper surface of the contact substrate 32, and a guide member 34 bonded to the upper surface of the backing plate 33. Yes. The backing plate 33 and the guide member 34 are joined by bolts.

  In the present embodiment, the contact substrate 32 is configured using a rectangular substrate, and a large number of contact probes 31 are formed on the lower surface of the contact substrate 32 and a wiring pattern is formed. The wiring pattern is formed by wiring patterns of a power supply line, a ground line, and a signal line. In the present embodiment, the contact probe 31 is constituted by a metal needle formed by electroforming.

  The backing plate 33 has a larger surface area than the contact substrate 32 and has a rectangular shape. Furthermore, the backing plate 33 is in a state where four corners are cut out, and a step portion 33a is formed over the entire outer periphery of the upper surface. A stopper 4 and a later-described plate 11 are arranged on the stepped portion 33a. The lower surface of the backing plate 33 is bonded to the upper surface of the contact substrate 32, and the upper surface of the backing plate 33 is bonded to the lower surface of the guide member 34. One end of a flexible substrate 9 as a wiring member is connected to the lower surface of the backing plate 33.

  FIG. 11 shows a state in which the plate 11 is disposed on the guide member 34, and is a plan view of the guide member 34 viewed from the lower surface side. The guide member 34 is formed of a rectangular plate member as shown in FIG. 11, and is arranged to face the main substrate 2 as shown in FIG. At the four corners on the lower surface of the guide member 34, cutout step portions 34c are formed. A guide hole 34a through which the cylindrical spacer 42 constituting the stopper 4 is inserted is formed through the guide member 34 at a position where the notch step 34c is formed. The guide hole 34 a is formed to have an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the spacer 42.

  Although not shown, a screw hole is formed at the center of the guide member 34 on the surface facing the main substrate 2, and the spring receiving position adjusting screw 55 is screwed into the screw hole. ing. Further, although not shown in the center of the guide member 34 on the surface facing the main substrate 2 and around the screw hole into which the spring receiving position adjusting screw 55 is screwed, the same as in the first embodiment. In addition, a plurality of circular recesses in which the end portions of the coil springs 51 are press-contacted are formed.

  The stopper 4 includes a fixed screw 41 having a shaft portion and a flange portion formed at one end of the shaft portion, and a circular ring-shaped 4 whose lower surface is in contact with the flange portion of the fixed screw 41 and whose upper surface is in contact with the guide member 34. One support member 43 and a spacer 42 through which the fixing screw 41 is inserted. The outer diameter of the support member 43 is formed larger than the inner diameter of the guide hole 34 a of the guide member 34, and the guide member 34 is received on the upper surface of the support member 43. The outer diameter of the spacer 42 is formed smaller than the inner diameter of the guide hole 34a.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the thin plate 11 having a rectangular frame shape is disposed to face the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the guide member 34. As shown in FIG. 11, the plate 11 has first through holes 11a formed at four corners, and two second through holes 11b formed at the center of each piece of the frame.

  The plate 11 is inserted into the first through hole 11 a with the fixing screw 41 of the stopper 4, and then the support member 43 is inserted into the fixing screw 41 so that the four corners support the flange portion of the fixing screw 41. It is in a state of being sandwiched by the member 43. In this way, the plate 11 is supported by the stopper 4 by fixing the fixing screw 41 to the reinforcing plate 7 with the corner portion of the plate 11 held between the fixing screw 41 and the support member 43. Become. The plate 11 of the present embodiment can be formed of an elastically deformable metal, or can be formed of an elastically deformable synthetic resin. In the case of forming with a metal, an insulating metal may be used.

  The plate 11 is supported by the stopper 4 so as to oppose the outer peripheral edge of the guide member 34, and a plate-like spacer is provided between the upper surface of the central portion of each piece of the plate 11 and the lower surface of the guide member 34. 12 are arranged. By arranging the spacer 12 between the plate 11 and the guide member 34 as described above, the plate 11 can be bent downward when not inspected. In the spacer 12, two through holes are formed so as to face the second through hole 11 b of the plate 11. The spacer 12 is preferably formed of an elastic synthetic resin or metal.

  Further, on the outer peripheral portion of the lower surface of the guide member 34, when the plate 11 is opposed to the outer peripheral portion of the guide member 34 and supported by the stopper 4, a screw is provided so as to oppose each second through hole 11 b of the plate 11. A hole 34d is formed.

  In order to support the stopper 4 and the plate 11 on the main board 2 via the reinforcing plate 7, first, the plate 11, the support member 43 and the spacer 42 are inserted through the fixing screw 41 in this order. Then, the spacer 42 is inserted together with the fixing screw 41 into the guide hole 34 a of the guide member 34 to which the contact substrate 32 and the backing plate 33 are assembled. By fastening the fixing screw 41 into the second screw hole 77 of the reinforcing plate 7, one end surface of the spacer 42 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the reinforcing plate 7, and the other end surface is brought into contact with the upper surface of the supporting member 43. The contact unit 3 is received by the support member 43 with a predetermined gap between the upper surface of the support member 43 and the lower surface of the main substrate 2 by the spacer 42 of the stopper 4.

  In the present embodiment, the lower surface of the notch step portion 34 c of the guide member 34 comes into contact with the support member 43 of the stopper 4 in a state where the contact substrate 32, the backing plate 33, and the guide member 34 are joined. Yes. Further, the guide member 34 can be moved up and down between the lower surface of the main board 2 and the upper surface of the support member 43 of the stopper 4 by sliding along the spacer 42 of the stopper 4 inserted into each guide hole 34a. It is like that. Then, when the support member 43 of the stopper 4 receives the guide member 34, the contact unit 3 is supported in a suspended state with respect to the main substrate 2 so as not to move below a predetermined position. As described above, the guide member 34 can be supported by the support member 43 of the stopper 4 and the fixing screw 41 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction along the fixing screw 41 of the stopper 4.

  Next, the spacer 12 is disposed between the plate 11 and the guide member 34, and the second through hole 11 b of the plate 11, the through hole of the spacer 12 and the screw hole 34 d of the guide member 34 are overlapped with each other. The fixing bolt 13 is inserted into the hole and screwed into the screw hole 34d. The contact unit 3 and the plate 11 are fixed by the fixing bolt 13.

  In the present embodiment, when the contact unit 3 is fixed to the plate 11 supported by the stopper 4, the contact unit 3 is prevented from moving in the horizontal direction by the plate 11. Further, in a non-inspection state, the plate 11 is bent by being pushed downward by the spacer 12 due to the weight of the contact unit 3. Accordingly, when the contact unit moves upward due to overdrive, the plate 11 tends to return to a flat state, and therefore the contact unit 3 is not restricted from moving upward by the plate 11.

  The flexible substrate 9 has one end connected to the backing plate 33 and the other end connected to the main substrate 2 via the connector 91 as in the first embodiment. The flexible substrate 9 is electrically connected between the wirings formed on the main substrate 2 and the backing plate 33, respectively. The flexible substrate 9 is connected to the main substrate 2 and the backing plate 33 with a gently curved surface so as to change according to the vertical movement of the contact unit 3. The flexible substrate 9 is connected to the backing plate 33 and the main substrate 2 after the contact unit 3 is fixed to the main substrate 2 via the stopper 4.

  The elastic unit 5 includes a plurality of coil springs 51, a coil spring receiver 52 that receives an end of the coil spring 51, a fixing plate 53 that is fixed to the reinforcing plate 7, and the fixing plate 53 is fixed to the reinforcing plate 7. And a spring receiving position adjusting screw 55 for adjusting the urging force of the coil spring 51 to the contact unit 3 by adjusting the distance between the fixing bolt 54, the coil spring receiver 52 and the guide member 34, and the coil spring receiver 52. And a spring support fixing screw 56 for fixing the screw at a predetermined height position.

  The coil spring receiver 52 is made of a plate-like member, and a through hole through which the spring receiver position adjusting screw 55 is inserted is formed at the center of the surface facing the guide member 34. The guide member 34 is formed around the through hole. A plurality of circular recesses are formed so that the coil springs 51 abut against the circular recesses. A plurality of holes for receiving the end face of the spring support fixing screw 56 are formed in the outer peripheral edge of the upper surface of the coil spring receiver 52.

  The spring receiving position adjusting screw 55 has a thread at the tip of the shaft and a flange at the other end. Then, in a state where the coil spring 51 is disposed between the coil spring receiver 52 and the guide member 34, the spring receiver position adjusting screw 55 is inserted through the through hole of the coil spring receiver 52 from the upper surface side. Then, by tightening the tip of the spring receiving position adjusting screw 55 into the screw hole of the guide member 34, the upper surface of the coil spring receiving 52 and the lower surface of the flange portion of the spring receiving position adjusting screw 55 are caused by the elastic force of the coil spring 51. And the distance between the guide member 34 and the coil spring receiver 52 can be adjusted.

  In this way, by adjusting the distance between the guide member 34 and the coil spring receiver 52, the force applied by the coil spring 51 to urge the contact unit 3 is adjusted to adjust the load applied to the contact probe 31 during overdrive. be able to.

  The fixed plate 53 is in a state in which the coil spring receiver 52 and the coil spring 51 whose positions are adjusted by the spring receiver position adjusting screw 55 are arranged in the opening 24 of the main board 2 and the opening 74 of the reinforcing plate 7. The fixing bolts 54 are attached to the reinforcing plate 7. In this state, the spring support fixing screw 56 is tightened to the fixing plate 53, and the end surface of the spring support fixing screw 56 is brought into contact with the coil spring support 52. By bringing the end face of the spring support fixing screw 56 into contact with the coil spring receiver 52, the coil spring receiver 52 is prevented from moving upward. In this manner, the coil spring receiver 52 is fixed to the main board 2 via the spring receiver fixing screw 56, the fixing plate 53, the fixing bolt 54, and the reinforcing plate 7.

  In the present embodiment, at the time of inspection, the contact unit 3 moves upward due to overdrive, so that the plate 11 connected to the contact unit 3 returns from a bent state to a flat state due to elastic deformation. . The contact unit 3 is prevented from moving in the horizontal direction by the plate 11, and the vertical movement is performed smoothly.

  Thus, since the plate 11 and the contact unit 3 are fixed by the fixing bolts 13, the plate 11 can reliably prevent the contact unit 3 from moving in the horizontal direction. The lifting and lowering operation can be performed smoothly. As a result, even if overdrive is performed, the contact probe 31 can be reliably brought into contact with the electrode pad that is the object to be inspected, and the electrical characteristic inspection can be reliably performed.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, four sides of the rectangular plate 10 are fixed to the guide member 34 of the contact unit 3, adjacent sides of the plate 11 are orthogonal to each other, and 4 is a starting point of bending of the plate 11. The positions of the fixing screws 41 for fixing the two corners are arranged so as to be the same distance from the center of the contact substrate 32. As a result, each piece of the plate 11 is formed in the same bending shape by the spacer 12, the stress acting on each side of the plate 11 is evenly distributed, and there is no deviation in the X and Y directions perpendicular to each other in the horizontal direction. . That is, the pair of sides of the plate 11 can prevent the contact unit 3 from moving in the X direction in the horizontal direction, and the other pair of sides can prevent movement in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction. it can.

  As a result, the contact unit 3 is prevented from moving in the horizontal direction and is also prevented from tilting, so that the contact unit 3 can be smoothly moved up and down, and even if overdrive is performed, The contact probe 31 can be reliably brought into contact with the electrode pad that is the object to be inspected, and the electrical characteristic inspection can be reliably performed.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
In the third embodiment, the plate 11 is formed in a rectangular frame shape. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the plate 14 is formed so as to be L-shaped in plan view, the first through hole 11a through which the fixing screw 41 is inserted is formed in the bent portion, and both end portions are formed. A second through hole 11b is formed.

  In the present embodiment, four L-shaped plates 14 are used and, as in the third embodiment, the plates 14 are supported by the stopper 4 so as to have a rectangular frame shape in plan view, and the guide member. 34 is fixed.

  In the present embodiment, except for the fact that the shape of the plate 14 is L-shaped, the other configurations are the same as those in the third embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the same reference numerals are used. Description of is omitted. The plate 14 of the present embodiment is also made of the same material as that of the third embodiment.

  Also in the present embodiment, since the plate 14 and the contact unit 3 are fixed, the plate 14 reliably prevents the contact unit 3 from moving in the horizontal direction, and the contact unit 3 is smoothly moved up and down. be able to. As a result, even if overdrive is performed, the contact probe 31 can be reliably brought into contact with the electrode pad that is the object to be inspected, and the electrical characteristic inspection can be reliably performed.

  In each of the above embodiments, the contact probe 31 is formed by electroforming, but the contact probe is not limited to this. For example, a so-called cantilever type probe having a sharpened tip of a leaf spring-like metal can be used. Further, the contact probes 31 are not limited to those arranged in two rows on the contact substrate 32.

It is the external view which showed an example of the probe card by Embodiment 1 of this invention, and has shown the figure seen from the downward direction. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a probe card according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 1 shows a schematic side view of a probe card according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 1 is a schematic plan view of a probe card according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The explanatory view showing the state of the arch shape at the time of the inspection of the plate by Embodiment 1 of the present invention is shown. The explanatory view showing the state of the arch shape at the time of the non-inspection of the plate by Embodiment 1 of the present invention is shown. The schematic plan view of the probe card by Embodiment 2 of this invention is shown. The explanatory view showing the state of the arch shape at the time of the inspection of the plate by Embodiment 2 of the present invention is shown. The explanatory view showing the state of the arch shape at the time of the non-inspection of the plate by Embodiment 2 of the present invention is shown. The schematic sectional drawing of the probe card by Embodiment 3 of this invention is shown. The schematic plan view of the guide member and plate of a probe card by Embodiment 3 of this invention is shown. The schematic plan view of the guide member and plate of the probe card by Embodiment 4 of this invention is shown.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Probe card 2 Main board 21 External terminal 22 Screw hole 23 Connector 24 Opening part 25 Bolt insertion hole 26 Spacer insertion hole 3 Contact unit 31 Contact probe 32 Contact board 33 Backing plate 33a Step part 34 Guide member 34a Guide hole 34b Circular recessed part 34c Notch step portion 34d Screw hole 4 Stopper 41 Fixing screw 42 Spacer 43 Support member 5 Elastic unit 51 Coil spring 52 Coil spring receiver 52a Circular recess 53 Fixing plate 54 Fixing bolt 55 Spring receiving position adjusting screw 56 Spring receiving fixing screw 57 Screw hole 6 Spring receiving position adjusting screw 7 Reinforcing plate 71 First through hole 72 Second through hole 73 Fixing screw 74 Opening portion 75 Fixing bolt 76 First screw hole 77 Second screw hole 78 Third screw hole 8 Spring receiving holding plate 81 Opening portion 82 1st screw hole 83 2nd screw Hole 9 the flexible board 91 connector 10, 11, 14 plate 10a adhesives 11a first through hole (first fixing portion)
11b 2nd through-hole (2nd fixing | fixed part)
12 Spacer 13 Fixing bolt

Claims (7)

A main board to which signals are input from outside,
A contact unit in which a plurality of contact probes are formed and movable up and down with respect to the main substrate,
A stopper fixed to the main board and receiving the contact unit below the main board;
A flexible substrate for electrically connecting the contact unit and the main substrate;
A probe having two or more fixing parts supported by the main board, and a plate fixed to the flexible board arranged between the fixing parts and traversing the flexible board. card.   2. The probe card according to claim 1, wherein the plate is formed of an elastically deformable material, and is formed so that a shape between the fixed portions is an arc shape protruding downward.   The probe card according to claim 1, wherein the plate is formed in a frame shape.   The probe card according to claim 1, wherein the fixing portion of the plate is fixed to the stopper. A main board to which signals are input from outside,
A contact unit in which a plurality of contact probes are formed and movable up and down with respect to the main board
A stopper fixed to the main board and receiving the contact unit below the main board;
A probe card comprising: an elastically deformable plate having a first fixed portion supported by the main substrate and a second fixed portion fixed to the contact unit.   The probe card according to claim 5, wherein the plate is formed in a band shape having a bent portion in a plan view, and a first fixing portion is formed in the bent portion.   The probe card according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the first fixing portion of the plate is supported by the stopper.

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