JP2026019461A - Electrical Connection Device - Google Patents

Abstract

A difference in the amount of thermal expansion between a connection wiring board and a probe board causes misalignment between terminals and probes.
[Solution] The electrical connection device of the present invention electrically connects the electrode terminals of the test object with electrical contactors to electrically connect the test device and the test object, and includes a wiring board that is wired and connected to the test device, a contact board that has a plurality of electrical contactors that electrically contact the electrode terminals of the test object, a connection wiring board that has connection terminals that connect to the tips of the electrical contactors and is electrically connected to the wiring board, and a cooling unit that lowers the temperature of the connection wiring board.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical connection device, and can be applied, for example, to an electrical connection device used in electrical testing to check the electrical characteristics of semiconductor integrated circuits (hereinafter also referred to as "semiconductor devices") formed on a semiconductor wafer.

When electrically testing semiconductor devices on a semiconductor wafer, a probe card with multiple probes is used. The probe card is attached to the test head of a semiconductor testing device, and during testing, the probes on the probe card are brought into electrical contact with the electrode terminals of the semiconductor device.

The semiconductor inspection equipment then supplies an electrical signal to the semiconductor device via the probe, and the semiconductor device responds with a response signal via the probe to the semiconductor inspection equipment. The semiconductor inspection equipment then receives the electrical signal from the semiconductor device and analyzes it to inspect the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device.

The probe card includes a connection wiring board (e.g., a space transformer) that electrically connects the probes to a wiring board that connects to the tester.

Connection wiring boards are available in inorganic substrates made of ceramics, etc., and organic substrates made of synthetic resins, etc., and are used depending on the characteristics of the product (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-35866

However, organic substrates have a large coefficient of thermal expansion. Therefore, when semiconductor devices are inspected in a high-temperature environment, the difference between the amount of thermal expansion of the organic substrate and the amount of thermal expansion of the probe substrate becomes large, resulting in misalignment of the probe relative to the terminals on the organic substrate.

Therefore, in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide an electrical connection device that uses a cooling element to lower the temperature of the connection wiring board, thereby reducing the difference in thermal expansion between the connection wiring board and the probe board and suppressing misalignment between the terminals and probes.

To solve this problem, the present invention provides an electrical connection device that electrically connects an inspection device to an object under test by electrically connecting the electrode terminals of the object under test with electrical contacts, and is characterized by comprising: a wiring board that connects to the inspection device via wiring; a contact board that has a plurality of electrical contacts with ends that can come into contact with the electrode terminals of the object under test; a connection wiring board that has connection terminals that can be electrically connected to the wiring board; and a cooling unit that cools the connection wiring board.

According to the present invention, by using a cooling element to lower the temperature of the connection wiring board, the difference in thermal expansion between the connection wiring board and the probe board can be reduced, thereby suppressing misalignment between the terminals and probes.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the configuration of the electrical connecting device according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a prober according to an embodiment. 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the positions of terminals of a connection wiring board and ends of probes according to the embodiment; 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams illustrating a cooling/heating structure of a cooling element according to an embodiment. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating positional deviation of a probe caused by a difference in the amount of thermal expansion in an embodiment. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the amount of thermal expansion of a probe area of a probe board and the amount of thermal expansion of a connection wiring board according to an embodiment.

(A) Main Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the electrical connecting device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(A-1) Configuration of the Electrical Connecting Device Fig. 1 is an exploded view showing the configuration of the electrical connecting device according to the embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the prober according to the embodiment.

In FIG. 2, the prober 1 according to the embodiment includes an electrical connection device 10 and a wafer drive mechanism 80. The electrical connection device 10 according to the embodiment also includes a support member 11, a wiring substrate 12, a cooling element 13 as a cooling unit, a connection wiring substrate 14, and a probe substrate 15.

While each figure shows the main components, the invention is not limited to the components shown, and may actually include components not shown. In each figure, the same or corresponding components are designated by the same or corresponding reference numerals. It should be noted that each figure is a schematic view, and the dimensions, thickness, etc. of each component may differ from the actual components. Furthermore, the dimensions and proportions of corresponding components may differ between figures. The embodiments shown below exemplify devices and methods for embodying the technical ideas of this disclosure, and do not limit the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc. of the components of this disclosure.

[Tester TE]
The tester TE is a semiconductor testing device that tests the electrical characteristics of the device under test 83. The tester TE is connected to a prober 1 equipped with an electrical connection device 10, and when testing the device under test 83, it sends and receives electrical signals through the prober 1.

[Prober 1]
The prober 1 is connected to a tester TE and is equipped with an electrical connecting device 10 having probes (also called "electrical contactors") 151, and is used to test the electrical characteristics of a device under test 83. The prober 1 aligns the probes 151 with the electrode terminals 84 of the device under test 83, brings the probes 151 into contact with the electrode terminals 84, moves the device under test 83, and performs other operations.

[Test Subject 83]
The device under test 83 is, for example, a semiconductor integrated circuit formed on a semiconductor wafer before dicing. The device under test 83 has a large number of transistors, such as a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC chip device).

The object under test 83 is placed and fixed on the upper surface of a chuck 82 connected to a drive unit 81, such as a multi-axis stage. The position of the object under test 83 on the chuck 82 can be adjusted by driving the drive unit 81. During testing, the object under test 83 on the chuck 82 and the probes 151 of the electrical connection device 10 are brought relatively close together so that each electrode terminal 84 of the object under test 83 comes into electrical contact with the corresponding probe 151.

The chuck 82 is equipped with a temperature adjustment function that adjusts the temperature of the semiconductor wafer, and is capable of high-temperature testing at temperatures above 150°C and low-temperature testing at temperatures below -20°C.

[Electrical connection device 10]
The electrical connection device 10 is attached to the test header of the prober 1 and transmits and receives electrical signals between the tester TE and the device under test 83. The electrical connection device 10 has a plurality of probes (also called "electrical contactors") 151, and during testing, electrically connects the tester TE and the device under test 83 by electrically contacting the corresponding electrical contactors with the electrode terminals 84 of the device under test 83. A probe card, for example, can be used as the electrical connection device 10.

During testing, the electrical connection device 10 supplies electrical signals from the tester TE to the electrode terminals 84 of the device under test 83 via the electrical contacts, and the electrical connection device 10 also supplies electrical signals from the device under test 83 to the tester TE via the electrical contacts.

As shown in Figure 1, when the components of the electrical connection device 10 are assembled and disassembled, they comprise, in order from top to bottom in the Z-axis direction, a support member 11, a cooling element 13, a wiring board 12, a connection wiring board 14, and a probe board 15.

[Wiring board 12]
The wiring board 12 is electrically connected to the test head and is also electrically connected to the connection wiring board 14 on the side of the probe 151. The wiring board 12 is a printed circuit board in the shape of a substantially circular plate made of a synthetic resin material such as polyimide.

The first surface (e.g., the top surface) of the wiring board 12 is provided with wiring and terminals that electrically connect to the test head, as well as electronic components such as resistors and capacitors. The second surface (e.g., the bottom surface) of the wiring board 12 is provided with wiring and terminals that connect to the connection wiring board 14. The outer edge of the wiring board 12 is provided with multiple tester connection portions (not shown) for connection to the electrical circuit of the tester TE, and each tester connection portion is connected to printed wiring on the wiring board 12.

For example, the wiring board 12 has multiple through holes that allow electrical continuity between the first and second surfaces. Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the wiring board 12 has multiple conductive connectors 16, each of which connects to a terminal 23 of the wiring board 12 and a terminal 24 of the connection wiring board 14 to allow electrical continuity.

Note that, for example, the conductive connector 16 is a pogo pin formed to be elastically deformable in the Z-axis direction, but this is not limited to this, and a wide range of connectors, such as conductive rod or plate materials, can be used.

As shown in FIG. 1, an opening 121 is formed in the center of the wiring board 12, and a cooling element 13 is provided in the opening 121. In addition, a support member 11 is provided in the center of the wiring board 12 on the first surface side of the wiring board 12.

It is desirable that the shape of the opening 121 in the wiring substrate 12 correspond to the shape of the cooling element 13. For example, if the cooling element 13 is cylindrical, the shape of the opening 121 may be circular. It is also desirable that the size of the opening 121 be slightly larger than the size of the cooling element 13.

[Connection wiring board 14]
The connection wiring board 14 is a board that electrically connects the wiring board 12 and each probe 151 of the probe board 15, and is also called a probe head. The connection wiring board 14 can be a multi-layer wiring board (MLO: Multi-Layer Organic) formed of an organic material such as resin.

The connection wiring board 14 has connection terminals 24 for the conductive connectors 16 on its first surface (e.g., the upper surface) and is electrically connected to the wiring board 12 via the conductive connectors 16. The connection wiring board 4 also has connection terminals 141 on its second surface (e.g., the lower surface) that can be connected to each of the multiple probes 151. During testing, electrical continuity is achieved by connecting the first ends (e.g., upper ends) of the probes 151 to the connection terminals 141 of the connection wiring board 14.

Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the positions of the connection terminals 141 of the connection wiring board 14 and the ends of the probes 151 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of connection terminals 141 are arranged on the second surface of the connection wiring board 14 at positions corresponding to the positions of the probes 151. During testing, the first ends (e.g., upper ends) 1511 of the probes 151 are connected to the connection terminals 141 to enable electrical continuity of the probes 151.

The connection wiring board 14 also has a cooling element 13 attached to the first surface via the connection terminal 25. As a result, during high-temperature testing, the cooling element 13 lowers the temperature of the connection wiring board 14 itself, suppressing thermal expansion of the connection wiring board 14 and preventing misalignment between the terminals of the connection wiring board 14 and the probes 151. This will be explained in more detail later.

[Cooling element 13]
The cooling element 13 lowers the temperature of the connection wiring board 14 in order to suppress thermal expansion of the connection wiring board 14. In other words, the cooling element 13 is a cooling unit that cools the connection wiring board 14.

The cooling element 13 can be, for example, a Peltier element, which provides electronic cooling. When a Peltier element is used as the cooling element 13, the cooling element 13 is placed on the first surface of the connection wiring board 14 with its heat absorption surface (heat removal surface) facing the connection wiring board 14 and its heat dissipation surface facing the support member 11.

In other words, the cooling element 13 absorbs heat from the connection wiring board 14 and dissipates it toward the support member 11, which is farther from the heat source (chuck 82), thereby lowering the temperature of the connection wiring board 14. As a result, during high-temperature testing, the difference in thermal expansion between the connection wiring board 14 and the probe board 15 is reduced, preventing misalignment between the connection terminals 141 and the probes 151.

An example of a specific arrangement is shown below. For example, connection terminals 25 and conductive cushion material 22 are arranged on the first surface of the connection wiring board 14, and the cooling element 13 is provided at the position of the connection terminals 25 and cushion material 22. The cooling element 13, which is approximately rectangular in plan view, is housed in an approximately rectangular opening 121 provided in the center of the wiring board 12, with the heat dissipation surface of the cooling element 13 positioned on the support member 11 side. By arranging the cooling element 13 in this manner, heat is removed from the connection wiring board 14 and released toward the support member 11 side. A highly conductive paste-like or gel-like cushion material 21 is provided between the cooling element 13 and the support member 11.

In this embodiment, a Peltier element is used as an example, but the cooling element 13 is not limited to a Peltier element, and any element that can cool the connection wiring board 14 to lower its temperature can be widely used.

The cooling element 13 may also be a Peltier module made up of multiple Peltier elements, arranged in accordance with the arrangement of the electrical connection terminals 141 on the connection wiring board 14. For example, if the electrical connection terminals 141 are arranged in a ring shape around the periphery of the front and back surfaces of the connection wiring board 14, then by arranging the Peltier modules in a ring shape corresponding to this, it is possible to effectively cool the heat-generating parts of the connection wiring board 14.

The cooling element 13 cools the connection wiring board 14, and its purpose is to cool the connection wiring board 14 to reduce thermal expansion. During high-temperature testing, terminals on the metal board may become hot and transfer the heat to the board. Therefore, the cooling element 13 does not have to limit its cooling target to the connection wiring board 14, but may also cool the connection terminals 24 arranged between the wiring board 12 and the connection wiring board 14. In other words, the cooling element 13 may be a cooling unit that cools at least the connection wiring board 14 and the connection terminals 24 on the connection wiring board 14.

[Support member 11]
The support member 11 is disposed in the center of the first surface (e.g., the upper surface) of the wiring board 12, and stabilizes the posture of the wiring board 12. The support member 11 is also called a stiffener.

The support member 11 secures the cooling element 13 housed in the opening 121 of the wiring board 12 and prevents deformation such as bending of the wiring board 12. The support member 11 is designed to easily dissipate heat emitted from the cooling element 13 to the outside.

For example, the support member 11 has an annular outer frame member 113, a cooling element fixing portion 111 in the center of the outer frame member 113, and four spokes 112 arranged radially from the cooling element fixing portion 111 toward the outer frame member 113. Heat from the cooling element 13 can be radiated from the spaces 114 formed between each spoke 112.

The outer frame member 113 is formed from a ring-shaped member with a rectangular cross section. Each of the four spokes 112 is a rod member that extends radially from each corner of the rectangular cooling element fixing portion 111 toward the outer frame member 113. There are no particular restrictions on the shape or number of the spokes 112.

To ensure that the cooling element 13 is securely fixed, the size of the cooling element fixing portion 111 is slightly larger than the size of the cooling element 13. In the example of Figure 1, the planar shape of the cooling element fixing portion 111 is shown as being approximately rectangular to match the shape of the cooling element 13. In other words, the cooling element fixing portion 111 is a quadrangular prism. However, this is not limited to this, and the shape of the cooling element fixing portion 111 can be various shapes.

Furthermore, the cooling element fixing portion 111 fixes the cooling element 13 using fixing portions such as screws. Note that the method for fixing the cooling element 13 is not limited to screws, and it may also be fixed using adhesive or the like.

[Probe substrate 15]
The probe board 15 is a contactor board having a plurality of probes 151. In the probe board 15, the probes 151 are provided at positions corresponding to the positions of the electrode terminals 84 of the device under test 83.

The first end (e.g., upper end) 1511 of the probe 151 is electrically connected to the connection terminal 141 provided on the second surface (e.g., lower surface) of the connection wiring board 14. The second end (e.g., lower end) of the probe 151 is electrically connected to the electrode terminal 84 of the device under test 83. This enables electrical connection between the tester TE and the device under test 83 via the probe 151 during testing.

The probe 151 may be either a vertical probe or a cantilever probe.

(A-2) Thermal Expansion Suppression Structure of the Connection Wiring Board 14 Next, a method for suppressing thermal expansion of the connection wiring board 14 in the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the structure of the cooling element 13 according to the embodiment.

As shown in Figure 4, the cooling element 13, which is a Peltier element, has a terminal 32 for supplying direct current and a terminal 33 for outputting the flowing current.

The cooling element 13, which serves as a Peltier element, is an element having an n-type semiconductor (denoted as "N" in Figure 4), a p-type semiconductor (denoted as "P" in Figure 4), and metal electrodes, and has the property that when a direct current is passed through it in a certain direction, it absorbs heat (cools) on one side of the element and dissipates heat on the other side.

As shown in Figure 4, one surface (heat absorption surface) of the cooling element 13 faces the connection wiring board 14, and the other surface (heat dissipation surface) faces the support member 11. This allows the cooling element 13 to absorb heat from the connection wiring board 14 on the heat source side and dissipate heat to the support member 11 side.

In addition, by placing the cooling element 13 in the center portion 143 of the connection wiring board 14, the temperature of the entire surface of the connection wiring board 14 can be efficiently reduced.

Furthermore, by arranging the cooling element 13 in the central portion 143 of the connection wiring board 14, the load of the probe 151 can be supported in the center when the connection terminal 141 and the probe 151 come into contact, preventing deformation such as bending.

Furthermore, the cooling element 13 can be positioned near the terminals 24 provided on the connection wiring board 14, thereby efficiently lowering the temperature. For example, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the terminals 24 are positioned on the first surface (e.g., the top surface) of the connection wiring board 14 on which the cooling element 13 is positioned, and the area near the terminals 24 is more likely to heat up and become hotter. Therefore, the cooling element 13 is positioned on the first surface of the connection wiring board 14, near the terminals 24.

For example, the cooling element 13 is preferably provided on the connection wiring board 14, and further preferably in an area other than the area where the connection terminals 24 of the connection wiring board 14 are located. That is, in this example, the cooling element 13 is preferably provided in the central portion 143 of the connection wiring board 14.

Figures 5(A) and 5(B) are explanatory diagrams illustrating misalignment of the probe 151 caused by differences in thermal expansion in an embodiment. Figure 5(A) shows the alignment of the probe 151 with the connection terminal 141 of the connection wiring board 14 at room temperature, while Figure 5(B) shows the alignment of the probe 151 with the connection terminal 141 at a high temperature of 150°C for the semiconductor wafer (the temperature of the connection wiring board 14 is 110°C).

When a high-temperature test is performed on the test object 83, the test object 83 is heated by the chuck 82, which has a temperature adjustment function, and the temperature of the connection wiring board 14, which is located near the chuck 82 and serves as a heat source, also increases.

When the connection wiring board 14 is made of an organic material such as resin, the thermal expansion coefficient of the connection wiring board 14 is greater than that of the probe board 15, and therefore the amount of thermal expansion of the connection wiring board 14 with increasing temperature is greater than that of the probe board 15. Furthermore, in a high-temperature test environment for the device under test 83, the difference in the thermal expansion coefficients of the connection wiring board 14 and the probe board 15 will result in a more significant difference between the amount of thermal expansion of the connection wiring board 14 and the amount of thermal expansion of the probe board 15.

In the example of Figure 5(A), the distance between adjacent connection terminals 141 and the distance between adjacent probes 151 are both L, and the central axis P of the probe 151 is in a state where it can be well connected to approximately the center of the connection terminal 141 (in the figure, it is in a connected state).

On the other hand, in the example of Figure 5(B), due to thermal expansion caused by a temperature rise in the components, the connection terminal 141 of the connection wiring board 14 moves a distance D1 from its original position, and the probe 151 moves a distance D2 from its original position. In other words, due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the connection wiring board 14 and the probe board 15, a gap occurs between the amount of movement D1 of the connection terminal 141 of the connection wiring board 14 and the amount of movement D2 of the probe 151. In this state, the central axis P of the probe 151 is significantly misaligned with the center P of the connection terminal 141, making it difficult to properly connect the probe 151 to the connection terminal 141.

In this embodiment, the cooling element 13 is used to absorb heat and lower the temperature of the connection wiring board 14, thereby reducing the difference in thermal expansion between the two components.

Below, an example of a process for lowering the temperature of the connection wiring board 14 using the cooling element 13 is described.

Figure 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of thermal expansion of the probe area of the probe substrate 15 and the amount of thermal expansion of the connection wiring substrate 14 for each temperature in this embodiment.

In Figure 6, the horizontal axis represents the probe area, i.e., the size of the area on the underside of the probe substrate 15 where probes can be placed, and the vertical axis represents the amount of thermal expansion. Figure 6 shows the amount of expansion of each component when the chuck 82 is heated from room temperature to 150°C. The larger the probe area, the greater the amount of thermal expansion in response to the temperature increase.

Result 6 shows the amount of thermal expansion of the probe substrate 15 during high-temperature testing.

Results 1 to 5 show the amount of thermal expansion of the connection wiring board 14 for each temperature.

Result 1 shows the amount of thermal expansion for each probe area when the temperature of the connection wiring board 14 reaches 110°C during a high-temperature test at 150°C.

Result 2 shows the amount of thermal expansion for each probe area when the temperature of the connection wiring board 14 is lowered by 10°C (-10°C), Result 3 shows the amount of thermal expansion when the temperature of the connection wiring board 14 is lowered by 20°C (-20°C), Result 4 shows the amount of thermal expansion when the temperature is lowered by 30°C (-30°C), and Result 5 shows the amount of thermal expansion when the temperature is lowered by 40°C (-40°C).

Results 1 to 5 show that as the temperature of the connection wiring board 14 decreases, the amount of thermal expansion decreases.

For example, when the probe area is 120 mm, the thermal expansion of the connection wiring board 14 is "approximately 65 μm" according to Result 1, while the thermal expansion of the probe head of the probe board 15 is "approximately 20 μm" according to Result 6, so the difference in the thermal expansion of the two boards is approximately 45 μm.

Based on this relationship, by using the cooling element 13 to lower the temperature of the connection wiring board 14 by 40°C, the difference in thermal expansion between the connection wiring board 14 and the probe board 15 can be reduced.

For example, the amount of heat absorption by the cooling element 13 changes depending on the value of the applied DC current. Therefore, the amount of heat absorption required to lower the temperature of the connection wiring board 14 by 40°C is calculated and the operation of the cooling element 13 is controlled. This allows the temperature of the connection wiring board 14 to be lowered. Note that the heat dissipation surface of the cooling element 13 is on the support member 11 side, so heat is released toward the support member 11 side.

In this way, misalignment of the probe 151 relative to the connection terminal 141 is reduced, and the probe 151 can be positioned in the center of the connection terminal 141 of the connection wiring board 14.

(A-3) Effects of the embodiment As described above, according to this embodiment, by using a cooling element to lower the temperature of the connection wiring board, the difference in the amount of thermal expansion between the connection wiring board and the probe board can be reduced, and misalignment between the terminals and the probes can be suppressed.

1: Prober, TE: Tester, 10: Electrical connection device, 11: Support member, 12: Wiring board, 13: Cooling element, 14: Connection wiring board, 15: Probe board, 16: Conductive connector, 21: Cushioning material, 22: Cushioning material, 23: Terminal, 24: Terminal, 25: Connection terminal, 32: Terminal, 33: Terminal, 41: Terminal, 141: Terminal, 80: Wafer driving mechanism, 81: Driving unit, 82: Chuck, 83: Test object, 84: Electrode terminal, 111: Cooling element fixing part, 112: Spoke, 113: Outer frame member, 121: Opening, 151: Probe.

Claims (12)

An electrical connection device that electrically connects an electrode terminal of a device under test with an electrical contact to electrically connect a testing device and the device under test,
a wiring board for wiring and connecting to the inspection device;
a contactor substrate having a plurality of the electrical contactors each having an end capable of coming into contact with the electrode terminal of the device under test;
a connection wiring board having connection terminals electrically connectable to the wiring board;
a cooling unit that cools the connection wiring board. The electrical connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling unit is provided on the connection wiring board. The electrical connection device according to claim 2, characterized in that the cooling section is provided in an area of the connection wiring board excluding an area in which the electrical connection terminals of the connection wiring board are arranged. The electrical connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling section is provided in the center of the connection wiring board. the wiring substrate has an opening,
2. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling portion is positioned in the opening of the wiring board. The electrical connection device described in claim 5, characterized in that the opening is formed in the center of the wiring board. The electrical connection device described in claim 1, characterized in that the cooling unit is fixed by a support member provided on the wiring board. The electrical connection device described in claim 1, characterized in that the cooling unit has a Peltier element, and the heat absorption surface of the Peltier element is arranged facing the connection wiring board. the connection wiring board has a terminal disposed between the connection wiring board and the wiring board;
2. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling section cools the terminals. The electrical connection device described in claim 8, characterized in that the cooling unit is a Peltier module constituted by the Peltier element, and the Peltier module is arranged according to the arrangement of the electrical connection terminals on the connection wiring board. The electrical connection device described in claim 1 is configured so that the electrical contact can be positioned approximately in the center of the connection terminal of the connection wiring board by cooling the connection wiring board with the cooling unit. The electrical connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection wiring substrate is an organic substrate.