NEEDLE TRACE TRANSFER MEMBER AND PROBE APPARATUS

• US 20090212804A1
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: YAMADA, Hiroshi, Kawaji, Takeshi, Watanabe, Tetsuji, Katagiri, Hirofumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,212,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/755.10
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07364 with provisions for altering position, number or connection of probe tips; Adapting to differences in pitch
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 3/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of measuring instruments , e.g. of probe tips
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2891 related to sensing or controlling of force, position, temperature G01R31/2874 takes precedence; sensing of force G01L; sensing of position G01B, G01D; sensing of temperature G01K; controlling in general G05

Abstract

A needle trace transfer member to which needle traces of probes are transferred is installed at a movable mounting table to align the probes before electrical characteristics of a target object on the mounting table are inspected by bringing the probes into electrical contact with the target object. The needle trace transfer member is made of a shape memory polymer transformed reversibly and rapidly between a glass state with a high modulus elasticity and a rubber state with a low modulus of elasticity near its glass transition temperature. The glass transition temperature is set to a temperature close to a set temperature of the mounting table. The shape memory polymer is mainly made of polyurethane-based resin.

Claims

1. A needle trace transfer member, installed at a movable mounting table, to which needle traces of probes are transferred to align the probes before electrical characteristics of a target object on the mounting table are inspected by bringing the probes into electrical contact with the target, wherein the needle trace transfer member is made of a shape memory polymer transformed reversibly and rapidly between a glass state with a high modulus elasticity and a rubber state with a low modulus of elasticity near its glass transition temperature.

2. The needle trace transfer member of claim 1, wherein the glass transition temperature is set to a temperature close to a set temperature of the mounting table.

3. The needle trace transfer member of claim 1, wherein the shape memory polymer is mainly made of polyurethane-based resin.

4. The needle trace transfer member of claim 2, wherein the shape memory polymer is mainly made of polyurethane-based resin.

5. A probe apparatus for aligning a plurality of probes by picking up images of needle traces of the probes which are transferred to a needle trace transfer member on a support attached to a movable mounting table by an image pick-up device before electrical characteristics of a target object are inspected by bringing the probes disposed above the mounting table into electrical contact with the target object mounted on the mounting table, wherein the needle trace transfer member is made of a shape memory polymer transformed reversibly and rapidly between a glass state with a high modulus elasticity and a rubber state with a low modulus of elasticity near its glass transition temperature.

6. The probe apparatus of claim 5, wherein the glass transition temperature is set to a temperature close to a set temperature of the mounting table.

7. The probe apparatus of claim 5, wherein the shape memory polymer is mainly made of polyurethane-based resin.

8. The probe apparatus of claim 6, wherein the shape memory polymer is mainly made of polyurethane-based resin.

9. The probe apparatus of claim 5, wherein the support has a temperature control unit for controlling a temperature of the shape memory polymer.

10. The probe apparatus of claim 6, wherein the support has a temperature control unit for controlling a temperature of the shape memory polymer.

11. The probe apparatus of claim 7, wherein the support has a temperature control unit for controlling a temperature of the shape memory polymer.

12. The probe apparatus of claim 8, wherein the support has a temperature control unit for controlling a temperature of the shape memory polymer.