TEST APPARATUS AND PROBE CARD

• US 20100026333A1
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advantest Corporation
• Original Assignee: Advantest Corporation
• Inventors: Shouji, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,960,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/756.30
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2889 Interfaces, e.g. between probe and tester G01R31/31905 and G01R1/07364 take precedence

Abstract

Provided is a test apparatus including a test head main body 130 that communicates a signal with the device under test 200, a prober 110 on which the device under test 200 is mounted, and a probe card 300 positioned between the test head main body 130 and the prober 110, where the probe card 300 includes: a plurality of probe pins 320 provided on a surface thereof facing the prober 110 and electrically connected to a terminal of the device under test 200; a plurality of test head pads 330 provided on a surface thereof facing the test head main body 130 and electrically connected to spring pins 129 on the test head main body 130 and to the probe pins 320; and prober pads 340 provided on a surface thereof facing the prober 110 and electrically connected to the plurality of probe pins 320.

Claims

1. A test apparatus for testing a device under test, comprising:

a test head that communicates a signal with the device under test and tests the device under test;

a prober on which the device under test is mounted; and

a probe card that is positioned between the test head and the prober and that transfers a signal between the test head and the device under test, wherein

the test head includes a plurality of test head pins on a surface of the test head facing the probe card, the plurality of test head pins being electrically connected to the probe card,

the probe card includes;

a plurality of probe pins that are provided on a surface of the probe card facing the prober and that are electrically connected to a terminal of the device under test;

a plurality of test head pads that are provided on a surface of the probe card facing the test head and that are electrically connected to the test head pins and to the probe pins; and

prober pads that are provided on a surface of the probe card facing the prober and that are electrically connected to the probe pins, and

the prober includes;

a prober connection section that is provided on a surface of the prober facing the probe card and that is electrically connected to the prober pads; and

a transfer path that transfers a signal between the test head and the prober connection section.

2. The test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the test head communicates, on a path via the transfer path, a low frequency signal with the device under test, and communicates a signal of a frequency higher than the low frequency signal on a path via the test head pins.

3. The test apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the test head is electrically connected to a ground terminal of the device under test on the path via the transfer path, and is electrically connected to a signal terminal of the device under test on the path via the test head pins.

4. The test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the transfer path includes:

a test head connector electrically connected to the test head;

a prober connector electrically connected to the prober connection section; and

a cable electrically connecting the test head connector to the prober connector.

5. The test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the transfer path includes:

a plurality of transfer path pins provided on a surface of the test head facing the prober, so as not to face the probe card; and

a plurality of transfer path pads provided on a surface of the prober facing the test head, so as not to face the probe card, the plurality of transfer path pads being electrically connected to the transfer path pins and to the prober connection section.

6. The test apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a fixing section that fixes the probe card to the prober so that a height of a surface of the probe card facing the test head is substantially equal to a height of the surface of the prober facing the test head.

7. The test apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the transfer path pins are provided to surround the probe card.

8. A probe card provided between a test head and a prober within a test apparatus that tests a device under test, the test head communicating a signal with the device under test and testing the device under test, and the prober having the device under test mounted thereon,

the probe card transferring a signal between the test head and the device under test and comprising:

a plurality of probe pins that are provided on a surface of the probe card facing the prober and that are electrically connected to a terminal of the device under test;

a plurality of test head pads that are provided on a surface of the probe card facing the test head and that are electrically connected to test head pins on the test head and to the probe pins; and

prober pads provided on a surface of the probe card facing the prober, electrically connected to a prober connection section on the prober, electrically connected to the test head via a transfer path, and electrically connected to the probe pins, where the transfer path connects the prober connection section to the test head.