Apparatus for aligning a semiconductor wafer with an inspection contactor

• US 5,999,268 A
• Filed: 10/15/1997
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Takashi, Yonezawa, Toshihiro, Sano, Kunio
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STAFIRA, MICHAEL PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US08/950,832
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 356/399-401, 324/73.1, 324/754, 324/690, 324/458, 324/537, 414/404, 414/416, 414/417, 414/331, 414/172, 414/156
• US Class Current: 356/399
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2887 involving moving the probe head or the IC under test; docking stations moving single probes G01R1/06705; moving individual probes in multiple probes G01R1/07392

Abstract

An aligning apparatus includes a first image pickup camera for picking up an image of an inspection contactor, a moving body located so as to be movable in X-, Y-, Z- and θ-directions and having the first image pickup camera fixed thereon, a wafer bearer capable of being located on the moving body and supporting a semiconductor wafer, a control circuit for controlling movements of the moving body moved in the individual directions, and a second image pickup camera for picking up an image of the semiconductor wafer on the bearer moving under the control of the control circuit. Positions for the first and second image pickup cameras to pick up the images are stored, the first image pickup camera picks up an image of the contact, the position of the contact is stored, the second image pickup camera picks up an image of an electrode of a chip corresponding to the contact, the position of the electrode is stored, and then the contact and the electrode are aligned with each other in accordance with the respective positions of the contact and the electrode.

Claims

1. An apparatus for aligning a plurality of contacts formed on an inspection contactor and a plurality of electrodes of all chips formed on a semiconductor wafer and bringing the contacts and the electrodes collectively into touch with one another, the alignment apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body;

a first image pickup for picking up an image of the inspection contactor located in the apparatus body;

a moving body located in the apparatus body so as to be moved in X-, Y-, Z- and θ

-directions and having the first image pickup fixed thereon;

a wafer bearer being located on the moving body and supporting the semiconductor wafer;

a driver for moving the moving body having thereon the bearer supporting the semiconductor wafer, in the X-, Y-, Z- and θ

-directions; and

a controller for controlling movements of the moving body moved in the individual directions by the driver;

A second image pickup for picking up an image of the semiconductor wafer on the bearer moving under the control of the controller;

a memory for storing positions for the first and second image pickups to pick up the images;

an image processor for causing the first image pickup to pick up an image of the contacts, causing the memory to store the position of the contacts, causing the second image pickup to pick up an image of the electrodes corresponding to the contacts, causing the memory to store the position of the electrodes, and causing the controller to align the contacts and the electrodes in accordance with the respective positions of the contacts and the electrodes;

a first transfer mechanism for transporting the inspection contactor to a region over the moving body, and for transporting the wafer bearer onto the moving body; and

a second transfer mechanism for transporting the semiconductor wafer onto the bearer on the moving body,

wherein said driver moves the moving body in the θ

-direction so that the aligned contacts and the electrodes corresponding thereto are brought into touch with each other.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, which further comprises means for fixing the inspection contactor having the contacts in touch with the electrodes, the semiconductor wafer, and the bearer so as not to be shifted with respect to one another, thereby forming an aggregate including the inspection contactor, the semiconductor wafer, and the bearer.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein which further comprises a cassette for containing the aggregate and a third transfer mechanism for transporting the aggregate into the cassette.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first and third transfer mechanism are arranged adjacent to the apparatus body, and include a first lift mechanism for raising and lowering a plurality of cassettes, a second lift mechanism for raising and lowering a plurality of inspection contactors, and a third lift mechanism for raising and lowering a plurality of wafer bearers, respectively.

5. An alignment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said moving body has an upper surface on which the wafer bearer is placed, the moving body including at least three wafer delivery pins extending from the upper surface thereof, and said wafer bearer includes through holes, in which the delivery pins are inserted so as to project from the bearing region.

6. An alignment apparatus comprising:

an alignment apparatus body; and

a transportation system, the transportation system supporting a plurality of cassettes for integral movement, a plurality of contactors for integral movement, and a plurality of wafer bearers for integral movement;

the alignment apparatus body including a case bearing section for carrying thereon cases each containing a plurality of semiconductor wafers, an alignment section in which one of the contactors and one of the wafer bearers are opposed to each other so that the contactor and the semiconductor wafer placed on the wafer bearer are aligned and integrated together with the wafer bearer into a unit, and a loader section provided with a wafer transportation mechanism for transporting the semiconductor wafer from the case bearing section to the alignment section; and

the transportation system including a transportation mechanism for transporting the one contactor and the wafer bearer to the alignment section and transporting the unit from the alignment section into a cassette, and a controller for controlling the transportation system and the alignment apparatus so that the transportation of the wafer bearer, the contactor, and the semiconductor wafer to the alignment section, the alignment between the contactor and the semiconductor wafer, the integration of the contactor, the semiconductor wafer, and the wafer bearer, and the transportation of the unit into the cassette are repeated in succession.