Semiconductor wafer package, method and apparatus for connecting testing IC terminals of semiconductor wafer and probe terminals, testing method of a semiconductor integrated circuit, probe card and its manufacturing method

• US 6,323,663 B1
• Filed: 09/16/1999
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uraoka, Yukiharu, Fujiwara, Atsushi, Nakata, Yoshirou, Hatada, Kenzou, Hashimoto, Shin, Yamada, Toshio, Miyanaga, Isao, Okuda, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): KARLSEN, ERNEST F
• Application Number:
  US09/396,884
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 324/754, 324/757, 324/758, 324/760, 324/765, 439/91
• US Class Current: 324/756.03
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0491 for testing integrated circuits on wafers, e.g. wafer-level test cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2831 Testing of materials or semi-finished products, e.g. semiconductor wafers or substrates G01R31/318511 takes precedence; testing during manufacture H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2867 Handlers or transport devices, e.g. loaders, carriers, trays
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2886 Features relating to contacting the IC under test, e.g. probe heads; chucks G01R31/2865 takes precedence, test connections, e.g. test sockets, or probes per se, G01R1/04 or G01R1/06

Abstract

A retainer board, holding a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of integrated circuit terminals for testing a semiconductor chip, is provided in confronting relation to a probe sheet having a plurality of probe terminals electrically connected to their corresponding integrated circuit terminals. An insulating substrate, having wiring electrically connected to the plural probe terminals, is provided on the probe sheet in opposed relation to the retainer board. An elastic member is interposed between the probe sheet and the insulating substrate. The retainer board and the probe sheet are brought into so closer relationship that each integrated circuit terminal of the semiconductor wafer held by the retainer board is electrically connected to its corresponding probe terminal of the probe sheet.

Claims

1. A probe card for testing electric characteristic of plural semiconductor chips formed in a semiconductor wafer, each of the plural semiconductor chips including a testing electrode, comprising:

a flexible substrate comprising an elastic material and including plural probe terminals formed on a face thereof which are to be electrically connected correspondingly to the respective testing electrodes of the plural semiconductor chips; and

a rigid member comprising a material having a thermal expansion coefficient which is almost equal to that of the semiconductor wafer, for fixing a periphery of the flexible substrate,

wherein the flexible substrate is fixed by the rigid member in such a state that the flexible substrate always remains flat and maintains almost uniform tensile distortion over the while surface thereof within a temperature range from 25°

C. to a testing temperature.

2. A probe card according to claim 1, wherein:

the rigid member includes a first terminal which is connected to an electrode for external connection via a wiring;

the flexible substrate includes a second terminal which is formed on a different face thereof from the face on which the probe terminals are formed and is electrically connected to the probe terminals; and

the flexible substrate is fixed by the rigid member so that the first terminal and the second terminal are electrically connected to each other.

3. A probe card according to claim 1, wherein the tensile distortion of the flexible substrate is not smaller than T×

N₂, where N₂ represents a difference between a thermal expansion coefficient of the flexible substrate and the thermal expansion coefficient of the rigid member and T represents a difference between 25°

C. and the testing temperature.

4. A probe card according to claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is fixed by the rigid member by bonding the flexible substrate to a bonding region in shape of a ring having an inner periphery of circle of the rigid member.

5. A probe card according to claim 1, wherein said rigid member comprises a wiring substrate.

6. A probe card according to claim 1, wherein said rigid member comprises a rigid ring.

7. A probe card according to claim 1, wherein said rigid member comprises a wiring substrate and a rigid ring.