Apparatuses and methods for cleaning test probes

• US 6,817,052 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Inventors: Grube, Gary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US09/986,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20030092365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 15/3, 151/02, 151/040.02, 152/46, 152/565, 15/15.1, 15/884, 324/754
• US Class Current: 15/3
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/0028 by adhesive surfaces
• 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: H01L 21/67028 for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for cleaning test probes used in a semiconductor testing machine of the type having a plurality of test probes configured to contact the surface of a semiconductor wafer to test one or more dies formed thereon. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a roller-support arm and a cylindrical roller supported by the roller-support arm. The roller has an outer surface comprising a sticky material. Debris on the probes will adhere to the sticky material as roller is rolled across tips of the probes. The probes are thereby cleaned.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning test probes for use in a semiconductor testing machine of the type having the test probes configured to contact the surface of a semiconductor wafer to test one or more dies formed thereon, the apparatus comprising:

a roller-support arm; and

a cylindrical roller supported by the roller-support art, the roller having an outer surface comprising a sticky material.

wherein debris on the probes will adhere to the sticky material as the roller is rolled across tips of the probes, and

wherein the roller-support arm is pivotally connected to a wafer chuck of the testing machine, the wafer chuck for supporting the semiconductor wafer to be tested.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

an outer circumference of the roller is below a horizontal plane of the wafer when the roller-support arm is in a first position, thereby enabling the wafer chuck to be maneuvered without the roller engaging the probe tips; and

at least a portion of the outer circumference of the roller is above the horizontal plane of the wafer and aligned with a horizontal plane of the probe tips when the roller-support arm is in a second position, thereby enabling the outer surface of the roller to engage with and roll across the probes tips as the wafer chuck is moved in a horizontal direction.

3. An apparatus for cleaning test for use in a semiconductor testing machine of the type having the test probes configured to contact the surface of a semiconductor wafer to test one or more dies formed thereon, the apparatus comprising:

a roller-support arm; and

a cylindrical roller supported by the roller-support art, the roller having an outer surface comprising a sticky material.

wherein debris on the probes will adhere to the sticky material as the roller is rolled across tips of the probes, and

wherein the probes being cleaned comprise at least one of the following;

needles;

vertical probes;

cobra probes;

L-type probes;

plunger probes;

spring probes; and

contact bump probes formed on a membrane.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the cylindrical roller comprises an inner cylindrical portion, and wherein the sticky material is disposed on a peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion.

5. An apparatus for cleaning test probes for use in a semiconductor testing machine of the type having the test probes configured to contact the surface of a semiconductor wafer to test one or more dies formed thereon, the apparatus comprising:

a roller core; and

a sticky material disposed about an outer surface of the roller core,

wherein debris on the probes will adhere to the sticky material when the sticky material is engaged against tips of the probes, and

wherein the roller core is pivotally supported by an arm adapted to engage the sticky material against the tips of the probes.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the roller core spins about its longitudinal axis, and wherein different portions of the sticky material engage against the tips of the probes as the roller core spins.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein friction between the sticky material and the tips of the probes causes the roller core to spin as the arm moves in the horizontal direction.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the arm is attached to a wafer chuck.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the arm is attached to a maneuvering mechanism.

10. The apparatus of claim, wherein the arm extends between a pair of tracks, and wherein the sticky material engages the tips of the probes as the arm moves horizontally along the tracks.