Anisotropically conductive connector and production process thereof, and probe member

• US 7,323,712 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ISC Incorporated (Svenska Cellulosa AB SCA)
• Original Assignee: JSR Corporation
• Inventors: Seno, Koji, Kokubo, Terukazu, Inoue, Kazuo, Naoi, Masaya
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tuan H.
• Application Number:
  US11/205,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20060033100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 257/48, 324/765, 324/754
• US Class Current: 257/48
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2414 conductive elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/007 for elastomeric connecting elements

Abstract

An anisotropically conductive connector, by which positioning, and holding and fixing to a wafer to be inspected can be conducted with ease even when the wafer has a large area, contains a frame plate having a plurality of anisotropically conductive film-arranging holes formed corresponding to regions of electrodes to be inspected of a wafer, and a plurality of elastic anisotropically conductive films arranged in the respective anisotropically conductive film-arranging holes and supported by the inner peripheral edge thereabout.

Claims

1. An anisotropically conductive connector, comprising:

a frame plate comprising

a plurality of anisotropically conductive film-arranging holes, each extending in a thickness-wise direction of the frame plate, corresponding to electrode regions comprising electrodes to be inspected of integrated circuits in a wafer as an object for inspection, and

a plurality of elastic anisotropically conductive films arranged in the respective anisotropically conductive film-arranging holes in said frame plate, each supported by the inner peripheral edge about the anisotropically conductive film-arranging hole,

wherein each of the elastic anisotropically conductive films comprises

a functional part comprising a plurality of conductive parts for connection, each containing conductive particles exhibiting magnetism at high density and extending in the thickness-wise direction of the film and arranged correspondingly to the electrodes to be inspected of the integrated circuits in the wafer,

an insulating part insulating said conductive parts for connection mutually, and

a supported part integrally arranged at a peripheral edge of the functional part and fixed to the inner peripheral edge about the anisotropically conductive film-arranging hole in said frame plate, and the supported part contains the conductive particles exhibiting magnetism,

wherein said anisotropically conductive connector is suitable for conducting electrical inspection of each of a plurality of said integrated circuits in said wafer; and

wherein said frame plate comprises air circulating holes each extending in the thickness-wise direction of the frame plate.

2. The anisotropically conductive connector according to claim 1, wherein said frame plate comprises positioning holes each extending in the thickness-wise direction of the frame plate.

3. The anisotropically conductive connector according to claim 1, wherein the coefficient of linear thermal expansion of the frame plate is at most 3×

10<sup>−

5</sup>/K.

4. The anisotropically conductive connector according to claim 1, wherein one or both surfaces of said connector are flat.

5. The anisotropically conductive connector according to claim 1, wherein a metal layer is on the surfaces of the conductive parts for connection in the elastic anisotropically conductive films.

6. A probe member, comprising:

a circuit board for inspection, on the surface of which inspection electrodes are arranged in accordance with a pattern corresponding to a pattern of electrodes to be inspected of integrated circuits in a wafer as an object for inspection, and

the anisotropically conductive connector according to claim 1 arranged on the surface of the circuit board for inspection,

wherein said probe member is suitable for conducting electrical inspection of each of a plurality of integrated circuits on a wafer.

7. The probe member according to claim 6, wherein a connector in the form of a sheet is arranged on the anisotropically conductive connector,

wherein the connector in the form of a sheet comprises

an insulating sheet, and

a plurality of electrode structures, each extending in a thickness-wise direction of the insulating sheet and arranged in accordance with a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the electrodes to be inspected.

8. An inspection apparatus, comprising:

the probe member according to claim 6,

wherein an electric connection to an integrated circuit arranged on a wafer as an object for inspection is achieved through the probe member,

wherein said inspection apparatus is suitable for performing electrical inspection of each of a plurality of integrated circuits on the wafer.

9. An inspection apparatus, comprising:

the probe member according to claim 7,

wherein an electric connection to an integrated circuit arranged on a wafer as an object for inspection is achieved through the probe member,

wherein said inspection apparatus is suitable for performing electrical inspection of each of a plurality of integrated circuits on the wafer.

10. An anisotropically conductive connector, comprising:

a frame plate comprising

a plurality of anisotropically conductive film-arranging holes, each extending in a thickness-wise direction of the frame plate, corresponding to electrode regions comprising electrodes to be inspected of integrated circuits in a wafer as an object for inspection, and

a plurality of elastic anisotropically conductive films arranged in the respective anisotropically conductive film-arranging holes in said frame plate, each supported by the inner peripheral edge about the anisotropically conductive film-arranging hole,

wherein each of the elastic anisotropically conductive films comprises

a functional part comprising a plurality of conductive parts for connection, each containing conductive particles exhibiting magnetism at high density and extending in the thickness-wise direction of the film and arranged correspondingly to the electrodes to be inspected of the integrated circuits in the wafer,

an insulating part insulating said conductive parts for connection mutually, and

a supported part integrally arranged at a peripheral edge of the functional part and fixed to the inner peripheral edge about the anisotropically conductive film-arranging hole in said frame plate, and the supported part contains the conductive particles exhibiting magnetism,

wherein said anisotropically conductive connector is suitable for conducting electrical inspection of each of a plurality of said integrated circuits in said wafer; and

wherein the coefficient of linear thermal expansion of the frame plate is at most 3×

10<sup>−

5</sup>/K.

11. The anisotropically conductive connector according to claim 10, wherein said frame plate comprises positioning holes each extending in the thickness-wise direction of the frame plate.

12. The anisotropically conductive connector according to claim 10, wherein said frame plate comprises air circulating holes each extending in the thickness-wise direction of the frame plate.

13. The anisotropically conductive connector according to claim 10, wherein one or both surfaces of said connector are flat.

14. The anisotropically conductive connector according to claim 10, wherein a metal layer is on the surfaces of the conductive parts for connection in the elastic anisotropically conductive films.

15. A probe member, comprising:

a circuit board for inspection, on the surface of which inspection electrodes are arranged in accordance with a pattern corresponding to a pattern of electrodes to be inspected of integrated circuits in a wafer as an object for inspection, and

the anisotropically conductive connector according to claim 10 arranged on the surface of the circuit board for inspection,

wherein said probe member is suitable for conducting electrical inspection of each of a plurality of integrated circuits on a wafer.

16. The probe member according to claim 15, wherein a connector in the form of a sheet is arranged on the anisotropically conductive connector,

wherein the connector in the form of a sheet comprises

an insulating sheet, and

a plurality of electrode structures, each extending in a thickness-wise direction of the insulating sheet and arranged in accordance with a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the electrodes to be inspected.

17. An inspection apparatus, comprising:

the probe member according to claim 15,

wherein an electric connection to an integrated circuit arranged on a wafer as an object for inspection is achieved through the probe member,

wherein said inspection apparatus is suitable for performing electrical inspection of each of a plurality of integrated circuits on the wafer.

18. An inspection apparatus, comprising:

the probe member according to claim 17,

wherein an electric connection to an integrated circuit arranged on a wafer as an object for inspection is achieved through the probe member,

wherein said inspection apparatus is suitable for performing electrical inspection of each of a plurality of integrated circuits on the wafer.