Chuck for supporting and retaining a test substrate and a calibration substrate

• US 7,999,563 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2009
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cascade Microtech Incorporated (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stoll, Karsten, Scott, Steffen, Rumiantsev, Andrej, Kanev, Stojan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Vinh P
• Assistant Examiner(s): BENITEZ ROSARIO, JOSHUA
• Application Number:
  US12/489,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 324/750.03
• US Class Current: 324/750.03
• 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 chuck for supporting and retaining a test substrate includes a device for supporting and retaining a calibration substrate. The chuck comprises a first support surface for supporting a test substrate and a second support surface, which is laterally offset to the first support surface, for supporting a calibration substrate The calibration substrate has planar calibration standards for calibration of a measuring unit of a prober, and dielectric material or air situated below the calibration substrate at least in the area of the calibration standard. In order to be able to take the actual thermal conditions on the test substrate and in particular also on known and unknown calibration standards and thus the thermal influence on the electrical behavior of the calibration standard used into consideration, the second support surface is equipped for temperature control of the calibration substrate.

Claims

1. A chuck for supporting and retaining a test substrate, the chuck having a device for supporting and retaining a calibration substrate having a planar calibration standard and the device comprising the following components:

a first support surface for supporting a test substrate,

the first support surface being temperature controlled using a temperature control device for heating and/or cooling the test substrate,

a second support surface laterally offset to the first support surface, for supporting the calibration substrate,

the second support surface being temperature controlled using a temperature control device for heating and/or cooling the calibration substrate, and

dielectric material or air being situated in the second support surface in an area below the calibration substrate at least in an area of the calibration standard.

2. The chuck according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second support surfaces are formed by a shared support plate and the second support surface comprises at least partially an upper surface of a recess, and the recess is implemented in the shared support plate in such a way that the recess extends out from an upper delimitation surface into the shared support plate.

3. The chuck according to claim 2, wherein the recess is filled with a dielectric material.

4. The chuck according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the shared or first and second support plates comprises a dielectric ceramic plate.

5. The chuck according to claim 2, wherein the temperature control device for temperature control of the second support surface comprises an air chamber in a support plate having means for permeating the air chamber through a fluid, and the air chamber is situated in an area above which the calibration substrate may be retained.

6. The chuck according to claim 5, wherein the air chamber is formed by a recess, which is open on top, and the support plate has retention means for retaining the calibration substrate above the air chamber.

7. The chuck according to claim 2, wherein both support surfaces are temperature controlled using separate temperature control devices.

8. The chuck according to claim 2, wherein both support surfaces may are temperature controlled using a shared temperature control device.

9. The chuck according to claim 1, wherein the first support surface is formed by a first support plate and the second support surface is formed by a second support plate.

10. The chuck according to claim 9, wherein the second support plate is thermally connected using a heat conductor to the first support plate.

11. The chuck according to claim 9, wherein the second support plate is situated in a recess of a support plate.

12. The chuck according to claim 9, wherein the second support plate has a recess at least in an area above which the calibration substrate may be retained.

13. The chuck according to claim 9, wherein the second support plate has a recess at least in an area above which the calibration substrate may be retained, and the recess is filled with a dielectric material at least in an upper area adjoining the second support surface.

14. The chuck according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the first and second support plates comprises a dielectric ceramic plate.

15. The chuck according to claim 9, wherein the temperature control device for temperature control of the second support surface comprises an air chamber in a support plate having means for permeating the air chamber through a fluid, and the air chamber is situated in an area above which the calibration substrate may be retained.

16. The chuck according to claim 15, wherein the air chamber is formed by a recess, which is open on top, and the support plate has retention means for retaining the calibration substrate above the air chamber.

17. The chuck according to claim 9, wherein both support surfaces are temperature controlled using separate temperature control devices.

18. The chuck according to claim 9, wherein both support surfaces are temperature controlled using a shared temperature control device.

19. A checking station for checking test substrates, comprising:

a chuck for supporting and retaining a test substrate,

probe tips for supplying test signals into the test substrate or tapping test signals from the test substrate;

a measuring unit for performing a measurement,

wherein the chuck has a device for supporting and retaining a calibration substrate having a planar calibration standard,

the device comprising the following components,

a first support surface for supporting the test substrate,

the first support surface being temperature controlled using a temperature control device for heating and/or cooling the test substrate,

a second support surface laterally offset to the first support surface, for supporting a calibration substrate,

the second support surface being temperature controlled using a temperature control device for heating and/or cooling the calibration substrate, and

dielectric material or air being situated in the second support surface in an area below the calibration substrate at least in an area of a calibration standard.