Probe needle material, probe needle and probe card each using the same, and inspection process

1. A probe needle material used for producing a probe needle which is used in contact with an inspection object to inspect electrical characteristics of the inspection object, comprising,

a volume, wherein said volume is not less than 0.1% but not more than 3.5% of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of titanium boride, zirconium boride, hafnium boride, niobium boride, tantalum boride, chromium boride, titanium carbide, zirconium carbide, hafnium carbide, vanadium carbide, niobium carbide, tantalum carbide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide and chromium oxide and the balance of a tungsten alloy mainly consisting of tungsten; wherein the compound is in a particulate state and contained in a dispersed state in a matrix mainly consisting of tungsten in the tungsten alloy.

2. The probe needle material according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix mainly consisting of tungsten contains not more than 44% by mass of rhenium.

3. The probe needle material according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix mainly consisting of tungsten contains not more than 500 mass ppm of cobalt.

4. A probe needle used in contact with an inspection object to inspect electrical characteristics of the inspection object, wherein the probe needle material according to claim 1 is disposed on at least a tip portion of the probe needle.

5. A probe card, comprising a probe card body and a probe needle, used to inspect electrical characteristics of an inspection object by contacting the probe needle to the inspection object, wherein the probe needle is the probe needle according to claim 4 .

6. An inspection process, comprising using a probe card having a probe card body and a probe needle and contacting the probe needle to an inspection object to inspect electrical characteristics of the inspection object, wherein the probe card according to claim 5 is used as the probe card.