IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,557,868
Granted Patent B2
US 10,557,868 · App. 15/763,723 · Granted Feb 11, 2020

Wafer inspection device and wafer inspection method

Inventor: Hiroshi Yamada (Nirasaki, JP)
Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
G01R1/06794G01R1/0491G01R31/2831
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,557,868
App. No.
15/763,723
Granted
Feb 11, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure provides a wafer inspection device that can perform accurate inspection. The wafer inspection device includes a probe card having a plurality of contact probes formed to protrude toward a wafer W, a chuck top on which the wafer W is mounted and configured to move toward the probe card, and an aligner configured to adjust inclination of the chuck top relative to the probe card.

Claims (31)

1. A wafer inspection device including a plurality of tester rows composed of a plurality of testers that is horizontally arranged and a conveying stage provided for each of the plurality of tester rows, comprising:

a first camera disposed for each of the plurality of tester rows and configured to move along a respective tester row of the plurality of tester rows,

wherein each of the plurality of testers includes a probe card having a plurality of contact terminals formed to protrude toward a wafer, and

the conveying stage is configured to mount the wafer thereon and to move toward the probe card,

wherein the conveying stage includes an aligner and a chuck top mounted on the aligner, the aligner and the chuck top being separated from each other,

the wafer is mounted on the chuck top,

the aligner includes an inclination adjusting mechanism configured to adjust an inclination of the chuck top relative to the probe card so as to maintain the wafer in a parallel relationship with the probe card,

the wafer inspection device further comprising: an inclination checking mechanism configured to check a degree of inclination of the chuck top and a degree of inclination of the probe card,

wherein the inclination checking mechanism includes the first camera and a second camera, the first camera being configured to check the degree of inclination of the chuck top with respect to a horizontal plane and the second camera being disposed in the aligner and configured to check the degree of inclination of the probe card with respect to the horizontal plane.

2. The wafer inspection device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of probe cards,

wherein each of the plurality of probe cards includes a temperature adjusting mechanism.

3. The wafer inspection device of claim 1 , wherein the chuck top includes another temperature adjusting mechanism.

4. The wafer inspection device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a position setting mechanism configured to setting a position of the chuck top with respect to the aligner.

5. The wafer inspection device of claim 4 , wherein the position setting mechanism includes a plurality of positioning pins provided in the aligner and a plurality of positioning blocks provided in the chuck top,

wherein the plurality of positioning pins and the plurality of positioning blocks are engaged with each other to set the position of the chuck top with respect to the aligner in an X-direction, a Y-direction, a Z-direction, and a θ-direction.

6. The wafer inspection device of claim 1 , wherein the aligner further includes a chuck base configured to mount the chuck top on a surface of the chuck base and actuators configured to lift the chuck base, and

wherein lifting amounts of the actuators are individually adjustable.

7. A wafer inspection method of bringing a probe card into contact with a wafer mounted on a chuck top, in a wafer inspection device including a plurality of tester rows composed of a plurality of testers that is horizontally arranged and a conveying stage provided for each of the plurality of tester rows, each of the plurality of testers being provided with the probe card having a plurality of contact terminals formed to protrude toward the wafer, and the conveying stage being provided with an aligner and the chuck top mounted on the aligner, the method comprising:

an inclination checking step of checking a degree of inclination of the chuck top with respect to a horizontal plane and a degree of inclination of the probe card with respect to the horizontal plane,

an inclination adjusting step of adjusting the inclination of the chuck top relative to the probe card so as to maintain the wafer in a parallel relationship with the probe card; and

a moving step of moving the chuck top with the wafer mounted thereon toward the probe card; and

disposing a first camera for each of the plurality of tester rows, the first camera being configured to move along a respective tester row of the plurality of tester rows,

wherein the inclination checking step includes:

allowing the first camera to check the degree of inclination of the chuck top; and

allowing a second camera disposed in the aligner to check the degree of inclination of the probe card.

8. The wafer inspection method of claim 7 , wherein the aligner is disposed to adjust the inclination of the chuck top with respect to the probe card,

the method comprising: setting a position of the chuck top with respect to the aligner.

9. The wafer inspection method of claim 7 , wherein the aligner further includes a chuck base configured to mount the chuck top on a surface of the chuck base and actuators configured to lift the chuck base, and

wherein the inclination adjusting step further includes individually adjusting lifting amounts of the actuators.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 30, 2018
From: YAMADA, HIROSHI
To: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Reel/Frame 045400/0572 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-194389 · Sep 30, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180299487A1 · Oct 18, 2018