Patent · US Expired

Wafer prober

US4677474A · kind A · utility

54Cited by
3References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 27, 1985
Grant dateJun 30, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 27, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/682
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A probing apparatus for use in examination of a chip formed on a wafer, in co-operation with a sheet-like member having probe needles to be contacted to the chip on the wafer, the probing apparatus being arranged so that the positions of the probe needles of the sheet-like member, when it is held by a holder of the probing apparatus, are detected automatically and, in accordance with the detected positions, the sheet-like member is displaced automatically so as to be aligned with the probing apparatus. According to another aspect of the invention, the position of the wafer when it is at a location under the probe needles is detected automatically and, in accordance with the detected position, the wafer is displaced so as to be aligned with the sheet-like member which has been aligned automatically with the probing apparatus. In one preferred form, a TV camera is provided at a position above the probing station, the TV camera being adapted to view the probe needles of the sheet-like member during positioning of it and to view the wafer when it is at a probing station, during positioning of the wafer.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.