(A) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for probing multiple devices under test, and more particularly, to a probing apparatus for acquiring electrical properties of a plurality of integrated circuit device under test simultaneously.
(B) Description of the Related Art
In the manufacturing process of integrated circuit devices, a probe card is used to probe electrical properties to sieve out integrated circuit devices that do not meet the product specifications. Traditionally, the probe card is designed according to the specification and the position of signal pads of the device under test, each probe is positioned on a supporter, and epoxy resin is used to adhere the probe onto the supporter. The probe card is then positioned on a printed circuit board conforming to the device under test. Finally, the position of each probe is precisely adjusted to meet the specification of the device under test in order to carry out accurate and steady electrical testing.
However, once the probe card 10 is completed, it can only be used to probe the electrical property of the integrated circuit device with the same specification. If the arrangement or distance of the signal pad of a new integrated circuit device is different from that of the integrated circuit device 30, a new probe card has to be manufactured for the new integrated circuit device. Therefore, the traditional probe card 10 does not possess any flexibility to be applied to different integrated circuit devices; hence the testing cost cannot be lowered.
Furthermore, since new technology dramatically shortens the time and process for fabricating the integrated circuit device, how to efficiently control the testing time becomes a key in controlling the entire manufacturing time of the integrated circuit device. Consequently, many companies manufacturing the probe card recently attempted to perform the testing of multiple devices at the same time by changing the way for arranging the probes so as to shorten testing time of integrated circuit devices. However, all these manufacturing companies meet the same problem that the relative position between probing points is fixed, even for the probe card capable of performing multiple devices testing. For example, if the probe card is designed to test four adjacent integrated circuit devices simultaneously, the user has to replace the probe card to test four integrated circuit devices not adjacent to each other or with different relative position, i.e., there is no flexibility for applying the probe card to other devices. As a result, the manufacturer must prepare a new probe card, which costs extra time and money, and the testing time of the integrated circuit device cannot be decreased.
FIGS. 2 to 4 are schematic diagrams of a probing apparatus according to the prior art, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,011,405. As shown in
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The objective of the present invention is to provide a probing apparatus for acquiring electrical properties of a plurality of integrated circuit devices under test simultaneously.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, and to avoid the problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a probing apparatus for acquiring a plurality of integrated circuit devices under test simultaneously. The present probing apparatus comprises a platform with a rectangular opening, two slides positioned at two sides of the opening in a parallel manner, at least one non-circular beam with two ends positioned on the two slides and at least one tunable stage positioned on the non-circular beam. The non-circular beam is preferably a rectangular beam with two ends positioned on the two slides through two first sliding bases, respectively.
The tunable stage comprises a carrier for loading a probe card, a first driving module for adjusting a relative position along x-axis between the probe card and the device under test, a second driving module for adjusting a relative position along y-axis between the probe card and the device under test, a third driving module for adjusting a relative position along z-axis between the probe card and the device under test, and an angular adjusting module for adjusting an angle between the probe card and the device under test by rotating the carrier. The tunable stage is positioned on the non-circular beam through a second sliding base.
According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the angular adjusting module comprises a worm gear positioned on the carrier and a worm shaft connected to the worm gear, wherein the worm shaft is substantially perpendicular to a rotation shaft of the worm gear. To adjust the relative angle between the probe card and the device under test, the worm shaft is turned to rotate the worm on the carrier.
According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the angular adjusting module comprises a first gear positioned on the carrier, a second gear connected to the first gear and a rotary member connected to the second gear, wherein an acute angle is formed between a rotation shaft of the first gear and that of the second gear. To adjust the relative angle between the probe card and the device under test, the rotary member is turned to rotate the second gear, which will further rotate the first gear on the carrier.
Compared with the prior art, the present probing apparatus can position several probe cards on individual tunable stage, respectively. The user can adjust the position of the probe card along x-axis, y-axis and z-axis according to the specification of the device under test freely. That is to say, the present invention actually implements multi-dies testing and shortens the testing time of the device effectively. In addition, the angular adjusting module on the present invention can adjust the relative angle between the probe card and the device under test, which further provides more adjusting flexibility for users to apply the probe card to probe the electrical property of the integrated circuit devices with different specifications.
Other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGS. 2 to 4 are schematic diagrams of a probing apparatus according to the prior art;
Compared with the probing apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,011,405, substantially only applicable to the integrated circuit devices arranged in an array manner (see
Particularly, when the prior art probing apparatus is applied to probe the integrated circuit device arranged in a non-array manner, individual orthogonal rods 70, 72 must be used to support each manipulator 66, respectively (see
The first adjusting module 150 is a micrometer screw gauge, and turning the micrometer screw gauge changes the relative lateral position between the member 152 and the member 154, which will further change the relative position along x-axis between the probe card 192 and the device under test. The member 172 is fixed on the member 154, and turning the third adjusting module 170 changes the relative vertical position between the member 172 and 174, which will further change the relative position along z-axis between the probe card 192 and the device under test. The member 162 is fixed on the member 174 and the member 164 is connected to the carrier 190. Turning the y-axis adjusting module 160 will change the relative longitudinal position between the member 162 and the member 164, so as to adjust the relative position along y-axis between the probe card 192 and the device under test.
To apply the present invention to probe multiple integrated circuit devices, the number of the beam 120 is calculated according to the number and position of the integrated circuit devices under test at first. The beam 120 is then positioned on the slide 116 at both sides of the rectangular opening 112 by two first slide bases 118, which can move on the slide 116 so that the beam 120 can move on the slide 116 at both sides of the rectangular opening 112 along y-axis at a synchronous manner. The second slide base 142 is then positioned on the beam 120 approximately at the position corresponding to device under test according to the number and position of the device under test. The tunable stage 140 is then attached to the second slide base 142 closely and secured on the beam 120 by the bolt 144.
After the probe card 192 is inserted into the slot 194 of the tunable stage 140 and secured by the bolt 196, users can approximately adjust the position of the first slide base 118 on the slide 116 to adjust the position of the probe card 192 along y-axis according to the position of the device under test. The bolt 144 is then unscrewed and the position of the probe card 192 along x-axis is approximately adjusted by moving the second slide base 142 supporting the tunable stage 140. Finally, the first adjusting module 150, the second adjusting module 160 and the third adjusting module 170 of the tunable stage 140 are used to finely adjust the relative position so that the probe card 192 can probe the device under test correctly.
Compared with the prior art, the present probing apparatus 100 can position several probe cards 192 on individual tunable stage 140, respectively. The user can adjust the position of the probe card 192 along x-axis, y-axis and z-axis according to the specification of the device under test freely. That is to say, the present invention actually implements multi-dies testing and shortens the testing time of the device effectively. In addition, the angular adjusting module 180 of the present invention can adjust the relative angle between the probe card 192 and the device under test, which further provides more adjusting flexibility for users to apply the probe card 192 to probe the electrical property of the integrated circuit devices with different specifications.
The above-described embodiments of the present invention are intended to be illustrative only. Numerous alternative embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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093117309 | Jun 2004 | TW | national |