Patent Grant
10761146
Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a wafer probe card for evaluating micro light emitting diodes (LEDs), an analysis apparatus including the same, and a method of fabricating the wafer probe card.
Light-emitting devices such as light-emitting diodes (LED) or vertical cavity surface emitting laser diode (VCSELs) are inspected to evaluate electrical and optical characteristics thereof after completing the manufacture thereof.
According to conventional inspection methods, a small electrified probe may be brought into direct contact with an LED provided on a wafer to supply a current to the LED such that the LED emits light. An analysis system may acquire electrical and optical properties of light emitted from each LED provided on the wafer in the form of Blue Tape data.
Based on the data obtained as described above, manufacturers of high-brightness LED devices separate the LEDs from the wafer and supply the LEDs in accordance with wavelength and brightness required in a manufacturing process.
According to the conventional inspection methods, since LED devices including sapphire provided on a wafer may be larger in size, the LED devices may be sufficiently inspected by using the probe. However, in recent LED display apparatuses in which LEDs are used as display pixels, each LED is becoming smaller to several tens of micrometers (μm) in size.
When used to inspect LED devices having a size of several tens of micrometers (μm), the conventional inspection methods using a probe are not efficient since an inspection time increases due to inefficient supply of currents and frequent breakage of the probe.
One or more example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a wafer probe card that matches in one-to-one correspondence with an LED wafer by implementing a probe system having the same size as the LED wafer and inspects brightness and wavelength of a plurality of LEDs at once by controlling the plurality of LEDs to emit light, an analysis apparatus including the same, and a method of fabricating the wafer probe card.
According to an aspect of an example embodiment, there is provided a wafer probe card including a substrate, an insulating layer formed on the substrate, a plurality of first pads and a plurality of second pads formed on the insulating layer, and a plurality of rear pads connected to the plurality of first pads and the plurality of second pads, respectively, via through silicon vias (TSVs), wherein the plurality of first pads and the plurality of second pads are configured to transfer electrical signals to electrode pads of a light emitting diode (LED) wafer.
The plurality of first pads may be connected to each other by an electric wiring in a first direction through the TSVs, and the plurality of second pads may be connected to each other by an electric wiring in a second direction through the TSVs.
The substrate may be formed of silicon.
The wafer probe card may include holes for alignment with the LED wafer.
The plurality of first pads may be formed by deposition after etching the insulating layer.
An anisotropic conductive film (ACF) and a polyimide (PI) film may be formed on the plurality of rear pads.
According to an aspect of another example embodiment, there is provided an analysis apparatus including an optical source application unit configured to transmit power to a wafer probe card, an optical measurement unit configured to collect light emitted from a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and transmit measurement results of the light collected, and a processor configured to execute instructions to control the optical source application unit and analyze the plurality of LEDs based on the measurement results received from the optical measurement unit, wherein the wafer probe card includes a substrate, an insulating layer formed on the substrate, a plurality of first pads and a plurality of second pads formed on the insulating layer, and a plurality of rear pads connected to each of the plurality of first pads and the plurality of second pads, respectively, using through silicon vias (TSVs), wherein the plurality of first pads and the plurality of second pads are configured to transfer power from the optical source application unit to the plurality of LEDs.
The processor may be further configured to control the optical source application unit to alternately apply the power.
The plurality of first pads may be connected to each other by an electric wiring in a first direction through the TSVs, and the plurality of second pads may be connected to each other by an electric wiring in a second direction through the TSVs.
The processor may be further configured to selectively apply power through the electric wiring in the first direction and the electric wiring in the second direction.
The processor may be further configured to create map data on the plurality of LEDs based on the measurement results.
The analysis apparatus may further include a storage unit configured to store the created map data.
The analysis apparatus may further include a stage on which a wafer including the plurality of LEDs is placed, wherein the stage includes a glass window configured to transmit the light emitted from the plurality of LEDs.
The optical measurement unit may be further configured to collect light transmitted through the glass window.
According to an aspect of another example embodiment, there is provided a method of fabricating a wafer probe card, the method including preparing a substrate having an insulating layer formed to expose a plurality of first pads, forming a plurality of second pads on the insulating layer, and forming a plurality of rear pads formed on a surface opposite to a surface of the substrate provided with the insulating layer, wherein the plurality of rear pads are connected to the plurality of first pads and the plurality of second pads by through silicon vias (TSVs).
The method may further include leveling the plurality of first pads and the plurality of second pads.
The method may further include forming an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) to the plurality of rear pads.
The method may further include forming a polyimide (PI) film on the ACF.
The preparing of the substrate may include etching a photoresist and depositing the plurality of first pads after forming the insulating layer on the substrate.
The forming of the plurality of first pads may include etching the insulating layer provided with the plurality of first pads and re-depositing the plurality of first pads after depositing the plurality of second pads.
The above and/or other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the example embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the example embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. This specification does not describe all elements of the embodiments of the present disclosure and detailed descriptions on what are well known in the art or redundant descriptions on substantially the same configurations may be omitted. As used herein, the terms “unit,” “module,” “member,” and “block” may be implemented using a software or hardware component. According to an example embodiment, a plurality of “units,” “modules,” “members,” and “blocks” may also be implemented using one element, and one “unit,” “module,” “member,” and “block” may include a plurality of elements.
Throughout the specification, when an element is referred to as being “connected to” another element, it may be directly or indirectly connected to the other element and the “indirectly connected to” includes connected to the other element via a wireless communication network.
Also, it is to be understood that the terms “comprise,” “include,” and “have” indicate the existence of elements disclosed in the specification, but does not preclude the possibility that one or more other elements may exist or may be added.
Throughout the specification, it will be understood that when one element, is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element, or intervening elements may also be present therebetween.
It will be understood that, although the terms “first”, “second”, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. The above terms are used only to distinguish one component from another.
An expression used in the singular encompasses the expression of the plural, unless it has a clearly different meaning in the context.
The reference numerals used in operations are used for descriptive convenience and are not intended to describe the order of operations and the operations may be performed in a different order unless otherwise stated.
Referring to
Particularly, the wafer probe card 100 may be provided in the same size as the LED wafer 200 to correspond to the LED wafer 200 and may transfer a current or voltage to the LED wafer 200 through pads 110 and 130 as illustrated in
The LED wafer 200 is a target object to be analyzed by the analysis apparatus 1 and placed on a stage 50 of the analysis apparatus 1.
The LED wafer 200 includes LEDs of a predetermined size which includes electrode pads 210 and 230 as illustrated in
The optical source application unit 30 may transmit a voltage or current to the wafer probe card 100 in accordance with a control signal of the controller 90 and is connected specifically to a polyimide (PI) film 170 as illustrated in
The optical measurement unit 70 may receive light emitted from the LEDs and transmit the measurement results to the controller 90. Specifically, the optical measurement unit 70 may measure an amount of the emitted light and collect a spectrum of light. The optical measurement unit 70 may convert the received light into an electrical signal by analyzing brightness or wavelength of the received light and may transmit the electrical signal to the controller 90.
The controller 90 may be a processor configured to control the overall operation of the analysis apparatus 1. Particularly, the controller 90 may control the optical source application unit 30, the optical measurement unit 70, and the stage 50, and output map data including evaluation results of the LEDs created by receiving the measurement results from the optical measurement unit 70.
The controller 90 may be implemented using a memory to store data on algorithms for controlling operations of the elements of the analysis apparatus 1 or programs for realizing the algorithms and a processor to perform the operations by using data stored in the memory. In this regard, the memory and the processor may be implemented using separate chips or integrated into a single chip.
The controller 90 may be connected to a storage unit configured to store the processed data. The storage unit may be implemented using at least one of a non-volatile memory such as read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), and flash memory, a volatile memory such as random access memory (RAM), or a storage medium such as hard disk drive (HDD) and CD-ROM, without being limited thereto. The storage unit may be a memory implemented as a separate chip from the processor described above with reference to the controller 90 or a memory integrated with the processor as a single chip.
The analysis apparatus 1 may further include one or more elements in addition to the elements illustrated in
For example, the analysis apparatus 1 may further include an interface configured to output data processed by the controller 90 and receive an input command of a user, and a communication module configured to transmit the processed data to an external device.
The interface may be connected to a display configured to display the map data created by the controller 90. The display may be implemented using a cathode ray tube (CRT), a digital light processing (DLP) panel, a plasma display penal (PDP), a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, an electro luminescence (EL) panel, an electrophoretic display (EPD) panel, an electrochromic display (ECD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel, without being limited thereto.
In addition, the interface may be connected to a hardware device such as a button, a switch, a pedal, a keyboard, a mouse, a track-ball, a lever, a handle, and a stick which receive input commands of the user and a software device such as a graphic user interface (GUI), for example, a touch pad which connects a touch signal of the user together with the display.
Referring to
The wafer probe card 100 according to an example embodiment includes a first pad 110 and a second pad 130 to transfer a current or voltage respectively to the first LED electrode pad 210 and the second LED electrode pad 230 in direct contact therewith.
In addition, the wafer probe card 100 may include the first pads 110 and the second pads 130 in the same number and same size as the first and second LED electrode pads 210 and 230 of the LEDs 250 provided on the LED wafer 200 to be inspected.
Thus, all of the LEDs 250 may be simultaneously inspected by applying a current or voltage to the LEDs 250 by using the wafer probe card 100. Therefore, efficiency of the inspection may be increased according to an example embodiment.
Referring to
The wafer probe card 100 may transfer the voltage or current to the first LED electrode pad 210 and the second LED electrode pad 230 provided on the LED wafer 200 through the first pad 110 and the second pad 130, respectively.
The LED 250 may emit light upon receiving power from each of the first and second electrode pads 210 and 230.
Light emitted from the LED 250 may be transferred to the optical measurement unit 70 through the glass window 51 provided in the stage 50 and the optical measurement unit 70 collects the emitted light and analyzes brightness or wavelength of the light emitted from the LED 250.
According to an example embodiment, as illustrated in
Light may be emitted from the LED 250 not in a particular direction, and thus, the light emitted from the LED 250 may be reflected by the stage 50.
Also, the wafer probe card 100 may include a silicon substrate on which the first pad 110 and the second pad 130 are mounted. Thus, light emitted from the LED 250 may be reflected by the first pad 110 and the second pad 130. However, example embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, a wafer probe card 100 according to an example embodiment as illustrated in
Thus, the optical measurement unit 70 provided in the analysis apparatus 1 may collect light passing through the wafer probe card 100 of
Specifically,
As described above, the structure of the wafer probe card 100 may include the first pad 110 and the second pad 130 which are in one-to-one correspondence with the first LED electrode pad 210 and the second LED electrode pad 230 provided on the LED wafer 200 to be inspected. The first pad 110 and the second pad 130 may have the same size.
In addition, the wafer probe card 100 has align holes 190 for the purpose of alignment with the LEDs and the LED wafer 200. When the align holes 190 are formed in the bottom surface 101 and the top surface 102 of the wafer probe card 100, the align holes 190 are penetrated through the wafer probe card 100. The user may prevent the LED wafer 200 in contact with the wafer probe card 100 from being dislocated by using the align holes 190.
In the wafer probe card 100 illustrated in
In addition, in the wafer probe card 100, the electric wiring connecting the first pads 110 and the electric wiring connecting the second pads 130 are connected to TSV points 115 and 135 which are finally connected to an upper surface of the wafer probe card 100. The TSV points 115 and 135 are may be the through silicon vias (TSVs).
The TSV points 115 and 135 are pathways through which the first pad 110 and the second pad 130 are connected to the top surface and the bottom surface.
The TSV points 115 and 135 correspond to positive and negative poles of the power delivered by the optical source application unit 30. That is, the wafer probe card 100 may apply the current or voltage selectively to the first pads 110 and the second pads 130 of the wafer probe card 100 by controlling only the TSV points 115 and 135, and without connecting each of the first pads 110 and the second pads 130 with the positive and negative poles of the optical source application unit 30 in a one-to-one correspondence manner with each other.
For example, in order to apply a current or voltage to a first pad 110 and a second pad 130 indicated by reference numerals 110 and 130 illustrated in
According to this example configuration, materials and structures required for conventional analysis apparatuses such as a substrate, a mold, and gold may be omitted. Since the first and second pads 110 and 130 may allow all LEDs 250 provided on the LED wafer 200 to emit light simultaneously, it is possible to omit separation/realignment processes performed by the conventional analysis apparatuses and it is possible to shorten an analysis time since a device for moving the analysis apparatus 1 such as a chuck is not required.
In the top surface 102 of the wafer probe card 100 shown in
A wafer probe card 100 according to an example embodiment may alternately apply negative power and positive power to the first TSV point 115 and the second TSV point 135 in a manner different from the example embodiment described above with reference to
When this structure is shown in a circuit diagram, diodes illustrated in
That is, when the wafer probe card 100 is fabricated as illustrated the circuit diagram of
A method of fabricating the wafer probe card 100 includes coating a photoresist 400 on a silicon wafer 105 as illustrated in
Next, the photoresist 400 is etched to correspond to a position of the first pad 110 in accordance with the number of pixels (310).
Specifically, a mask 500 corresponding to the position of the first pad 110 is used to form the first pad 110.
According to the example method, the photoresist 400 is exposed to light by using an exposure unit as illustrated in
After etching, the first pad 110 is deposited thereon and an insulating material is coated thereon to form an insulating layer 106 as illustrated in
Specifically, the first pad 110 is formed on an etched region by deposition as illustrated in
According to the example method, the photoresist 400 is etched at a position where the second pad 130 will be formed (330).
Specifically, according to the example fabrication method, the photoresist 400 and insulating layer 106 formed in the region of the first pad 110 is removed by light exposure before etching as illustrated in
According to the fabrication method, the second pad 130 is deposited and the photoresist 400 is coated thereon again (340).
Specifically, the second pad 130 is deposited as illustrated in
According to the example fabrication method, the regions corresponding to the first pad 110 and the second pad 130 are etched as illustrated in
Next, the first pad 110 is re-deposited on the position of the first pad 110 as illustrated in
According to the fabrication method, a TSV process for connection of rear surface wiring is performed by using the mask 500 as illustrated in
In the wafer probe card 100, a rear pad 104 is formed on the top surface of the silicon substrate 105 as illustrated in
The wafer probe card 100 is bonded to an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) 160 and a polyimide (PI) film 170 as illustrated in
Here, the ACF 160 is an anisotropic conductive film conducting electricity only in one direction and formed by mixing fine conductive particles with an adhesive resin, such as thermosetting resin, in a film state. The fine conductive particles included in the ACF 160 may be gold or silver.
In addition, the PI film 170 that withstands a high temperature of 400° C. or higher and a low temperature of −269° C. or lower is connected to the optical source application unit 30.
Meanwhile, the TSV 150 is formed between the rear pads 104 and the ACF 160 and the TSV 150 is connected to each of the first and second pads 110 and 130 such that electric wires are connected to form electrodes of the wafer probe card 100 as illustrated in
When the wafer probe card 100 is fabricated as described above, a conventional process of using a probe may be omitted, an inspection time may be reduced by matching the wafer probe card 100 and the LED wafer in a one-to-one correspondence manner, and process complexity may be reduced by simplifying wiring required for light emission of the LEDs.
The above-described fabrication method is merely an example of fabricating the wafer probe card 100 and various modified methods may also be used therefor.
As is apparent from the above description, according to the wafer probe card, the analysis apparatus including the same, and the method of fabricating the wafer probe card, the wafer probe card may match in one-to-one correspondence with the LED wafer by implementing a probe system having the same size as the LED wafer and inspect brightness and wavelength of a plurality of LEDs at once by controlling the plurality of LEDs to emit light.
Although example embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these example embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2017-0103478 | Aug 2017 | KR | national |
This application claims the priority from U.S. Patent Application No. 62/512,105, filed on May 29, 2017 in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0103478, filed on Aug. 16, 2017 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
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