KR20100020293A - Probe card - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A probe card is provided to omit a separate supporting structure in a probe pin forming process by securing a space guaranteeing an elastic stroke of a probe pin in a probe head. CONSTITUTION: A probe card comprises a probe head(30) and a plurality of probe pins(35) mounted on one side of the probe head. The probe head is composed of a multilayer ceramic substrate(31) having an interlayer circuit(32). A terminal unit(34) is formed at the other side of the probe head. The probe pin is directly touched with the ceramic substrate. The probe pin has a body portion(35a) extended along the side of the ceramic substrate.

Description

Probe Card {PROBE CARD}

The present invention relates to a probe card, and more particularly, to a probe card capable of smoothly guaranteeing vertical deformation of a probe pin when in contact with a probe object.

In recent years, probe cards have been widely used for evaluating required electrical characteristics of semiconductor devices by conducting electrical signals in contact with electrode pads of semiconductor devices.

In general, a probe pin forms an electrode on one surface of a ceramic substrate, performs a MEMS process on a silicon wafer, forms a probe pin, and then performs a bonding process between the ceramic substrate and the silicon wafer. Here, the probe pins are formed on the ceramic substrate by removing the silicon wafer used as the mold to provide the desired probe card. Since the bonding process is performed at a high temperature, there is a problem that it is difficult to correct the circuit and the accurate connection of the ceramic substrate due to the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient of the ceramic substrate and the silicon substrate.

In addition, the probe pin provided on the ceramic substrate is made of a conductive material and detects an electrical signal by contacting an electrode pad of a semiconductor device to be measured. However, in this contact process, the metal probe pin may be easily broken according to the measurement environment, and in some cases, a strong contact of the probe pin may cause disadvantageous damage to the electrode pad of the semiconductor device.

In particular, when the probe pin is mounted on a rigid and inelastic ceramic substrate, breakage of the probe pin or damage to the electrode pad due to such contact may seriously be a problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a new probe card capable of mitigating damage due to contact for measurement while preventing a bonding failure due to a difference in thermal expansion coefficient during a bonding process of a probe pin. To provide.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, the present invention,

A probe head made of a ceramic substrate having an interlayer circuit, and having a body portion mounted to be directly connected to one surface of the ceramic substrate and connected to the interlayer circuit and extending along one surface of the ceramic substrate, and a probe portion formed at one end of the body portion. And at least one probe pin, wherein the probe head has at least one groove formed on one surface of the probe head corresponding to the probe portion of the probe pin so that the probe portion of the probe pin has a vertical movement path. To provide a probe card.

Preferably, a plurality of probe pins are mounted on one surface of the probe head, and a plurality of grooves are formed on one surface of the probe head at positions corresponding to the plurality of probe pins, respectively.

Preferably, the groove portion is formed to have a size wider than that of the operation region of the probe pin. In addition, the probe pin may have a form in which the body portion and the probe portion are integrated.

According to the present invention, since a space for ensuring an elastic stroke of the probe pin is secured to the probe head, it is not necessary to form a separate support structure when forming the probe pin. Therefore, it is possible to easily manufacture a probe card by simply bonding a metal thin film to a ceramic substrate constituting the probe head, and directly contact the metal substrate, which is the material of the probe pin, with the ceramic substrate, thereby reducing the defective connection. Not only can the yield be improved, but also the defect problem that occurs in the process of removing the silicon mold can be reduced.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described a specific embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a side sectional view showing a probe card according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The probe card shown in FIG. 1 includes a probe head 10 and a probe pin 15 mounted on one surface of the probe head. Of course, although not shown, a printed circuit board is mounted on the other surface of the probe head 10 and may be provided as a probe card together with the printed circuit board.

The probe head 10 is made of a multilayer ceramic substrate 11 having an interlayer circuit. The interlayer circuit may be formed of a conductive pattern 12a and / or a conductive via 12b formed in each ceramic layer.

As described above, the probe pin 15 is mounted on one surface of the ceramic substrate 11 constituting the probe head 10. As indicated by A, the probe pin 15 is in direct contact with the ceramic substrate 11. That is, it is implemented in a form that is directly attached to the ceramic substrate rather than indirectly mounted through a separate support structure.

The probe pin 15 is connected to the interlayer circuit and has a body portion 15a extending along one surface of the ceramic substrate 11 and a probe portion 15b formed at one end of the body portion 15a. The body part 15a of the probe pin may be integrated with the probe part 15b of the probe pin. That is, the present invention is not limited thereto, but may be a structure obtained by etching a metal or a conductive structure that is a single body.

In the present embodiment, the probe head 10 has a groove portion C formed on one surface of the ceramic substrate 11 corresponding to the probe portion 15b of the probe pin 15.

As shown in FIG. 2, the groove portion C is formed to include a region corresponding to the probe portion 15b of the probe pin 15 to ensure a space for the elastic stroke of the probe pin 15.

That is, the probe pin is bent as shown by a constant pressure applied when it is in contact with the measurement object 20 such as an electrode pad of the semiconductor device. If the stroke space is not guaranteed, the probe pin 15 may be damaged or the electrode pad may be largely damaged by contact with the hard ceramic substrate 11.

As such, the groove C may effectively alleviate damage to the probe pin 15 and damage to the electrode pad. For this smooth operation, the groove portion C is preferably formed to have a larger size than the operation region of the probe pin 15.

The present invention can also be implemented in the form of having a plurality of probe pins to be detected at a plurality of electrode pad positions at the same time. 3 is a side sectional view showing a probe card according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The probe card shown in FIG. 3 includes a probe head 30 and a plurality of probe pins 35 mounted on one surface of the probe head. The probe head 30 is made of a multilayer ceramic substrate 31 having an interlayer circuit 32. The other side of the probe head 30 is formed with a terminal portion 34 which can be mounted while electrically connecting the interlayer circuit 32 of the probe head to a circuit of a printed circuit board (not shown).

In this embodiment, the probe pin 35 is in direct contact with the ceramic substrate 31. In addition, since the probe pin 35 has a body portion extending along the surface of the ceramic substrate 31, a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the ceramic substrate 31 and the metal probe pin 35 may occur in a high temperature bonding process. Even so, the probe pin 35 can be reliably connected to the interlayer circuit 32. The probe pin 35 employed in the present invention may be formed by bonding a metal thin film to the ceramic substrate 31 and then patterning the metal thin film.

The probe pin 35 extends along one surface of the ceramic substrate 31 and has a probe part 35b formed at one end of the body part 35a connected to the interlayer circuit 32. In the present embodiment, a plurality of grooves C are formed on one surface of the ceramic substrate 31 so as to correspond to the probe portions 35b of the plurality of probe pins 35.

Through the plurality of groove structures, a space for the elastic stroke of the plurality of probe pins 35 may be ensured. That is, even when the probe pin 35 is bent when contacted with a measurement object such as an electrode pad of a semiconductor device, the probe pin 35 does not come into contact with the ceramic substrate 31 or does not come in contact with a strong force. The electrode pad will be greatly damaged.

As such, the invention is not limited by the embodiments described above and the accompanying drawings, but is defined by the appended claims. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various forms of substitution, modification, and alteration are possible without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention described in the claims, and the appended claims. Will belong to the technical spirit described in.

1 is a side sectional view showing a probe card according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state during operation of the probe card shown in FIG.

3 is a side sectional view showing a probe card according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (4)

A probe head made of a ceramic substrate having an interlayer circuit; And At least one probe pin mounted to be directly connected to one surface of the ceramic substrate and connected to the interlayer circuit and having a body portion extending along one surface of the ceramic substrate and a probe formed at one end of the body portion, And the probe head has at least one groove formed on one surface of the probe head corresponding to the probe part of the probe pin so that the probe part of the probe pin has a vertical movement path. The method of claim 1, A plurality of probe pins mounted on one surface of the probe head, And a plurality of grooves formed on one surface of the probe head at positions corresponding to the plurality of probe pins, respectively. The method of claim 1, And the groove portion is formed to have a size wider than an operation area of the probe pin. The method of claim 1, The probe pin is a probe card, characterized in that the body portion and the probe unit integrated form.

Images