JP7558038B2 - Contact releasing method for inspection device and inspection device - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a contact release method for an inspection device and the inspection device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a wafer inspection device that has a three-layer structure of tester rows consisting of multiple testers arranged horizontally, and further includes a transport stage for transporting the wafer. In the above-mentioned inspection device, Patent Document 1 arranges an expandable bellows to surround the probe card of the tester, and places the wafer on a chuck top, which is a thick plate member. In addition, the chuck top is supported by the transport stage, and the transport stage, together with the wafer and chuck top, faces the probe card, and then the transport stage is moved toward the probe card to bring the chuck top into contact with the bellows. Then, even after the chuck top has come into contact with the bellows, the transport stage, together with the wafer and chuck top, is moved toward the probe card to bring the wafer into contact with the probe card.

JP 2014-75420 A

The technology disclosed herein is an inspection device that has multiple stages of inspection spaces in which substrate inspection is performed, and when the set temperature of the substrate support part installed in one inspection space is changed, the technology appropriately aligns the substrate and the probe in the other inspection space.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a plurality of stages of inspection spaces in which inspection of a substrate is performed are provided, and each of the inspection spaces is provided with a substrate support part that supports the substrate, a fixed part to which a probe card having an inspection probe is fixed, a moving mechanism arranged on a base wall and configured to be capable of moving the substrate support part along a moving plane facing the probe card fixed to the fixed part and to be capable of moving the substrate support part in a height direction perpendicular to the moving plane, and an imaging part that moves together with the substrate support part by the moving mechanism, and a plurality of position correction marks are provided on the fixed part, and a correction part that corrects the contact position, which is the position of the substrate support part in the moving plane when the substrate supported by the substrate support part is brought into contact with the probe, and when the set temperature of the substrate support part in one of the inspection spaces is changed, the correction part corrects the contact position in the other of the inspection spaces based on the result of imaging each of the position correction marks by the imaging part after the set temperature is changed in the other of the inspection spaces and a reference value for position correction.

According to the present disclosure, in an inspection device having multiple stages of inspection spaces in which substrate inspection is performed, when the set temperature of the substrate support part provided in one inspection space is changed, the substrate and probe in the other inspection space can be appropriately aligned.

1 is a top cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration of an inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a front vertical cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration of an inspection device according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged front cross-sectional view of the inspection region. FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the set temperature of the chuck top in the inspection space is changed. 4 is a functional block diagram of a control unit related to a correction process of a contact position in the inspection device. 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining a specific example 1 of a contact position correction method. 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining a specific example 1 of a contact position correction method. 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining a specific example 2 of a contact position correction method. 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining a second specific example of the contact position correction method. 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining a specific example 3 of the contact position correction method.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, a large number of semiconductor devices with a predetermined circuit pattern are formed on a semiconductor wafer (hereafter referred to as "wafer"). The formed semiconductor devices are inspected for electrical characteristics, etc., and sorted into good and bad products. Semiconductor devices are inspected, for example, using inspection equipment while they are still in the wafer state before being divided into individual semiconductor devices.

The inspection device is equipped with a probe card that has a large number of probes, which are numerous needle-shaped contact terminals. When inspecting electrical characteristics, the wafer and the probe card are first brought close together, and the probes of the probe card come into contact with each electrode of the semiconductor device formed on the wafer. In this state, an electrical signal is supplied to the semiconductor device via each probe from a tester provided above the probe card. Then, based on the electrical signal received by the tester from the semiconductor device via each probe, it is determined whether or not the semiconductor device is defective.

In order to efficiently perform such electrical property inspections on a large number of wafers, an inspection device is used in which the inspection spaces in which the wafers are inspected are stacked in multiple tiers (see Patent Document 1).

In such an inspection device, each inspection space is provided with a probe card, a wafer support part that supports the wafer, and a movement mechanism that allows the wafer support part to move along a movement plane and in a height direction perpendicular to the movement plane. In this inspection device, a predetermined position on the probe card is imaged with a lower camera, and a predetermined position on the wafer is imaged with an upper camera. Based on these image results, the wafer (specifically, the wafer support part that supports the wafer) is aligned within the movement plane so that the electrodes formed on the wafer come into accurate contact with the probes of the probe card.

In recent years, temperature adjustment means are sometimes provided on the wafer support to enable electrical characteristic testing of electronic devices under various temperature conditions.

However, after extensive research, the inventors have found that in an inspection device in which inspection spaces are stacked in multiple tiers as described above, when a temperature adjustment means is provided in the wafer support section, there are cases in which the electrodes on the wafer and the probes cannot be brought into proper contact as described below. In other words, in an inspection device in which inspection spaces are stacked in multiple tiers, when the set temperature of the wafer support section of one inspection space is changed, there are cases in which the electrodes on the wafer and the probes cannot be brought into proper contact in another inspection space, even if the wafer is aligned using the upper and lower cameras as described above.

The technology disclosed herein provides an inspection device that has multiple stages of inspection spaces in which wafer inspection is performed, and when the set temperature of the wafer holder in one inspection space is changed, the technology appropriately aligns the substrate and probe in the other inspection spaces.

The inspection device and the method for correcting the position of the substrate support part in the inspection device according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that in this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are given the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

Figures 1 and 2 are a top cross-sectional view and a front vertical cross-sectional view, respectively, showing the outline of the configuration of the inspection device according to this embodiment. Note that Figure 2 shows only a part of the aligner, which will be described later.

The inspection device 1 in Figures 1 and 2 inspects a wafer W as a substrate, and more specifically, inspects the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device as an inspection target device formed on the wafer W. The inspection device 1 has a housing 10, which is provided with a loading/unloading area 11, a transport area 12, and an inspection area 13. The loading/unloading area 11 is an area where the wafer W is loaded and unloaded into the inspection device 1. The transport area 12 is an area that connects the loading/unloading area 11 and the inspection area 13. The inspection area 13 is an area where the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device formed on the wafer W are inspected.

The loading/unloading area 11 is provided with a port 20 for receiving a cassette C containing multiple wafers W, a loader 21 for containing a probe card described below, and a control unit 22 for controlling each component of the inspection device 1. The control unit 22 has a memory unit (not shown) for storing various information. The memory unit stores, for example, a program for implementing an inspection process. The program may be recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and installed from the storage medium into the control unit 22. A part or all of the program may be implemented by dedicated hardware (circuit board). The memory unit is, for example, a storage device such as a HDD, a memory such as a RAM for storing temporarily required information related to the program's calculations, or a combination of these.

In the transfer area 12, a transfer device 30 is arranged, which can move freely while holding a wafer W or the like. This transfer device 30 transfers the wafer W between a cassette C in a port 20 in the loading/unloading area 11 and the inspection area 13. The transfer device 30 also transfers probe cards that require maintenance, among those fixed to a pogo frame (described below) in the inspection area 13, to a loader 21 in the loading/unloading area 11. Furthermore, the transfer device 30 transfers new or maintained probe cards from the loader 21 to the inspection area 13.

2, the inspection area 13 has multiple stages (three stages in the illustrated example) of inspection spaces K where the wafer W is inspected, stacked vertically. In the following description, the three inspection spaces K may be referred to as inspection space K1, inspection space K2, and inspection space K3 from bottom to top. Each inspection space K has a tester row consisting of multiple testers 40 (four in the illustrated example) arranged in the horizontal direction (direction A in FIG. 2). Each inspection space also has an aligner 50 as a moving mechanism and an upper camera 60. The number and arrangement of the testers 40, aligners 50, and upper cameras 60 can be selected arbitrarily.

The tester 40 transmits and receives electrical signals to and from the wafer W for testing electrical characteristics.
The aligner 50 is configured to hold the chuck top 70 and move it along a moving plane facing a probe card fixed to a pogo frame described later, and to move it in a height direction perpendicular to the moving plane. For example, when the moving plane is horizontal, the aligner 50 can move the chuck top 70 in the left-right direction (direction A in FIG. 2), the front-back direction (direction B in FIG. 2), and the up-down direction (direction C in FIG. 2). The aligner 50 can also align the wafer W placed on the chuck top 70 with the probe of a probe card described later.

The upper camera 60 is configured to be freely movable horizontally and is set up to capture images below. The upper camera 60 is positioned, for example, in front of each tester 40 in the test area in which the upper camera 60 is installed, and captures an image of the wafer W placed on the chuck top 70 on the aligner 50.

The chuck top 70 is a substrate support portion that supports the wafer W, and can hold the placed wafer W by, for example, suction or the like.
The chuck top 70 is provided with a temperature adjustment mechanism. The temperature adjustment mechanism is, for example, at least one of a heating mechanism such as a resistance heater and a cooling mechanism such as a coolant flow path. The chuck top 70 is also provided with a temperature sensor (not shown). The temperature adjustment mechanism provided on the chuck top 70 adjusts the temperature of the chuck top 70 under the control of the controller 22 so that the measurement result of the temperature sensor becomes a set temperature, i.e., so that the temperature of the chuck top 70 becomes a set temperature.

In this inspection device 1, while the transport device 30 is transporting a wafer W toward one tester 40, the other tester 40 can inspect the electrical characteristics of electronic devices formed on the other wafer W.

Next, the configuration of the inspection area 13 will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the inspection area 13. Figure 4 is a partially enlarged front cross-sectional view of the inspection area 13. Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing the state when the set temperature of the chuck top 70 of the inspection space K1 is changed.

As described above, an aligner 50 is provided in each inspection space K of the inspection area 13. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, a chuck top 70 and a pogo frame 80 are provided in each inspection space K.

The aligner 50 is disposed on a base wall of the housing 10 (specifically, the bottom wall 10a of the housing 10, the horizontal partition wall 10b separating the testing space K1 from the testing space K2, and the horizontal partition wall 10c separating the testing space K2 from the testing space K3) which is the lower wall defining the testing space K. The base wall on which the aligner 50 is disposed is supported by a back wall 10d serving as a support member of the housing 10 and a vertical partition wall 10e separating the transport area 12 from the testing area 13.
The aligner 50 includes, for example, an X-stage 51 , a Y-stage 52 , and a Z-stage 53 .

The X-stage 51 moves along the guide rails 51a in the X-axis direction, which constitutes the coordinate system of the movement plane (XY plane) of the aligner 50. A position detection mechanism (not shown) is provided for the X-stage 51 to detect the position of the X-stage 51 in the X-axis direction, i.e., the position of the chuck top 70 in the X-axis direction. The position detection mechanism is, for example, a linear encoder.

The Y stage 52 moves on the X stage 51. Specifically, it moves along the guide rail 52a in the Y-axis direction, which constitutes the coordinate system of the movement plane (XY plane) of the aligner 50. A position detection mechanism (not shown) is provided for this Y stage 52, which detects the position of the Y stage 52 in the Y-axis direction, i.e., the position of the chuck top 70 in the Y-axis direction. The position detection mechanism is, for example, a linear encoder.

The Z stage 53 moves in a height direction (Z direction) perpendicular to the movement plane (XY plane) of the aligner 50 by an extension shaft 53a that is extendable in the height direction (Z direction). A position detection mechanism (not shown) is provided for the Z stage 53 to detect the position of the Z stage 53 in the Z direction, i.e., the position of the chuck top 70 in the Z direction. The position detection mechanism is, for example, a linear encoder.
Further, a chuck top 70 is detachably attracted and held on the Z stage 53. The chuck top 70 is attracted and held by the Z stage 53 by vacuum suction or the like using a suction holding mechanism (not shown).
Furthermore, a lower camera 54 is provided on the Z stage 53 .

Since the lower camera 54 is provided on the Z stage 53 as described above, it moves together with the chuck top 70 by the aligner 50 .
The lower camera 54 is provided to capture an image of an upper portion. The lower camera 54 captures, for example, an image of a probe card fixed to a pogo frame described later, and also captures an image of a position correction pin provided on the pogo frame described later.

The aligner 50 and the lower camera 54 are controlled by the control unit 22, and the position detection results by the position detection mechanisms provided on the X-stage 51, Y-stage 52, and Z-stage 53 are output to the control unit 22.

4, the tester 40 has a tester motherboard 41 at its bottom. A plurality of inspection circuit boards (not shown) are mounted in an upright state on the tester motherboard 41. In addition, a plurality of electrodes (not shown) are provided on the bottom surface of the tester motherboard 41.
Further, below the tester 40, a pogo frame 80 is provided as a fixed portion.

The pogo frame 80 has a probe card 90 fixed thereto, and electrically connects the probe card 90 to the tester 40. The pogo frame 80 is supported by the rear wall 10d of the housing 10, similar to the base wall on which the aligner 50 is disposed. However, unlike the base wall, the pogo frame 80 is not supported by the vertical bulkhead 10e. The pogo frame 80 has pogo pins 81 that electrically connect the tester 40 and the probe card 90, and more specifically, has a pogo block 82 that holds a large number of pogo pins 81. The pogo frame 80 has a frame body 83 in which mounting holes 83a are formed, into which the pogo blocks 82 are inserted to mount the pogo pins 81.

The probe card 90 is fixed to the underside of the pogo frame 80 in a pre-determined position.

The tester motherboard 41 is vacuum-adsorbed to the pogo frame 80 by an exhaust mechanism (not shown), and the probe card 90 is vacuum-adsorbed to the pogo frame 80. Due to the vacuum suction force used for this vacuum adsorption, the lower end of each pogo pin 81 of the pogo frame 80 comes into contact with a corresponding electrode pad on the upper surface of a card body 91 (described below) of the probe card 90, and the upper end of each pogo pin 81 is pressed against a corresponding electrode on the lower surface of the tester motherboard 41.

The probe card 90 has a disk-shaped card body 91 with a plurality of electrode pads provided on the upper surface thereof. A plurality of probes 92, which are needle-shaped contact terminals extending downward, are provided on the lower surface of the card body 91.
The above-mentioned plurality of electrode pads provided on the upper surface of the card body 91 are electrically connected to the corresponding probes 92. During testing, the probes 92 each come into contact with an electrode of a semiconductor device formed on the wafer W. Therefore, during electrical characteristic testing, electrical signals related to the testing are transmitted and received between the tester motherboard 41 and the semiconductor device on the wafer W via the pogo pins 81, the electrode pads provided on the upper surface of the card body 91, and the probes 92.
In order for the inspection apparatus 1 to collectively inspect the electrical characteristics of a plurality of semiconductor devices formed on the wafer W, a large number of probes 92 are provided so as to cover substantially the entire lower surface of the card body 91 .

A bellows 84 is attached to the underside of the pogo frame 80. The bellows 84 is a cylindrical, expandable member that hangs down to surround the probe card 90. The bellows 84 also holds the chuck top 70 by suction at a position below the probe card 90.

The bellows 84 also suction-holds the chuck top 70, forming an enclosed space S surrounded by the pogo frame 80 including the probe card 90, the bellows 84, and the chuck top 70. The enclosed space S can be depressurized by a depressurization mechanism (not shown) to maintain contact between the wafer W and the probes 92.

As described above, the base wall (bottom wall 10a, horizontal partition walls 10b, 10c) on which the aligner 50 is arranged and the pogo frame 80 are supported by the rear wall 10d of the housing 10. In addition, this rear wall 10d is common between the test spaces K.

In the inspection device 1 configured as described above, when the set temperature of the chuck top 70 in one inspection space K is changed, even if conventional alignment using the upper camera 60 and the lower camera 54 is performed in another inspection space K, it may not be possible to properly bring the electrodes on the wafer W into contact with the probes 92. The inventors have thoroughly investigated the cause of this and have come to the following conclusions.

In the inspection device 1 in which the inspection spaces K are provided in multiple stages, as described above, the base wall on which the aligner 50 is arranged and the pogo frame are supported by a common support member, i.e., the back wall 10d, between the multiple stages of the inspection spaces K. For example, when the set temperature of the chuck top 70 in the lowest stage inspection space K1 is changed, the temperature of the probe card 90 in contact with the wafer W supported by this chuck top 70 changes. Therefore, the temperature of the back wall 10d, which is closer to the probe card 90, among the back wall 10d and the vertical partition wall 10e, changes, and as shown in FIG. 5, the back wall 10d thermally expands or contracts in the vertical direction. As a result, for example, the relative angle between the base wall (specifically, the horizontal partition wall 10b) and the pogo frame 80 in the middle stage inspection space K2 changes, that is, the relative angle between the movement plane (XY plane) of the chuck top 70 by the aligner 50 arranged on the base wall (specifically, the horizontal partition wall 10b) in the middle stage inspection space K2 and the pogo frame 80 changes. For this reason, it is believed that even if the middle inspection space K2 is aligned in the same way as before the set temperature of the chuck top 70 in the bottom inspection space K1 was changed, the electrodes on the wafer W cannot be brought into proper contact with the probes 92.

Based on the above findings, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a plurality of position correction pins 85 are provided as position correction marks on the pogo frame 80 (specifically, the bottom surface of the frame body 83). The result of imaging, i.e., recognizing, these position correction pins 85 with the lower camera 54 varies depending on the relative angle between the base wall on which the aligner 50 is placed and the pogo frame 80, in other words, the relative angle between the movement plane (XY plane) of the chuck top 70 by the aligner 50 and the pogo frame 80. Therefore, in this embodiment, as described in detail below, the contact position is corrected based on the imaging result of each position correction pin 85 with the lower camera 54. The contact position is the position of the chuck top 70 in the above-mentioned movement plane when the wafer W supported by the chuck top 70 is brought into contact with the probe 92.

The multiple position correction pins 85 include, for example, position correction pins 85a, 85b arranged to be spaced apart from each other when viewed from the X-axis direction that constitutes the coordinate system of the movement plane of the chuck top 70 by the aligner 50, and position correction pins 85c, 85d arranged to be spaced apart from each other when viewed from the Y-axis direction that constitutes the above-mentioned coordinate system.
Further, each position correction pin 85 is made of a material having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than the material of the back wall 10 d of the housing 10 , for example, the same material as the frame body 83 of the pogo frame 80 .
In the following description, for the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that each testing space K is provided with only one tester 40 and one pogo frame 80 .

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 22 related to the correction process of the contact position in the inspection device 1.
The control unit 22 functions as an imaging control unit 22a, a correction unit 22b, and an acquisition unit 22c by a processor such as a CPU reading and executing a program stored in the storage unit.

The imaging control unit 22a controls the lower camera 54 and the aligner 50 (specifically, the drive system of the aligner 50) to cause the lower camera 54 to capture an image of each of the position correction pins 85. As a result of capturing an image of the position correction pins 85 with the lower camera 54, the imaging control unit 22a outputs the position of the chuck top 70 when the position correction pins 85 are recognized by the lower camera 54 in the coordinate system of the plane of movement of the aligner 50, i.e., the XY coordinate system.

The correction unit 22b corrects the contact position.
In this embodiment, when the set temperature of the chuck top 70 is changed in one inspection space K, the correction unit 22b corrects the contact position in the other inspection space K based on the result of imaging the position correction pins 85 by the lower camera 54 in the other inspection space K after the change in the set temperature and the reference value for position correction. For example, when the set temperature of the chuck top 70 is changed in the lowest inspection space K1, the correction unit 22b corrects the contact position in the middle inspection space K2 based on the result of imaging the position correction pins 85 by the lower camera 54 in the middle inspection space K2 after the change in the set temperature and the reference value for position correction. An example of correcting the contact position for the middle inspection space K2 will be described below.

The acquisition unit 22c acquires the reference value for the position correction. For example, for the middle inspection space K2, the acquisition unit 22c acquires the reference value for the position correction from the result of capturing an image of each of the position correction pins in advance by the lower camera 54. Note that "before" means, for example, before or immediately after changing the set temperature of the chuck top 70 in the inspection space K1. Note that "immediately after changing" means a period during which thermal expansion or thermal contraction of the rear wall 10d due to the change in the set temperature has not yet occurred.

(Specific example 1 of correction method)
7 and 8 are diagrams for explaining a specific example 1 of the contact position correction method.
For example, for the middle inspection space K2, the acquisition unit 22c calculates and acquires a reference value L1 of the distance between the two position correction pins 85 in the Y-axis direction constituting the XY coordinate system from the result of capturing images of the two position correction pins 85a, 85b in advance by the lower camera 54 under the control of the imaging control unit 22a. As shown in Fig. 7, when the Y coordinate of the position of the chuck top 70 when one position correction pin 85a is recognized in advance by the lower camera 54 is y1 and the Y coordinate of the position of the chuck top 70 when the other position correction pin 85b is recognized is y2, the reference value L1 can be expressed by the following formula (1).
L1=y2-y1...(1)

On the other hand, when the set temperature of the chuck top 70 in the lowermost inspection space K1 is changed, the correction unit 22b acquires the following information. That is, after the set temperature is changed, the correction unit 22b acquires the distance L2 between the two position correction pins 85 in the Y-axis direction from the result of capturing images of the two position correction pins 85a, 85b by the lower camera 54 under the control of the imaging control unit 22a for the middle inspection space K2. As shown in FIG. 8, when the Y coordinate of the position of the chuck top 70 when one position correction pin 85a is recognized by the lower camera 54 after the set temperature is changed is y3, and the Y coordinate of the position of the chuck top 70 when the other position correction pin 85b is recognized is y4, the distance L2 can be expressed by the following formula (2).
L2=y4-y3...(2)

Then, the correction unit 22b corrects the contact position in the Y-axis direction based on the difference ΔL (=L2−L1) between the distance L2 and the reference value L1.
Specifically, the correction unit 22b corrects the movement amount of the chuck top 70 in the Y-axis direction from the origin to the contact position based on the following equation (3).
ΔY1′=ΔY1+a*ΔL…(3)

Note that ΔY1 is the amount of movement of the chuck top 70 in the Y-axis direction from the origin to the contact position, determined based on the image capture result of a specified portion of the probe card 90 by the lower camera 54, and ΔY1 is the amount of movement of the chuck top 70 in the Y-axis direction from the origin to the contact position after correction.
Furthermore, a is a variable, and is set based on the distance between the position correction pins 85 a and 85 b on the pogo frame 80 , for example.

The amount of movement of the chuck top 70 from the origin to the contact position in the X-axis direction can also be corrected in a similar manner based on the results of capturing images of the position correction pins 85c and 85d by the lower camera 54.

(Specific example of correction method 2)
9 and 10 are diagrams for explaining a second specific example of the contact position correction method.
In this example, the imaging control unit 22a outputs the height of the lower camera 54 (specifically, the height of the chuck top 70) when the lower camera 54 is in focus on the position correction pin 85 as a result of imaging the position correction pin 85 by the lower camera 54. The height of the chuck top 70 is determined based on, for example, a position detection mechanism (not shown) that detects the position of the Z stage 53.

For example, for the middle inspection space K2, the acquisition unit 22c calculates and acquires a reference value θ1 of the relative inclination between the pogo frame 80 and the horizontal bulkhead 10b as viewed from the X-axis direction from the heights Z1 and Z2 of the lower camera 54 when the camera is focused on the two position correction pins 85a and 85b when the camera is previously imaged under the control of the image capture control unit 22a. As shown in Fig. 9, the reference value θ1 can be expressed by the following formula (4) using the height Z1 of the lower camera 54 when the camera is focused on one position correction pin 85a when the camera is previously imaged, the height Z2 of the lower camera 54 when the camera is focused on the other position correction pin 85b, and the reference value L1.
θ1=arctan((Z1-Z2)/L1)...(4)

On the other hand, when the set temperature of the chuck top 70 is changed in the lowermost inspection space K1, the correction unit 22b calculates and acquires the relative inclination θ2 between the pogo frame 80 and the horizontal partition wall 10b as viewed from the X-axis direction from the heights Z3 and Z4 of the lower camera 54 when the camera is focused on each of the two position correction pins 85a and 85b when the camera is imaged after the set temperature is changed under the control of the imaging control unit 22a. As shown in Fig. 10, the inclination θ2 can be expressed by the following formula (5) using the height Z3 of the lower camera 54 when the camera is focused on one position correction pin 85a when the camera is imaged after the set temperature is changed, the height Z4 of the lower camera 54 when the camera is focused on the other position correction pin 85b, and the above-mentioned distance L2.
θ2=arctan((Z4-Z3)/L2)...(5)

Then, the correction unit 22b corrects the contact position in the Y-axis direction based on the difference Δθ (=θ2−θ1) between the inclination θ2 and the reference value θ1.
Specifically, the correction unit 22b corrects the movement amount of the chuck top 70 in the Y-axis direction from the origin to the contact position based on the following equation (6).
ΔY1'=ΔY1*cos(θ2-θ1)...(6)

The amount of movement of the chuck top 70 from the origin to the contact position in the X-axis direction can also be corrected in a similar manner based on the results of capturing images of the position correction pins 85c and 85d by the lower camera 54.

(Specific example of correction method 3)
FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a specific example 3 of the contact position correction method.
In this example, the information output by the imaging control unit 22a as a result of imaging the position correction pin 85 with the lower camera 54 is similar to that in the above-described first specific example.
The information acquired by the acquiring unit 22c as a reference value for position correction is also similar to that in the above-described specific example 1. For example, for the middle inspection space K2, the acquiring unit 22c calculates and acquires a reference value L11 of the distance between the two position correction pins 85 in the Y-axis direction constituting the XY coordinate system from the results of capturing images of the two position correction pins 85a, 85b in advance by the lower camera 54.

Now, when the pogo frame 80 and the horizontal bulkhead 10b are inclined relative to each other as viewed from the X-axis direction, it is assumed that the chuck top 70 is moved to a position where the desired position (e.g., center) of the chuck top 70 is thought to be located directly below the predetermined position P of the pogo frame 80 in the Y-axis direction. In this case, since the position in the Y-axis direction is actually detected not by the chuck top 70 but by the Y-stage 52, and the chuck top 70 has a height from the Y-stage 52, the desired position (e.g., center) of the chuck top 70 is not located directly below the predetermined position P of the pogo frame 80 in the Y-axis direction. In order to position the desired position (e.g., center) of the chuck top 70 directly below the predetermined position P of the pogo frame 80 in the Y-axis direction, it is necessary to further move the chuck top 70 by ΔY2 in the Y-axis direction.

When the set temperature of the chuck top 70 in the lowermost inspection space K1 is changed, the correction unit 22b first acquires the following information, as in the above-mentioned specific example 1. That is, after the set temperature is changed, the correction unit 22b acquires the distance L12 between the two position correction pins 85 in the Y-axis direction for the middle inspection space K2 from the results of capturing images of the two position correction pins 85a, 85b by the lower camera 54.

Further, the correction unit 22b calculates and acquires a relative inclination θ11 between the pogo frame 80 and the horizontal bulkhead 10b as viewed from the X-axis direction, based on the reference value L11 and the distance L12. As shown in FIG. 11, the inclination θ2 can be expressed by the following formula (7) using the reference value L11 and the distance L12.
θ11=arccos(L11/L12)...(7)

Then, the correction unit 22b corrects the contact position in the Y-axis direction based on the above-mentioned inclination θ11 and the height Z3 of the chuck top 70 (specifically, the height of the chuck top 70 from the Y stage 52 when the chuck top 70 is assembled to the aligner 50 at room temperature).
Specifically, the correction unit 22b calculates a correction amount ΔY2 for the movement amount of the chuck top 70 from the origin to the contact position in the Y-axis direction based on the following equation (8).
ΔY2=tanθ11*Z3…(8)

Then, the correction unit 22b corrects the movement amount of the chuck top 70 in the Y-axis direction from the origin to the contact position based on the following equation (9).
ΔY1'=ΔY1+ΔY2...(9)

The amount of movement of the chuck top 70 from the origin to the contact position in the X-axis direction can also be corrected in a similar manner based on the results of capturing images of the position correction pins 85c and 85d by the lower camera 54. However, the height of the chuck top 70 used for the correction is specifically the height of the chuck top 70 from the X-stage 51.

Next, we will explain the inspection process using the inspection device 1. First, we will explain the inspection process that does not involve correction of the contact position.

(S1. Carry-in)
First, a wafer W to be inspected is carried into a desired inspection space K.
Specifically, the transfer device 30 and the like are controlled by the control unit 22, and the wafer W is taken out of the cassette C in the port 20 of the carry-in/out area 11, carried into, for example, the inspection area 13 at the middle level, and placed on the chuck top 70 that is suction-held by the aligner 50. At this time, the temperature of the chuck top 70 is adjusted to a set temperature by a temperature adjustment mechanism (not shown).

(S2. Alignment)
Next, the wafer W and the probe card 90 are aligned.
Specifically, based on the image of the wafer W on the chuck top 70 captured by the upper camera 60 and the image of the probe 92 captured by the lower camera 54, the aligner 50 is controlled by the control unit 22 to align the wafer W on the chuck top 70 with the probe 92 within a moving plane facing the probe card 90. Usually, the contact position is adjusted when the inspection apparatus 1 is started up or during maintenance so that the wafer W and the probe 92 can be appropriately brought into contact with each other with only this alignment, that is, without the need to correct the contact position as described above.

(S3. Suction and holding of the chuck top 70)
Next, the chuck top 70 is attached to the pogo frame 80 by suction.
Specifically, the chuck top 70 is raised until the probes 92 of the probe card 90 come into contact with the electrodes of the electronic device formed on the wafer W. In a state in which the electrodes on the wafer W and the probes 92 are in contact with each other, a pressure reduction mechanism (not shown) or the like is controlled and the Z stage 53 of the aligner 50 is lowered, whereby the chuck top 70 is separated from the aligner 50 and adsorbed to the pogo frame 80.

(S4. Inspection)
After the chuck top 70 and the aligner 50 are separated, an electrical characteristic inspection of the electronic devices formed on the wafer W is performed.
Specifically, with the chuck top 70 adjusted to a set temperature, an electrical characteristic inspection is performed on the electronic device formed on the wafer W. An electrical signal for the electrical characteristic inspection is input from the tester 40 to the electronic device via the pogo pins 81, the probes 92, etc.

(S5. Carrying out)
Thereafter, the inspected wafer W is carried out.
Specifically, the chuck top 70 that has been adsorbed to the pogo frame 80 is delivered to and held by the aligner 50. In addition, the inspected wafer W on the chuck top 70 held by the aligner 50 is carried out of the inspection area 13 by the transfer device 30 and returned to the cassette C in the port 20 of the carry-in/out area 11.
During inspection in one tester 40, the aligner 50 transports the wafer W to be inspected to another tester 40 and collects the inspected wafer W from the other tester 40.

Next, an inspection process involving contact position correction using the inspection device 1 will be described. Note that in the following description, the inspection space K to be corrected for the contact position is the middle inspection space K2. Also, in the following description, it is assumed that the acquisition unit 22c acquires a reference value for position correction from the result of capturing an image of each of the position correction pins with the lower camera 54 for the middle inspection space K2.

(S11. Carrying in)
First, similarly to the above-described loading step S1, a wafer W to be inspected is loaded into the inspection space K2 in the middle stage.

(S12. Imaging by upper camera 60)
Next, an image is captured by the upper camera 60 .
Specifically, under the control of the imaging controller 22a, the upper camera 60 captures an image of a predetermined portion of the wafer W on the chuck top 70.

(S13. Adjustment of the position of the chuck top 70)
The position of the chuck top 70 is then adjusted.
Specifically, the position of the chuck top 70 is adjusted based on the image of a predetermined portion of the wafer W supported by the chuck top 70 captured by the upper camera 60 .

(S14. Imaging for alignment by lower camera 54)
Next, an image for alignment is taken by the lower camera 54.
Specifically, under the control of the imaging control unit 22a, the lower camera 54 captures an image of a predetermined portion of the probe card 90.

(S15. Imaging for position correction by the lower camera 54)
Next, an image for correcting the contact position is captured by the lower camera 54 .
Specifically, under the control of the imaging control unit 22a, the lower camera 54 captures an image, that is, recognizes, each of the multiple position correction pins 85 formed on the pogo frame 80.

(Step S16. Calculation of contact position)
Next, the contact position is calculated.
Specifically, the control unit 22 calculates the contact position from the result of capturing an image of a predetermined portion of the probe card 90 by the lower camera 54. The control unit 22 calculates the amount of movement of the chuck top 70 from the origin to the contact position from the result of capturing an image of the predetermined portion of the probe card 90 by the lower camera 54.

(Step S17. Correction of contact position)
Then, the contact position is corrected.
Specifically, the correction unit 22b corrects the contact position (more specifically, the amount of movement of the chuck top 70 from the origin to the contact position) calculated in step S16 based on the results of imaging each of the position correction pins 85 in step S14 and a reference value for position correction.
As the correction method, any of the above-mentioned specific examples 1 to 3 may be used. Also, any two or more of the above-mentioned specific examples 1 to 3 may be used in combination. For example, the average value of the contact position corrected by the method according to the above-mentioned specific example 1 and the contact position corrected by the method according to the above-mentioned specific example 2 may be set as the corrected contact position.

(Step S18. Alignment)
Then, the wafer W and the probe card 90 are aligned.
Specifically, the aligner 50 moves the chuck top 70 to the corrected contact position based on the calculation result in step S17.

(S19. Suction and holding of the chuck top 70)
Next, the chuck top 70 is attached to the pogo frame 80 by suction, similar to step S3 described above.

(S20. Inspection)
Next, similarly to step S4 described above, after the chuck top 70 and the aligner 50 are separated, an electrical characteristic inspection of the electronic devices formed on the wafer W on the chuck top 70 is performed.

(S21. Carry out)
Thereafter, similarly to step S5 described above, the inspected wafer W is unloaded.

Next, the above-mentioned processes of steps S11 to S21 are repeated for another inspection target wafer W. However, if there is no change in the image capturing result of the alignment probe card 90 captured by the lower camera 54, the above-mentioned process of step S15 (i.e., the process of capturing an image of each of the multiple position correction pins 85 by the lower camera 54) may be omitted. In other words, the above-mentioned process of step S15 may be performed only when there is a change in the image capturing result of the alignment probe card 90 captured by the lower camera 54. This can improve the throughput of the inspection.
It should be noted that if the process of step S15 described above is omitted, the process of correcting the contact position of step S17 described above is also omitted, and in the alignment process of step S18 described above, the contact position after the most recent correction is used, and the chuck top 70 is moved to this contact position.

The inspection device 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of inspection spaces K in which the inspection of the wafer W is performed. When the set temperature of the chuck top 70 is changed in one inspection space K, the relative angle between the base wall on which the aligner 50 is placed and the pogo frame 80 changes in the other inspection spaces K after the set temperature is changed, and even if the positioning is performed in the same manner as before the set temperature is changed, there is a risk that the electrodes on the wafer W and the probes 92 cannot be appropriately contacted. To avoid this, in this embodiment, a plurality of position correction pins 85 are provided, the result of which when imaged by the lower camera 54 changes according to the relative angle. In this embodiment, when the set temperature of the chuck top 70 is changed in one inspection space K, the correction unit 22b corrects the contact position in the other inspection space K based on the result of imaging each of the position correction pins 85 by the lower camera 54 in the other inspection space K after the set temperature is changed and the reference value for position correction.
Therefore, according to this embodiment, in an inspection apparatus 1 having multiple stages of inspection spaces K for inspecting wafers W, even if the set temperature of the chuck top 70 provided in one inspection space K is changed, the wafer W and the probe 92 in the other inspection spaces K can be properly aligned.

In the above example, the reference value for position correction is obtained from the result of capturing an image of the position correction pin 85 by the lower camera 54, but it may be determined in advance without capturing an image by the lower camera 54.

In the above example, when the set temperature of the chuck top 70 of the lowest inspection space K1 is changed, the inspection space K for which the contact position is to be corrected is the inspection space K2 directly above, but the inspection space K3 above that may also be subject to contact position correction. Also, when the set temperature of the chuck top 70 of one inspection space K is changed, not only the inspection space K above the first inspection space K, but also the inspection space K2 below the first inspection space K may be subject to contact position correction.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

1 Inspection device 10a Bottom wall 10b Horizontal partition wall 10c Horizontal partition wall 22b Correction unit 50 Aligner 54 Lower camera 70 Chuck top 80 Pogo frame 85 Position correction pin 85a Position correction pin 85b Position correction pin 85c Position correction pin 85d Position correction pin 90 Probe card K Inspection space K1 Inspection space K2 Inspection space K3 Inspection space L1 Reference value L11 Reference value W Wafer θ1 Reference value

Claims (9)

A plurality of inspection spaces are provided for inspecting the substrate,
Each of the test spaces includes:
a substrate support portion that supports a substrate;
a fixed portion to which a probe card having a probe for testing is fixed;
a moving mechanism that is disposed on a base wall and is configured to be capable of moving the substrate support part along a moving plane that faces the probe card fixed to the fixed part and to be capable of moving the substrate support part in a height direction perpendicular to the moving plane;
an imaging unit that moves together with the substrate support unit by the moving mechanism;
A plurality of position correction marks are provided on the fixed portion,
a correction unit that corrects a contact position, which is a position of the substrate support unit in the movement plane when the substrate supported by the substrate support unit is brought into contact with the probe;
an inspection device in which, when a set temperature of the substrate support part is changed in one of the inspection spaces, the correction part corrects the contact position in the other of the inspection spaces based on a result of imaging each of the position correction marks by the imaging part after the set temperature is changed in the other of the inspection spaces and a reference value for position correction. The inspection device according to claim 1, further comprising an acquisition unit that acquires a reference value for the position correction from the result of imaging each of the position correction marks in advance by the imaging unit for the other inspection spaces. the reference value for position correction is a reference value L1 of a distance between the two position correction marks in one axial direction constituting a coordinate system of the movement plane,
3. The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the correction unit acquires a distance L2 between the two position correction marks in the one axial direction when an image is taken after the set temperature is changed, and corrects the contact position in the one axial direction based on a difference between the distance L2 and the reference value L1. the coordinate system of the movement plane is configured in one axis direction and another axis direction, and the reference value for the position correction is a reference value θ1 of a relative inclination between the fixed part and the base wall as viewed from the other axis direction;
the two position correction marks are spaced apart from each other when viewed from the other axial direction,
The correction unit is
Calculating a relative inclination θ2 between the fixed portion and the base wall as viewed from the other axial direction from a height of the imaging unit when the two position correction marks are in focus after the set temperature is changed;
4. The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the contact position in the one axial direction is corrected based on a difference between the reference value θ1 and the inclination θ2. the reference value for position correction is a reference value L11 of a distance between the two position correction marks in one axial direction constituting a coordinate system of the movement plane,
The correction unit is
A distance L12 between the two position correction marks in the one axial direction when an image is captured after the set temperature is changed is obtained;
Calculating a relative inclination θ11 between the fixed portion and the base wall as viewed from the other axial direction from the reference value L11 and the distance L12;
5. The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the contact position in the one axial direction is corrected based on the inclination θ11 and a height Z of the substrate support portion. the imaging unit further images the probe card for alignment between the substrate supported by the substrate support unit and the probe;
The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the imaging of the position correction mark by the imaging unit after the set temperature is changed is performed only when there is a change in the imaging result of the probe card for the alignment by the imaging unit. An inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the base wall and the fixed portion of each of the inspection spaces are supported by a common support member. The inspection device according to claim 7, wherein the material of the fixed part has a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than the material of the support member. 1. A method for correcting a position of a substrate support part that supports a substrate in an inspection apparatus having inspection spaces arranged in a plurality of stages for inspecting a substrate, comprising the steps of:
Each of the test spaces includes:
The substrate support;
a fixed portion to which a probe card having a probe for testing is fixed;
a moving mechanism that is disposed on a base wall and is configured to be capable of moving the substrate support part along a moving plane that faces the probe card fixed to the fixed part and to be capable of moving the substrate support part in a height direction perpendicular to the moving plane;
an imaging unit that moves together with the substrate support unit by the moving mechanism;
A plurality of position correction marks are provided on the fixed portion,
correcting a contact position, which is a position of the substrate support part in the movement plane when the substrate supported by the substrate support part is brought into contact with the probe;
The correction process is a method in which, when a set temperature of the substrate support part is changed in one of the inspection spaces, the contact position in the other inspection space is corrected based on the results of imaging the position correction marks by the imaging unit after the set temperature is changed in the other inspection space and a reference value for position correction.

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