Abstract:
A probe holder has a manipulator, a probe arm arranged on the manipulator, and a probe needle that is at least indirectly connected to the probe arm. To increase the number of contacts of a substrate to be tested and to make it possible to test a plurality of contacts in etched trenches of semiconductor elements in a group of wafers, the probe arm is connected to a needle support on which the probe needle and at least one second probe needle are arranged.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a national stage filing under section 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2008/063678 filed on Oct. 10, 2008, and published in German on Apr. 23, 2009 as WO 2009/050127 and claims priority of German application No. 10 2007 048 816.7 filed on Oct. 10, 2007, the entire disclosure of these applications being hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     The invention concerns a probe holder, which can be connected to a probe holder plate of a prober. This probe holder plate includes a manipulator with a base surface, a probe arm receptacle and adjustment devices. The probe holder also includes a probe arm and a probe needle that can contact a substrate being tested. The probe arm then has a longitudinal extent between a first and a second end and is fastened with the first end to the probe arm receptacle. The probe arm accommodates the probe needle on the second end. The probe arm receptacle is then adjustable in a z-direction running perpendicular to the base surface, an x-direction running perpendicular to the z-direction and parallel to the longitudinal extent of the probe arm and in a y-direction, both perpendicular to the z-direction and perpendicular to the y-direction by means of the adjustment device. 
     The invention pertains to those probe holders that can be used on so-called probers. Prober is subsequently understood to mean a test device that tests electrical functions of substrates, having a probe holder plate, on which the probe holder can be mounted and locked. The probe holder plate then has a passage opening to the substrate lying beneath the probe holder plate, through which the probe arms pass. 
     Such probe holders are known, which are mounted on the probe holder plate and can be connected to it after an adjustment. A vacuum suction device is then arranged beneath the base surface, for example. 
     It is possible, by means of several of these probe holders, to set probe needles according to a pattern of contacts on the substrates being tested, for example, semiconductor components. The semiconductor components are then tested in the wafer structure, so that each semiconductor component, which has the same contact pattern, can be brought beneath the contact needles and placed in contact with them in succession. 
     A shortcoming is then that the number of probe holders on the probe holder plate is limited by the dimensions of the manipulator. 
     It is now common to test not only contacts on substrates in semiconductor technology, but also scribing pits between the semiconductor components for test purposes. For this purpose a number of contact islands are arranged in the scribing pits, which help evaluate process parameters, for instance. The cost to set up a test structure with ordinary probe holders is connected with intolerably high expense. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The underlying task of the invention is therefore to devise a possibility of increasing the number of contacts on a substrate being tested. Another task of the invention is to devise an advantageous possibility of testing a number of contacts in scribing pits of semiconductor components in a wafer composite. 
     The task is solved according to the invention by a substrate holder with the features of Claim  1 . Claims  2  to  7  provide features of advantageous variants of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES 
       The invention will be explained below by means of a practical example. In the corresponding drawings: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a probe holder according to the invention on a probe holder plate, 
         FIG. 2  shows a top view of a pivot base according to the invention with a second base pivot axis lying in the y-direction, 
         FIG. 3  shows a side view of the pivot base according to the invention according to  FIG. 2 , 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a pivot base according to the invention with a first base pivot axis lying in the x-direction, 
         FIG. 5  shows a top view of a probe holder according to the invention, 
         FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of an angle adjustment device according to the invention with a probe card connected to it, 
         FIG. 7  shows the use of a probe card according to the invention with pivot capability in the x-direction, 
         FIG. 8  shows use of a probe card according to the invention with pivot capability in the y-direction around a second base pivot axis, 
         FIG. 9  shows a multiple arrangement of substrate holders according to the invention for testing of contacts in scribing pits on a semiconductor wafer, 
         FIG. 10  shows a top view of the arrangement according to  FIG. 9 , 
         FIG. 11  shows a number of substrate holders according to the invention, used in a prober with shielding of the substrate holders and 
         FIG. 12  shows a top view of a number of substrate holders according to the invention with a spacing from each other. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     According to the view in  FIG. 1 , a probe holder  1  according to the invention has a manipulator  2 . This manipulator  2  is supported with its base surface  3  on a pivot base  4  and fastened to it. The movement directions x, y and z are schematically shown by arrows in  FIG. 1 . By means of adjustment screws  5 ,  6  and  7 , the probe arm receptacle  8  can be adjusted in the x- , y- and z-directions. A probe arm  9  with a first end  10  is fastened to the probe arm receptacle  8 . On its second end  11 , an angle adjustment device  12  is arranged. This angle adjustment device  12  is connected to a probe card  13 . The probe card  13  can be pivoted around a pivot axis  14  lying in the z-direction by the angle adjustment device  12 . 
     The probe holder  1  is connected to a probe holder plate  15 , specifically so that a rail  16  is firmly connected to the probe holder plate  15 . This rail  16  has an alignment groove  17 , into which an alignment tab  18  engages. This alignment tab  18  is connected to the pivot base  4 , via which the probe holder  1  is then fastened to the pivot base  4  by connection of the base surface  3 . The pivot base  4  is provided on the bottom with a magnetic holder  19 , which supports the pivot base  4  on one side on the probe holder plate  15  and locks it on the other side. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , a pivot base  4  according to the invention consists of an upper plate  20  and a lower plate  21 . A first base pivot axis  35  can then run in the x-direction or a second base pivot axis  36  in the y-direction. 
     In a not further shown variant, the pivot base  4  can be made pivotable, both with the first base axis  35  and with the second base pivot axis  36 . 
       FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  show the relation between the alignment tab  18  in the position of the solid joint  22 , which extends here it the direction of the second base pivot axis  36  in the y-direction. In a pivot base  4  shown in  FIG. 4 , the solid joint  22  is aligned perpendicular to the alignment tab  18 , which means that the base pivot axis  35  of this pivot base runs in the x-direction. Depending on the desired alignment of the probe card  13 , a pivot base according to the depiction in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  or the depiction in  FIG. 4  will be used. Both variants provide that two pivot bases  4  are arranged on a common lower plate  21 . Because of this, it is possible to arrange several probe holders  1  right next to each other. The pivot bases  4  can then be pivoted independently in the first base pivot axis  35  running in the x-direction or in the second base pivot axis  36  running in the y-direction or in both base pivot axes  35  and  36 . 
     In order to be able to exactly interpret the angle in a pivot base  4  that is set via the set screw  23 , a deflection display  24  is provided. 
       FIG. 5  shows, in an enlarged view, the second end  11  of a probe arm  9 , on which an angle adjustment device  12  is arranged, with which the probe card  13  is connected via a connection element  25 . The probe card  13  can be pivoted around the pivot axis  14  by means of set screw  26 . 
     As still to be shown, several probe holders  1  can be arranged in a shielded enclosure. Accessibility to the set screw  26  might then be hampered. For this reason, as shown in  FIG. 6 , a control lever  27  can be provided, with which the set screw  26  can be operated. 
     As also shown in  FIG. 6 , a microscope objective  28  can be mounted on the probe card, in order to be able to adjust positioning of the probe card with reference to the contact islands. 
     The use of a probe card according to the invention is now shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . As can be seen, the probe card  13  has probe needles  29 , which are supposed to contact the contact islands  30  arranged on the scribing pits  31  between semiconductor components  32  on a semiconductor wafer  33 . These scribing pits in  FIG. 7  are to be contacted in the y-direction. For this reason, in a probe holder plate for contacting of the contact islands according to  FIG. 7 , a pivot base  4  according to the depiction in  FIG. 4  is used. The contact islands  30  to be contacted lie in  FIG. 8  in scribing pits  31  that run in the x-direction. For this reason, for alignment of the probe needles  29 , the probe card  13  should be pivotable around a second base pivot axis  36  lying in the y-direction, which is achieved by a pivot base  4  according to the depiction in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , several probe holders  1  are provided, which position several probe cards  13 , so that a number of contact islands  30  can be contacted in the scribing pits  31 , both in the x- and y-direction on a semiconductor wafer  33 . Such a packing density is not attainable with probe holders according to the prior art. 
     To compensate for spatial distance between manipulators  2 , as shown in  FIG. 9 , it is proposed to provide the probe arms  9  with different bends that can be mounted differently, so that a very tight density of probe cards  13  can be reached. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , it is very apparent that by such an arrangement, a high packing density of probe cards  13  and therefore of probe needles  29  can be reached and, consequently, contact islands  30  in scribing pits  31  that are aligned in both the x-direction and in the y-direction can simultaneously be contacted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , several probe holders  1  according to the invention can be accommodated within a housing  34 , where the housing  34  can serve to shield the probe holders  1 , both in the electromagnetic direction, and also from thermal effects. By configuration of the probe holders  1  according to the invention, it is consequently possible to arrange a number of probe cards  13  and leave them in this connection, without having to be readjusted, which would entail opening of the housing  34 . 
     Finally, it is shown in  FIG. 12  that a large distance between the probe cards  13  can also be adjusted with spaced arrangement of the probe holders  1  according to the invention.