U.S. patent application number 10/636949 was filed with the patent office on 2005-02-17 for flip-over alignment station for probe needle adjustment.
This patent application is currently assigned to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Lin, Kuan-Min.
Application Number | 20050035778 10/636949 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34135589 |
Filed Date | 2005-02-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050035778 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lin, Kuan-Min |
February 17, 2005 |
FLIP-OVER ALIGNMENT STATION FOR PROBE NEEDLE ADJUSTMENT
Abstract
An alignment station for aligning probe needles on a probe card
prior to testing of integrated circuits on a wafer. The alignment
station includes a probe card support or chuck for receiving a
probe card and mask carrier arms which support a needle alignment
mask and are operable to selectively place the mask into contact
with the probe needles and raise the mask out of contact with the
probe needles.
Inventors: |
Lin, Kuan-Min; (Taipei City,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TUNG & ASSOCIATES
Suite 120
838 W. Long Lake Road
Bloomfield Hills
MI
48302
US
|
Assignee: |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
Co., Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
34135589 |
Appl. No.: |
10/636949 |
Filed: |
August 6, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
324/750.25 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01R 31/2891 20130101;
G01R 31/2887 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
324/758 |
International
Class: |
G01R 031/02 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An alignment station for aligning probe needles on a probe card,
comprising: a support for receiving the probe card; a platform
support arm disposed above and adjacent to said support; a mask
carrier pivotally carried by said platform support arm for
receiving a needle alignment mask; and wherein said mask carrier is
positional between a lowered configuration for positioning the
needle alignment mask into contact with the probe needles and a
raised configuration for moving the needle alignment mask away from
the probe needles.
2. The alignment station of claim 1 further comprising a second
platform support arm disposed above and adjacent to said support
opposite said platform support arm and wherein said mask carrier
comprises first and second mask carrier arms pivotally carried by
said platform support arm and said second platform support arm,
respectively.
3. The alignment station of claim 1 further comprising a microscope
disposed above said support.
4. The alignment station of claim 3 further comprising a second
platform support arm disposed above and adjacent to said support
opposite said platform support arm and wherein said mask carrier
comprises first and second mask carrier arms pivotally carried by
said platform support arm and said second platform support arm,
respectively.
5. The alignment station of claim 1 further comprising a pair of
bearing arms each having a proximal end pivotally carried by said
platform support arm and a distal end pivotally carried by said
mask carrier for pivotally mounting said mask carrier on said
platform support arm.
6. The alignment station of claim 5 further comprising a second
platform support arm disposed above and adjacent to said support
opposite said platform support arm and wherein said mask carrier
comprises first and second mask carrier arms pivotally carried by
said platform support arm and said second platform support arm,
respectively, and said pair of bearing arms pivotally attaches said
first mask carrier arm to said platform support arm; and further
comprising a second pair of bearing arms each having a proximal end
pivotally carried by said second platform support arm and a distal
end carried by said second mask carrier arm for pivotally mounting
said second mask carrier arm on said second platform support
arm.
7. The alignment station of claim 5 further comprising a microscope
disposed above said support.
8. The alignment station of claim 7 further comprising a second
platform support arm disposed above and adjacent to said support
opposite said platform support arm and wherein said mask carrier
comprises first and second mask carrier arms pivotally carried by
said platform support arm and said second platform support arm,
respectively, and said pair of bearing arms pivotally attaches said
first mask carrier arm to said platform support arm; and further
comprising a second pair of bearing arms each having a proximal end
pivotally carried by said second platform support arm and a distal
end carried by said second mask carrier arm for pivotally mounting
said second mask carrier arm on said second platform support
arm.
9. An alignment station for aligning probe needles on a probe card,
comprising: a base; a support carried by said base for receiving
the probe card; a mask carrier pivotally supported by said base for
receiving a needle alignment mask; and wherein said mask carrier is
positional between a lowered configuration for positioning the
needle alignment mask into contact with the probe needles and a
raised configuration for moving the needle alignment mask away from
the probe needles.
10. The alignment station of claim 9 further comprising first and
second platform support arms carried by said-base and disposed
above and on opposite sides of said support and wherein said mask
carrier is pivotally carried by said first and second platform
support arms.
11. The alignment station of claim 9 further comprising a
microscope carried by said base above said support.
12. The alignment station of claim 11 further comprising first and
second platform support arms carried by said base and disposed
above and on opposite sides of said support and wherein said mask
carrier is pivotally carried by said first and second platform
support arms.
13. The alignment station of claim 10 further comprising a first
pair of bearing arms each having a proximal end pivotally carried
by said first platform support arm and a distal end pivotally
carried by said mask carrier for pivotally mounting said mask
carrier on said platform support arm, and a second pair of bearing
arms each having a proximal end pivotally carried by said second
platform support arm and a distal end pivotally carried by said
mask carrier for pivotally mounting said mask carrier on said
second platform support arm.
14. The alignment station of claim 13 further comprising a
microscope carried by said base above said support.
15. The alignment station of claim 13 wherein said mask carrier
comprises a first mask carrier arm pivotally carried by said first
pair of bearing arms and a second mask carrier arm pivotally
carried by said second pair of bearing arms.
16. The alignment station of claim 15 further comprising a
microscope carried by said base above said support.
17. An alignment station for aligning probe needles on a probe
card, comprising: a base; a support carried by said base for
receiving the probe card; a mask carrier platform carried by said
base; a mask carrier pivotally carried by said mask carrier
platform for receiving a needle alignment mask; and wherein said
mask carrier is positional between a lowered configuration for
positioning the needle alignment mask into contact with the probe
needles and a raised configuration for moving the needle alignment
mask away from the probe needles.
18. The alignment station of claim 17 further comprising a
microscope platform carried by said base above said mask carrier
platform and a microscope carried by said microscope, platform
above said support.
19. The alignment station of claim 17 further comprising first and
second platform support arms carried by said mask carrier platform
and disposed above and on opposite sides of said support and
wherein said mask carrier comprises first and second mask carrier
arms pivotally carried by said first and second platform support
arms, respectively.
20. The alignment station of claim 19 further comprising a first
pair of bearing arms each having a proximal end pivotally carried
by said first platform support arm and a distal end pivotally
carried by said first mask carrier arm for pivotally mounting said
first mask carrier arm on said first platform support arm, and a
second pair of bearing arms each having a proximal end pivotally
carried by said second platform support arm and a distal end
pivotally carried by said second mask carrier arm for pivotally
mounting said second mask carrier arm on said second platform
support arm.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to wafer probe cards used to
test electrical characteristics of integrated circuits fabricated
on semiconductor wafer substrates. More particularly, the present
invention relates to a flip-over alignment station which includes a
mask carrier that is operable to move a glass mask into and out of
contact with an inverted wafer probe card in the alignment
adjustment of probe needles on the card.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A conventional method used by the semiconductor industry in
the manufacturing of semiconductor integrated circuits includes the
steps of fabrication, wafer sort, assembly and test, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the fabrication step, as many as several
thousand dies (integrated circuits) 5 are formed onto a
semiconductor wafer 4. In the wafer sort step, each of the dies 5
on the wafer 4 is tested to determine its electrical
characteristics and operability, and defective dies are
distinguished from operable dies. The defective dies are often
marked by an ink mark at the wafer sorting step. In the assembly
step, the unmarked, operable dies are assembled into a package, and
in the test step, the packaged integrated circuits are tested for
operability and reliability.
[0003] At the wafer sort step, the dies are tested to establish
which dies on the wafer function properly. Each die is tested to
all functional product specifications for both DC and AC
parameters. Four testing objectives are pursued: (1) chip
functionality, in which all chip functions are tested to ensure
that only fully-functional chips are assembled and packaged in
subsequent steps; (2) chip sorting, in which chips are separated or
sorted on the basis of their operating speed performance under
various voltage and timing conditions; (3) fab yield response,
which yields important information that may lead to improvements in
the overall fabrication process; and (4) test coverage, in which
high test coverage of the internal device nodes is achieved at the
lowest possible cost. The wafer sort procedure is similar to the
in-line parametric test except that every die on the wafer is
tested, in many cases using the same automated test equipment
(ATE). Furthermore, the wafer sort procedure is usually located in
a separate facility under less stringent purity conditions than
those in which the parametric test is carried out, since wafer
fabrication is essentially complete.
[0004] In automated wafer handling during wafer sort, a correlation
wafer is used to verify tester setup. The correlation wafer is a
control wafer the functionality of which has been verified and
ensures that the testing system is working properly. After indexing
from the cassette to the prober, the wafers are mounted on a vacuum
chuck with Z (vertical) positioning. Using software, mechanical
probe needles are aligned and contacted with bond pads on the wafer
to establish electrical communication between the testing equipment
and the dies on the wafer. The probes are interfaced with the ATE
to perform the range of AC functional tests based on test
algorithms. The type, number and order of tests are defined by the
test program.
[0005] After testing, die found to be defective are labeled in a
computer database to exclude the die from subsequent packaging
steps. The labeling method is typically performed by placing a drop
of ink on each unacceptable die. Because the ink marking process
can be messy and introduce possible contaminants onto the chip,
electronic wafer maps are increasingly being used to create a
computer image of chip location and test results to categorize good
and bad die on the wafer. At the chip assembly stations, the
electronic wafer maps are downloaded into an equipment database to
ensure that defective chips will not be packaged.
[0006] As further shown in FIG. 1, in an integrated circuit pattern
of each dice 5, the input, output, power supply and other terminals
of the circuit are formed by multiple metalized contact pads 6,
adjacent ones of which are usually deployed in lines along the
periphery or margins of the pattern in what is commonaly known in
the art as a testkey pattern. Metal lines or traces 7 electrically
connect the contact pads 6 to the circuit elements of the dice 5.
The outline of the testkey pattern is either square or rectangular,
and the marginal locations of the contact pads thereon depend on
the circuit configuration and the available marginal space. Thus,
in a relatively simple circuit pattern, all of the marginal space
may be available for contact pads, whereas in more complex
circuits, portions of the circuit may invade the marginal areas so
that contact pad placement is restricted to the free marginal
areas. In some instances, therefore, the contact pads may lie in
more or less uniform rows along the margins, and in other cases,
the contact pads may be randomly spaced from each other.
[0007] Immediately following manufacture of the IC, the electrical
characteristics of the device must be tested using a test probe
assembly which includes a test probe card consisting of a printed
circuit board having an opening therein to provide access to an IC
pattern. The opening is surrounded by a ring of conductive pads
connected by the printed circuit card to terminals for connection
to test equipment appropriate for testing the circuit. The number
of pads in the ring determines the maximum capacity of the probe
card.
[0008] During testing of IC devices, the wafer on which the devices
are fabricated is supported on a wafer chuck. Typically, the probe
needles on the probe card are inclined relative to the bonding pads
on the integrated circuit devices. After the probe needles have
been aligned with the bonding pads, the wafer chuck is raised
through an "over-travel distance" of approximately 3 mils past the
point at which the probe tips first contact the pads, such that the
typically inclined probe needles slide or "scrub" on the bonding
pads of the die to allow optimum mechanical and electrical contact
between the probe needles and the bonding pads.
[0009] A higher degree of integration in recent semiconductor
devices has led to an increase in the number of electrodes in ICs
and to a decrease in the size of the electrode pads which are
contacted by the probe needles. The reduction in size and increase
in density of the probe needles has inevitably made the manufacture
and mounting of the needles on the probe card troublesome. The tips
of the probe needles are ideally all disposed at the same height
level and same angle, but these and other parameters of the needles
fluctuate somewhat for a number of reasons. These variations in
probe needle parameters reduce test precision and reliability.
[0010] In the course of manufacturing a probe card, the probe
needles on the card are aligned with dots or targets imprinted on a
needle alignment mask. The locations of the dots or targets
correspond precisely to the bonding pads on the die to be probed.
As stated above, during testing of integrated circuit die, the
probe needles are "overdriven" by approximately 3 mils. This
renders it necessary to provide the same 3 mils of overdrive during
alignment of the probe needles with the dots on the mask.
[0011] As shown in FIG. 2, probe needle alignment is typically
carried out on an alignment station 10, in which a needle alignment
mask 12 is placed on a vertically-movable chuck 14 with alignment
dots 13 on the mask 12 facing upwardly. A probe card 16 having
probe needles 18 to be aligned is mounted securely in the alignment
station 10, with the probe needles 18 pointing downwardly and as
closely-aligned as possible with the respective dots 13 on the mask
12. A skilled operator then manipulates tweezers (not shown) to
adjust the alignment of the probe needles 18 with respect to the
dots 13. To accomplish this task, the operator views the probe
needles 18 through a microscope (not shown). When the chuck 14 is
raised to provide the 3 mil overdrive, the operator identifies the
needles 18 which require bending or adjustment to be properly
aligned with the corresponding dots on the mask 12. The mask 12 is
then lowered such that it no longer contacts the needles 18. The
operator then manipulates the tweezers to bend the misaligned
needles 18, again raises the chuck 14 to the overdrive position,
and determines whether the adjusted needles 18 are properly aligned
with their respective dots 13 on the mask 12. If not, then the
needles 18 are again manipulated to align the needles 18 with the
dots 13 on the mask 12. This procedure is repeated until all of the
needles 18 are properly aligned with the corresponding dots 13 on
the mask 12 in the overdriven position. At that point, the probe
card 16 is ready for use in testing dies on a wafer.
[0012] One of the problems associated with the conventional
alignment station 10 is that certain types of probe cards are not
amenable to probe needle alignment on the station 10. These include
multi-DUT (Die Under Test), stagger-type probe cards in which the
probe needles are arranged in a staggered configuration for contact
with multiple rows of contact pads on a wafer. Accordingly, an
alignment station is needed which is suitable for testing probe
needles on a variety of different types of probe cards and which is
characterized by enhanced alignment efficiency.
[0013] An object of the present invention is to provide a new and
improved alignment station for aligning probe needles on a probe
card.
[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a new
and improved alignment station which may be used to align probe
needles on multi-DUT, stagger-type probe cards.
[0015] Still another object of the present invention is to provide
a new and improved alignment station in which probe needles on a
probe card extend upwardly and are contacted with dots on a mask to
ascertain whether the probe needles on the probe card are properly
aligned for testing devices on a wafer.
[0016] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
new and improved alignment station which includes a probe card
support for receiving a probe card and a mask carrier which
supports a needle alignment mask and is operable to selectively
lower the mask into contact with the probe needles to ascertain
whether the probe needles are properly aligned and raise the mask
out of contact with the probe needles to facilitate alignment
adjustment of the probe needles, as needed.
[0017] A still further object of the present invention is to
provide a new and improved alignment station which is characterized
by enhanced alignment efficiency.
[0018] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
new and improved alignment station for aligning probe needles on a
probe card, which alignment station is capable of selectively
moving probe needles on a probe card into contact with alignment
dots on a needle alignment mask and moving the probe card away from
the alignment mask to facilitate proper alignment of the probe
needles for subsequent testing of integrated circuits on a
wafer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0019] In accordance with these and other objects and advantages,
the present invention is generally directed to a new and improved
alignment station for aligning probe needles on a probe card prior
to testing of integrated circuits on a wafer. The alignment station
includes a probe card support or chuck for receiving a probe card
and mask carrier arms which support a needle alignment mask and are
operable to selectively place the mask into contact with the probe
needles and raise the mask out of contact with the probe needles.
The alignment station is well-suited to probe cards having
multi-DUT (Device Under Test), stagger-type probe needles and
facilitates enhanced precision of alignment between alignment dots
on a needle alignment mask and the probe needles on the probe card.
The alignment station enables selective placement of the probe card
into operable engagement with the mask and removal of the probe
card from the mask to facilitate corrective adjustments in the
alignment of the probe needles on the probe card, as needed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The invention will be better understood, by way of example,
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a top, partially schematic view of a semiconductor
wafer with multiple dies fabricated thereon and an enlarged top
view of a die on the wafer;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustrating a typical conventional
alignment station in the alignment of probe needles on a needle
probe card;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a top view of an alignment station of the present
invention, with the microscope platform and microscope elements of
the alignment station removed from the alignment station;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a side view of the alignment station, with a mask
carrier arm element of the station and a needle alignment mask
thereon positioned in a raised configuration with respect to a
probe card for the corrective alignment of probe needles on the
probe card;
[0025] FIG. 4A is a side view of a mask carrier arm element of the
alignment station, with probe needles on a probe card disposed in
contact with alignment dots on a needle alignment mask provided on
the mask carrier arms; and
[0026] FIG. 5 is a side view of the alignment station, with the
mask carrier arms and needle alignment mask positioned in a
lowered, functional configuration with respect to a probe card to
ascertain whether probe needles on the probe card are properly
aligned.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] The present invention is directed to a novel alignment
station for the alignment of probe needles on a probe card in order
to facilitate optimum contact between the probe needles and contact
pads on a semiconductor wafer during the subsequent testing of
integrated circuit dies on the wafer. The alignment station is
well-suited to the alignment of probe needles on a variety of probe
cards including those having multi-DUT (Device Under Test),
stagger-type probe needles. The alignment station facilitates
selective operable engagement of the probe needles on the probe
card with alignment dots on a transparent glass needle alignment
mask to ascertain whether the probe needles are properly aligned,
and movement of the probe card away from the mask for making
corrective adjustments in the alignments of the probe needles, as
needed.
[0028] Referring to FIGS. 3-5, an illustrative embodiment of the
alignment station of the present invention is generally indicated
by reference numeral 20. The alignment station 20 includes a flat
base 22 which typically has a generally elongated, rectangular
configuration. As shown in FIG. 3, two pairs of adjacent, parallel
platform supports 24 extend upwardly from the upper surface 23 of
the base 22, in spaced-apart relationship to each other typically
at one end of the base 22. A typically elongated, rectangular mask
carrier platform 26 is horizontally mounted on both pairs of
adjacent platform supports 24, with each pair of platform supports
24 located at a corresponding end of the mask carrier platform 26,
as further shown in FIG. 3. A pair of substantially parallel,
adjacent platform support arms 28 extends horizontally and
typically in cantilever fashion from the mask carrier platform 26.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a probe card support or chuck 38 is
mounted on the upper surface 23 of the base 22, beneath and between
the platform support arms 28. In operation of the alignment station
20 as hereinafter described, the chuck 38 is operable to receive
and support an inverted probe card 40 having multiple,
upwardly-extending probe needles 42. In a preferred embodiment, the
chuck 38 is capable of raising and lowering the probe card 40 with
respect to the upper surface 23 of the base 22.
[0029] As further shown in FIG. 3, a pair of elongated bearing arms
30 is pivotally mounted on the inner surface of each platform
support arm 28. The proximal end of each bearing arm 30 of each
bearing arm pair is pivotally attached to the corresponding
platform support arm 28 via a proximal pivot pin 32. A mask carrier
arm 34 is pivotally attached to the distal end of each bearing arm
30 via a distal pivot pin 32a. Thus, the two bearing arms 30 on
each platform support arm 28 are attached to a corresponding mask
carrier arm 34. In operation of the alignment station 20 as
hereinafter described, a typically glass, transparent needle
alignment mask 36 having multiple alignment dots 37 is mounted
between the mask carrier arms 34, in a manner to be hereinafter
described, to facilitate alignment of the probe needles 42 on the
probe card 40 as the probe card 40 rests on the chuck 38, with the
alignment dots 37. Accordingly, the mask carrier arms 34 are
pivotally mounted to the respective platform support arms 28 in
such a manner that the mask carrier arms 34 and the needle
adjustment mask 36 are capable of being positioned in the lowered,
functional configuration of FIG. 5, wherein the bearing arms 30 are
disposed in a horizontal position and the needle alignment mask 36
is disposed in functional contact with the probe card 40; and the
raised, non-functional configuration of FIG. 4, wherein the bearing
arms 30 are disposed in an upwardly- and rearwardly-angled position
and the needle alignment mask 36 is positioned away from the probe
card 40 to provide access to the probe needles 42 on the probe card
40 for corrective alignment of the probe needles 42, as needed. It
is understood that the pair of mask carrier arms 34 may be of a
unitary piece to define a single mask carrier, opposite sides of
which are pivotally attached to the respective platform support
arms 28 via the respective pairs of bearing arms 30.
[0030] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4A, a mask recess 34a is provided in
the bottom surface 34b of each mask carrier arm 34. The needle
alignment mask 36, which may be conventional, is typically
removably mounted in each mask recess 34a. In a preferred
embodiment, the needle alignment mask 36 is mounted in the mask
recess 34a of each mask carrier arm 34 by extending screws 35
through respective screw openings (not shown) extending through the
mask carrier arm 34 and threading the screws 35 into respective
screw openings (not shown) provided in the needle alignment mask
36. However, it is understood that other techniques known by those
skilled in the art may be used to mount the needle alignment mask
36 on the mask carrier arms 34.
[0031] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an elongated, typically
rectangular microscope platform 44 is horizontally mounted on the
platform supports 24, above the mask carrier platform 26. A
microscope support arm 46 extends horizontally from the microscope
platform 44, above the chuck 38. A microscope 48, which may be
conventional, is mounted on the extending or distal end of the
microscope support arm 46 and typically includes one or more lenses
50 of selected power and an eyepiece or eyepieces 52. The
microscope 48 is used to view the probe needles 42 on the probe
card 40 as the probe card 40 rests on the chuck 38 and the probe
needles 42 are aligned with the respective alignment dots 37 on the
needle alignment mask 36, as hereinafter further described.
[0032] In typical operation of the alignment station 20, the mask
carrier arms 34 are initially positioned in the raised
configuration on the platform support arms 28, as shown in FIG. 4.
A probe card 40 which is to be subsequently used in the testing of
integrated circuits on a semiconductor wafer (not shown) is then
placed on the chuck 38 in the inverted position, with the multiple
probe needles 42 of the probe card 40 extending upwardly, as shown
in FIG. 4. The backside of the probe card 40 may be secured to the
chuck 38 electrostatically or according to other techniques known
by those skilled in the art. A needle alignment mask 36, which is
typically transparent glass, is then mounted in the mask recesses
34a of the respective mask carrier arms 34, typically by threading
the screws 35 into the respective screw openings (not shown) in the
needle alignment mask 36. The needle alignment mask 36 includes
multiple alignment dots 37, the positions of which correspond to
the positions of the contact pads of the integrated circuit die to
subsequently be tested using the probe card 40.
[0033] After the probe card 40 has been properly positioned on the
chuck 38, the mask carrier arms 34, with the needle alignment mask
36 mounted thereon, are lowered from the raised, non-functional
position of FIG. 4 to the lowered, functional position of FIG. 5.
This is accomplished typically by manually pivoting the mask
carrier arms 34 on the bearing arms 30. The chuck 38 is then
operated to slowly raise the probe card 40 in such a manner that
the probe needles 42 contact the needle alignment mask 36. To
determine whether the probe needles 42 are properly aligned with
the respective alignment dots 37 on the needle alignment mask 36,
an operator (not shown) views the probe needles 42 through the
microscope 48 and the portion of the transparent needle alignment
mask 36 which extends between the mask carrier arms 34. While most
of the multiple alignment dots 37 on the needle alignment mask 36
are typically initially disposed in general alignment with the
respective probe needles 42 on the probe card 40, raising of the
probe needles 42 into contact with the needle alignment mask 36
usually reveals that most or all of the probe needles 42 require
corrective positional adjustments to more precisely align the probe
needles 42 with the alignment dots 37. Accordingly, most or all of
the probe needles 42 on the probe card 40 must typically be
mechanically manipulated in order to be properly aligned with the
respective alignment dots 37. To accomplish this end, a corrective
probe needle alignment procedure is typically carried out by the
operator, who first removes the probe needles 42 from contact with
the needle alignment mask 36 by lowering the probe card 40 on the
chuck 38 and then manually raises the mask carrier arms 34 and
attached needle alignment mask 36 from the lowered position of FIG.
5 to the raised position of FIG. 4. This provides access to the
probe needles 42 for unhindered corrective adjustments thereof.
Accordingly, the operator manipulates the probe needles 42,
typically using tweezers (not shown) or like instrumentation, in an
effort to achieve more precise alignment of the probe needles 42
with the respective alignment dots 37, typically in conventional
fashion. The operator typically views the probe needles 42 through
the microscope 48 to achieve more precise three-dimensional
manipulation of the probe needles 42. After the probe needles 42
have been so manipulated, the operator lowers the mask carrier arms
34 and attached needle alignment mask 36 back to the lowered
position of FIG. 5 and raises the probe needles 42 back into
contact with the needle alignment mask 36 to observe the degree of
alignment of the positionally-adjusted probe needles 42 with the
respective alignment dots 37. In the event that further
manipulation of the probe needles 42 is deemed necessary to achieve
proper alignment and contact of the probe needles 42 with the
respective alignment dots 37, the mask carrier arms 34 and mask 36
are again raised to the position of FIG. 4 for further manipulation
of the probe needles 42. This procedure is repeated as many times
as is necessary until all of the probe needles 42 on the probe card
40 are properly aligned, as revealed by their contact with the
respective alignment dots 37 on the needle alignment mask 36. At
that point, the probe card 40 may be removed from the chuck 38 and
used to test the integrated circuit die on the wafer to be tested,
according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art.
[0034] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been
described above, it will be recognized and understood that various
modifications can be made to the invention and the appended claims
are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within
the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *