Abstract: A probe apparatus is capable of being scaled-down and reducing a manufacturing cost thereof in a probe apparatus having a plurality of probe apparatus main bodies. A loader unit for transferring a wafer between carriers accommodating therein wafers and the probe apparatus main bodies includes: an upper camera for imaging the arrangement of chips to be inspected of the wafer; a lower camera for imaging probe needles; an X-Y-? stage for moving the position of the wafer W in a horizontal direction and a second loader mechanism for moving the wafer in a vertical direction. Accordingly, a fine alignment of the wafer is performed by the loader unit to adjust the position of the wafer.

Abstract: The present invention restrains, during a transfer of a substrate, a central portion of the substrate from being warped by its own weight, which might be caused by a super-enlargement of a diameter of the substrate. A substrate transfer apparatus 18 includes: a support part 17 which is moved above a substrate w of a large diameter; and an upside grip mechanism 28 disposed on the support part 17, the upside grip mechanism 28 capable of supporting a peripheral portion of the substrate w from above. The support part 17 is provided with a non-contact sucking and holding part 30 having a suction hole 31 and a blow hole 32. The non-contact sucking and holding part 30 sucks and holds the substrate w in a non-contact manner, by blowing a gas onto the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate w and sucking the central portion to form an air layer 50 such that the central portion of the wafer w is not warped.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus includes a movable mounting table having a temperature control device, an elevation drive unit for vertically moving the mounting table, a controller for controlling the elevation drive unit and a probe card having probes arranged above the mounting table. The elevation drive unit includes first and second driving shafts connected to each other through coupling members to drive the mounting table, a motor for driving the first and second driving shafts, and a torque detection unit for detecting a torque between the first and second driving shafts based on a contact load between the probes and the at least one device. The controller includes a torque controller for controlling the torque based on detection results of the torque detection unit when the probe card expands or contracts due to temperature variation.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus includes a movable mounting table for mounting thereon a target object, a probe card disposed above the mounting table and a control unit for controlling the mounting table. The target object is inspected by bringing a plurality of electrode pads of the target object mounted on the mounting table into contact with a plurality of probes of the probe card with a predetermined contact load by overdriving the mounting table. Further, the mounting table includes a mounting body whose temperature is controllable, a support body for supporting the mounting body, an elevation driving mechanism provided in the support body and pressure sensors provided between the mounting body and the support body to thereby detect the contact load. The control unit controls the elevation driving mechanism in accordance with detection signals from the pressure sensors.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a vertical heat treatment apparatus which includes a thermal reactor having a reactor opening, a cover that hermetically closes the reactor opening, a holder that holds a large number of to-be-processed substrates via a ring-shaped support plate in such a manner as to arrange the substrates vertically at predetermined intervals, and an elevator mechanism that loads the holder into and unloads the holder from the thermal reactor. A transfer mechanism has a plurality of transfer plates that are arranged at predetermined intervals to carry to-be-processed substrates, and transfers the to-be-processed substrates between the storage container and the holder. The support plate is divided into an outer support plate and an inner support plate. The outer support plate has a cutout section through which the transfer plates can vertically pass to transfer the to-be-processed substrates.

Abstract: A wiring board member for forming a multilayer wiring board includes an insulation layer (11) having a hole (11a) and a metal layer (12) as a conductive layer joined to the insulation layer. The metal layer (12) includes a via portion (12b) occupying the hold of the insulation layer, a bump portion (12a) integrally connected to the via portion, and a wiring part (12c). The bump portion is disposed on one surface of the insulation layer, and has a substantially truncated quadrangular pyramid shape with a bottom surface thereof being integrally connected to the via portion. The wiring part is disposed on the other surface of the insulation layer, and has a certain pattern.

Abstract: A reliability evaluation test apparatus of this invention includes a wafer storage section which stores a wafer in a state wherein the electrode pads of a number of devices formed on the wafer and the bumps of a contactor are totally in electrical contact with each other. The wafer storage section transmits/receives a test signal to/from a measurement section and has a hermetic and heat insulating structure. The wafer storage section has a pressure mechanism which presses the contactor and a heating mechanism which directly heats the wafer totally in contact with the contactor to a predetermined high temperature. The reliability of an interconnection film and insulating film formed on the semiconductor wafer are evaluated under an accelerated condition.

Abstract: A pasting method and a pasting apparatus hold a thin plate 1 and a planar member 2 in high flatness respectively on a first holding member 44 and a second holding member 44, a main controller 40a controls a moving mechanism 45 and a parallelism adjusting mechanism 52 on the basis of information provided by position recognizing mechanisms 33 and 34 to align the thin plate 1 and the carrying member 2 with each other in a predetermined positional relation. The main controller 40a controls a moving mechanism 45 so as to move the thin plate 1 and the carrying member 2 relative to each other in a state where a liquid-phase liquid crystal wax heated by a heater 49 is held between the thin plate 1 and the carrying member 2 to spread the liquid-phase liquid crystal wax over the entire surfaces of the thin plate 1 and the carrying member 2.

Abstract: A reliability evaluation test apparatus of this invention includes a wafer storage section which stores a wafer in a state wherein the electrode pads of a number of devices formed on the wafer and the bumps of a contactor are totally in electrical contact with each other. The wafer storage section transmits/receives a test signal to/from a measurement section and has a hermetic and heat insulating structure. The wafer storage section has a pressure mechanism which presses the contactor and a heating mechanism which directly heats the wafer totally in contact with the contactor to a predetermined high temperature. The reliability of an interconnection film and insulating film formed on the semiconductor wafer are evaluated under an accelerated condition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bonding method of bonding a first object to be bonded and a second object to be bonded by a pressurizing operation.

Abstract: An imprinting method of the present invention is to press a mold member (40) having thereon a mold pattern onto a film carried on a principal plane of a substrate (50) as an object to be processed, so as to transfer the mold pattern to the film. A plurality of substrates (50) are fixed on a chuck stage (20). One of the substrates (50) can be selectively heated by a heater (21) and a cooling line (22). The mold member (40) is fixed on a head plate (30) which is disposed to be opposed to the chuck stage (20). The selectively heated substrate (50) and the mold member (40) are positioned relative to each other, and the mold member (40) is pressed onto a film on the substrate (50). By repeating this operation, all the substrates (50) are imprinted.

Abstract: A reliability evaluation test apparatus of this invention includes a wafer storage section which stores a wafer in a state wherein the electrode pads of a number of devices formed on the wafer and the bumps of a contactor are totally in electrical contact with each other. The wafer storage section transmits/receives a test signal to/from a measurement section and has a hermetic and heat insulating structure. The wafer storage section has a pressure mechanism which presses the contactor and a heating mechanism which directly heats the wafer totally in contact with the contactor to a predetermined high temperature. The reliability of an interconnection film and insulating film formed on the semiconductor wafer are evaluated under an accelerated condition.

Abstract: A reliability evaluation test apparatus of this invention includes a wafer storage section which stores a wafer in a state wherein the electrode pads of a number of devices formed on the wafer and the bumps of a contactor are totally in electrical contact with each other. The wafer storage section transmits/receives a test signal to/from a measurement section and has a hermetic and heat insulating structure. The wafer storage section has a pressure mechanism which presses the contactor and a heating mechanism which directly heats the wafer totally in contact with the contactor to a predetermined high temperature. The reliability of an interconnection film and insulating film formed on the semiconductor wafer are evaluated under an accelerated condition.

Abstract: A reliability evaluation test apparatus of this invention includes a wafer storage section which stores a wafer in a state wherein the electrode pads of a number of devices formed on the wafer and the bumps of a contactor are totally in electrical contact with each other. The wafer storage section transmits/receives a test signal to/from a measurement section and has a hermetic and heat insulating structure. The wafer storage section has a pressure mechanism which presses the contactor and a heating mechanism which directly heats the wafer totally in contact with the contactor to a predetermined high temperature. The reliability of an interconnection film and insulating film formed on the semiconductor wafer are evaluated under an accelerated condition.

Abstract: Disclosed are a holding mechanism of a contactor and an automatic renewing mechanism of a contactor provided with the holding mechanism of the contactor. The contactor holding mechanism includes a frame (11) fixed to a performance board (P), a plurality of latch mechanisms (13) for holding the contactor inside the frame, and a suction fixing mechanism (14) for fixing the contactor held by the latch mechanisms inside the frame by a vacuum suction force. The automatic renewing mechanism of the contactor includes a holding mechanism (10) for detachably holding the contactor, and a delivery mechanism (16) for delivering the contactor (12) to and from the holding mechanism.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an interconnector that is interposed between a pair of terminal plates each having electrodes arranged in a predetermined pattern, for electrically connecting the electrodes of the terminal plates, including arranging positioning plates in a container and inserting conductive wires into through holes of the positioning plates. Then forming a stacked body by alternately forming stacked insulating sheet layers and synthetic resin layers, in the container and thereafter cutting the stacked body at a middle portion of each synthetic resin layer before separating the synthetic resin layers from the insulating sheet layers, thereby forming interconnectors.

Abstract: A conventional probe card is very complex in a support structure of probe terminals and it has been difficult to change an array of the probe terminals correspondingly to various arrays of electrode pads of an object to be checked. A contactor (1) of the present invention simultaneously sets its probe terminals in contact with a plurality of electrode pads of an object to be checked and electrical checking of the object is made once or a plurality of times. It has a plurality of first electrodes (3) arranged on a first substrate (silicon substrate) (2) and probe terminals (4) respectively provided on these electrodes (3). The probe terminal (4) has a conductive support (7) provided on the first electrode, elastic support plate (8) whose one end is fixed to the upper end of the conductive support column (7), and probe terminal (bump) 9 fixed to the free end portion of the elastic support plate (8).

Abstract: A probe card device used in a probing apparatus for testing the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor wafer by bringing bump electrodes into contact with a plurality of electrode pads of the wafer comprises a probe card, a support block for supporting the probe card, and a pushing mechanism for pushing the probe card toward the wafer. The pushing mechanism includes a pushing member divided into a plurality of blocks, and a support member for supporting each of the divided blocks. These plural blocks are movable independently and serve to push the wafer in a manner to follow a surface profile of the wafer.

Abstract: There is provided an inspection apparatus comprises, a transportation unit for transporting the object of inspection to a position opposite to the contact portion, a sucking holder movable toward and away from the contact portion and adapted to hold the object of inspection by suction; and a pressure contact mechanism provided separately from the transportation unit and adapted to press the sucking holder, thereby pressing the object of inspection against the contact portion. Thus the tranportation mechanism is separated from the pressure contact mechanism, the transportation mechanism can be reduced in weight, and the pressure contact mechanism can ensure setting of appropriate pressing. The operation time can be shortened, moreover, since the object of inspection is kept attached to the contact portion by the transportation mechanism as it is pressed against the contact portion.

Abstract: A conventional probe card is very complex in a support structure of probe terminals and it has been difficult to change an array of the probe terminals correspondingly to various arrays of electrode pads of an object to be checked. A contactor (1) of the present invention simultaneously sets its probe terminals in contact with a plurality of electrode pads of an object to be checked and electrical checking of the object is made once or a plurality of times. It has a plurality of first electrodes (3) arranged on a first substrate (silicon substrate) (2) and probe terminals (4) respectively provided on these electrodes (3). The probe terminal (4) has a conductive support (7) provided on the first electrode, elastic support plate (8) whose one end is fixed to the upper end of the conductive support column (7), and probe terminal (bump) 9 fixed to the free end portion of the elastic support plate (8).