Patents by Inventor Shigekazu Komatsu
Shigekazu Komatsu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20120194213Abstract: A probe card for testing electrical characteristics of an object to be tested includes a plurality of contactors for contacting the object during the testing; a plurality of tester chips configured to send and receive electric test signals to and from the object to test the electrical characteristics of the object; and a conductive portion electrically connecting the contactors with the corresponding tester chips, the contactors being arranged on a lower surface of the conductive portion. The probe card further includes a pressing portion configured to press the conductive portion against the object during the testing, so that a pressing force is applied between the contactors and the object.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2010Publication date: August 2, 2012Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shigekazu Komatsu, Kenichi Kataoka
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Publication number: 20120180475Abstract: An actuator 10 includes a main body 14 having a displacement unit 11 and electrodes 12 and 13 configured to apply a voltage to the displacement unit 11, the displacement unit being made of a mixture of a silicone-containing elastomer and an ionic liquid, and being displaced by applying a voltage between the electrodes; and a displacement transmission unit 15 configured to be displaced in an out-of-plane direction by displacement of the displacement unit 11.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2010Publication date: July 19, 2012Applicants: UNIVERSITY OF YAMANASHI, TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Masahiro Shimizu, Shigekazu Komatsu, Eiichi Nishimura, Yoshio Kimura, Takahiko Ooasa, Hidenori Okuzaki
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Patent number: 8159245Abstract: Installed in a probe device is a holding member for inspection which can be mounted on a chuck. The holding member for inspection includes a support plate capable of mounting thereon a chip in which the power device is formed; pins for positioning the chip mounted on the support plate; and a metal film formed on a surface of the support plate in a range from a mounting area on which the chip is mounted to an exposed area on which the chip is not mounted. When inspecting the power device, the chip is fixed onto the mounting area in the holding member for inspection, one probe pin is brought into contact with a terminal on a top surface of the chip; and another probe pin is brought into contact with the metal film in the exposed area.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2007Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shigekazu Komatsu, Mitsuyoshi Miyazono, Kazuya Asaoka
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Publication number: 20110234251Abstract: A probe card installed in a probe device includes a supporting plate capable of supporting a contact body and a circuit board installed above a top surface of the supporting plate. A connection member is installed at a top surface of the circuit board and the supporting plate and the connection member are connected to each other by a connection body. Load control members are installed at a top surface of the connection member and capable of maintaining a contact load between the contact body and an object to be inspected at a constant level. Elastic members are installed at a peripheral portion of the connection member and capable of fixing a horizontal position of the supporting plate. An intermediate member is installed between the circuit board and the supporting plate and configured to elastically and electrically connect the circuit board and the supporting plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2009Publication date: September 29, 2011Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Shigekazu Komatsu, Syuichi Tsukada
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Publication number: 20110115514Abstract: A probe includes a contact member brought into contact with an object to be tested. Contact particles having conductivity are uniformly distributed in the contact member. A part of the contact particles protrude from a surface of the contact member on the side of the object to be tested. A conductive member having elasticity is placed on a surface of the contact member on the opposite side to the object to be tested. The probe further includes an insulating sheet including a through hole and the contact member is so positioned as to penetrate the through hole. An upper part of the contact member is formed of a conductor which does not include the contact particles. An additional conductor is placed on a surface of the conductor on the side opposite to the object to be tested.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2009Publication date: May 19, 2011Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventor: Shigekazu Komatsu
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Publication number: 20110050269Abstract: A yield and productivity of a semiconductor module are improved. A sheet having electrical conductivity is fixed to a main surface of a semiconductor substrate on which a plurality of semiconductor devices having a surface structure and a rear surface electrode are arranged. The semiconductor substrate is divided into semiconductor chips on a first support stage in the state where the sheet is fixed to its main surface. The plurality of divided semiconductor chips are mounted on a second support stage via the sheet and further, the plurality of mounted semiconductor chips are continuously subjected to a dynamic characteristic test on the second support stage. The proposed semiconductor device evaluation method permits a fissure growing and propagating from a crack occurring in the dynamic characteristic test of the vertical semiconductor devices to be suppressed, and the yield and productivity of the semiconductor module to be improved.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 21, 2010Publication date: March 3, 2011Applicants: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, FUJI ELECTRIC SYSTEMS CO., LTD.Inventors: Mitsuyoshi Miyazono, Shigekazu Komatsu, Dai Shinozaki, Masahiro Kato, Atsushi Yoshida
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Publication number: 20110025344Abstract: A holding member for use in a test includes a base made of silicon or glass and chips in which devices are formed is mountable thereon. Positioning members made of resist sheets are formed on the top surface of the base. A resist film is formed on the bottom surface of the base, and suction grooves (intersection portions, connection portions) and support members are formed in the resist film. Suction holes are formed in regions of the top surface of the base where the chips are mounted, wherein the suction holes are formed through the base and communicate with the suction groove.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2008Publication date: February 3, 2011Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Yasunori Kumagai, Shigekazu Komatsu
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Patent number: 7750654Abstract: A probe method of this invention includes a step of reducing an electrode of a wafer by using a forming gas, and a step of bringing the electrode and a probe pin into contact with each other in a dry atmosphere. The probe method further includes, prior to a reducing process of an electrode of the object to be tested, placing the object to be tested in an inert gas atmosphere and heating the object to be tested. The reducing process is performed by bringing a reducing gas into contact with the electrode of the object to be tested under atmospheric pressure.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2005Date of Patent: July 6, 2010Assignees: Octec Inc., Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Katsuya Okumura, Shigekazu Komatsu, Yuichi Abe, Kunihiro Furuya, Vincent Vezin, Kenichi Kubo
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Patent number: 7701241Abstract: A circuit for protecting a DUT is disposed in parallel with a DUT which is supplied with current via wirings and switchable between conducting and non-conducting state. The circuit is switchable between conducting and non-conducing state and switched from non-conducting state to conducting state as the DUT is switched from conducting state to non-conducting state.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2007Date of Patent: April 20, 2010Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Yasunori Kumagai, Dai Shinozaki, Shigekazu Komatsu, Katsuaki Sakamoto
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Patent number: 7692435Abstract: The probe card is configured such that the outline of the probe card is formed almost round shape and a plurality of connectors for being electrically connected with a tester are provided on the upper surface thereof along the outline. A substrate with many probes arranged thereon is provided on the bottom surface of the probe card. The substrate and the connectors are connected with one another via a flexible print wiring board.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2007Date of Patent: April 6, 2010Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shigekazu Komatsu, Takashi Amemiya, Jun Mochizuki
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Patent number: 7688088Abstract: At least one pair of electrode formed on a mounting surface of a stage is in contact with a conductive layer formed on a first surface of an inspection object, and an electrical path is formed between the both by using a fritting phenomenon.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2008Date of Patent: March 30, 2010Assignees: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shigekazu Komatsu, Tadatomo Suga, Toshihiro Itoh, Kenichi Kataoka
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Publication number: 20100033199Abstract: Installed in a probe device is a holding member for inspection which can be mounted on a chuck. The holding member for inspection includes a support plate capable of mounting thereon a chip in which the power device is formed; pins for positioning the chip mounted on the support plate; and a metal film formed on a surface of the support plate in a range from a mounting area on which the chip is mounted to an exposed area on which the chip is not mounted. When inspecting the power device, the chip is fixed onto the mounting area in the holding member for inspection, one probe pin is brought into contact with a terminal on a top surface of the chip; and another probe pin is brought into contact with the metal film in the exposed area.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2007Publication date: February 11, 2010Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Shigekazu Komatsu, Mitsuyoshi Miyazono, Kazuya Asaoka
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Patent number: 7586317Abstract: By allowing an electrical conduction between a probe and an electrode by a fritting phenomenon before inspection, simplification of circuit configuration and shortening of inspection time is achieved. A fritting circuit is formed in a probe card of an inspection apparatus for each probe pair consisting of two probes. A capacitor is connected to each fritting circuit. Each fritting circuit is connected in parallel to a power supply circuit having a charging power supply. Each capacitor is charged at one time by the power supply circuit. The probe pair is brought into contact with an electrode of a wafer, and a high-voltage is applied to the probe pair by a power charged in the capacitor, thereby achieving an electrical connection between each probe and the electrode by a fritting phenomenon. Then, an inspection of electrical characteristics is performed by using an electric inspection signal transmitted to each probe.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2008Date of Patent: September 8, 2009Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shigekazu Komatsu, Dai Shinozaki, Katsuaki Sakamoto
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Publication number: 20090021272Abstract: By allowing an electrical conduction between a probe and an electrode by a fritting phenomenon before inspection, simplification of circuit configuration and shortening of inspection time is achieved. A fritting circuit is formed in a probe card of an inspection apparatus for each probe pair consisting of two probes. A capacitor is connected to each fritting circuit. Each fritting circuit is connected in parallel to a power supply circuit having a charging power supply. Each capacitor is charged at one time by the power supply circuit. The probe pair is brought into contact with an electrode of a wafer, and a high-voltage is applied to the probe pair by a power charged in the capacitor, thereby achieving an electrical connection between each probe and the electrode by a fritting phenomenon. Then, an inspection of electrical characteristics is performed by using an electric inspection signal transmitted to each probe.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2008Publication date: January 22, 2009Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shigekazu Komatsu, Dai Shinozaki, Katsuaki Sakamoto
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Publication number: 20080174325Abstract: At least one pair of electrode formed on a mounting surface of a stage is in contact with a conductive layer formed on a first surface of an inspection object, and an electrical path is formed between the both by using a fritting phenomenon.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2008Publication date: July 24, 2008Inventors: Shigekazu Komatsu, Tadatomo Suga, Toshihiro Itoh, Kenichi Kataoka
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Patent number: 7301357Abstract: In an inspection method according to the invention, a plurality of drivers 21 incorporated in a tester 20 apply a fritting voltage to respective electrodes P via first probe pins 11A included in pairs of first and second probe pins 11A and 11B and connected to the respective drivers.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2003Date of Patent: November 27, 2007Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Dai Shinozaki, Shigekazu Komatsu
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Publication number: 20070223156Abstract: A circuit for protecting a DUT is disposed in parallel with a DUT which is supplied with current via wirings and switchable between conducting and non-conducting state. The circuit is switchable between conducting and non-conducing state and switched from non-conducting state to conducting state as the DUT is switched from conducting state to non-conducting state.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2007Publication date: September 27, 2007Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Yasunori Kumagai, Dai Shinozaki, Shigekazu Komatsu, Katsuaki Sakamoto
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Patent number: 7262618Abstract: An inspection method including measuring a height of a load cell of a load detecting mechanism using a laser length measuring mechanism, obtaining a first rise amount of the load detecting mechanism from a measuring position of the load detecting mechanism up to a contact starting position, measuring a height of an electrode of a wafer using the laser length measuring mechanism, and obtaining a second rise amount of a main chuck up to the contact starting point of the electrode with the probe based on a difference between a measuring height of the electrode of the wafer and the measuring height of the load detecting mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2006Date of Patent: August 28, 2007Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventor: Shigekazu Komatsu
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Patent number: 7262613Abstract: At least one pair of electrode formed on a mounting surface of a stage is in contact with a conductive layer formed on a first surface of an inspection object, and an electrical path is formed between the both by using a fritting phenomenon.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2005Date of Patent: August 28, 2007Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shigekazu Komatsu, Tadatomo Suga, Toshihiro Itoh, Kenichi Kataoka
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Publication number: 20070182431Abstract: The probe card is configured such that the outline of the probe card is formed almost round shape and a plurality of connectors for being electrically connected with a tester are provided on the upper surface thereof along the outline. A substrate with many probes arranged thereon is provided on the bottom surface of the probe card. The substrate and the connectors are connected with one another via a flexible print wiring board.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2007Publication date: August 9, 2007Inventors: Shigekazu Komatsu, Takashi Amemiya, Jun Mochizuki