Patents by Inventor Shinji Iino
Shinji Iino 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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Patent number: 7319339Abstract: Disclosed is an inspection method for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a device by bringing an inspecting probe into electrical contact with an inspection electrode. An insulating film formed on the surface of the inspection electrode is broken by utilizing a fritting phenomenon so as to bring the inspection electrode into electrical contact with the inspection electrode.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2007Date of Patent: January 15, 2008Assignees: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shinji Iino, Kiyoshi Takekoshi, Tadatomo Suga, Toshihiro Itoh, Kenichi Kataoka
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Patent number: 7304489Abstract: Disclosed is an inspection method for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a device by bringing an inspecting probe into electrical contact with an inspection electrode. An insulating film formed on the surface of the inspection electrode is broken by utilizing a fritting phenomenon so as to bring the inspection electrode into electrical contact with the inspection electrode.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2006Date of Patent: December 4, 2007Assignees: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shinji Iino, Kiyoshi Takekoshi, Tadatomo Suga, Toshihiro Itoh, Kenichi Kataoka
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Publication number: 20070229101Abstract: Disclosed is an inspection method for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a device by bringing an inspecting probe into electrical contact with an inspection electrode. An insulating film formed on the surface of the inspection electrode is broken by utilizing a fritting phenomenon so as to bring the inspection electrode into electrical contact with the inspection electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2007Publication date: October 4, 2007Inventors: Shinji Iino, Kiyoshi Takekoshi, Tadatomo Suga, Toshihiro Itoh, Kenichi Kataoka
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Publication number: 20060192578Abstract: Disclosed is an inspection method for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a device by bringing an inspecting probe into electrical contact with an inspection electrode. An insulating film formed on the surface of the inspection electrode is broken by utilizing a fritting phenomenon so as to bring the inspection electrode into electrical contact with the inspection electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2006Publication date: August 31, 2006Applicants: TOKYO ELECTON LIMITED, TADATOMO SUGA, TOSHIHIRO ITOHInventors: Shinji Iino, Kiyoshi Takekoshi, Tadatomo Suga, Toshihiro Itoh, Kenichi Kataoka
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Patent number: 7061259Abstract: Disclosed is an inspection method for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a device by bringing an inspecting probe into electrical contact with an inspection electrode. An insulating film formed on the surface of the inspection electrode is broken by utilizing a fritting phenomenon so as to bring the inspection electrode into electrical contact with the inspection electrode.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2004Date of Patent: June 13, 2006Assignees: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shinji Iino, Kiyoshi Takekoshi, Tadatomo Suga, Toshihiro Itoh, Kenichi Kataoka
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Patent number: 6850052Abstract: A prober of this invention includes a probe card, a main chuck, a shaft member fixed on and extending downwardly from the main chuck, an X table and Y table for retaining the shaft member by use of a guide to be freely movable in a vertical direction, and a contact body fixed on the shaft member. The undersurface of the contact body is made parallel to the mounting surface of the main chuck. The prober further includes an elevation body whose center coincides with an extension line downwardly extending from the test center of the probe card, and an elevation body elevating mechanism for vertically moving the elevation body and a ball provided on the upper portion of the elevation body is slidably set in contact with the undersurface of the contact body.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2002Date of Patent: February 1, 2005Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shinji Iino, Haruhiko Yoshioka
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Publication number: 20040174177Abstract: Disclosed is an inspection method for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a device by bringing an inspecting probe into electrical contact with an inspection electrode. An insulating film formed on the surface of the inspection electrode is broken by utilizing a fritting phenomenon so as to bring the inspection electrode into electrical contact with the inspection electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2004Publication date: September 9, 2004Applicants: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, TADATOMO SUGA, TOSHIHIRO ITOHInventors: Shinji Iino, Kiyoshi Takekoshi, Tadatomo Suga, Toshihiro Itoh, Kenichi Kataoka
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Patent number: 6777967Abstract: Disclosed is an inspection method for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a device by bringing an inspecting probe into electrical contact with an inspection electrode. An insulating film formed on the surface of the inspection electrode is broken by utilizing a fritting phenomenon so as to bring the inspection electrode into electrical contact with the inspection electrode.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2001Date of Patent: August 17, 2004Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, Tadatomo Suga, Toshihiro ItohInventors: Shinji Iino, Kiyoshi Takekoshi, Tadatomo Suga, Toshihiro Itoh, Kenichi Kataoka
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Patent number: 6747465Abstract: There is disclosed a contactor which is used for testing electric characteristics of an object to be tested, the contactor comprising a contactor board, a plurality of conductive members formed through the contactor board, a plurality of beam members, and a contact terminal provided at the tip of each beam member. In this contactor, each beam member has a tip and a base end at its both ends, and has a step shape or an arch shape between the tip and the base end. The base end of each beam member is connected to each conductive member. The contact terminal member can be formed integrally with a conductive layer of the beam member.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2001Date of Patent: June 8, 2004Assignees: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Masayoshi Esashi, Shinji Iino, Tomohisa Hoshino
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Patent number: 6747467Abstract: An assembly apparatus of a contactor including unit contactors and a base substrate. The apparatus includes a laying mechanism for laying a substrate for alignment, a first conveying mechanism for conveying a plurality of unit contactors to the substrate for alignment laid on the laying mechanism, a second conveying mechanism for conveying a base substrate, a holding mechanism for holding the base substrate, and a positioning mechanism for positioning the substrate for alignment with the plurality of unit contactors disposed thereon and the base substrate. Also included is a contact mechanism for bringing the plurality of unit contactors disposed on the substrate for alignment into contact with the base substrate, and a heating mechanism for heating at least one of the substrate for alignment and base substrate to electrically connect the plurality of unit contactors disposed on the substrate for alignment to the base substrate.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2001Date of Patent: June 8, 2004Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventor: Shinji Iino
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Patent number: 6634245Abstract: A rotating mechanism 18 according to the present invention is a mechanism for reversibly rotating a chuck top 11, on which a wafer to be inspected is mounted. The rotating mechanism is provided with a linearly driving mechanism 181 arranged on one side of the chuck top 11, a nut 182 which is linearly moved by the linearly driving mechanism, a guide rail 183A for linearly guiding the nut 182, and a link mechanism 184 for coupling the nut 182, which moves along the guide rail 183A, to the chuck top 11.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2000Date of Patent: October 21, 2003Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Haruhiko Yoshioka, Shinji Iino, Yutaka Akaike, Masaru Suzuki
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Patent number: 6590381Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2000Date of Patent: July 8, 2003Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shinji Iino, Junichi Hagihara, Kiyoshi Takekoshi
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Patent number: 6545493Abstract: A probing apparatus is adapted for high-speed measurement and used for inspecting the electric characteristics of an object under inspection. The probing apparatus is provided with a probing apparatus main body, a contactor arranged inside the probing apparatus main body, pin electronics including a plurality of electronic circuits and arranged in a transmission line that is provided for transmission of inspection signals between the contactor and a tester located outside the probing apparatus, the electronic circuits being made of at least one integrated circuit, an interposer for electrically connecting the pin electronics and the contactor together, and a cooling unit for cooling the pin electronics.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2000Date of Patent: April 8, 2003Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventor: Shinji Iino
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Publication number: 20020057099Abstract: There is disclosed a contactor which is used for testing electric characteristics of an object to be tested, the contactor comprising a contactor board, a plurality of conductive members formed through the contactor board, a plurality of beam members, and a contact terminal provided at the tip of each beam member. In this contactor, each beam member has a tip and a base end at its both ends, and has a step shape or an arch shape between the tip and the base end. The base end of each beam member is connected to each conductive member. The contact terminal member can be formed integrally with a conductive layer of the beam member.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2001Publication date: May 16, 2002Inventors: Masayoshi Esashi, Shinji Iino, Tomohisa Hoshino
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Publication number: 20020053922Abstract: There is disclosed an assembly apparatus of a contactor comprising unit contactors and a base substrate, the apparatus comprising a laying mechanism for laying a substrate for alignment, a first conveying mechanism for conveying a plurality of unit contactors to the substrate for alignment laid on the laying mechanism, a second conveying mechanism for conveying a base substrate, a holding mechanism for holding the base substrate, a positioning mechanism for positioning the substrate for alignment with the plurality of unit contactors disposed thereon and the base substrate, a contact mechanism for bringing the plurality of unit contactors disposed on the substrate for alignment into contact with the base substrate, and a heating mechanism for heating at least one of the substrate for alignment and base substrate to electrically connect the plurality of unit contactors disposed on the substrate for alignment to the base substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2001Publication date: May 9, 2002Inventor: Shinji Iino
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Patent number: 6380753Abstract: A power supply applies a power supply voltage to a large number of devices formed on a wafer W. In the state where the devices are quiescent, the quiescent power supply currents flowing through them are measured. If measurements are greater than a setting value, the corresponding devices are determined to be defective. A cutoff circuit prevents voltage application to such defective devices. After this preliminary test, an IDDQ test, an AC test, a DC test and a function test are executed. These tests are executed not by a control station but by an application/measurement module provided for a prober.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 1999Date of Patent: April 30, 2002Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shinji Iino, Itaru Iida
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Publication number: 20020021142Abstract: Disclosed is an inspection method for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a device by bringing an inspecting probe into electrical contact with an inspection electrode. An insulating film formed on the surface of the inspection electrode is broken by utilizing a fritting phenomenon so as to bring the inspection electrode into electrical contact with the inspection electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2001Publication date: February 21, 2002Inventors: Shinji Iino, Kiyoshi Takekoshi, Tadatomo Suga, Toshihiro Itoh, Kenichi Kataoka
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Patent number: 6344752Abstract: 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).Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2000Date of Patent: February 5, 2002Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shinji Iino
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Patent number: 6140828Abstract: A prober includes a probe card, a main chuck, a shaft member fixed on and extending downwardly from the main chuck, an X table and Y table for retaining the shaft member by use of a guide to be freely movable in a vertical direction, and a contact body fixed on the shaft member. The undersurface of the contact body is made parallel to the mounting surface of the main chuck. The prober further includes an elevation body whose center coincides with an extension line downwardly extending from the test center of the probe card, and an elevation body elevating mechanism for vertically moving the elevation body and a ball provided on the upper portion of the elevation body is slidably set in contact with the undersurface of the contact body.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 1998Date of Patent: October 31, 2000Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shinji Iino, Haruhiko Yoshioka
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Inspection method and apparatus for semiconductor integrated circuit, and vacuum contactor mechanism
Patent number: 6130543Abstract: This vacuum contactor has a contactor body having on its lower surface a plurality of projecting terminals that can come into contact with electrodes of at least one chip formed on a wafer (W), and a dished space member through which the contactor body extends to be integrally supported. The dished space member forms a closed space including the projecting portions of the contactor body. An O-ring which comes into contact with the wafer (W) to form a closed space is arranged on the lower surface of the peripheral wall of the dished space member. The dished space member is connected to an exhaust path and an exhaust pipe. During inspection, the gas in the closed space is exhausted by the exhaust pipe to set the closed space at a low atmospheric pressure. A force that chucks the wafer (W) toward the closed space is applied to the wafer (W) by a suction force generated by the low atmospheric pressure.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 1998Date of Patent: October 10, 2000Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventor: Shinji Iino