Patents Assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon Micronics
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Patent number: 11971431Abstract: An optical probe includes a first region and a second region connected to have a continuous optical waveguide in which a transmission mode is a single mode. The first region connected to a tip-end surface opposed to an optical device includes a region in which a mode field diameter that is maximum at the tip-end surface is gradually decreased toward a boundary between the first region and the second region. The tip-end surface is a curved surface and has a radius of curvature set so that an advancing direction of an optical signal entering through the tip-end surface approximates in parallel to a central-axis direction of the optical waveguide.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2021Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Michitaka Okuta, Yuki Saito, Jukiya Fukushi, Shou Harako
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Patent number: 11971296Abstract: A measurement method of receiving an emission light output from an optical semiconductor element on an incident end surface of an optical probe, shifts a relative position between the optical semiconductor element and the optical probe on a plane surface intersecting with an optical axis of the emission light, measures an incident intensity of the emission light at several positions, and obtains an incident intensity pattern showing a relationship between a change in the relative position and the respective incident intensities.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2021Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Michitaka Okuta, Yuki Saito, Hisao Narita, Shou Harako, Jukiya Fukushi, Tomokazu Saito, Toshinaga Takeya
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Patent number: 11965911Abstract: An inspection apparatus makes an inspection of electrical characteristics of an object to be inspected using a contactor brought into electrical contact with an electrode of the object to be inspected, the inspection apparatus including: a position adjusting unit including the contactor, a position adjusting section that adjusts a tip position of the contactor, and a load detecting section that detects a value of contact load between the contactor and the electrode; a position deriving section that derives an initial position of the contactor in a specific direction based on a relationship between an amount of contact displacement of the contactor in the specific direction and the value of contact load between the contactor and the electrode; and a movement performing section that moves the tip position of the contactor based on the initial position in the specific direction derived by the position deriving section.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2022Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventors: Satoshi Narita, Jun Shirato
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Patent number: 11899054Abstract: A connecting device for inspection includes a probe head configured to hold electric contacts and optical contacts such that tip ends of the respective contacts are exposed on a lower surface of the probe head while proximal ends of the electric contacts are exposed on an upper surface of the probe head and the optical contacts are fixed to the probe head, and a transformer including connecting wires provided therein such that tip ends on one side of the connecting wires electrically connected to the proximal ends of the electric contacts exposed on the upper surface of the probe head are arranged in a lower surface of the transformer while the optical contacts slidably penetrate the transformer. A positional relationship between the tip end of the respective electric contacts and the tip end of the respective optical contacts on the lower surface of the probe head corresponds to a positional relationship between an electrical signal terminal and an optical signal terminal of a semiconductor device.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2020Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventor: Minoru Sato
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Patent number: 11874511Abstract: [Problem] To allow to condense and guide the light emitted by a light emitting element having a large light emission surface to an optical connector, in inspection of a semiconductor integrated circuit. [Solution] The present disclosure provides a connecting apparatus used at the time of inspection of a semiconductor integrated circuit, and the connecting apparatus includes an electric connector electrically connecting to an electrode terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit, an optical connector optically connecting to an optical terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit, a connector support substrate configured to support the electric connector and the optical connector so that an end part of the electric connector and an end part of the optical connector respectively connect to the semiconductor integrated circuit, and a light condensing substrate configured to condense light emitted by an optical terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit to the optical connector.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2022Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventors: Hiroshi Kamiya, Yuki Komai, Hisao Narita
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Patent number: 11860190Abstract: It is possible to make the free length of a contactor uniform even when the contactor is joined to a position that deviates from a joint position in a high-frequency conducting path and make contact with an electrode with stability, which improves measurement quality. A probe unit according to the present disclosure includes: a coaxial connector that is attached to a main body and gives and receives an electrical signal to and from a tester via a coaxial cable; a high-frequency conducting path that is connected to the coaxial connector and transmits an electrical signal; a plurality of contactors, each having a tip portion that makes electrical contact with an electrode of an object to be inspected and giving and receiving an electrical signal to and from the high-frequency conducting path; and a pedestal that is interposed between the contactor and the high-frequency conducting path, and the pedestal is provided in each contactor such that a free length of the contactor is a predetermined length.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2022Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventors: Satoshi Narita, Shou Harako, Jukiya Fukushi
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Patent number: 11828773Abstract: An electrical connecting device includes an insulating probe including a bottom-side plunger, a top-side plunger, and a barrel, and a probe head including a combined guide plate having a conductive region made of a conductive material and an insulating region made of an insulating material arranged adjacent to each other in a planar view. The bottom-side plunger and the top-side plunger are electrically connected to each other inside the barrel, and the bottom-side plunger and the top-side plunger are electrically insulated from the barrel. The probe head holds the insulating probe in a state in which the barrel penetrates through the conductive region. The barrel of the insulating probe is connected to a ground potential via the conductive region when an inspection object is measured.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2019Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventor: Akihiro Shuto
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Patent number: 11762008Abstract: A connecting device for inspection includes a probe head configured to hold electric contacts and optical contacts such that tip ends of the respective contacts are exposed on a lower surface of the probe head, and a transformer including connecting wires arranged therein and optical wires penetrating therethrough. The respective proximal ends of the electric contacts and the optical contacts are exposed on an upper surface of the probe head, and tip ends on one side of the connecting wires electrically connected to the proximal ends of the electric contacts and connecting ends of the optical wires optically connected to the proximal ends of the optical contacts are arranged in a lower surface of the transformer.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2020Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventor: Minoru Sato
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Patent number: 11747365Abstract: An object is to enhance the durability of substrates of a probe substrate and/or the probe substrate and a member to be joined.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2019Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICS, TANAKA KIKINZOKU KOGYO K.K.Inventors: Toshinori Omori, Kazuya Goto, Yasuaki Osanai, Takashi Akiniwa, Takeki Sugisawa, Takeshi Kondo, Shintaro Abe, Maki Watanabe
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Patent number: 11709182Abstract: An electrical connecting device includes a probe head, and probes for measurement and probes for confirmation held by the probe head. The probe head holds the probes for measurement and the probes for confirmation in a state in which the respective tip ends are exposed therefrom. An exposed length from the probe head to the tip end is shorter for the probes for confirmation than for the probes for measurement.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2021Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventor: Shota Hetsugi
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Patent number: 11624679Abstract: An optical probe receives an optical signal output from a test subject. The optical probe includes an optical waveguide composed of a core portion and a cladding portion disposed on an outer periphery of the core portion, wherein an incident surface of the optical waveguide, which receives the optical signal, is a convex spherical surface with a constant curvature radius.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2020Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Michitaka Okuta, Yuki Saito, Toshinaga Takeya, Shou Harako, Jukiya Fukushi, Minoru Sato, Hisao Narita
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Patent number: 11592402Abstract: A connecting device for inspection includes optical probes, and a probe head including a plurality of guide plates. The probe head includes a first guide plate, and a second guide plate arranged movably with respect to the first guide plate in a radial direction of the penetration holes in a state in which the optical probes are inserted to the respective penetration holes. The probe head holds the optical probes by inner wall surfaces of the penetration holes of the first guide plate and inner wall surfaces of the penetration holes of the second guide plate in a state in which the positions of the central axes of the penetration holes of the first guide plate are shifted in the radial direction from the positions of the central axes of the penetration holes of the second guide plate.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2021Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventor: Minoru Sato
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Publication number: 20230003764Abstract: The present disclosure is an inspection apparatus that makes an inspection of electrical characteristics of an object to be inspected. using a contactor brought into electrical contact with an electrode of the object to be inspected, the inspection apparatus including: a position adjusting unit including the contactor, a position adjusting section that adjusts a tip position of the contactor, and a load. detecting section that detects a value of contact load between the contactor and the electrode; a position deriving section that derives an initial position of the contactor in a specific direction based on a relationship between an amount of contact displacement of the contactor in the specific direction and the value of contact load between the contactor and the electrode; and a movement performing section that moves the tip position of the contactor based on the initial position in the specific direction derived by the position deriving section.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2022Publication date: January 5, 2023Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventors: SATOSHI NARITA, JUN SHIRATO
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Publication number: 20220390489Abstract: It is possible to make the free length of a contactor uniform even when the contactor is joined to a position that deviates from a joint position in a high-frequency conducting path and make contact with an electrode with stability, which improves measurement quality. A probe unit according to the present disclosure includes: a coaxial connector that is attached to a main body and gives and receives an electrical signal to and from a tester via a coaxial cable; a high-frequency conducting path that is connected to the coaxial connector and transmits an electrical signal; a plurality of contactors, each having a tip portion that makes electrical contact with an electrode of an object to be inspected and giving and receiving an electrical signal to and from the high-frequency conducting path; and a pedestal that is interposed between the contactor and the high-frequency conducting path, and the pedestal is provided in each contactor such that a free length of the contactor is a predetermined length.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventors: SATOSHI NARITA, SHOU HARAKO, JUKIYA FUKUSHI
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Patent number: 11502472Abstract: To provide a method of manufacturing an electrical contactor including a volute spring structure extending in upward and downward directions formed integrally using a single material, having mechanical simplicity and excellent functionality, and functioning as an electric circuit achieving connection without loss.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2021Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventor: Tomoaki Kuga
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Patent number: 11482805Abstract: Provided is an electrical contactor that is formed from a small number of components that can improve the conductivity in the electrical contactor, while improving the slidability of an elastic member and the electrical contact stability with a contact target.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2020Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventor: Tomoaki Kuga
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Patent number: 11435392Abstract: An inspection method includes a step S20 of electrically connecting electrical signal terminals of a semiconductor device to electric connectors, and optically connecting optical signal terminals of the semiconductor device to optical connectors, a step S30 of measuring a test light output signal output from a monitoring element provided in an inspection object in response to a test input signal having been input to the monitoring element while adjusting conditions of a position and an inclination of the inspection object, and extracting conditions in which an optical intensity of the test light output signal is a predetermined determination value or greater as inspection conditions, and a step S40 of inspecting the semiconductor device under the inspection conditions.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2019Date of Patent: September 6, 2022Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Osamu Arai, Hiroshi Kamiya
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Patent number: 11428727Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a prober that is able to carry out accurate inspection of semiconductor device in wafer state by reducing the effect of the external noises and the leakage of current and further by eliminating the stray capacitance of the chuck stage against the prober housing.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2019Date of Patent: August 30, 2022Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventors: Katsuo Yasuta, Mamoru Aruga
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Publication number: 20220260792Abstract: [Problem] To allow to condense and guide the light emitted by a light emitting element having a large light emission surface to an optical connector, in inspection of a semiconductor integrated circuit. [Solution] The present disclosure provides a connecting apparatus used at the time of inspection of a semiconductor integrated circuit, and the connecting apparatus includes an electric connector electrically connecting to an electrode terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit, an optical connector optically connecting to an optical terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit, a connector support substrate configured to support the electric connector and the optical connector so that an end part of the electric connector and an end part of the optical connector respectively connect to the semiconductor integrated circuit, and a light condensing substrate configured to condense light emitted by an optical terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit to the optical connector.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2022Publication date: August 18, 2022Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventors: HIROSHI KAMIYA, YUKI KOMAI, HISAO NARITA
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Patent number: 11378591Abstract: An electrical connection device includes: a wiring board in which lands are arranged on a main surface; and probes. Each of the probes has a distal end portion that contacts an object to be measured and a proximal end portion that contacts the land. A material of a surface film of the proximal end portion, which contacts the land, is a metal material different in composition from a material of the land that contacts the surface film.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2020Date of Patent: July 5, 2022Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Kenichi Tsuruta, Takayuki Hayashizaki, Koichiro Tokumaru, Miyuki Tomooka