Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting characteristics of semiconductor chips has a loading device for loading semiconductor chips onto a testing tray positioned by a servo motor, a CCD camera, an upper contact fixture controlled in X, Y, and .THETA. directions, and a lower contacting fixture driven by a cylinder. Positioning of the contact probe pins is accurately achieved by pattern processing and fully automated inspection is made possible. The apparatus is equipped with the same number of contact probe pins as the number of inspection points of a semiconductor chip; hence, all the cells of a semiconductor chip can be inspected as a unit. Therefore, the inspection can be made in a mode similar to practical conditions that occur after final assembly of the semiconductor chip.