Abstract: A prober can suppress a decrease of a throughput in inspection of semiconductor devices on a substrate. The prober 10 includes a stage 11 having a horizontal mounting surface 11a that mounts thereon a wafer W on which semiconductor devices are formed; a probe card 16 provided to face the stage 11; three roller devices 26, each having a vertical rotational shaft, equally-spaced along a circumference of the mounted wafer W. Each roller device 26 is configured to rotate the wafer W on a horizontal plane while being in contact with a peripheral edge of the wafer W.

Abstract: A probe apparatus of inspecting electrical characteristics of a power device having electrodes on both sides of a substrate at wafer level can reduce and uniformize a contact resistance between the electrode on a rear surface of the substrate and a mounting surface conductor of a chuck top. In the probe apparatus, an attracting device supports a semiconductor wafer W on the chuck top 12, and has many vertical fine holes in a pattern (diameter ? and pitch p) that satisfies the condition of ?<p?2?. For example, the diameter ? is about 0.25 mm, and the pitch p is about 0.5 mm.

Abstract: A prober can suppress a decrease of a throughput in inspection of semiconductor devices on a substrate. The prober 10 includes a stage 11 having a horizontal mounting surface 11a that mounts thereon a wafer W on which semiconductor devices are formed; a probe card 16 provided to face the stage 11; three roller devices 26, each having a vertical rotational shaft, equally-spaced along a circumference of the mounted wafer W. Each roller device 26 is configured to rotate the wafer W on a horizontal plane while being in contact with a peripheral edge of the wafer W.

Abstract: A probe apparatus of inspecting electrical characteristics of a power device having electrodes on both sides of a substrate at wafer level can reduce and uniformize a contact resistance between the electrode on a rear surface of the substrate and a mounting surface conductor of a chuck top. In the probe apparatus, an attracting device supports a semiconductor wafer W on the chuck top 12, and has many vertical fine holes in a pattern (diameter ? and pitch p) that satisfies the condition of ?<p?2?. For example, the diameter ? is about 0.25 mm, and the pitch p is about 0.5 mm.

Abstract: An inspection method for inspecting electric characteristics of devices formed on a target object using an apparatus including a vertical drive mechanism for lifting and lowering a movable mounting table and a control unit for controlling the vertical drive mechanism. The vertical drive mechanism includes an elevation shaft connected to the mounting table and a servo motor for driving the elevation shaft to lift and lower the mounting table. The control unit has a servo driver including a position control part for controlling a position of the motor, a torque control part for controlling a torque of the motor as a probe card is expanded or contracted by a change in temperature and a switching part for switching the position control part and the torque control part. The method includes heating or cooling the target object, controlling a position of the motor, and controlling a torque of the motor.

Abstract: An inspection method for inspecting electric characteristics of devices formed on a target object using an apparatus including a vertical drive mechanism for lifting and lowering a movable mounting table and a control unit for controlling the vertical drive mechanism. The vertical drive mechanism includes an elevation shaft connected to the mounting table and a servo motor for driving the elevation shaft to lift and lower the mounting table. The control unit has a servo driver including a position control part for controlling a position of the motor, a torque control part for controlling a torque of the motor as a probe card is expanded or contracted by a change in temperature and a switching part for switching the position control part and the torque control part. The method includes heating or cooling the target object, controlling a position of the motor, and controlling a torque of the motor.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus for inspecting electric characteristics of a plurality of devices formed on a target object includes a vertical drive mechanism for lifting and lowering a movable mounting table and a control unit for controlling the vertical drive mechanism. The vertical drive mechanism includes an elevation shaft connected to the mounting table and a servo motor for driving the elevation shaft to lift and lower the mounting table. Further, the control unit has a servo driver which includes a position control part for controlling a position of the servo motor, a torque control part for controlling a torque of the servo motor as a probe card is expanded or contracted by a change in temperature and a switching part for switching the position control part and the torque control part.

Abstract: An inspecting apparatus is provided for inspecting electrical characteristics of an object (W) to be inspected, such as a semiconductor wafer. The inspecting apparatus is provided with a placing table (11) for supporting the object, a lift mechanism (12) for bringing up and down the placing table, and a driving apparatus (24) for driving the lift mechanism. The apparatus is also provided with a probe (13A) which makes contact with the object on the placing table brought up by the lift mechanism driven by the driving apparatus, and a load sensor (21), including a compression-type piezoelectric element, for detecting a contact load between the object and the probe as an oscillation waveform.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus for inspecting electric characteristics of a plurality of devices formed on a target object includes a vertical drive mechanism for lifting and lowering a movable mounting table and a control unit for controlling the vertical drive mechanism. The vertical drive mechanism includes an elevation shaft connected to the mounting table and a servo motor for driving the elevation shaft to lift and lower the mounting table. Further, the control unit has a servo driver which includes a position control part for controlling a position of the servo motor, a torque control part for controlling a torque of the servo motor as a probe card is expanded or contracted by a change in temperature and a switching part for switching the position control part and the torque control part.

Abstract: An inspecting apparatus is provided for inspecting electrical characteristics of an object (W) to be inspected, such as a semiconductor wafer. The inspecting apparatus is provided with a placing table (11) for supporting the object, a lift mechanism (12) for bringing up and down the placing table, and a driving apparatus (24) for driving the lift mechanism. The apparatus is also provided with a probe (13A) which makes contact with the object on the placing table brought up by the lift mechanism driven by the driving apparatus, and a load sensor (21), including a compression-type piezoelectric element, for detecting a contact load between the object and the probe as an oscillation waveform.

Abstract: A probing method for inspecting electrical characteristics of an object by probes, including mounting the object on a main chuck having an X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis which are driven by X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis driving mechanisms, moving the main chuck in X-, Y-, and Z-directions by driving the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis by the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis driving mechanisms such that each of electrode pads of the object mounted on the main chuck is brought into contact with each of probes of a probe card above the main chuck, and overdriving the main chuck by simultaneously and collectively controlling the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis driving mechanisms such that the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis driving mechanisms simultaneously overdrive the main chuck to keep a tip portion of each of the probes within a surface area of the electrode pad of the object.