Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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).

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: The invention provides a simple, light-weight inspection device by arranging a mechanical path switching mechanism.

Abstract: A conductor pattern test apparatus comprises a DC voltage power source for applying a predetermined DC voltage to an end of one of a plurality of conductor patterns arranged in parallel with each other, a current measurement circuit for measuring a current flowing to another conductor pattern adjacent to the one of the conductor patterns via the end by the DC voltage power source to the end, and a short-circuit position calculation circuit for calculating a resistance value from the end to a short-circuited part of the two conductor patterns adjacent to each other, based on the current value measured by the current measurement circuit and the voltage value applied by the DC power source, and locating a position of the short-circuited part based on the calculated resistance value and a resistance value of a conductor pattern having no short-circuit. A disconnect location is also obtained.

Abstract: A transfer unit according to the invention employs a transfer member movable between a standby position and an inspection position, a detection unit provided at the transfer member for detecting the position of the object on a support surface of the transfer member, a rotatable mount member having a mount surface on which the object is mounted, and capable of transferring the object between the mount surface and the support surface of the transfer member, and a control unit for calculating an amount of deviation of the object from a reference position on the basis of a detection value of the detection unit, the control unit also driving the mount member and the transfer member to correct the amount of deviation of the object from the reference position on the basis of the calculation result.

Abstract: A substrate inspecting method has a step of previously storing as initial setting data the positional information of a mounting table on which the substrate is placed and the positional information of the probe, a calibration step of moving a first alignment member provided at a position away by a specified distance from the mounting table together with the mounting table, and aligning the first alignment member with a second alignment member fixed to a position away by a specified distance from the probe, a step of calculating a distance between the calibrated position and the mutual probe/pad contact position on the basis of the previously stored initial setting data, and moving the mounting table on the basis of the calculated results to position the pad at the probe, and a step of contacting the pad of the substrate on the mounting table with the probe, and sending a test signal to a pattern circuit on the substrate to inspect.

Abstract: A probe apparatus incorporated into a lighting inspection system for LCD panels, includes a store section, a process section, and a transfer section interposed between them. An examination mechanism having a probe card is arranged in an examination area of the process section. Right and left alignment areas are formed so as to interpose the examination area, and right and left work tables on which the LCD panels are to be loaded, are arranged on the right and left alignment areas, respectively. The movement of the right and left work tables is controlled by a controller, and the LCD panels on the right and left work tables are alternately examined in the examination area by the examination mechanism.

Abstract: A conductor pattern test apparatus comprises a DC voltage power source for applying a predetermined DC voltage to an end of one of a plurality of conductor patterns arranged in parallel with each other, a current measurement circuit for measuring a current flowing to another conductor pattern adjacent to the one of the conductor patterns via the end by the DC voltage power source to the end, and a short-circuit position calculation circuit for calculating a resistance value from the end to a short-circuited part of the two conductor patterns adjacent to each other, based on the current value measured by the current measurement circuit and the voltage value applied by the DC power source, and locating a position of the short-circuited part based on the calculated resistance value and a resistance value of a conductor pattern having no short-circuit. A disconnection position calculator calculates a capacitance value from voltage values.

Abstract: A probe apparatus having a burn-in test function includes an apparatus body, a probe card, having a plurality of probes, for causing the plurality of probes to electrically contact a semiconductor wafer, a tester for measuring the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor wafer, heating and cooling mechanisms for applying a thermal stress to test target chips, as targets of the burn-in test, of the semiconductor wafer, and an electrical mechanism for applying an electrical stress to the chips.

Abstract: A probe card used in a probing test machine which send and receive test signals into circuits through pads of a semiconductor chip, thereby examining the electrical characteristics of the circuits. The probe card comprises a supporting plate, a flexible printed circuit base including a flexible film base material supported by the supporting plate, circuits printed on the film base material being connected electrically to a tester, contactors connected electrically to the printed circuits and adapted to be brought into contact with the pads in equally corresponding relation, and a cushioning medium designed so as to back up a section in which the contactors are mounted. When the contactors are brought into contact with the pads, individually, the cushioning medium undergoes an elastic deformation, so that the contact between the contactors and the pads is improved.

Abstract: A self-hardenable material comprising a calcium phosphate having an atomic ratio of Ca/P of 1.4 to 1.6, a difficultly water-soluble inorganic fluoride, an organic or inorganic acid and water is provided. For example, when the hardenable material is frilled in the form of slurry or paste in a necessary part in vivo or in the dental cavity, it hardens within a short time to form a stable apatite type product.

Abstract: A fine particulate crystalline aluminum orthophosphate is obtained by reacting an aqueous phosphoric acid solution with an aluminum oxide under heating in an organic solvent which is incompatible with water.

Abstract: A calcium-phosphorus apatite is obtained by reacting a calcium compound with a phosphorus compound under reflux in a reaction medium consisting mainly of an organic solvent and water.