Fiducial alignment masks on microelectronic spring contacts
Microelectronic spring contacts with fiducial alignment marks for use on a semiconductor wafer contactor or similar apparatus, and methods for making such marks, are disclosed. Each alignment mark is placed on a pad adjacent to a contact tip. The alignment mark is positioned on the pad so that it will not contact the terminal or any other part of a wafer under test. The alignment mark and the contact tip are preferably positioned on the pad in the same lithographic step. Then, the pad and like pads, selected ones of which also have similar alignment marks, are attached to the ends of an array of resilient contact elements. A plurality of alignment marks in accurate registration with a plurality of contact tips on a contactor is thus disclosed. Configurations for ensuring that the alignment marks remain free of debris and easily located for essentially the entire life of the contactor are disclosed, as are various different exemplary shapes of alignment marks.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to components for testing of semiconductor devices, and more particularly to fiducial alignment marks on microelectronic contacts for use on probe cards, contactors, and similar components.
2. Description of Related Art
Testing of semiconductor devices, particularly wafer-level testing done prior to singulation of semiconductor devices from a wafer, is frequently performed using a component, such as a contactor assembly having a plurality of microelectronic contacts, each of which contacts a terminal pad, solder ball, or other such terminal on the wafer. Because of the very fine pitch at which the terminals on the wafer are disposed, and the correspondingly small scale of the microelectronic contact structures, alignment of contacts and the terminals on the wafer is accomplished with the help of special alignment machines and methods.
According to one prior art alignment method, at least three alignment marks (sometimes called “fiducial” alignment marks) are placed on the wafer at an earlier device manufacturing stage. The position of these marks is known with a high degree of accuracy relative to the terminals or contact pads on the wafer. On the contactor, comparably accurate alignment marks are not present. This has limited the accuracy with which certain types of contactors, such as those with tungsten wire contact elements, can be placed. Tungsten wire contacts cannot be placed on the contactor with a high degree of accuracy, and hence cannot be maintained in registration with marks on the contactor. However, certain other types of contactors, such as contactors with composite contacts having lithographically placed contact tip structures as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,946 (Eldridge et al.), may be provided with a plurality of very accurately positioned spring contact tips.
Generally, to be useful as an alignment mark, a mark must be positioned with an accuracy that is at least one-half the finest pitch (spacing) between adjacent terminals on the wafer. That is, the position of the alignment mark must be known with certainty to be within a sphere having a diameter no greater than one-half of the pitch of the terminals on the semiconductor device. For memory devices, many of which have a pitch of about 80 micrometers (3.2 mil), an accuracy of at least about 40 micrometers (1.6 mil) is accordingly required. Because they are formed during the same lithographic steps used to create electronic features on the wafer, wafer alignment marks can be disposed on the wafer with the required accuracy. Lithographically placed contact tips on some types of contactors are also capable of being disposed on the contactor with comparable accuracy.
According to the prior art alignment method, three or more of these lithographically placed contact tips are selected to serve the function of alignment marks during a subsequent positioning step. Typically, a relatively small flat area on the distal end of the contact tips is used as a visual target. These flat areas are relatively easy to see and distinguish using commonly used vision systems. Using the alignment marks on the wafer and the selected contact tips on the contactor as reference points, the wafer and contactor are then positioned relative to one another so that each of the contact tips on the contactor can make contact with a corresponding terminal on the wafer. Using this method, it is possible to make contact with an array of terminals disposed at a very fine pitch.
Although the foregoing alignment method represents advancement over older methods in that it permits alignment with terminals disposed at pitches down to about 40 micrometers, it suffers from certain limitations. One limitation is related to the use of spring contact tips for alignment of the contactor. During repeated applications of the contactor, such contact tips can become contaminated with debris (such as metal oxides or organic residue) from terminals on the wafers under test. Such debris normally does not interfere with the electrical operation of the contactor, but can make it difficult to locate the selected contact tips with the requisite degree of accuracy. The target areas on the contact tips may become obscured or difficult to see. As even finer pitches for terminals on semiconductors are tested, and the size of contact tips shrinks accordingly, this limitation of the prior art method becomes increasingly apparent and costly to overcome. It is desired, therefore, to provide an apparatus and method that overcomes the limitations of the prior art method and yet is compatible with the installed base of vision and positioning systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides an apparatus and method for providing fiducial alignment marks on a contactor, that overcomes the limitations of prior art methods. According to an embodiment of the invention, an alignment mark is placed on a region or pad adjacent to the contact tip. The alignment mark is positioned on the pad so that it does not contact the terminal or any other part of the wafer under test, preferably so that it remains free of debris from the contact tip after repeated use of the contactor. The alignment mark and the contact tip are preferably positioned on the pad in the same lithographic step. Then, the pad and like pads, selected ones of which also have similar alignment marks, are attached with the assembled alignment marks and contact tips to the ends of an array of resilient contact elements. A plurality of alignment marks in accurate registration with a plurality of contact tips on a contactor may thus be provided. The alignment marks may readily be located to within an accuracy of at least about 3-5 μm (about 0.1 to 0.2 mil), and so may be used in connection with wafers having terminals disposed at a pitch as fine as about 20-30 μm (about 0.8 to 1.2 mil). Higher accuracies, such as positioning the alignment marks with an accuracy of about 1.5 micrometers (0.06 mil), are also believed to be attainable. Furthermore, the alignment marks, including any targets thereon, may be positioned so as to remain free of debris and, therefore, easily located for essentially the entire life of the contactor. The alignment marks may be provided in various different shapes, exemplary ones of which are disclosed herein.
A more complete understanding of the fiducial alignment marks will be afforded to those skilled in the art, as well as a realization of additional advantages and objects thereof, by a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment. Reference will be made to the appended sheets of drawings which will first be described briefly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for providing precise fiducial alignment marks on microelectronic contacts and on contactors carrying a plurality of microelectronic contacts. In the detailed description that follows, like element numerals are used to describe like elements shown in one or more of the figures.
Referring to
Each of the foregoing applications discloses methods, and the resulting spring structures, for making a microelectronic spring structure by depositing (such as by electroplating) a resilient material on or in a sacrificial layer over a substrate, and then removing the sacrificial layer. The sacrificial layer may be shaped to have a sloped or contoured region extending above and away from the substrate, such as by impressing a moldable (plastic) layer using a specially shaped forming tool to form a mold. In the alternative, or in addition, the sacrificial layer is patterned to provide openings revealing the substrate below it. A seed layer is deposited over the sacrificial layer and/or exposed region of the substrate, and patterned in the plan shape of the desired spring structure or component. The resilient layer is then plated onto the seed layer. The sacrificial layer is removed, leaving beam, tip and/or post components that are subsequently assembled to provide structures like structure 100. In some embodiments, no assembly is required because the deposition/patterning steps provide a spring structure having a base portion attached to the substrate and a contoured and/or sloped beam extending therefrom. However, each of the foregoing structures may include a contact tip that is precisely formed using a pattern-masking/etching process and assembled to the spring contact structure. Accordingly, the invention may be readily adapted for use with each of the foregoing structures and methods, and to any other structure that provides a similar opportunity for precise formation of a contact tip to a microelectronic contact structure.
As shown in
The beam 102 of structure 100 is secured to substrate 106 by column elements 104. Substrate 106 comprises a contactor for a semiconductor device, such as a semiconductor wafer. Such contactors often comprise specially shaped slabs of ceramic materials having terminals on opposing major surfaces and internal electrical traces connecting each terminal on a first surface with a corresponding terminal on a second surface. In the alternative, substrate 106 may comprise some other electronic component, such as, for example, a probe card, or other printed circuit board; a semiconductor device, such as a silicon chip or wafer; a ceramic material, or an electrical connector. Column elements 104 are typically attached to a terminal (not shown) of substrate 106, which is in turn connected to a circuit element of an electronic component, such as, for example, an interconnect or interposer substrate, a semiconductor wafer or die, a production or test interconnect socket; a ceramic or plastic semiconductor package, or chip carrier.
Contact tip 114 is attached to surface 108 of beam 102. In an embodiment of the invention, contact tip 114 is attached to pad (stand-off) 112, which is in turn mounted to surface 108. Together, contact tip 114 and pad 112 comprise tip structure 110. Tip structure 110 further comprises an alignment mark 116. Pad 112 is used to elevate contact tip 114 above the upper surface 108 of beam 102, so that the contact tip contacts a face of a mating electronic component before any other part of structure 100. In an alternative embodiment, such as when beam 102 is sloped away from column elements 104 and substrate 106, pad 112 may be omitted, and contact tip 114 and alignment mark 116 may be attached directly to surface 108. In both cases, the contact tip 114 and alignment mark 116 may be formed on a sacrificial substrate and attached together to beam 102, thereby providing precise positioning of the alignment mark with respect to the contact tip as necessary to provide alignment that is at least about as accurate as aligning to the contact tip itself.
A side view of structure 100 is shown in
Similarly, alignment mark 116 may also be prism or pyramidal shaped, because it is advantageous to form the mark 116 on the same sacrificial substrate as the contact tip 114 using the same silicon etching and plating technique. To avoid inadvertent contact with a mating component, mark 116 preferably has a height “h2” that is substantially less than “h1,” such as, for example, between about one-fourth to three-quarters of “h1.” The degree of difference between “h1” and “h2” may vary depending on the requirements of the application and the geometry of the spring contact. For example, an alignment mark that is placed “inboard” of the contact tip, that is, closer to the fixed end of beam 102, as shown in
Consequently, as shown in
The prism-shaped alignment mark 116 shown in plan view in
In other embodiments of the invention, a slab-shaped alignment feature, such as a pad, is provided on a contact structure, optionally separate from the pad of the contact tip. An exemplary circular slab-shaped alignment pad 126 is shown in
As shown in
The pad shaped opening 166 is then filled with one or more metallic layers 168, 170, such as by electroplating, to provide a filled opening as shown in
Alignment marks need not be placed on contact structures exactly like the structures which carry contact tips. The alignment function of the marks may also be realized by placing them on elevated platforms that are constructed to provide a mounting surface substantially co-planar with the surfaces to which the contact tips are mounted. The elevated platform may be resilient, or supported to be substantially rigid (i.e., substantially non-resilient). A plan view of a substantially rigid elevated platform 180 adjacent to spring contacts 184 on a substrate 106 is shown in
A side cross-section of platform 180 is shown in
When the alignment marks are large relative to the contact tips, if may be preferable to use pad-type marks like mark 192 or recessed marks like marks 188. Raised alignment marks may be less preferred for such applications, because of the small clearance provided by the contact tips. Furthermore, contact tips like microtips 182 may not provide sufficient vertical clearance even when the alignment marks are not raised, e.g., pad-type mark 192 and/or marks 188 below the surface of pad 190. Therefore, it may be further desirable to recess the pad-type mark and pads for alignment marks below the base of the microtips, as shown in
The first resist layer 206 is then stripped and a second resist layer 206 is applied and patterned to reveal pad-shaped openings like opening 208 where tip structures are to be formed. The substrate is again etched to provide a plurality of pad-shaped recesses like recess 209 shown in
The second resist layer is then stripped, and a third resist layer 210 is applied and patterned to provide a plurality of small openings like opening 212 where contact tips are to be formed. The substrate 200 is again etched to form a plurality of pyramidal pits like pit 214 shown in
The third resist layer is then stripped and a seed/release layer (not shown) is applied. A fourth resist layer (not shown) is applied to substrate 200 and patterned to provide pad-shaped openings over protrusions 204 and pits 214, similarly to as previously described in connection with
It should also be appreciated that the alignment mark may be added to the tip structure after producing the tip structure, for example, by further selective etching or laser marking. Although it is generally preferable to form the alignment marks in the same lithographic step as the contact tips, this may not always be possible. For example, it some cases it may be desirable to add alignment marks to a contactor that was manufactured without them. The following example exemplifies a method for adding alignment marks in a later step.
Referring to
In some embodiments of the invention, the relative position(s) of the contact tips may be measured and recorded in a data file or database. This data may be obtained from the design process, or measured directly after fabrication by optical or other measurement methods. Such data may be particularly useful for contactors having a plurality of contacts and alignment marks, where the amount of offset between the contact tips of the contacts and the alignments marks varies somewhat from contact to contact across the contactor. Such variations may be more likely to occur when the alignment marks are not formed in the same lithographic step as the contact tips, such as, for example, when the alignment marks are formed by laser. To obtain such data, a single point, such as the tip of a contact tip on the contactor, is preferably selected as a reference point. It can sometimes be assumed that all of the contact tips are in substantially fixed relation to the reference point, but for precise positioning, it may be desirable to measure the positions of the contact tips as well. The position of each alignment mark relative to one or more adjacent contact tips (i.e., the offset) may then be measured. From the measured offsets the coordinates of the alignment mark with respect to the fixed reference point may be determined, irrespective of any variations in offset distances. The coordinate data may then be input into the test system used to align and place the contact tips for the testing operation, and thus an optimal alignment between the contactor and the device or wafer to be tested can be obtained.
A method for aligning and contacting corresponding arrays of microelectronic contact elements using alignment marks is exemplified as follows. The arrays comprise a first array and a second array, and the object is to achieve contact between corresponding contact elements of the first array and of the second array. The contact elements of the first array comprise a plurality of contact tips in a substantially fixed relationship to the first array, and a plurality of alignment features. Selected ones of the contact elements of the first array each further comprises an alignment feature spaced apart from a contact tip, as described above. The first array may comprise contact elements of a probe card, and the second array may comprise contact elements of a wafer, but the invention is not limited thereby.
The method comprises, as an initial step, determining coordinates of the plurality of alignment features relative to selected ones of the plurality of contact tips of the first array. This can be accomplished by direct measurement, or based on a known relationship between elements formed using a pattern-masking/etch process. The second array is maintained in a known position, such as by being held in a wafer chuck mounted to the frame of a testing system. The first array is also mounted in a corresponding movable test head of the testing system. When the arrays are mounted in a suitable testing system, a position of the first array relative to the second array is determined by transforming measured positions of the plurality of alignment features relative to the second array using the coordinates. That is, the position of the contact tips of the first array is determined by measuring the position of the alignment features and applying a suitable correction based on the coordinate data. The first array is then positioned relative to the second array based on its determined position until contact is achieved between corresponding contact elements of the first array and of the second array. The position of the contact tips may be repeatedly determined as often as desired during the positioning process. Using the method, the contact tips can be positioned with accuracy to contact corresponding pads or other contact elements of the second array, without any need to find or measure the location of the contact tips themselves during the testing process.
Having thus described a preferred embodiment of fiducial alignment marks on microelectronic contacts, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain advantages of the within system have been achieved. It should also be appreciated that various modifications, adaptations, and alternative embodiments thereof may be made within the scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, a fiducial alignment mark on or adjacent to a pad with a contact tip has been illustrated, but it should be apparent that the inventive concepts described above would be equally applicable to any fiducial mark that is attached to (or formed on) an array of contacts in the same manufacturing step as the contact tips of the array. Furthermore, the inventive concepts would also be applicable to alignment marks that are placed on other types of microelectronic contacts than shown herein, in registration with, or in measured relation to co-located contact tips. For example, alignment marks may be placed on membrane probe cards or on contact elements that are not primarily resilient, such as on buckling-type probes. Similarly, the method of aligning arrays of contact elements using alignment marks on contact elements of at least one of the arrays is not limited to use with a particular type of contactor or device. Rather, the method may be used with any array of contact elements upon which it is possible to place alignment marks or features in registration or measured relation with the contact tips or points of such contact elements. The invention is further defined by the following claims.
Claims
1-14. (canceled)
15. A method for forming a tip structure for a microelectronic contact, the tip structure comprising an alignment mark and a contact tip, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming the contact tip and the alignment mark on a sacrificial substrate;
- transferring the contact tip and the alignment mark to a component of a microelectronic contact; and
- removing the sacrificial substrate after said transferring step.
16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising forming the contact tip and the alignment mark by etching the sacrificial substrate through a patterned resist layer to form depressions therein, and depositing a material in the depressions.
17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising forming a pad attached to each of the contact tip and the alignment mark by depositing a material in an opening in a patterned sacrificial layer on the sacrificial substrate, wherein the opening is positioned over the depressions.
18. The method according to claim 15, wherein said forming step further comprises forming the contact tip by etching the sacrificial substrate through a patterned resist layer to form a depression.
19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising depositing a sacrificial layer on the sacrificial substrate after said forming step, patterning the sacrificial layer to define a first opening therein positioned over the depression, and depositing a material in the first opening to form a pad attached to the contact tip.
20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising patterning the sacrificial layer to define at least one second opening, and depositing a material in the second opening to form the alignment mark adjacent to and separate from the pad, the alignment mark having a thickness substantially equal to the pad.
21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising providing the alignment mark with at least one depression in a surface thereof by defining the at least one second opening over a protrusion on the sacrificial substrate.
22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising forming the protrusion prior to said forming the contact tip step by depositing a resist layer on the sacrificial substrate, removing the resist layer except in a location where the protrusion is to be formed, etching the sacrificial substrate to form the protrusion, and removing the resist layer.
23. A method for forming a contactor having a plurality of microelectronic contacts and a plurality of alignment marks, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a contactor substrate having a plurality of microelectronic contacts thereon;
- forming the plurality of contact tips and the plurality of alignment marks on a sacrificial substrate;
- transferring the plurality of contact tips and the plurality of alignment marks to the plurality of microelectronic contacts; and
- removing the sacrificial substrate after said transferring step.
24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising forming the plurality of contact tips and the plurality of alignment marks by etching the sacrificial substrate through a patterned resist layer to form depressions therein, and depositing a material in the depressions.
25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising forming a plurality of pads, one of the plurality of pads attached to each of the plurality of contact tips and to each of the plurality of alignment marks, by depositing a material in a plurality of openings in a patterned sacrificial layer on the sacrificial substrate, wherein each of the plurality of openings is positioned over at least one of the depressions.
26. The method according to claim 23, wherein said forming step further comprises forming the plurality of contact tips by etching the sacrificial substrate through a patterned resist layer to form a plurality of depressions.
27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising depositing a sacrificial layer on the sacrificial substrate after said forming step, patterning the sacrificial layer to define a first plurality of openings therein each positioned over one of the plurality of depressions, and depositing a material in the first plurality of openings to form a plurality of pads each attached to one of the plurality of contact tips.
28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising patterning the sacrificial layer to define a second plurality of openings, and depositing a material in the second plurality of openings to form the plurality of alignment marks adjacent to and separate from the plurality of pads, the plurality of alignment marks having a thickness substantially equal to the plurality of pads.
29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising providing at least selected ones of the plurality of alignment marks with at least one depression in a surface thereof by defining each of at least selected ones of the second plurality of openings over at least one of a plurality of protrusions on the sacrificial substrate.
30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising forming the plurality of protrusions prior to said forming the plurality of contact tips step by depositing a resist layer on the sacrificial substrate, removing the resist layer except where ones of the plurality of protrusions are to be formed, etching the sacrificial substrate to form the plurality of protrusions, and removing the resist layer.
31. A method for forming a microelectronic contact structure, comprising an alignment mark and a contact tip, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming a microelectronic contact structure comprising a contact tip attached to a supporting structure; and
- forming an alignment mark on the supporting structure a defined offset distance away from the contact tip.
32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the second forming step further comprises forming the alignment mark using a laser.
33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the second forming step further comprises forming the alignment mark using a ion-beam assisted metal deposition.
34. The method according to claim 31, further comprising recording coordinates of the defined offset distance relative to the contact tip.
35. The method according to claim 31, wherein said first forming step further comprises forming the contact tip on a sacrificial substrate, transferring the contact tip to the supporting structure, and removing the sacrificial substrate after said transferring step.
36. The method according to claim 31, wherein said second forming step further comprises forming the alignment mark on a sacrificial substrate, transferring the alignment mark to the supporting structure, and removing the sacrificial substrate after said transferring step.
37. The method according to claim 36, wherein said first forming step further comprises forming the contact tip on the sacrificial substrate, transferring the contact tip to the supporting structure, and removing the sacrificial substrate after said transferring step.
38. A method for aligning and contacting corresponding arrays of microelectronic contact elements comprising a first array and a second array to achieve contact between corresponding contact elements of the first array and of the second array, wherein the contact elements of the first array comprise a plurality of contact tips and a plurality of alignment features, and selected ones of the contact elements of the first array each further comprises an alignment feature spaced apart from a contact tip, the method comprising:
- determining coordinates of the plurality of alignment features relative to selected ones of the plurality of contact tips of the first array;
- maintaining the second array in a known position;
- determining a determined position of the first array relative to the second array by transforming measured positions of the plurality of alignment features relative to the second array using the coordinates;
- positioning the first array relative to the second array using the determined position to achieve contact between corresponding contact elements of the first array and of the second array.
39. The method of claim 38, further comprising creating a data file of the coordinates and providing the data file to a robotic system for aligning the first array with the second array.
40. The method of claim 38, further comprising measuring the measured positions of the plurality of alignment features using a machine vision system.
41. The method of claim 38, further comprising continuously repeating said second determining step during said positioning step.
42. The method of claim 38, wherein the plurality of contact tips of the first array are in a substantially fixed relationship to the first array during the first and second determining steps.
43. A method for aligning an array of contact elements on a contactor with corresponding contact elements on a device, the method comprising:
- forming an alignment feature on at least one of the contact elements on the contactor, wherein the alignment feature is spaced apart from a contact tip of the at least one of the contact elements;
- determining a position of the alignment feature relative to the contact tip; and
- aligning the contactor with the device using the position of the alignment feature.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 22, 2005
Publication Date: Mar 30, 2006
Applicant:
Inventors: Robert Martin (San Francisco, CA), Eric Watje (Santa Clara, CA)
Application Number: 11/209,221
International Classification: G01R 31/02 (20060101);