# US 11,307,246 B2 · Probing apparatus and method of operating the same

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- Number: US 11,307,246 B2
- Document ID: US11307246B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/580,145
- Filed: 2019-09-24
- Published: 2021-03-25
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-24
- Assignees: Star Technologies Inc.
- Applicants: Star Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Choon Leong Lou; Yi Ming Lau
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307246B2

## CPC

- G01R 31/2887: {involving moving the probe head or the IC under test; docking stations (moving single probes G01R1/06705; moving individual probes in multiple probes G01R1/07392)}
- G01R 31/2891: {related to sensing or controlling of force, position, temperature (G01R31/2874 takes precedence; sensing of force G01L; sensing of position G01B, G01D; sensing of temperature G01K; controlling in general G05)}
- G01R 1/0433: {Sockets for IC's or transistors}
- G01R 1/07342: {the body of the probe being at an angle other than perpendicular to test object, e.g. probe card}
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)

## Abstract

A probing apparatus includes a chuck supporting a DUT, and a platform with an opening above the chuck. The probing apparatus further includes first and second rails positioned at first and second sides of the platform, respectively. The probing apparatus further includes a probing device, the probing device includes a probing module slidably along the first and second rails, and a first motor system configured to automatically align a probe card with the DUT. The probing module includes a third rail with two ends slidably attached to the first and second rails, respectively, a probing stage slidably attached to the third rail, and the probe card attached to the probing stage. The first motor system includes a first motor configured to control movement of the probing stage along the third rail, and a second motor configured to control movement of the probing module along the first and second rails.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A probing apparatus for probing multiple integrated circuit devices, comprising:
a chuck configured to support a device under test (DUT);
a platform with an opening above the chuck;
a first rail positioned at a first side of the platform;
a second rail positioned at a second side opposite to the first side of the platform;
a probing module slidable along the first and second rails; wherein the probing module includes a third rail with two ends slidably attached to the first and second rails, respectively, a probing stage slidably attached to the third rail, and a probe card attached to the probing stage;
a first motor system configured to automatically align the probe card with the DUT, and including a first motor configured to control movement of the probing stage along the third rail, and a second motor configured to control movement of the probing module along the first and second rails;
a temperature-controlling device configured to adjust a temperature of a probe of the probe card to a predetermined temperature; and
a second motor system configured to automatically align the probe card with the DUT after the temperature-controlling device adjusts the temperature of the probe of the probe card to the predetermined temperature.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The probing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first motor is electrically connected to the probing stage.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The probing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second motor is electrically connected to the probing module.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The probing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second motor is configured to synchronously move the two ends of the third rail along the first and second rails, respectively.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The probing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second motor system includes a first tuning motor configured to control movement of the probing stage along a first direction parallel to the third rail, a second tuning motor configured to control movement of the probing stage along a second direction parallel to the first and second rails, a third tuning motor configured to control movement of the probing stage along a third direction toward or away from the chuck, and a fourth tuning motor configured to control orientation of the probe card relative to the probing stage.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The probing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the fourth tuning motor is configured to centrally rotate the probing stage relative to the probing stage to align the probe card with the DUT.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The probing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the probing stage further comprises a carrier configured to hold the probe card.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The probing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the opening has a rectangular shape.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The probing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DUT is a semiconductor device or a wafer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The probing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the probe card includes a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, a peripheral wall substantially orthogonal to and disposed between the first surface and the second surface, and a plurality of probes protruding from the peripheral wall and toward the DUT, wherein the first surface is attached to the probing stage.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The probing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the probe card is attached to a vertical sidewall of the probing stage.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The probing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first motor includes two actuating motors configured to control movement of the two ends of the third rail, respectively.

### Claim 13

A method of operating a probing apparatus, the probing apparatus comprising a chuck configured to support a DUT, a platform with an opening above the chuck, a first rail at a first side of the platform, a second rail at a second side of the platform opposite to the first side, a probing module including a third rail, a temperature-controlling device and a probing stage on the third rail, the method comprising:
attaching a probe card to the probing stage; and
aligning the probe card with the DUT;
wherein the alignment includes:
operating a first motor system to actuate the probing module to automatically slide along the first rail and the second rail, and actuate the probing stage of the probing module to automatically slide along the third rail; and
operating a second motor system, after the temperature-controlling device adjusts a temperature of a probe of the probe card, to actuate the probing stage to automatically move along a direction parallel to at least one of the first, second and third rails, or to actuate the probe card to automatically rotate relative to the probing stage.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the probing module automatically slides along the first rail and the second rail, and the probing stage automatically slides along the third rail.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the first motor system includes a first motor electrically connected to the probing stage and a second motor electrically connected to the probing module, the probing stage is actuatable by a first motor, and the probing module is actuatable by a second motor.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the alignment includes synchronizing a movement of the probing module along the first rail with a movement of the probing module along the second rail.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the operation of the first motor system occurs prior to the operation of the second motor system.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the probe card is aligned with the DUT after the operation of the first motor system and the operation of the second motor system.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising moving the chuck toward the probe card after the operation of the first motor system and the operation of the second motor system.