# US 12,007,414 B2 · Semiconductor test apparatus and semiconductor test method

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- Number: US 12,007,414 B2
- Document ID: US12007414B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/456,682
- Filed: 2021-11-29
- Published: 2022-08-04
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-02-01
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Inventors: Yoshiyuki Ueda; Takaya Noguchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007414B2

## CPC

- G01R 1/07342: {the body of the probe being at an angle other than perpendicular to test object, e.g. probe card}
- G01R 31/2601: {Apparatus or methods therefor (G01R31/2607, G01R31/2642 take precedence)}
- G01R 31/2886: {Features relating to contacting the IC under test, e.g. probe heads; chucks (G01R31/2865 takes precedence, test connections, e.g. test sockets, or probes per se, G01R1/04 or G01R1/06)}
- H10P 74/27: {Structural arrangements therefor}
- H10P 74/207: {Electrical properties, e.g. testing or measuring of resistance, deep levels or capacitance-voltage characteristics}
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A semiconductor test apparatus includes a chuck top on which a semiconductor wafer is mounted, and contact probes that contact measurement points of semiconductor chips formed on the semiconductor wafer, the chuck top includes a conductor that contacts a lower surface of the semiconductor wafer, a mounting table arranged below the conductor, and a first vacuum tube and a second vacuum tube connected to the mounting table, the conductor has a plurality of suction holes that are arranged in a spiral form in top view, in the mounting table, a flow pass communicating with the plurality of suction holes and having a spiral form in top view, the first vacuum tube is connected to an inner circumference portion of the flow pass, and the second vacuum tube is connected to an outer circumference portion of the flow pass.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor test apparatus comprising:
a chuck top on which a semiconductor wafer is mounted; and
contact probes that contact measurement points of semiconductor chips formed on the semiconductor wafer, wherein
the chuck top includes a conductor that contacts a lower surface of the semiconductor wafer, a mounting table arranged below the conductor, and a first vacuum tube and a second vacuum tube connected to the mounting table,
the conductor has a plurality of suction holes arranged in a spiral form in top view,
in the mounting table, a flow pass communicating with the plurality of suction holes and having a spiral form in top view is formed,
the first vacuum tube is connected to an inner circumference portion of the flow pass, and
the second vacuum tube is connected to an outer circumference portion of the flow pass.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
cross-sectional areas of the flow pass are larger on an outer circumferential side than on an inner circumferential side.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
sizes of the plurality of suction holes are larger on an outer circumferential side than on an inner circumferential side.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A semiconductor test method using the semiconductor test apparatus according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:
(a) mounting the semiconductor wafer on the chuck top;
(b) sucking the semiconductor wafer by the first vacuum tube, and sucking the semiconductor wafer by the second vacuum tube, and
(c) bringing the contact probes into contact with the measurement points of the semiconductor chips to measure electrical characteristics of the semiconductor chips.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor test method according to claim 4, wherein
the step (b) is a step of sucking the semiconductor wafer by the first vacuum tube, and then sucking the semiconductor wafer by the second vacuum tube.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first vacuum tube is connected to the inner circumference portion of the flow pass such that suction force of the first vacuum tube on the flow pass is highest at the inner circumference portion of the flow pass.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first vacuum tube is connected to the inner circumference portion of the flow pass at a first distance from a center of the spiral form of the flow pass, and
the first distance is shorter than a minimum distance from the second vacuum tube to the center of the spiral form of the flow pass.