Semi-automatic prober

A method of loading a wafer into a wafer probe station, the method comprising:

• providing the wafer probe station having a wafer loading mechanism housed within a testing chamber, the wafer loading mechanism comprising:
• a single segment pivoting arm having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is configured to rotate about a pivot point attached to a platform of the wafer probe station;
• and
• two wafer supporting segments, wherein each wafer supporting segment is rotatably mounted on the second end of the pivoting arm, wherein the wafer supporting segments are movable directly between a position inside the chamber and a position at least partially outside the wafer probe station, and wherein both wafer supporting segments are configured to support, from below, a wafer loaded thereon;
• moving a chuck from a test position to a loading position, wherein the test position and the loading position are within the chamber;
• rotating the pivoting arm to move the wafer supporting segments at least partially outside the wafer probe station;
• loading the wafer onto the wafer supporting segments;
• rotating the pivoting arm to move the wafer supporting segments and the wafer back into the chamber;
• and
• loading the wafer onto the chuck from the wafer supporting segments.

A front loading wafer probe station having a testing chamber, comprising:

• an interface capable of accepting a module selected from a plurality of different interchangeable modules, wherein each module is configured for interfacing at least one probe card with a wafer, wherein a module can be swapped for a different module;
• a chuck movable between a test position and a loading position in the testing chamber;
• a single segment pivoting arm having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is configured to rotate about a pivot point attached to a platform of the wafer probe station;
• and
• two wafer supporting segments, wherein each wafer supporting segment is rotatably mounted on the second end of the pivoting arm, wherein the wafer supporting segments are movable directly between a position inside the testing chamber and a position at least partially outside the wafer probe station, and wherein each of the wafer supporting segments is configured to accept a wafer on a top surface of the wafer supporting segments.