Method for thermal stabilization of probe card and inspection apparatus

An inspection apparatus comprising:

• a horizontally and vertically movable mounting table;
• a probe card having a plurality of probes, disposed above the mounting table;
• a vertical drive mechanism configured to vertically move the mounting table;
• a temperature control unit configured to control a temperature of the heat transfer substrate through the mounting table;
• and a control unit configured to control the vertical drive mechanism and the temperature control unit, wherein before inspecting electrical characteristics of an inspection target at a predetermined temperature, the probe card is thermally stabilized by mounting the heat transfer substrate on the mounting table, adjusting the probe card to a predetermined temperature through the heat transfer substrate on the mounting table of which temperature is adjusted by the temperature control unit, and controlling a contact load between the heat transfer substrate and the probes to a predetermined target load by vertically moving the mounting table through the vertical drive mechanism, the inspection apparatus further comprising:
• a load detector configured to detect the contact load,
• wherein the control unit controls the vertical movement of the mounting table through the vertical drive mechanism based on a signal from the load detector, until the probe card is thermally stabilized and the contact load is kept at the target load.

An inspection apparatus comprising:

• a horizontally and vertically movable mounting table;
• a probe card having a plurality of probes, disposed above the mounting table;
• an vertical drive mechanism configured to vertically move the mounting table;
• a temperature control unit configured to control a temperature of the heat transfer substrate through the mounting table;
• and a control unit configured to control the vertical drive mechanism and the temperature control unit, wherein before inspecting electrical characteristics of an inspection target at a predetermined temperature, the probe card is thermally stabilized by mounting the heat transfer substrate on the mounting table, adjusting the probe card to a predetermined temperature through the heat transfer substrate on the mounting table of which temperature is adjusted by the temperature control unit, and controlling a contact load between the heat transfer substrate and the probes to a predetermined target load by vertically moving the mounting table through the vertical drive mechanism,
• wherein the vertical drive mechanism includes:
• a motor;
• a rotational driving shaft, connected to the motor, for vertically moving the mounting table;
• a torque voltage detector for detecting a torque voltage of the motor during the rotation of the rotational driving shaft, and
• wherein the control unit has a central processing unit for converting the torque voltage from the torque voltage detector into a contact load between the heat transfer substrate and probes, and the vertical movement of the mounting table is controlled based on a signal from the torque voltage detector such that the contact, load becomes the target load, until the probe card is thermally stabilized.