Probe apparatus for carrying away dust created by probe testing

A probe apparatus for measuring electric characteristics of an object to be tested having electrodes, comprising:

• a probing mechanism including a supporting table for supporting the object and movably arranged to locate the object at a measurement position, and probes which are brought into contact with the respective electrodes of the object supported by said supporting table;
• a casing enclosing said probing mechanism therein, and having an air inlet provided on a top of the casing and an air exhaust port provided in at least a bottom portion thereof;
• load/unload means arranged in said casing, for loading/unloading the object in/from the supporting table;
• clean air supplying means for supplying clean air from said inlet into said casing in every region inside said casing, thereby creating a downflow of clean air flowing from an upper position to a lower position of said casing in every region inside said casing;
• a power supply unit for driving said probe apparatus;
• an electronic circuit unit for controlling driving of said probe apparatus;
• wherein said power supply unit and said electronic circuit unit are arranged outside said casing;
• and
• wherein, dust particles created by the probes contacting the electrodes of the object are blown by the downflow of clean air and away from the object.

A probe apparatus for measuring electric characteristics of an object to be tested having electrodes, comprising:

• a probing mechanism including a supporting table for supporting the object and movably arranged to locate the object at a measurement position, and probes which are brought into contact with the respective electrodes of the object supported by said supporting table;
• a casing enclosing said probing mechanism therein, and having an air inlet provided on a top of the casing and an air exhaust port provided in at least a bottom portion thereof;
• load/unload means arranged in said casing, for loading/unloading the object in/from the supporting table;
• clean air supplying means for supplying clean air from said inlet into said casing in every region inside said casing, thereby creating a downflow of clean air flowing from an upper position to a lower position of said casing in every region inside said casing;
• wherein said clean air supplying means is integrally formed with said casing as a single component;
• and
• wherein, dust particles created by the probes contacting the electrodes of the object are blown by the downflow of clean air and away from the object.

A probe apparatus for measuring electric characteristics of an object to be tested having electrodes, comprising:

• a probing mechanism including a supporting table for supporting the object and movably arranged to locate the object at a measurement position, and probes which are brought into contact with the respective electrodes of the object supported by said supporting table;
• a casing enclosing said probing mechanism therein, and having an air inlet and an air exhaust port;
• load/unload means arranged in said casing, for loading/unloading the object in/from the supporting table;
• clean air supplying means for supplying clean air from said inlet into said casing in every region inside said casing, thereby creating a flow of clean air in every region inside said casing and removing dust generated in said casing;
• and
• wherein, dust particles created by the probes contacting the electrodes of the object are blown by the flow of clean air and away from the object.

The probe apparatus of claim 20, wherein the casing further comprises:

• a first compartment between the air inlet and a filter, providing the air filtering, where the clean air supplying means is located;
• a second compartment having translucent walls for containing a top portion of the probing mechanism which can be viewed from outside the casing, the second compartment extending from the first compartment to a top plate of the probing mechanism;
• wherein, the first and the second compartments can be manually removed from the top plate of the probing mechanism, revealing the top portion of the probing mechanism, which swivels to a closed, testing position and to an open position, allowing a probe card of a probe test head to be replaced or repaired;
• a third compartment containing the probing mechanism;
• wherein, the probing mechanism extends the probes into an area where the electrodes can be contacted with the probes in the third compartment when the top portion of the probing mechanism is in the closed, testing position;
• and
• vents between the first, the second and the third compartments for allowing the downflow of air to pass through the probe apparatus.