Method of and system for cleaning probes

Abstract

The invention provides a method of cleaning probes, capable of simplifying a cleaning process without causing a damage to the probes, and a cleaning system for use in carrying out the method. A cylindrical body supported so as to be opposed to a probe card with probes formed thereon is provided with an ultrasonic vibrator and an ultrasonic wave generation device for causing the ultrasonic vibrator to undergo ultrasonic vibration. By causing the ultrasonic vibrator to undergo ultrasonic vibration by the agency of the ultrasonic wave generation device, a standing wave comprising nodes and antinodes occurring in concentric circles is generated inside the cylindrical body. In such a state, the cylindrical body is caused to make relative translation against the probe card such that the respective antinodes of the standing wave are caused to travel in sequence so as to coincide with a position of the respective probes, so that foreign particles stuck to the surface of the respective probes are removed through a non-contact method due to vibration of air.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.