# US 7,465,218 B2 · Probe polishing method and probe polishing member > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,465,218 B2 - Document ID: US7465218B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/611,516 - Filed: 2006-12-15 - Published: 2007-06-21 - Granted: 2008-12-16 - Earliest claimed: 2005-12-19 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Masahito Kobayashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7465218B2 ## CPC - B24B 19/16: for grinding sharp-pointed workpieces, e.g. needles, pens, fish hooks, tweezers or record player styli (grinding bevels on diamonds or sapphires B24B9/16; polishing of needles B24B29/08) - G01R 3/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture {or maintenance} of measuring instruments {, e.g. of probe tips} - B24B: MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING (grinding of gear teeth B23F, of screw-threads B23G1/36; by electro-erosion B23H; abrasive or related blasting B24C; tools for grinding, buffing or sharpening B24D; polishing compositions C09G1/00; abrasives C09K3/14; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F3/00; grinding arrangements for use on assembled railway tracks E01B31/17); DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract In a probe polishing method, a plurality of probes, which are arranged on a probe card for performing an inspection of electrical characteristics of a target object, are polished by using a polishing member. Further, the probes are polished over plural times, while changing a relative position of the abrasive sheet with respect to the probe card. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A probe polishing method for polishing, by using a polishing member, a plurality of probes arranged on a probe card for performing an inspection of electrical characteristics of a target object, wherein the probes are divided into multiple groups and the probes are polished on a group-by-group basis by a repeated polishing operation polishing the individual groups successively by changing a relative position of the polishing member with respect to the probe card, and wherein the polishing member is mounted on a support installed at a periphery of a movable mounting table for mounting the target object thereon, and the polishing member is moved by using the mounting table. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each group is polished more than one time with different portions of the polishing member each time by placing a different portion of the polishing member under each group and then overdriving the polishing member against each group. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein an abrasive sheet is used as the polishing member, and the abrasive sheet has a slant portion at a peripheral portion thereof, the slant portion being inclined outwardly downwardly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the abrasive sheet includes an abrasive layer and a cushion layer formed under the abrasive layer. ### Claim 5 A method for polishing probes arranged in a probe area of a probe card by using a polishing member, the probe area being lager than the size of the polishing member such that the probe area is not fully covered by the polishing member, comprising: dividing the probes in the probe area into multiple groups; and polishing the probes by performing polishing operation on a group-by-group basis by a repeated polishing operation polishing the individual groups successively, wherein probes in one group are polished simultaneously in one polishing operation, wherein the polishing member is mounted on a support installed at a periphery of a movable mounting table for mounting an object to be inspected by the probe card thereon, and the polishing member is moved by using the mounting table. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the polishing operation comprises: placing the polishing member under a group of probes; and then overdriving the polishing member against the group of probes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein each group is polished more than one time by repeating the polishing operation with different portions of the polishing member. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the support is horizontally protruded from a part of the periphery of the mounting table. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the support supports the polishing member thereon such that a surface of the polishing member is positioned higher than a mounting surface of the mounting table. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein before polishing the probes, the size of a probe area of the probe card, the probes being arranged in the probe area, and the size of the polishing member are registered, and the number of the groups is calculated by using the registered sizes of the probe area and the polishing member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the probe card and the mounting table are installed in a probe apparatus and the polishing operation is performed without separating the probe card and the mounting table from the probe apparatus. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein a contact area of probes in one group contacting with the slant portion of the polishing member in one polishing operation is set to be less than ½ of the slant portion in a horizontal direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the support is horizontally protruded from a part of the periphery of the mounting table. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the support supports the polishing member thereon such that a surface of the polishing member is positioned higher than a mounting surface of the mounting table. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein before polishing the probes, the size of the probe area and the size of the polishing member are registered, and the number of the groups is calculated by using the registered sizes of the probe area and the polishing member. ### Claim 16 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the probe card and the mounting table are installed in a probe apparatus and the polishing operation is performed without separating the probe card and the mounting table from the probe apparatus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein an abrasive sheet is used as the polishing member, and the abrasive sheet has a slant portion at a peripheral portion thereof, the slant portion being inclined outwardly downwardly. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein a contact area of the probes in one group contacting with the slant portion of the polishing member in one polishing operation is set to be less than ½ of the slant portion in a horizontal direction. ### Claim 19 A method for polishing probes arranged in a probe area of a probe card by using a polishing member, the probe area being larger than the size of the polishing member such that the probe area is not fully covered by the polishing member, comprising: dividing the probes in the probe area into multiple groups; and polishing the probes by performing a repeated polishing operation on a group-by-group basis of respective ones of the groups successively, wherein probes in one group are polished simultaneously in one polishing operation, wherein the probe card and the mounting table are installed in a probe apparatus and the polishing operation is performed without separating the probe card and the mounting table from the probe apparatus.