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US 7,622,939 B2Granted
Methods and apparatuses for improved stabilization in a probing system
OwnerUday Nayak, Richard James Casler, Jr. +1inventors
InventorsUday Nayak, Richard James Casler, Jr., Max Jedda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Improved methods and apparatuses for automatically and accurately maintaining the alignment of a wafer prober to the bonding pads of a semiconductor device in the presence of motion disturbances are provided. In one embodiment of one aspect of the invention, a feedback control system incorporating information from a number of acceleration and/or velocity sensors is used to maintain the desired contact position in the presence of motion disturbances. Other aspects and other embodiments are also described.
Claims25
A system operable to maintain a relative position between a first component and a second component, the system comprising:
- a position controller coupled to an X-Y motion system which is coupled to the first component;
- at least one sensor coupled to the first component or a frame supporting the first component, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to measure at least one parameter along at least one axis of a three-dimensional coordinate system;
- and a control system coupled to the first component and configured to receive information from the at least one sensor and configured to determine actuation forces based on the information and wherein the actuation forces act on the first component to repeatedly compensate for vibration disturbances to the system and wherein the control system determines the actuation forces based on at least one of an acceleration and a velocity, wherein the actuation forces are calculated based on a motion of the first component and a motion of the second component, and wherein the X-Y motion system is initially coupled to a base and then configured to move horizontally with respect to the base on a low friction guide by the position controller which controls the X-Y motion system that is coupled to move the first component for positioning using the low friction guide, and wherein the actuation forces are delivered using the X-Y motion system.
A method for maintaining a relative position between a first component and a second component, the method comprising:
- positioning a first component by moving the first component with an X-Y motion system which is coupled to a position controller;
- measuring at least one parameter along at least one axis of a three-dimensional coordinate system using at least one sensor coupled to one of the first component or a frame supporting the first component;
- and determining actuation forces using a control system coupled to the first component wherein the control system is configured to receive information from the at least one sensor and to determine actuation forces based on the information and wherein the actuation forces act on the first component to repeatedly compensate for vibration disturbances to the system and wherein the control system determines the actuation forces based on at least one of an acceleration and a velocity, wherein the actuation forces are calculated based on a motion of the first component and a motion of the second component, and wherein the X-Y motion system is initially coupled to a base and then configured to move horizontally with respect to the base on a low friction guide by the position controller which controls the X-Y motion system that is coupled to move the first component for positioning using the low friction guide, and wherein the actuation forces are delivered using the X-Y motion system.
A computer readable medium encoded with an executable computer program which when executed by a data processing system cause the system to perform a method for maintaining a relative position between a first component and a second component, the method comprising:
- positioning a first component by moving the first component with an X-Y motion system which is coupled to a position controller;
- measuring at least one parameter along at least one axis of a three-dimensional coordinate system using at least one sensor coupled to one of the first component or a frame supporting the first component;
- and determining actuation forces using a control system coupled to the first component wherein the control system is configured to receive information from the at least one sensor and to determine actuation forces based on the information and wherein the actuation forces act on the first component to repeatedly compensate for vibration disturbances to the system and wherein the control system determines the actuation forces based on at least one of an acceleration and a velocity, wherein the actuation forces are calculated based on a motion of the first component and a motion of the second component, and wherein the first component X-Y motion system is initially coupled to a base and then configured to move horizontally with respect to the base on a low friction guide by the position controller which controls the X-Y motion system that is coupled to move the first component for positioning using the low friction guide, and wherein the actuation forces are delivered using the X-Y motion system.
A system operable to maintain a relative position between a first component and a second component, the system comprising:
- a position controller coupled to an X-Y motion system which is coupled to the first component;
- at least one sensor coupled to the first component or a frame supporting the first component, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to measure at least one parameter along at least one axis of a three-dimensional coordinate system;
- and a control system coupled to the first component and configured to receive information from the at least one sensor and configured to determine actuation forces based on the information and wherein the actuation forces act on the first component to repeatedly compensate for vibration disturbances to the system and wherein the control system determines the actuation forces based on at least one of an acceleration and a velocity, wherein the actuation forces are calculated based on a motion of the first component and a motion of the second component, and wherein the X-Y motion system is initially coupled to a base and then configured to move horizontally with respect to the base on an air bearing by the position controller which controls the X-Y motion system that is coupled to move the first component for positioning the air bearing, and wherein the actuation forces are delivered using the X-Y motion system.
A method for maintaining a relative position between a first component and a second component, the method comprising:
- positioning a first component by moving the first component with an X-Y motion system which is coupled to a position controller;
- measuring at least one parameter along at least one axis of a three-dimensional coordinate system using at least one sensor coupled to one of the first component or a frame supporting the first component;
- and determining actuation forces using a control system coupled to the first component wherein the control system is configured to receive information from the at least one sensor and to determine actuation forces based on the information and wherein the actuation forces act on the first component to repeatedly compensate for vibration disturbances to the system and wherein the control system determines the actuation forces based on at least one of an acceleration and a velocity, wherein the actuation forces are calculated based on a motion of the first component and a motion of the second component, and wherein the X-Y motion system is initially coupled to a base and then configured to move horizontally with respect to the base on an air bearing by the position controller which controls the X-Y motion system that is coupled to move the first component for positioning using the air bearing, and wherein the actuation forces are delivered using the X-Y motion system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.