# US 8,786,303 B2 · Semiconductor device having a plurality of pads > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,786,303 B2 - Document ID: US8786303B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/858,673 - Filed: 2010-08-18 - Published: 2011-02-24 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2009-08-21 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Kab Yong Kim; Hyun Soon Jang; Yong Hwan Jeong - Inventors: Kab Yong Kim; Hyun Soon Jang; Yong Hwan Jeong - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786303B2 ## CPC - G01R 31/2891: {related to sensing or controlling of force, position, temperature (G01R31/2874 takes precedence; sensing of force G01L; sensing of position G01B, G01D; sensing of temperature G01K; controlling in general G05)} - G01R 31/2884: {using dedicated test connectors, test elements or test circuits on the IC under test (G01R31/2855 takes precedence)} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract A semiconductor device includes a plurality of sensor pads configured to receive a probe signal from a testing apparatus, and a plurality of normal pads configured to receive a driving signal to drive the semiconductor device. In the plurality of sensor pads and the plurality of normal pads, a length in a direction corresponding to one of progress directions of a plurality of needles of the testing apparatus is longer than a length in another progress direction of the plurality of needles. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor device having a plurality of pads, the semiconductor device comprising: a plurality of sensor pads configured to receive a probe signal from a testing apparatus; and a plurality of normal pads configured to receive a driving signal to drive the semiconductor device, wherein the plurality of sensor pads and the plurality of normal pads include individual sensor pads and normal pads that each have a length in a direction corresponding to one of progress directions of a plurality of needles of the testing apparatus that is longer than a length in another progress direction of the plurality of needles. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one sensor pad of the plurality of sensor pads corresponds to a needle at an outermost side of a plurality of needles having a same progress direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor pads includes: first sensor pads having a length in a vertical direction of the semiconductor device that is longer than a length in a horizontal direction of the semiconductor device, the first sensor pads corresponding to needles having progress directions from a top or a bottom of the semiconductor device toward the vertical center of the semiconductor device; and second sensor pads having a length in the horizontal direction of the semiconductor device that is longer than a length in the vertical direction of the semiconductor device, the second sensor pads corresponding to needles having progress directions from a left or a right of the semiconductor device toward the horizontal center of the semiconductor device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first sensor pads include: at least one sensor pad corresponding to a needle at an outermost side of the plurality of needles having progress directions from the top of the semiconductor device toward the vertical center of the semiconductor device; and at least one sensor pad corresponding to a needle at an outermost side of the plurality of needles having progress directions from the bottom of the semiconductor device toward the vertical center of the semiconductor device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second sensor pads include: at least one sensor pad corresponding to a needle at an outermost side of the plurality of needles having progress directions from the left of the semiconductor device toward the horizontal center of the semiconductor device; and at least one sensor pad corresponding to a needle at an outermost side of the plurality of needles having progress directions from the right of the semiconductor device toward the horizontal center of the semiconductor device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 3, wherein each sensor pad includes: an insulation portion arranged at a central portion of the sensor pad; and a conductive portion arranged at an edge portion of the sensor pad. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the conductive portion includes a part of an area where a bump of a flip chip process is arranged. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 7, wherein: the insulation portion includes a central part of the area where the bump of the flip chip process is arranged; and the conductive portion includes an edge part of the area where the bump of the flip chip process is arranged. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a needle alignment checking circuit configured to detect a contact defect between the semiconductor device and the testing apparatus based on a result of a probe signal received via at least two sensor pads, the needle alignment checking circuit configured to output the contact defect to the testing apparatus via a corresponding one of the plurality of normal pads. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the needle alignment checking circuit includes: at least two probe blocks, each configured to generate a probe result indicating the contact defect between the needles of the testing apparatus and the corresponding sensor pads based on the probe signal received by the sensor pads via the needles of the testing apparatus; and an operation block configured to determine the contact defect between the semiconductor device and the testing apparatus based on a logical operation on the probe result received from each of the at least two probe blocks, the operation block configured to output a determination to the corresponding normal pads. ### Claim 11 A method of performing a needle alignment check on a wafer, comprising: providing a probe signal from a testing apparatus to a plurality of sensor pads on the wafer; and providing a signal for the testing apparatus to a plurality of normal pads on the wafer, wherein the plurality of sensor pads and the plurality of normal pads include sensor pads and normal pads that each have a length in a direction corresponding to one of progress directions of a plurality of needles of the testing apparatus that is longer than a length in another progress direction of the plurality of needles. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, detecting a contact defect between the wafer and the testing apparatus based on a result of a probe signal received via at least two sensor pads; and outputting the contact defect to the testing apparatus via a corresponding one of the plurality of normal pads. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising: generating a probe result indicating the contact defect between the needles of the testing apparatus and the corresponding sensor pads, based on the probe signal received by the sensor pads via the needles of the testing apparatus; and determining the contact defect between the wafer and the testing apparatus based on a logical operation on the probe result received from each of at least two probe blocks and outputting a determination to the corresponding normal pads.