Probe apparatus and method for correcting contact position

Abstract

A probe apparatus includes a movable mounting table for supporting an object to be tested; a probe card disposed above the mounting table and having a plurality of probes to come into contact with electrodes of the object; a support body for supporting the probe card; and a control unit for controlling the mounting table. Electrical characteristics of the object are tested based on a signal from a tester by bringing the object and the probes into electrical contact with each other by overdriving the mounting table in a state where a test head is electrically connected with the probe card by a predetermined load. Further, one or more distance measuring devices for measuring a current overdriving amount of the mounting table are provided at one or more locations of the test head or the probe card.

1 . A probe apparatus comprising:
 a movable mounting table for supporting an object to be tested;   a probe card disposed above the mounting table and having a plurality of probes to come into contact with electrodes of the object;   a support body for supporting the probe card; and   a control unit for controlling the mounting table,   wherein electrical characteristics of the object are tested based on a signal from a tester by bringing the object and the probes into electrical contact with each other by overdriving the mounting table in a state where a test head is electrically connected with the probe card by a predetermined load,   wherein one or more distance measuring devices for measuring a current overdriving amount of the mounting table are provided at one or more locations of the test head or the probe card, and the control unit compares the current overdriving amount with a preset overdriving amount and corrects the current overdriving amount to become same as the preset overdriving amount based on the comparison result, and   wherein the distance measuring devices are provided at the probe card, and each include a proximity sensor for measuring a distance to a top surface of the object.   
     
     
         2 . The probe apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit calculates as the current overdriving amount the difference between a first distance measured by the distance measuring devices when the object on the mounting table starts to contact with the probes and a second distance measured by the distance measuring devices when the mounting table is overdriven. 
     
     
         3 . A method for correcting a contact position by correcting an overdriving amount of a mounting table to become same as a preset overdriving amount while electrical characteristics of an object to be tested on the mounting table are tested by bringing the object into electrical contact with a plurality of probes of a probe card by overdriving the mounting table, the method comprising:
 bringing the object on the mounting table into contact with the probes of the probe card;   calculating a current overdriving amount in overdriving the mounting table;   comparing the current overdriving amount with the preset overdriving amount; and   correcting the current overdriving amount to become same as the preset overdriving amount based on the comparison result,   wherein the step of calculating the current overdriving amount includes:   calculating as a first distance a distance to a top surface of the object when the object on the mounting table starts to contact with the probes;   calculating as a second distance a distance to the top surface of the object when the mounting table is overdriven; and   calculating as the current overdriving amount a difference between the first distance and the second distance.