Device for cleaning tip and side surfaces of a probe

{
  "publication_number": "US7254861B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Device for cleaning tip and side surfaces of a probe",
  "abstract": "A device for cleaning the tip portion and the side surfaces of a probe has two or more different kinds of intermediate sheets affixed to a substrate in a side-by-side relationship with respect to each other. One of these intermediate sheets is an elastic sheet having an elastic property. Another intermediate sheet of a different kind is a plastic sheet which is less elastic. The tip portion of a probe is cleaned by a polishing layer affixed to the elastic sheet. The side surfaces of the probe are cleaned by a polishing layer affixed to the plastic sheet. A porous foamed sheet having openings on its surface and having air bubbles inside may be used as the elastic sheet. A polishing layer is formed on the surface of the foamed sheet, having a porous surface with openings corresponding to the openings on the foamed sheet. A spacer may be provided between the substrate and the plastic sheet for adjusting the heights of the polishing layers formed over the intermediate sheets.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A cleaning device for cleaning a tip portion and side surfaces of a probe, said cleaning device comprising: a substrate; intermediate sheets of at least two different kinds affixed to different parts of a surface area of said substrate in a side-by-side relationship sideways with respect to each other, one of said intermediate sheets being an elastic sheet having an elastic property, the other of said at least two kinds of intermediate sheets being a plastic sheet with a less elastic property; and a polishing layer on said elastic sheet and another polishing layer on said plastic sheet, both of the polishing layers having abrading particles dispersed in a resin.",
    "2. The cleaning device of claim 1 wherein said elastic sheet is a porous foamed sheet having a surface with openings and having air bubbles inside.",
    "3. The cleaning device of claim 2 wherein the polishing layer formed on said elastic sheet has a porous surface with openings corresponding to the openings on the surface of said foamed sheet.",
    "4. The cleaning device of claim 1 further comprising a spacer which is affixed to said substrate and to said another polishing layer formed on said plastic sheet, said plastic sheet being affixed to a surface of said spacer, and said spacer serving to adjust a height of said another polishing layer formed on said plastic sheet.",
    "5. The cleaning device of claim 1 wherein said substrate is approximately circular having an orientation flat."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This application is a Continuation application of prior-filed International (designating the United States) Application No. PCT/JP02/03493 filed on Apr. 8, 2002, which claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application 2001-110576 filed on Apr. 9, 2001 from which priority is claimed.\n\nThis invention relates to a cleaning device for removing foreign substances attached to the tip and/or side surfaces of a probe used for inspecting a planar target object such as a semiconductor device having integrated circuits installed thereon.\n\nChips are produced by installing semiconductor elements and integrated circuits on a semiconductor wafer through various wafer-producing processes. The chips thus produced on a semiconductor wafer are cut off from the wafer after a current-passing test and are packaged. Tests with a current are carried out also before and after the packaging to separate faulty products stringently from qualified products.\n\nSuch current-passing tests are carried out by means of a test apparatus of a known kind such as a wafer prober. A position-matching process by moving a prober needle (“probe”) serving as an electrode of a tester and the electrodes on the chip (pads or lead lines) and a contacting process between the probe and the chip electrodes are repeated for carrying out electrical measurements of different kinds.\n\nWhile such position-matching and contacting processes are repeated by moving the probe and the electrodes on the chips, the tip of the probe slides over the electrodes on the chips, scraping off portions of the electrodes.",
  "cpc": [
    "B24D 15/04",
    "G01R 1/06711",
    "G01R 3/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B08B 1/00",
    "B24D 15/04",
    "B24D 3/00",
    "G01R 1/06",
    "G01R 31/26",
    "G01R 31/28",
    "H01L 21/66",
    "B24B 19/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Nihon Micro Coating Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Izuru Morioka",
    "Satoru Sato"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2002-11-05",
  "publication_date": "2007-08-14",
  "grant_date": "2007-08-14",
  "priority_date": "2001-04-09",
  "application_number": "US-28949402-A",
  "family_id": "38375662",
  "cited_by_count": 22,
  "citations": [
    "US3638270A",
    "US5016401A",
    "US4993099A",
    "JPH07244074A",
    "JPH10339766A",
    "JPH10300777A",
    "US6056627A",
    "US6233774B1",
    "JP2000332069A",
    "US6741086B2",
    "US6702652B2",
    "US20030106178A1"
  ]
}