An inspection apparatus for a substrate, comprising: a placing member on which a substrate is placed; a holder configured to hold a probe card having probes; positioning members to be in contact with an upper surface of the placing member to define a height of the placing member with respect to the probes; an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust heights of the positioning members; a detection device; and a control. The controller is configured to execute: positioning the positioning member to a reference height at which an overdrive amount becomes zero, based on the detection results of the probes, the placing member, and the positioning member; and acquiring a height of the positioning member at which a desired overdrive amount is obtained, and raising the placing member while adjusting a driving amount of the adjustment mechanism until the placing member reaches the height.

Probes that define retroreflectors, probe systems that include the probes, and methods of utilizing the probes. The probes include the retroreflector, which is defined by a retroreflector body. The retroreflector body includes a first side, an opposed second side, a tapered region that extends from the first side, and a light-receiving region that is defined on the second side. The probes also include a probe tip, which is configured to provide a test signal to a device under test (DUT) and/or to receive a resultant signal from the DUT. The retroreflector is configured to receive light, via the light-receiving region, at a light angle of incidence. The retroreflector also is configured to emit at least an emitted fraction of the light, from the retroreflector body and via the light-receiving region, at a light angle of emission that is at least substantially equal to the light angle of incidence.

An apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a stage and a plate disposed on the stage. The apparatus further includes a pressure film sensor that is formed on the plate and configured to detect a contact force between a plurality of needles on a probe head of a probe card and the pressure film sensor. The apparatus still includes a distance detector that is configured to detect a distance between the pressure film sensor and the needles. In addition, the apparatus includes an adjustment driver that is configured to adjust the probe card based on the detected contact force of the pressure film sensor.

A vertical probe assembly having a resilient compliant probe, a first guide plate, a second guide plate, and a third guide plate is disclosed. The probe may include an upper portion, a lower portion, and a stopper structure positioned between the upper and lower portions of the first probe. The first, second, and third guide plates may be formed from a non-conductive substrate and separated by one or more spacers. The first, second, and third guide plates may also include a first, second, and third hole, respectively. The first, second, and third holes may be vertically aligned. The probe may be positioned within the first, second, and third holes such that the upper portion extends through the first hole, the lower portion extends through the second and third holes, and the stopper structure contacts a surface of the second guide plate that faces the first guide plate.

An inspection apparatus includes: a probe card having a probe to be in contact with an object to be inspected; an upper module having a mounting portion on which the object to be inspected is mounted; a movement mechanism that is configured to support the upper module to be liftable and lowerable and that is able to move the upper module in a horizontal direction; and a lifting and lowering mechanism that is provided under the movement mechanism and that is able to push up the upper module toward the probe card, wherein an axis passing through a point of action of a pushing force when the lifting and lowering mechanism pushes up the upper module and an axis passing through a point of action of a load received by the probe card are arranged at positions to be common.

A system is provided for detecting a forcer misalignment, e.g., due to forcer loss of registration (FLR), in a wafer prober used for electrical testing of a semiconductor wafer. The system includes an optical sensor system including a transmitter and receiver affixed to the forcer or to a reference structure (e.g., the prober platen), and a reflector affixed to the other one of the forcer or reference structure. The transmitter emits radiation toward the reflector, which reflects the radiation toward the receiver. The receiver detects the reflected radiation, and generates an output signal indicating the quantity of received radiation. Alignment monitoring circuitry is configured to identify a misalignment of the forcer relative to the reference structure (e.g., platen) based on the output signal generated by the receiver, and in response, output an alert signal, e.g., to suspend operations of the prober and/or display an error notification to an operator.

A wafer probe alignment system includes a test probe needle including a body having a tip that is configured to make contact with a surface of a wafer at a first tip position, wherein the body is deformable and includes a sensing area that undergoes a deformation in response to at least one force, including a lateral friction force, applied to the tip; at least one sensor configured to monitor the sensing area for deformation caused by a lateral friction force and generate at least one first sensor information representative of the lateral friction force; and a controller configured to control a position of the tip, wherein the controller is configured to receive the at least one first sensor information and reposition the tip to counteract the lateral friction force in order to maintain the tip at the first tip position.

A test apparatus includes a first module configured to structurally support a target semiconductor device, and a second module reversibly attachable to the first module. The first module includes a first housing including one or more inner surfaces at least partially defining an inner space, a volume control unit configured to control a volume of the inner space, a mounting unit at least partially exposed to the inner space and configured to be exposed to the target semiconductor device, and a magnetic force control unit in the first housing. The second module includes a second housing, a test board in the second housing, and an attachable/detachable member in the second housing. The test board may be electrically connected to the target semiconductor device. The magnetic force control unit may control a magnetic property of the attachable/detachable member to cause the attachable/detachable member to attach/detach to/from the magnetic force control unit.

A safety system for a needle probe card for test machines for high-voltage and high-current testing of power semiconductor electronic devices is provided. The needle probe card has a plurality of needles adapted to be placed in contact with a device under test (DUT), each needle being configured to allow a flow of electric current. The safety system has a control unit capable of determining the electric current flowing in every single needle, and a plurality of switching devices configured to selectively interrupt the electric current flowing in the needles. At least one switching device is associated with each needle of the needle probe card. The control unit is configured to drive every single switching device to selectively interrupt the flow of electric current in a corresponding needle.

An automated test equipment for testing one or more DUTs comprises a test head and a DUT interface. The DUT interface comprises a plurality of blocks of spring-loaded pins, for example groups or fields of spring-loaded pins. For example, the DUT interface is configured for establishing an electronic signal path between the test head and a DUT board or load board, which holds the DUT or which provides a connection to the DUT. The automated test equipment is configured to allow for a variation of a distance between at least two blocks of spring-loaded pins.