METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A PROBE TO BE USED IN A SEMICONDUCTOR TEST OR A FLAT PANEL DISPLAY DEVICE TEST

摘要

The present invention relates to a probe to be used in a semiconductor test or a flat panel display device test, and to a method for manufacturing same. The probe comprises: a plurality of probe beams which are equidistantly spaced apart from each other to serve as conductive members for applying electrical signals to a semiconductor and a flat panel display device; probe tips arranged beneath respective ends of the probe beams to contact the semiconductor and the flat panel display device; an insulator formed on a silicon substrate to provide a space in which the probe beams are loaded, which has electrical wiring arranged at the center thereof and connected to the probe beams, and which is made of silicon materials; and a reinforcement plate attached to the center of the upper surface of the insulator. The method for manufacturing the probe comprises the steps of: forming the insulator on the silicon substrate such that probe beams are loaded in the insulator; forming first protective films at the lower surface of the insulator such that a gap is formed between the first protective films; physically etching the resulting structure so as to form probe beam exposure portions at the area of the lower surface of the insulator at which the first protective films are not formed; removing the first protective films; forming a second protective film on the upper surface of the insulator such that the second protective film confines shapes of probe tips equidistantly spaced apart from each other; forming grooves corresponding to the shapes of the probe tips via an etching process using the second protective film as a mask; removing the second protective film; depositing an insulating material onto the insulator to form an oxide film; forming a third protective film, which confines the lower ends of the probe beams, on the upper surface of the insulator at which the insulating material is deposited; removing the insulation film so as to form the shape corresponding to the lower ends of probe tips via a physical etching process using the third protective film as a mask, so as to form trenches; removing the third protective film; forming a plating frame for an electroplating process for forming probe beams on the upper surface of the insulator; depositing a conductive material onto the plating frame to form a seed layer for the electroplating process; removing the plating frame; restrictively removing the seed layer for the electroplating process to form electrical wiring on the probe beams; depositing insulating polymers all over the electrical signal transmitting probe having probe tips, excluding the lower end of the electrical wiring; forming a fourth protective film which confines the centers of the probe beams including the insulated probe tips, wherein the centers have an electrical signal transmission system; attaching the reinforcement plate to the confined centers of the probe beams using the fourth protective film as a mask; removing the fourth protective film; forming a fifth protective film which confines the center of the lower portion of the insulator; and performing an etching process using the fifth protective film as a mask, such that resulting structure is exposed, with the exception of the center of the insulator. According to the present invention, probes can be protected from a short circuit or noise caused by the contact between adjacent probe tips, and interference with adjacent signals can be prevented during a frequency signal test, thereby improving the electrical characteristics of probes.