Cascade Microtech P800-S User Manual

Pyramid probe card: p800-s online cleaning, Objective, Contaminants

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PN 151-853-A

www.cascademicrotech.com

Pyramid Probe Card: P800-S Online Cleaning• 1

Objective

Particulate contamination can build up on the probe face and tips during probing. In some cases, particulate contamination
may go unnoticed by the user, while in others it can cause persistent open channels. Large, hard particles can crush probe
tips and are a leading cause of premature, catastrophic probe card failure. This application note describes the recommended
online cleaning methods for Pyramid Probes with a steel plunger stack, for example the P800-S (see

Figure 1

), when probing

solder balls.

This application note starts with some general information regarding contaminants that may be found in probing
environments. It then describes Cascade Microtech’s recommendations for online cleaning methods and a proposed
cleaning recipe. Finally, a procedure for determining the optimum value of online cleaning parameters is described.

Contaminants

Contaminants on Pyramid Probes can be divided into two general classes:

• Particulate contaminants
• Resistive-buildup contaminants

Particulate Contaminants

Particulate contamination can build up on the probe face and tips during probing. In some cases, particulate contamination
may go unnoticed by the user, while in others it can cause persistent open channels. Though unlikely in solder ball probing
applications, large, hard particles can crush probe tips and are a leading cause of premature, catastrophic probe card
failure.

Once particles have been transferred to the membrane, they are best removed by using the offline cleaning brush supplied
with your core. This procedure is described in the application note titled Pyramid Probe Cores Off-line Cleaning With Brush.

The best solution for particulate contamination, however, is removal of the particles at their source. A few simple
precautions can protect Pyramid Probes from particulate damage. To avoid accidental damage to the probe core:

• Probe in a cleanroom environment.
• Use extreme caution when probing correlation wafers.
• Do not load or unload probe cards with the wafer on the chuck.
• Do not share brushes between Pyramid Probes and other probe card technologies.
• Do not touch the membrane, even with gloved hands.
• Do regular preventative maintenance to clean the wafer area of the prober.

N

OTE

For details on cleaning Pyramid Probes with a plastic plungers, see the application note titled
“Online Cleaning Methods for Pyramid Probe Cards”.

Figure 1. P800-S mounted on a PCB.

i

Quick Reference Guide

Pyramid Probe Card: P800-S Online Cleaning

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