Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: It should corrected as rejected below. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 8-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Abe (JP 1-162177 A).
Regarding claim 1, Abe discloses that present invention is characterized in that the contact pressure when the probe needle is brought into contact with the substrate is detected and controlled from the trace of the probe needle over conventional manual method by correcting the stopping position of the mounting table in the Z direction, that is, correcting the overdrive amount after the wafer and probe needle came into contact to avoid a problem related to long or short probe needle. Abe also discloses “It should be noted that such a correction operation should be performed not only when the substrate for confirming needle traces is placed, but also when the semiconductor wafer 1 is actually placed on the mounting table 2 and the probe inspection is performed.”. Abe further discloses “The position and size of the needle mark when set at an appropriate position in the axial direction and the θ direction are stored in advance, and the mark information that is this appropriate value and the position of the needle mark recognized by the recognition means are stored in advance. By comparing the information and the size information, it is possible to obtain alignment position correction information and overdrive amount correction information.“ Abe therefore at fig. 1-3 discloses a test method of performing an electrical test by bringing a substrate 1 into contact with a plurality of probes [3, see 40a, 40b], the test method comprising: calculating a correction amount [using 30,33,35 and e.g. “alignment position correction information”, “overdrive amount correction information” and “drive amount” as disclosed] in a three-dimensional direction that is used when a mounting table 2 on which the substrate is mounted is moved in the three-dimensional direction [X, Y, Z and θ directions, as disclosed], before the electrical test is performed [“a correction operation may be performed during measurement of the board to be measured, or the position of the mounting table, etc. may be corrected in advance using a dummy board for checking trace information before this measurement”]; and moving the mounting table [in Z-direction] based on the calculated correction amount in the three-dimensional direction when the electrical test is performed [after calculating drive amount and corrections, as disclosed], wherein the step of calculating of the correction amount in the three-dimensional direction includes [ drive amount and corrections, as disclosed, Also see “The object of the present invention is to provide a probing method that can also be applied to correction.”]: acquiring information on a contact state [see “contact with chip” at Abstract and fig. 2-3] in which the plurality of probes are in contact with the substrate 1 while the mounting table is raised [in z-direction]: and calculating the correction amount in the three-dimensional direction based on the acquired information on the contact state [contact distance/positional relationship between electrode pad 40a/40b and probe needle 3, as disclosed and fig. 2-3].
Regarding claim 2, Abe discloses the test method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information on the contact state includes: a conduction start position [position of needle 3 at start of 42] at which the plurality of probes are in contact with the substrate to start conduction; and a conduction end position [position of needle 3 at the end of 42] at which conduction between the plurality of probes and the substrate is completed after the conduction start position is acquired.
Regarding claim 3, Abe discloses the test method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the calculating of the correction amount in the three-dimensional direction includes calculating a conduction movement range [movement of trace] between the conduction start position and the conduction end position, and calculating the correction amount in the three-dimensional direction based on the conduction movement range.
Regarding claim 4, Abe discloses the test method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the calculating of the correction amount in the three-dimensional direction includes setting the correction amount in the three-dimensional direction to a greater value as the conduction movement range increases [as length of trace increases (due to overdrive) correction amount has to increase for proper contact].
Regarding claim 8, Abe discloses the test method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the conduction start position is a position in a vertical direction at a timing when a first probe among the plurality of probes conducts [Z-direction movement of 2 when first contact to make trace 42, see fig. 1-3].
Regarding claim 9, Abe discloses the test method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the conduction end position is a position in a vertical direction at a timing when all the plurality of probes conduct [Z-direction movement of 2 when contact ends (overdrive) to make trace 42, see fig. 1-3]..
Regarding claim 10, Abe discloses the test method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information on the contact state includes image information obtained by imaging probe marks of a plurality of pads formed by contacts between the plurality of probes and the plurality of pads of the substrate [using camera 31].
Regarding claim 11, Abe discloses the test method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the calculating of the correction amount in the three-dimensional direction includes acquiring an index of a number of the probe marks [41a, 41b] at a plurality of coordinates in a vertical direction [when 2 moves in z-direction], and calculating the correction amount in the three-dimensional direction based on the index of the number of the probe marks [fig. 3] .
Regarding claim 12, Abe as stated above at rejection of claim 1 discloses all the elements including a correction amount calculation method of correcting a movement amount of a mounting table on which a substrate is mounted in a three-dimensional direction when an electrical test is performed by bringing the substrate into contact with a plurality of probes, the correction amount calculation method comprising: acquiring information on a contact state in which the plurality of probes are in contact with the substrate while the mounting table is raised; and calculating a correction amount in the three-dimensional direction based on the acquired information on the contact state.
Regarding claim 13, Abe as stated above at rejection of claim 1 discloses all the elements including a test device [fig. 1] of performing an electrical test of a substrate 1, the test device comprising: a plurality of probes 3 configured to perform the electrical test upon contact with the substrate; a mounting table 2 configured to mount the substrate; and a controller [35, 30, 33] configured to control an operation of the mounting table, wherein the controller performs: a process of calculating a correction amount in a three-dimensional direction that is used when the mounting table is moved in the three-dimensional direction, before the electrical test is performed; and a process of moving the mounting stage based on the calculated correction amount in the three-dimensional direction when the electrical test is performed, and wherein the process of calculating the correction amount in the three-dimensional direction includes: acquiring information on a contact state in which the plurality of probes are in contact with the substrate while the stage is raised; and calculating the correction amount in the three-dimensional direction based on the acquired information on the contact state.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: No prior art has been found that meet the limitations of claim 5 calling for a test method of performing an electrical test by bringing a substrate into contact with a plurality of probes, the test method comprising: wherein calculating of the correction amount in the three-dimensional direction includes setting a plurality of areas on a mounting surface of the mounting table; wherein the acquiring of the conduction start position includes acquiring the conduction start position for each of a plurality of vertices in an area where the plurality of probes are in contact among the plurality of areas, wherein the acquiring of the conduction end position includes acquiring the conduction end position for each of the plurality of vertices in the area where the plurality of probes are in contact among the plurality of areas, and wherein the calculating of the correction amount in the three-dimensional direction includes calculating the correction amount of the area where the plurality of probes contact in the three-dimensional direction, based on the conduction start position and the conduction end position for each of the plurality of vertices.
Dependent claims 6-7 are also allowed.
Please note: Examiner has cited particular columns, line numbers, and figures in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teaching of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. Applicants are reminded that MPEP 2141.02 (I-VI) states: A prior art reference must be considered in its entirety, i.e., as a whole, including portions that would lead away from the claimed invention. W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. V. Garlock, Inc., 721 F.2d 1540, 220 USPQ 303 (Fed. Cir. 1983), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 851 (1984).
Conclusion
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/PARESH PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
July 17, 2026
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