Design and implementation of a probe station as capstone project

Abstract

A probe station is an essential piece of equipment used in semiconductor wafer testing. It provides a platform for the wafer to interface with the electrical test equipment. During wafer testing, electrical probes are lowered onto the semiconductor wafer and make electrical connections to the wafer. This paper presents the design and implementation of a probe station project that was carried out as a capstone senior design project in School of Engineering at Grand Valley State University. The probe station was designed to have a durable, stable base and a 4 inch vacuum-assisted hot chuck as a sample stage. A microscope was integrated to view the wafers and to assist in making the electrical connections. In addition, microprobes with the ability to probe the wafers of 25 μm structure were designed. The project team consisted of students with majors in mechanical and electrical engineering. The students learned skills in team building, project management, communication skills, and budgeting. The outcome of this project was a fully functional probe station currently used in the solid-state laboratory. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2006.