| US 7,583,096 B2 | ||
| Probing apparatus and probing method | ||
| Hiroki Hosaka, Nirasaki (Japan); Shuji Akiyama, Nirasaki (Japan); and Tadashi Obikane, Nirasaki (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on May 11, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/747,559. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2006-132546 (JP), filed on May 11, 2006; application No. 2007-044729 (JP), filed on Feb. 23, 2007; and application No. 2007-112347 (JP), filed on Apr. 20, 2007. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0262783 A1, Nov. 15, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. G01R 31/02 (2006.01); G01R 31/28 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 324—754 [324/158.1] | 11 Claims |
| 1. A probing apparatus comprising:
a prober chamber in which target objects are inspected; and
a loader chamber disposed at a side surface of the prober chamber, wherein the loader chamber includes:
two loading ports provided near the side surface to be vertically spaced apart from each other, each of the loading ports
mounting thereon a cassette accommodating therein a plurality of the target objects; and
a transfer unit provided between the loading ports, the transfer unit transferring the target objects between the loading
ports and the prober chamber,
wherein each of the loading ports has a direction switching mechanism for switching a direction of the cassette and an opening/closing
mechanism for opening and closing a lid of the cassette facing the transfer unit through the direction switching mechanism.
|