本研究目的在探討針測行程、次數、接觸力與針尖長度對晶圓針測用探針結構強度之影響，以期提供設計探針幾何參數之參考。研究內容運用田口方法的特點，規劃多項不同針測行程、接觸力及針尖長度組合之實驗，尋求影響探針強度的主要因素。另外，利用ABAQUS有限元素分析軟體，模擬不同實驗參數組合之探針應力分佈狀態，依據von Mises 降伏準則來判斷探針材料是否產生損壞，並與實際針測實驗之結果，進行比對分析，以暸解探針損壞現象及預測探針損壞條件。最後觀察在累積針測次數500及50,000次的條件下，產生探針結構損壞之不同針測行程、針尖長度及接觸力參數組合的條件。

在針測行程固定為125 μm之不同接觸力及針尖長度條件組合下，藉由田口方法之特性分析，觀察到接觸力對探針結構損壞影響大於針尖長度，以及選擇較小之接觸力和較小之針尖長度做為較佳組合。相對應各組合之有限元素分析結果顯示，探針前端區段之最大von Mises等效應力值，可以做為探針損壞觀察指標；並分析在探針前端具有最大von Mises等效應力之位置，其von Mises等效應力值變化過程，可以預測探針損壞的時間點，顯示本研究所發展之有限元素分析模型可以有效地用於晶圓針測用探針結構之設計與分析上。

在累積針測次數500及50,000條件下，損壞之探針接觸力條件集中發生在2.5 g/25.4 μm，其次針測次數增加相對增加探針結構損壞可能，且較短之針尖長度，可以明顯增加探針結構之強度。本研究所進行的各項組合實驗中，得到較佳參數組為針測行程125 μm、接觸力1.5 g/25.4 μm及針尖長度493 μm。

        The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of over-drive, number of probing test, contact force and probe tip length on the structural strength of probes for wafer test. Taguchi methods were applied to design the experiments using probes with various combinations of over-drive, contact force and probe tip length so as to find out the key parameter in determining the structural strength of a probe. A commercial fine element analysis (FEA) code, ABAQUS, was employed to simulate the mechanical behavior of the probe during wafer testing with various combinations of probing parameters. The von Mises yield criterion was applied to asses whether a probe was failed based on the stress analysis results of FEA modeling. Another set of probing test was conducted to find out the proper combinations of probing parameters to survive 500 or 50,000 times of probing test.  

Through analysis of experimental results using the Taguchi method, for a given over-drive of 125 μm, contact force played a more important role than did the probe tip length in influencing the probe strength. The FEA simulation results indicated that the maximum von Mises equivalent stress in the front-end of the probe served as an effective index for evaluating the failure possibility of a probe during wafer testing. In addition, through identifying the time of presence of the maximum von Mises equivalent stress, when the probe was failed could also be predicted. The FEA simulation results agreed well with the experimental results indicating the developed FEA modeling technique is an effective tool for designing a probe used in wafer test.