An inspection contactor is provided for inspecting electrical continuity of an inspected wafer by pushing probes against a predetermined location of the inspected wafer. The contactor may include a first silicon substrate provided on a main face thereof with the probes. A second silicon substrate may be located on another face of the first silicon substrate in which the another face is opposite to the main face of the first silicon substrate. A semiconductor circuit having a plurality of electrode pads may be located on the second silicon substrate. A third silicon substrate may be located on the second silicon substrate at a side opposite to the first silicon substrate. A plurality of outer terminals may be located on a face of the third silicon substrate in which the face is opposite to the second silicon substrate. The number of the outer terminals may be smaller than the number of the probes. Each of the plurality of electrode pads located in the semiconductor circuit may be electrically connected to the probes or the outer terminals.

In accordance with the present invention, there are provided connection assemblies for burn-in test, wherein the test is carried out by electrically connecting inner terminals of a wiring pattern formed on a base substrate and terminals of a device to be tested to each other. These assemblies are equipped with a contact substrate having points of contact on both the top and bottom surface thereof and force the inner terminals and the terminals to connect electrically through the points of contact, a positioning plate for carrying out positioning of the contact substrate relative to the base substrate and have a positioning hole for locating the device, and a pressure mechanism for pressing the device toward the contact substrate. By use of the assemblies illustrated above, burn-in testing on LSI having a narrow pitch and multiple terminals may be carried out, the assemblies are available at low prime cost with high efficiency and, because of good exchangeability, it is possible to cope with damage to the contact substrate or changes in the types of articles of manufacture to be tested.

Bump electrodes are formed on the bottom surface of an intermediate semiconductor wafer at locations corresponding to electrode pads of circuit elements formed on a subject semiconductor wafer. Pickup electrodes and control electrodes are formed on the top surface of the intermediate semiconductor wafer. A switching circuit is formed in the intermediate semiconductor wafer, and serves to connect selected ones of the bump electrodes to the pickup electrodes in accordance with switching control signals provided from a tester via the control electrodes. The pickup electrodes and the control electrodes are connected to the tester via pogo pins.

A semiconductor inspection device for inspecting an electronic device is disclosed. The semiconductor inspection device includes a contact probe including a plurality of column parts disposed in continuation, each of the column parts having different height, a conductive layer formed at least on the surfaces of the column parts, a holding part for holding the contact probe, and a through-hole electrode penetrating at least one of the column parts, wherein the contact probe and the holding part are integrally formed from a single silicon substrate.

An apparatus for probing a semiconductor wafer includes one or more probe tips, the position of each being self-adjustable according to the pressure and direction of the pressure applied to it. In the present invention, elastic probe assemblies (which include the probe tips) independently move to compensate when the wafer expands in size due to thermal expansion and/or changes of probing pressure.