Probe Card Technician

Department: Probe Card Maintenance / Repair Center

Reports To: Maintenance Supervisor / Operations Lead

Work Environment: Cleanroom / ESD-Safe Repair Lab

Role Overview

The Probe Card Repair Technician focuses directly on hands-on troubleshooting, rework, micro-soldering, and physical pin alignment of probe cards. The primary responsibility is restoring probe cards to factory electrical and mechanical specifications so they can be returned to production wafer test with minimal downtime.

Key Responsibilities

1. Pin Rework & Physical Realignment

• Straighten, realign, and calibrate bent or off-pitch probe pins/needles under high-power optical microscopes using precision micro-tweezers.

• Replace damaged, broken, or burnt pins and contact elements.

• Perform tip reshaping, tip grinding/sanding, and residue cleaning to restore contact surfaces.

2. Micro-Soldering & Electrical Repair

• Conduct precision micro-soldering and desoldering on space transformers, multi-layer organic/ceramic substrates, and interface PCBs.

• Replace passive surface-mount components (resistors, capacitors) and jumper wires.

• Troubleshoot and clear electrical faults, including leakage, open traces, and pin-to-pin shorts.

3. Defect Diagnosis & Optical Inspection

• Inspect returned cards under stereo and digital inspection microscopes to diagnose failures (e.g., burn marks, foreign material, probe wear).

• Check pin planarity and alignment using manual micromanipulators and optical height indicators.

• Verify scrub mark behavior and surface conditions before releasing cards for final buy-off.

4. Maintenance Records & Lab Discipline

• Log repair histories, defect codes, and parts replaced in the tracking system.

• Maintain cleanroom protocol, strict ESD precautions, and safe handling of solvents (IPA, flux removers).

• Maintain soldering stations, hot-air pencils, and microscope optics.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Education: Technical Certificate, NITEC / Higher NITEC, or Diploma in Electronics, Electrical, Mechatronics, or Mechanical Engineering.

• Experience & Training:

  • Prior experience in electronics rework, soldering, or cleanroom environments is an advantage, but no prior probe card experience is required.

  • Comprehensive on-the-job training will be provided.

• Key Attributes:

  • Good hand-eye coordination and fine motor dexterity for precision manual rework under a microscope.

  • Basic familiarity with hand tools and multimeters is helpful.

  • Comfortable working in an ESD-controlled / cleanroom setting.