US Patent 7119560 Probe apparatus

A probe apparatus 1 includes displacement detection means 6 disposed on a surface 4a of a probe card 4 from which probing needles 41 of the probe card 4 protrude, and control means 5 for receiving a signal of a positional change of the probe card 4 from the displacement detection means or a positional change on the stage side, or signals of positional changes of both of them and moving a stage 2 in a Z axis direction. The displacement detection means detects on the real time basis the positional change of the probe card due to influences of heat, etc, moves the stage to correct the positional change and keeps the contact condition between probing needles of the probe card and electrode pads of a wafer 10 always constant.