The purpose of a prober is, of course, to make electrical connections to the devices. The typical probe pad on the ECE 344 mask set is 100 microns on a side. Please show respect for the delicate micromanipulators that make them relatively easy to probe or you may have to use a soldering iron to make the connections. (Solder will not wet aluminum, therefore a second metal would have to be patterned on top of it.) The two most common abuses of the probe stations are bending a probe needle and forcing a micromanipulator beyond the end of its mechanical limits. Another problem that should be avoided is opening the VAC switch without a wafer on the stage as this is hard on the house vacuum pump and affects everything else using it.
When not in use, the raise/lower lever on the left should remain in the UP position. Place your wafer in the center of the stage with the probe assembly still in the raised position. Turn on the vacuum by flipping the VAC switch located near the rear right corner of the baseplate. Raise the probe tips with a few turns of their individual UP/DOWN controls. Then lower the probe assembly slowly. If a probe tip looks like it's going to touch your wafer, raise that probe tip individually so that none of the probes are touching when the raise/lower arm is all the way down. Some of the probers will raise back up slightly when the raise/lower arm is forced to the end of its mechanical limit (toward the user) so its best to back off a bit.
Now turn on the microscope light and move the first device to be tested to the center of the microscope field of view using the stage's X, Y (located near front of baseplate), and * (the arm sticking out of the stage) controls. Carefully make contact to the device pads with the probes. You should not move the micromanipulator housings. With all controls in approximately mid-position, the center of the stage and the probe tips should be near the center of the microscope's field of view. As long as everyone obeys these guidelines, the glue joints that hold the knobs on will never be stressed from reaching the end of the micromanipulator's mechanical limits. Always bring the device to the center of the microscope's field of view for probing. Do not lower the probes too far once contact has been made to avoid scratching the pads or bending a probe tip.
Here are some prober DOs and DON"Ts.
Probes 1, 2, and 3 are connected to the first three switches on the side panel of the probe station's cover. These switches determine which connector will be connected to the probe tip, the coax (down) or the triax (up). Probe four is the same way, but if a jumper is used in place of the probe, the connection is made to stage instead. Probe 5 is permanently connected to a coaxial connector.
NOTE: If a probe seems to be making physical contact, but not electrical contact, then there may be dirt on the stage on the probe tip itself. Do not attempt to clean a probe tip yourself though. Have your instructor do that. Feel free to wipe off the stage with an IPA impregnated kimwipe, however.
The next device may be probed by raising the probe platten (using the raise/lower lever on the left) a little so the probes are no longer in contact and then moving the stage such that the next device is underneath the tips. Then lower the probe assembly and test. This method can save time, especially with the MOSFETs, which require four probes to be used.
When you are finished, raise the probe assembly all the way and turn off the vacuum, microscope light, and instruments.