Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Of individual circuit component or element
Reexamination Certificate
1997-02-24
2001-02-06
Metjahic, Safet (Department: 2858)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
Of individual circuit component or element
C324S765010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06184697
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit testing apparatus for testing semiconductor integrated circuits (as will be referred to as “IC” hereinafter), particularly ICs which are not received in packages, namely, unpackaged ICs, using an apparatus called “wafer prober”, and more particularly to such an IC testing apparatus which is configured so as to be accommodated in a small installation area, so that a number of such IC testing apparatus may be installed in a limited floor area.
2. Description of Related Art
It is required to use an apparatus called wafer prober to test ICs to be shipped in the form of either wafer or chip (in an unpackaged state) which is a semi-finished product among other ICs. As will be described below, the wafer prober is equipped on its top with a contact section with which a testing head of the IC testing apparatus is to be brought into contact, and probes adapted to contact with the contact section are disposed within the prober.
The wafer prober transports an IC to be tested in the form of either wafer or chip to a position where the terminals (leads) of the IC comes into contact with the corresponding probes. During the testing operation for ICs to be tested, test signals of a predetermined pattern are sequentially supplied to the testing head of the IC testing apparatus from its IC tester part. The test signals are in turn supplied to the contact section of the wafer prober through a contact means provided in the testing head, and then are applied to the IC under test transported to the above-mentioned position through the probes located beneath the contact section. The response signals from the IC under test are provided to the IC tester part via the reverse path opposite to that described just above. In this manner the testing is conducted on ICs in the form of either wafer or chip.
An example of the construction of the conventional IC testing apparatus of such type will be described with reference to
FIGS. 6 and 7
. The illustrated IC testing apparatus comprises two wafer probers
10
, two rotary drive means
30
, each positioned adjacent the associated wafer prober, two testing heads
20
, each pivotally or swingably mounted to the associated rotary drive means
30
, and a main frame
40
in the shape of a vertically elongated box. While the main frame
40
comprises a cabinet, it is commonly called main frame in the art concerned, and will therefore be referred to as such hereinbelow. Accommodated within the main frame
40
is an IC tester part for generating test signals of a predetermined pattern, address signals, etc. to be applied to ICs to be tested in the wafer prober
10
and for receiving and processing response signals from the ICs under test to measure their electrical characteristics.
The wafer prober
10
has therewithin an automatic transporting apparatus for transporting and handling unpackaged ICs such as ICs in the form of either wafer or chip, and probes adapted to contact with the terminals (leads) of an IC to be tested when the IC is transported in position by the automatic transporting apparatus, whereby the terminals of the IC are presented out through these probes to a contact section
11
comprising a plurality of contact elements located on the top of the wafer prober
10
.
The testing head
20
is equipped with a contact means
21
comprising a plurality of contact elements adapted to contact with the contact section
11
located on the top of the wafer prober
10
, and is normally in a position where the contact means
21
is in contact with the contact section
11
as shown in solid lines in FIG.
6
. With the contact means
21
in contact with the contact section
11
, the contact means
21
is directed downwardly and in electrical contact with the contact section
11
. Connected with the contact means
21
is a cable, not shown, so that the IC under test is connected with the IC tester part accommodated in the main frame
40
through the probes in the wafer prober
10
, the contact section
11
, the contact means
21
and the cable to effect the testing of the electrical operation of the IC under test.
The purpose of configuring the testing head
20
so as to be pivotable by the rotary drive means
30
is as follows: During the testing of an IC under test, the testing head
20
is in the position shown in solid lines in
FIG. 6
in which it is placed on the contact section
11
of the wafer prober
10
to maintain electrical contact between the IC tester part and the wafer prober
10
. When the type of ICs to be tested is to be varied, it may be required to replace the contact section located on the top of the wafer prober
10
and the contact means
21
of the testing head
20
, depending on the variation in the number of the terminals of an IC, etc. In order to facilitate the replacement of the contact section
11
and the contact means
21
, the testing head
20
is pivotted by the rotary drive means
30
through approximately 180° to be moved from above the top of the wafer prober
10
to the position shown in dotted lines in FIG.
6
and held in that position. The contact section
11
on the top of the wafer prober
10
is thus exposed to provide easy access for replacement. At the same time, the testing head
20
itself is also 180° inverted in its attitude and hence the exposed surface of the contact means
21
is directed upward to provide easy access for replacement.
As discussed above, in the IC testing apparatus employing the wafer prober
10
, the arrangement is made for moving the testing head
20
away from the top of the wafer prober
10
while turning the testing head
20
over by the rotary drive means
30
for the purpose of permitting the replacement of the contact section
11
located on the top of the wafer prober
1
C as well as the contact means
21
of the testing head
20
. In order to provide for pivotal movement of the testing head
20
, some space required for carrying out the operation of replacing the contact means
21
of the testing head
20
must be provided in the position where the contact means
21
faces upward. Such space is illustrated at DS in
FIGS. 6 and 7
.
The space DS is an utterly void area and a wasteful space during the testing of an IC under test. Hereinafter the wasteful space is called dead space DS. Generally, since two wafer probers
10
are used for one main frame
40
, one IC testing apparatus usually involves two wafer probers
10
, associated two testing heads
20
and two rotary drive means
30
in conjunction with one main frame
40
.
As is apparent from
FIG. 7
which is a plan view of the IC testing apparatus shown in
FIG. 6
, on one side of the main frame
40
there is disposed a desk
50
on which a work station for controlling the IC tester part and the like are to be installed. A floor area of about 5 m in width W and about 4.5 m in depth D as shown in
FIG. 7
will be required to install one IC testing apparatus having the arrangement as described above. Hence, if four such IC testing apparatus are to be installed and arranged in the layout shown in
FIG. 7
, a floor area of about 10 m in width W and about 7 m in depth D will be required.
It can thus be understood that installing a number of IC testing apparatus necessarily involves so many dead spaces DS, requiring a large building having a floor space including such many dead spaces DS, which leads to a substantial increase in economic burden.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an IC testing apparatus of the type described above which requires a reduced floor area for installation.
In order to accomplish this object, the invention provides an IC testing apparatus in which the main frame for housing the tester part is made lower in height (profile) so that the space over the top of the main frame may be available as an area for either replacing the contact means of the testing head or performing the maintenance work, etc. whereby the need for providing a specia
Advantest Corporation
Metjahic Safet
Staas & Halsey , LLP
LandOfFree
Semiconductor integrated circuit testing apparatus with... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Semiconductor integrated circuit testing apparatus with..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Semiconductor integrated circuit testing apparatus with... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2598184