Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Of individual circuit component or element
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-12
2002-09-03
Sherry, Michael (Department: 2829)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
Of individual circuit component or element
C324S754090, C324S1540PB
Reexamination Certificate
active
06445200
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor element testing carrier for holding a semiconductor element to be tested and, more particularly, to a semiconductor element testing carrier using a membrane contactor which is temporarily connected to terminals of the semiconductor element so as to provide tester signals to the semiconductor element during a test process.
The semiconductor element to be tested by being held in such a carrier may include a bare chip type semiconductor element, a ball grid array (BGA) type semiconductor element, a small outline package (SOP) type semiconductor element or a quad flat package (QFP) type semiconductor element.
As miniaturization, high speed and high densification are required for recent electronic circuits, attempts are made to form finer electrodes provided on a semiconductor element. When a test is performed on such a semiconductor element having fine electrodes, a contactor which can achieve a reliable electrical connection is required.
As for a contactor satisfying such a requirement, a membrane contactor has been suggested and use of the membrane contactor has being increasing. The membrane contactor is formed by a polyimide film with a conductive pattern provided thereon. Accordingly, a semiconductor element testing carrier using such a membrane contactor has been developed, especially for testing a bare chip type semiconductor element.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional semiconductor element testing carrier using a membrane contactor, a semiconductor element to be tested is placed at a predetermined position of the membrane contactor, and thereafter, a pressing unit is placed on a back side of the semiconductor element which back side is opposite to the side being contacted by the membrane contactor so as to press the semiconductor element against the membrane contactor. That is, the conventional carrier has a three-stage arrangement such as the membrane contactor-the semiconductor element-the pressing unit arranged in that order from the bottom side.
FIG. 1
is a side view of the conventional semiconductor element testing carrier. The semiconductor element testing carrier
1
shown in
FIG. 1
comprises a membrane contactor
3
, a frame
4
, a cap
5
, a pressing unit
7
, a fence
10
and a cushion member
11
.
The membrane contactor
3
has tester pads (not shown in the figure) on a periphery thereof so that tester signals are provided to the tester pads. The membrane conductor
3
is placed on the frame
4
. The fence
10
is provided on the membrane contactor
3
so as to place a semiconductor element
2
at a predetermined position of the membrane contactor
3
. The fence
10
also serves to fix the semiconductor element
2
so that the semiconductor element
2
is not displaced when a shock or vibration is applied to the semiconductor element testing carrier
1
.
The pressing unit
7
comprises a press plate
8
and a coil spring
9
. An upper end of the coil spring
9
is engaged with the cap
5
positioned above the frame
4
. The cap
5
is supported by connecting rods
6
extending from the frame
4
. A lower end of the coil spring
9
is engaged with the press plate
8
so as to apply a spring force to the press plate
8
. Accordingly, the pressing unit
7
presses the semiconductor element
2
toward the membrane contactor
3
via the press plate
8
. Thereby, a good electric contact is achieved between the semiconductor element
2
and the membrane contactor
3
.
Additionally, the frame
4
is provided with a cavity formed at a position under a position where the semiconductor element
2
is placed so that the cushion member
11
is accommodated in the cavity. The cushion member
11
contacts the membrane contactor
3
at a position opposite to the semiconductor element
2
so as to receive a pressing force applied by the pressing unit
7
.
Additionally, when attaching the semiconductor element
2
to the semiconductor element testing carrier
1
, first the semiconductor element
2
is placed at the predetermined position of the membrane contactor
3
. At this time, the semiconductor element
2
must be precisely positioned so that the electrodes of the membrane contactor
3
are reliably connected to the electrodes of the semiconductor element
2
. Thereafter, the pressing unit
7
is attached so as to press the semiconductor element
2
in a direction from the back side of the semiconductor element
2
to the membrane contactor
3
. A test is performed on the semiconductor element
2
while the semiconductor element
2
is held by the semiconductor element testing carrier.
The above-mentioned conventional semiconductor element testing carrier
1
is arranged so that the pressing unit
7
is attached after the semiconductor element
2
is placed on the membrane contactor
3
. Additionally, the pressing unit
7
(the press plate
8
) directly contacts the semiconductor element
2
. Accordingly, there is a problem in that the semiconductor element
2
is displaced relative to the membrane contactor
3
due to a shock applied by the press plate
8
to the semiconductor element
2
when the pressing unit
7
is set.
Additionally, when a shock or vibration is applied to the semiconductor element testing carrier
1
during a testing process, such a shock or vibration is directly transmitted to the semiconductor element
2
. Thereby, the semiconductor element
2
may be displaced relative to the membrane contactor
3
after the assembly of the semiconductor element
2
to the semiconductor element testing carrier
1
has been completed. Thus, there is a problem in that the electrodes of the semiconductor element
2
and the membrane contactor
3
may be damaged when a displacement occurs between the semiconductor element
2
and the membrane contactor
3
, which results in an incomplete electric connection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful semiconductor element testing carrier in which the above-mentioned problems are eliminated.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor element testing carrier which can prevent a semiconductor element from being displaced relative to a membrane contactor both during a testing operation and during an attaching operation of the semiconductor element to a semiconductor element testing carrier.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, there is provided according to one aspect of the present invention a semiconductor element testing carrier for holding a semiconductor element to be tested so as to obtain an electrical contact with electrodes of the semiconductor element, the semiconductor element having a first surface on which the electrodes are formed and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the semiconductor element testing carrier comprising:
a membrane contactor having a front surface and a back surface opposite to the front surface, the membrane contactor contacting the electrodes of the semiconductor element being placed on the front surface of the membrane contactor;
a pressing unit pressing the membrane contactor toward the semiconductor element from a side of the back surface of the membrane contactor;
a pressing and holding member holding the second surface of the semiconductor element; and
a contacting part protrudingly formed on one of the pressing and holding member and the membrane contactor so that the semiconductor element is held between the membrane contactor and the pressing and holding member while the membrane contactor contacts the pressing and holding member via the contacting part.
According to the above-mentioned invention, the pressing unit presses the membrane contactor from a side opposite to a side where the semiconductor element is placed. That is, the pressing unit does not directly press the semiconductor element. Additionally, the pressing and holding member holds the second surface of the semiconductor element, the second surface being opposite to the surfac
Fujitsu Limited
Hollington Jermele
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