Automated prevention of transfer of an unsoaked IC package...

Details Automated prevention of transfer of an unsoaked IC package... Automated prevention of transfer of an unsoaked IC package...

2000-10-16

2003-01-14

Karlsen, Ernest (Department: 2829)

Electricity: measuring and testing

Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components

Of individual circuit component or element

C324S1540PB, C324S765010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06507206

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to manufacture of IC (integrated circuit) packages, and more particularly, to a mechanism for automatically preventing the transfer of an IC package from a temperature soaking chamber to a testing chamber when the IC package has not been placed within the temperature soaking chamber for a predetermined time period.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Referring to
FIG. 1
, during manufacture of IC (integrated circuit) packages, the IC packages are tested for proper functionality at a range of temperatures such as from about −40° Celsius to about +85° Celsius, for example. An example testing system that handles the IC packages for such testing of the IC packages for a range of temperatures is the MCT3608E Handler or the MCT3608CCA Handler available from Micro Component Technology, Inc. headquartered in St. Paul, Minn.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, such a temperature testing system
100
includes a testing chamber
102
and a temperature soaking chamber
104
having a heating or cooling grid
106
. The heating or cooling grid
106
is heated or cooled such that the temperature within the soaking chamber
104
is at a predetermined temperature. IC packages are heated or cooled to the predetermined temperature within the soaking chamber
104
by placing the IC packages within the soaking chamber
104
for a predetermined time period. Such a process of heating or cooling the IC packages within the soaking chamber
104
is referred to as “soaking” the IC packages by one of ordinary skill in the art of IC package manufacture.
After the IC packages have been heated or cooled to the predetermined temperature within the soaking chamber
104
, the IC packages are transferred to the testing chamber
102
for testing of electrical characteristics of the IC packages when the IC packages are at that predetermined temperature, as known to one of ordinary skill in the art of IC package manufacture. Referring to
FIG. 1
, the temperature testing system
100
includes a plurality of tracks including a first track
108
and a second track
110
for holding the IC packages through the temperature soaking chamber
104
to the testing chamber
102
. A temperature testing system, such as the MCT3608E Handler or the MCT3608CCA Handler available from Micro Component Technology, Inc., typically includes more numerous tracks, such as thirteen tracks for example, but two tracks
108
and
110
are shown in
FIG. 1
for clarity of illustration.
Each of the tracks
108
and
110
includes a respective input with a first input
112
for the first track
108
and a second input
114
for the second track
110
. A container such as an IC tube for holding the IC packages is placed on the input of a track for transferring the IC packages from the container to the temperature soaking chamber
104
. Referring to
FIG. 1
, a first prior IC tube
116
is placed on the first input
112
of the first track
108
, and a second prior IC tube
118
is placed on the second input
114
of the second track
110
. Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the IC packages from the first prior IC tube
112
are transferred to the first track
108
within the soaking chamber
104
, and the IC packages from the second prior IC tube
114
are transferred to the second track
110
within the soaking chamber
104
. Elements having the same reference number in
FIGS. 1 and 2
refer to elements having similar structure and function.
Referring to
FIG. 3
, a side view of the temperature testing system
100
shows the IC packages, from the first prior IC tube
116
placed at the first input
112
, sliding out of the first prior IC tube
116
and onto the first track
108
within the temperature soaking chamber
104
. The side view of any track of the temperature testing system
100
including the second track
110
is similar to the side view of the first track
108
as illustrated in FIG.
3
. Elements having the same reference number in
FIGS. 1
,
2
, and
3
refer to elements having similar structure and function. An IC package detector
120
is disposed within the temperature soaking chamber near a first output stopper device
122
at the output of the first track
108
. Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the first output stopper device
122
is at the output of the first track
108
, and the second output stopper device
124
is at the output of the second track
110
. The output of a track is the end of the track within the soaking chamber
104
near the testing chamber
102
.
Referring to
FIGS. 3 and 4
, the IC package detector
120
is a position sensor such as an opto-electronic position sensor that detects when an object is adjacent to the IC package detector
120
. Such position sensors are known to one of ordinary skill in the art of electronics. Referring to
FIG. 4
, when the track
108
is full of IC packages with an IC package being adjacent the IC package detector
120
, the IC package detector
120
sends an “IC package PRESENT” control signal to a data processor
126
of the temperature testing system
100
to indicate that the soaking chamber
104
is full of newly transferred IC packages. Elements having the same reference number in
FIGS. 1
,
2
,
3
, and
4
refer to elements having similar structure and function.
The data processor
126
then starts a timer that times up to a predetermined time period from when the IC package detector
120
sends the “IC package PRESENT” control signal to the data processor
126
such that the IC packages on the track
108
are “soaked” to the predetermined temperature of the soaking chamber
104
by being placed within the soaking chamber
104
for the predetermined time period. For example, the predetermined time period may be about 4 minutes.
Referring to
FIG. 5
, after the predetermined time period from when the IC package detector
120
sends the “IC package PRESENT” control signal, the data processor
126
controls the output stopper device to be lowered to a passing position such that the IC packages on the track
108
may be transferred to the testing chamber
102
. The IC packages are then transferred from the soaking chamber
104
to the testing chamber
102
for electrical testing of the IC packages at the predetermined temperature. Elements having the same reference number in
FIGS. 1
,
2
,
3
,
4
, and
5
refer to elements having similar structure and function.
Referring to
FIGS. 3
,
5
, and
6
, as the IC packages of the first prior IC tube
116
are transferred to the testing chamber
102
after such IC packages have been soaked within the soaking chamber
104
for the predetermined time period, a subsequent IC tube
130
may be placed on the input
112
of the track
108
. Elements having the same reference number in
FIGS. 1
,
2
,
3
,
4
,
5
, and
6
refer to elements having similar structure and function. The elements of the prior art temperature testing system
100
, such as the elements of the MCT3608E Handler or the MCT3608CCA Handler available from Micro Component Technology, Inc., of
FIGS. 1
,
2
,
3
,
4
,
5
, and
6
are known to one of ordinary skill in the art of IC package manufacture
In the prior art temperature testing system
100
, an operator keeps track of when the IC packages of the subsequent IC tube
130
are to be placed within the soaking chamber
104
after each of the IC packages of the first prior IC tube
116
has been transferred to the testing chamber
102
. However, the operator may erroneously place the subsequent IC tube
130
of IC packages on the input
112
of the track
108
before each of the IC packages of the first prior IC tube
116
has been transferred to the testing chamber
102
as illustrated in FIG.
6
.
In that case, the IC packages of the subsequent IC tube
130
are transferred onto the track
108
and may be transferred to the testing chamber
102
without being soaked within the soaking chamber
104
for the predetermined time period. The IC packages of the subsequent IC tube
130
that have not been properly soaked to the predetermined temperature of the soaking

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