Connector

Details Connector Connector

1999-09-10

2001-07-10

Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With insulation other than conductor sheath

Plural-contact coupling part

C439S078000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06257933

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a connector having contacts adapted to contact with electrical connector portions formed on the surface of a printed board, and more particularly, to such connector suitable for use with a semiconductor device testing apparatus (commonly called IC tester) for testing various types of semiconductor devices including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC).
BACKGROUND ART
Many semiconductor device testing apparatuses (which will hereinafter be referred to as IC tester) measure the electrical characteristics of semiconductor devices to be tested, i.e. devices under test (commonly called DUT), by applying a test signal of a predetermined pattern to the devices. Such IC testers have connected therewith a semiconductor device transporting and handling apparatus (commonly called handler) for transporting semiconductor devices to be tested to a test section where the semiconductor devices are brought into electrical contact with device sockets mounted to that portion which is called test head (a component of the IC tester for supplying and receiving various types of electrical signals for testing which will be referred to as test head hereinafter. After completion of the test, the handler carries the tested semiconductor devices out of the test section to a predetermined location and sorts them out into conforming or pass articles and non-conforming or failure articles on the basis of the test results. In the following disclosure, the present invention will be described for simplicity of explanation by taking by way of example semiconductor device integrated circuits (which will be referred to as IC hereinbelow), which are typical of semiconductor devices that are tested and measured.
First, the general construction of one example of the conventional handler called “horizontal transporting type” will be briefly described with reference to FIG.
7
.
The illustrated handler
60
comprises a loader section
61
for transferring and reloading ICs to be tested (ICs under test) onto a test tray
64
, a constant temperature chamber
65
containing a soak chamber
66
and a test section
67
, an exit chamber
68
(also known as heat-removal/cold-removal chamber) for removing heat or cold from tested ICs carried on the test tray
64
from the test section
67
after completion of the test in the test section
67
, and an unloader section
62
for receiving tested ICs carried on the test tray
64
from the exit chamber
68
, and for transferring and reloading them from the test tray
64
onto a general-purpose or universal tray (also known as customer tray)
63
.
The soak chamber
66
and the test section
67
of the constant temperature chamber
65
and the exit chamber
68
are arranged in the rear portion of the handler
60
in the order named from left to right in the right-to-left direction as viewed in the figure (this direction is referred to as X-axis direction herein) while the loader section
61
and unloader section
62
are located in front of the constant temperature chamber
65
and the exit chamber
68
, respectively. Further, disposed in the forwardmost portion of the handler
60
is a tray storage section
70
for storing universal trays
63
DT loaded with ICs to be tested, universal trays
63
ST loaded with ICs already tested and sorted, empty universal trays
63
ET, and the like.
The soak chamber
66
of the constant temperature chamber
65
is designed for imposing a temperature stress of either a predetermined high or low temperature on ICs to be tested loaded on a test tray
64
in the loader section
61
while the test section
67
of the constant temperature chamber
65
is designed for executing electrical tests on the ICs under the predetermined temperature stress imposed in the soak chamber
66
. In order that the ICs loaded with the temperature stress of either a predetermined high or low temperature in the soak chamber
66
may be maintained in that temperature during the test, the soak chamber
66
and the test section
67
are both contained in the constant temperature chamber
65
capable of maintaining the interior atmosphere at a predetermined constant temperature.
The test tray
64
is moved in a circulating manner from and back to the loader section
61
sequentially through the soak chamber
66
, the test section
67
, the exit chamber
68
, and the unloader section
62
. In this path of circulating travel, there are disposed a predetermined number of test trays
64
which are successively moved by test tray transport means, not shown, in the direction as indicated by arrows in the figure.
A test tray
64
, loaded with ICs to be tested from a universal tray
63
in the loader section
61
, is conveyed from the loader section
61
to the constant temperature chamber
65
, and then introduced into the soak chamber
66
through an inlet port formed on the front side of the constant temperature chamber
65
. The soak chamber
66
is equipped with a vertical transport mechanism which is constructed to support a plurality of (say, five) test trays
64
in the form of a stack with a predetermined spacing between adjacent two test trays. In the illustrated example, a test tray newly received from the loader section
61
is supported on the uppermost tray support stage while the test tray which has been supported on the lowermost tray support stage is transported out to the test section
67
which on the right-hand side in the X-axis direction, adjoins and communicates with the lower portion of the soak chamber
66
. It is thus to be appreciated that test trays
64
are delivered out in the direction perpendicular to that in which they have been introduced.
The vertical transport mechanism moves test trays supported on the successive tray support stages sequentially to the respective next lower tray support stages in the vertical direction (this direction is referred to as Z-axis direction). ICs to be tested are loaded with either a predetermined high or low temperature stress while the test tray supported on the uppermost tray support stage is moved sequentially to the lowermost tray support stage and during a waiting period until the test section
67
is emptied.
In the test section
67
there is located a test head, not shown. The test tray
64
which has been carried one by one out of the constant temperature chamber
65
is placed onto the test head where a predetermined number of ICs out of the ICs under test loaded on the test tray are brought into electrical contact with device sockets (not shown) mounted on the test head. Upon completion of the test on all of the ICs placed on one test tray through the test head, the test tray
64
is conveyed to the right in the X-axis direction to the exit chamber
68
where the tested ICs are relieved of heat or cold.
Like the soak chamber
66
as described above, the exit chamber
68
is also equipped with a vertical transport mechanism and is constructed to support a plurality of (say, five) test trays
64
stacked one on another with a predetermined spacing between adjacent two test trays. In the illustrated example, a test tray newly received from the test section
67
is supported on the lowermost tray support stage while the test tray supported on the uppermost tray support stage is discharged to the unloader section
62
. The vertical transport mechanism moves test trays supported on the successive tray support stages sequentially to the respective next vertically upper tray support stages. The tested ICs are relieved of heat or cold to be restored to the outside temperature (room temperature) while the test tray supported on the lowermost tray support stage is moved sequentially to the uppermost tray support stage.
Since the test for ICs is typically conducted on ICs having a desired temperature stress in a wide range of temperatures from −55° C. to +125° C. imposed thereon in the soak chamber
66
, the exit chamber
68
cools the ICs with forced air down to the room temperature if the ICs have had a high temperature of, say, about +120° C. applied

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