Detecting device for a switch matrix

Details Detecting device for a switch matrix Detecting device for a switch matrix

2000-09-28

2003-01-28

Sherry, Michael (Department: 2829)

Electricity: measuring and testing

Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components

Of individual circuit component or element

C324S765010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06512390

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for testing a switch matrix used in semiconductor processing equipment, and more particularly, to a device for testing a ring connector of the switch matrix, and its testing method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In semiconductor manufacturing processes, when a wafer process (for example, a thin film deposition, a doping process, etc.) has been finished, an electrical property testing of the wafer is performed. Afterwards, cutting and packaging processes are performed on those wafers which pass the quality control testing procedures. The electrical property testing for wafers is used to distinguish between good and bad wafers, and to ensure the proper electrical functioning of the semiconductor devices. Additionally, the feedback of test results from wafer testing serves as process data to enhance the process yield and the process reliability of the production line.
A switch matrix is a device frequently used for testing wafers in the semiconductor processing industry. In the testing method, a wafer is placed on a testing platform, and then the electrical property of the wafer is detected by contact probes. When the probes touch the wafer, the electrical properties of the wafer must conform to a predetermined standard in the program in the control unit. If the wafer does not conform to these standards, the wafer is considered defective and is eliminated. Through the operation of the switch matrix, probes can be arrayed as a matrix, and are used to detect the electrical properties of wafers a unit at a time.
In the prior art, a testing device with a switch matrix includes a test fixture adapter, a ring connector, and a test fixture as primary components. The test fixture contains a personality board, and the ring connector comprises a plurality of first connecting pins and a plurality of second connecting pins on two ends of the ring connector. The first connecting pins are used to connect to the test fixture adapter, and the second connecting pins are used to connect to the personality board. In the prior art, wafer testing proceeds by placing the wafer on the joint pad of the test fixture adapter, and then the ring connector is used to connect the test fixture adapter to the test fixture. In other words, the test fixture, the ring connector and the test fixture adapter are first connected, and then probes are used to detect the electrical properties of each wafer.
In the testing device with a switch matrix according to the prior art, the ring connector is used to electrically connect the test fixture adapter to the test fixture. The ring connector usually has two ends as mentioned above, and it has different numbers of connecting pins on the two ends. The function of the ring connector is to connect together two mechanisms that have different numbers of pins, for example, converting sixty pins to forty-eight pins. Hence, the two ends of the ring connector are connected together by many wires. But in the wafer testing process of the prior art, if a certain in or a certain connecting wire of the ring connector breaks, determining where the problem has occurred and solving the problem cannot be effected immediately. The whole detecting device must be shut down, and a self-testing program provided by the device factory must be executed, or the problem checked out manually. These methods do not proceed easily and they consume a great deal of both time and money, and subject the whole testing process to delays.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device and a method for testing the switch matrix and the ring connector used in semiconductor equipment and to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the switch matrix contains a test fixture adapter and a ring connector. The ring connector has a plurality of first connecting pins on one end. The method is to place a probe board on the test fixture adapter first, a plurality of testing pins are positioned on the probe board, each of the testing pins having one corresponding first connecting pin. Then a resistor is electrically connected between each of two adjacent testing pins, and the first connecting pins are electrically connected with the corresponding testing pins. Finally, a testing circuit is used to test each of the resistors so as to judge the operations of the switch matrix.
It is an advantage of the present invention that problems with the ring connector can be found and solved quickly by connecting a resistor between each testing pin and by utilizing predetermined programs for testing circuit.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4488111 (1984-12-01), Widdowson
patent: 5436554 (1995-07-01), Decker, Jr.
Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation, “Device Generated Noise Measurement Techniques”, Nov. 1990, Data Sheet AN-737, 7 pages.

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