Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Of individual circuit component or element
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-23
2001-11-06
Metjahic, Safet (Department: 2858)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
Of individual circuit component or element
C324S765010, C219S412000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06313654
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device testing apparatus and test method for testing IC chips and other electronic devices inside a chamber in a state of ordinary temperature or less (ordinary temperature or temperature lower than that), more particularly relates to a device testing apparatus and teat method able to effectively prevent the occurrence of condensation inside a chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the process of production of a semiconductor device etc., a testing apparatus is necessary for testing the finally produced IC chip or other device. As one type of such a testing apparatus, there is known an apparatus for testing an IC chip at ordinary temperature or temperature conditions lower than ordinary temperature. This is because it is guaranteed as one of the features of an IC chip that it operates well at ordinary temperature or low temperature.
In such a testing apparatus, the top of the test head is covered by the chamber, the inside is made an air-tight space, IC chips are conveyed on the test head, the IC chips are pushed against the test head for connection, and the IC chips are tested while making the inside of the chamber an ordinary temperature within a certain temperature range or a low temperature state. This type of test is used to test the IC chips well and sort them into at least good chips and defective chips.
In this type of testing apparatus of the related art, in particular in low temperature tests, an abnormality sometimes occurs whereby it is no longer possible to maintain the temperature inside the chamber at a low temperature within a predetermined temperature range. When such a temperature abnormality occurs, the testing apparatuses of the related art were designed to output a temperature alarm signal.
When such a temperature alarm signal was emitted, the testing apparatuses of the related art were designed to stop all temperature control and notify the operator of the testing apparatus of the w abnormality. The operator then investigated the abnormality of the testing apparatus and requested suitable measures be taken.
When the operator fails to take suitable measures, when there is no operator nearby, etc., however, the testing apparatus remains in a state with the temperature control stopped and condensation is liable to occur inside the chamber. If condensation occurs inside the chamber, the moisture of the condensation deposits on the terminals of the test head side and terminals of the IC chips etc. and is liable to cause the phenomenon of short-circuiting and liable to have a detrimental effect on the testing apparatus and IC chips. Therefore, it is necessary to effectively prevent the occurrence of condensation inside the chamber.
Further, it is necessary to maintain the inside of the chamber at a predetermined temperature range not only in low temperature tests (for example, −55.0° C. to 15.9° C.), but also in ordinary temperature tests (for example, 16.0° C. to 39.9° C.). The inside of the chamber sometimes become a lower temperature in state than the outside of the chamber. In such a case, a temperature alarm is emitted and the temperature control of the testing apparatus is stopped. If this is allowed to continue unchecked, condensation is liable to occur inside the chamber in the same way as at the time of a low temperature test.
Further, when continuously operating the testing apparatus over a long period of time for a low temperature test, the introduction of outside air along with the insertion and removal of IC chips to and from the inside of the chamber etc. is liable to cause condensation inside the chamber due to the accumulation of moisture inside the chamber even if there is no temperature alarm.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made in consideration of this situation and has as its object the provision of a device testing apparatus and test method able to effectively prevent the occurrence of condensation inside a chamber even when a temperature alarm is issued or the testing apparatus is operated continuously for a long period of time.
To achieve the object of the present invention, according to the present invention, there is provided a first device testing apparatus comprising a chamber having inside it a test stage for testing a device, a cooling unit able to cool the inside of the chamber to a temperature less than ordinary temperature, a heating unit able to heat the inside of the chamber to return it to ordinary temperature, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the chamber, and a temperature controller for controlling the output of the cooling unit and/or heating unit in accordance with an output from the temperature sensor, wherein the temperature controller comprises a reset alarm detecting means for detecting if a reset alarm signal relating to an abnormality inside the chamber has been emitted or not and an ordinary temperature resetting means for stopping the cooling by the cooling unit and starting up the heating unit to heat the inside of the chamber to return it to ordinary temperature based on the reset alarm signal detected by the reset alarm detecting means.
Further, to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a first test method comprising the steps of maintaining the inside of a chamber at a predetermined low temperature and in that state testing a device transferred to the inside of the chamber, detecting if a reset alarm signal relating to an abnormality inside the chamber has been emitted or not, and stopping the cooling of the inside of the chamber by a cooling unit and starting up a heating unit to heat the inside of the chamber to return it to ordinary temperature based on the reset alarm signal detected at the step of detecting the reset alarm.
Further, to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a second device testing apparatus comprising a chamber having inside it a test stage for testing a device, a cooling unit able to cool the inside of the chamber to a temperature less than ordinary temperature, a heating unit able to heat the inside of the chamber to return it to ordinary temperature, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the chamber, and a temperature controller for controlling the output of the cooling unit and/or heating unit in accordance with an output from the temperature sensor, wherein the temperature controller comprises a reset processing signal detecting means for detecting if an ordinary temperature reset processing signal has been emitted or not and an ordinary temperature resetting means for stopping the cooling by the cooling unit and starting up the heating unit to heat the inside of the chamber to return it to ordinary temperature based on the reset processing signal detected by the reset processing signal detecting means.
Further, to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a second test method comprising the steps of maintaining the inside of a chamber at a predetermined low temperature and in that state testing a device transferred to the inside of the chamber, detecting if an ordinary temperature reset processing signal has been emitted or not, and stopping the cooling of the inside of the chamber by a cooling unit and starting up a heating unit to heat the inside of the chamber to return it to ordinary temperature based on the reset processing signal.
In the first and second testing apparatuses, the ordinary temperature resetting means preferably comprises a reset interruption alarm detecting means for judging if a reset interruption alarm signal has been emitted or not during ordinary temperature resetting processing and a reset interrupting means for interrupting the ordinary temperature resetting processing by the ordinary temperature resetting means when the reset interruption alarm signal has been detected by the reset interruption alarm detecting means.
Further, the first and second testing apparatuses prefera
Kojima Katsumi
Murayama Takao
Nansai Yuichi
Advantest Corporation
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Deb Anjan K
Metjahic Safet
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