Electricity: measuring and testing – Measuring – testing – or sensing electricity – per se – With rotor
Patent
1996-02-08
1997-06-03
Wieder, Kenneth A.
Electricity: measuring and testing
Measuring, testing, or sensing electricity, per se
With rotor
G01R 3128, G01R 104
Patent
active
056358326
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an IC handler for use in a semiconductor device testing apparatus (IC tester), and more particularly, to IC carriers for transporting devices under test (each is generally referred to as DUT) in an IC handler.
BACKGROUND ART
An IC tester for testing semiconductor devices (generally, ICs, i.e., semiconductor integrated circuits) usually employs an IC handler integrally incorporated therein for transporting IC carriers loaded with ICs under test or trays carrying thereon IC carriers loaded with ICs under test from a loader section to a testing zone, and upon the test being completed, transporting them from the testing zone to an unloader section where the tested ICs are sorted into corresponding categories based on the data of the test results.
An example of the prior art IC handler called "forced horizontal transporting system" is shown in the form of a flow chart in FIG. 1. The IC handler 10 comprises a loader section 11 where ICs 15 under test carried on a customer (user) tray 13 are transferred and reloaded onto a test tray 14 capable of withstanding high/low temperatures, an unloader section 12 where tested ICs 15 are sorted, transferred and reloaded on customer trays 13 from a test tray 14, and a constant temperature chamber 20 including a testing zone 21 for receiving and testing the ICs from the loader section 11. The test trays 14 are moved in a circulating manner from and back to the loader section 11 sequentially through the constant temperature chamber 20 and the unloader section 12. More specifically, the test tray 14 loaded with ICs 15 to be tested is transported from the loader section 11 to a soak chamber 22 within the constant temperature chamber 20 where the ICs 15 on the test tray 14 are heated or cooled to a predetermined constant temperature. Generally, the soak chamber 22 is adapted to store a plurality of (say, ten) test trays 14 stacked one on another such that a test tray 14 newly received from the loader section 11 is stored at the bottom of the stack while the uppermost test tray is carried to the testing zone 21. The ICs 15 to be tested are heated or cooled to a predetermined constant temperature while the test tray 14 is moved from the bottom to the top of the stack within the soak chamber 22, and the heated or cooled ICs 15 together with the test tray 14 having the heated or cooled ICs 15 loaded are then transported while maintained at the constant temperature from the soak chamber 22 to the testing zone 21 where each of the ICs under test is brought into electrical contact with an IC socket (not shown) disposed in the testing zone 21 and electric characteristics of the ICs are measured. Upon completion of the test, the ICs 15 together with the test tray 14 are transported from the testing zone 21 to an exit chamber 23 where they are restored to the ambient temperature. Like the soak chamber 22, the exit chamber 23 is also adapted to store test trays in the form of a stack. In one embodiment the ICs 15 under test may be brought back to the ambient temperature as the associated test tray is moved sequentially from the top to the bottom of the stack within the exit chamber 23. Thereafter, the ICs 15 under test as carried on the test tray 14 are passed to the unloader section 12 where the tested ICs are sorted into categories based on the data of the test results and transferred from the test tray 14 onto the corresponding customer trays 13. The test tray 14 emptied in the unloader section 12 is delivered back to the loader section 11 where it is again loaded with ICs 15 to be tested from the customer tray 13 to repeat the same steps of operation. It is to be noted that the transfer of ICs 15 under test between the customer tray 13 and the test tray 14 is typically effected by suction transport means utilizing a vacuum pump which may pick up one to several ICs at a time for the transfer.
While the IC handler 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is of the type which is configured to transport ICs under test together with the tray on which the ICs ar
REFERENCES:
patent: 5208529 (1993-05-01), Tsurishima et al.
Ito Akihiko
Kobayashi Yoshihito
Advantest Corporation
Bowser Barry C.
Wieder Kenneth A.
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