Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for... – Condition responsive means controls separating means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-13
2001-06-19
Nguyen, Tuan N. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
Condition responsive means controls separating means
C209S909000, C414S222090, C414S940000, C324S1540PB
Reexamination Certificate
active
06248967
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an IC testing apparatus for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit device (hereinafter referred to as an “IC”), more particularly relates to a tray transfer arm, a tray transfer apparatus using the arm, an IC testing apparatus, and a tray handling method.
This type of IC testing apparatus, called a “handler”, conveys a large number of ICs held on a tray to the inside of a testing apparatus where the ICs are made to electrically contact a test head, then the IC testing apparatus is made to perform the test. When the test is ended, the ICs are conveyed from the test head and reloaded on trays in accordance with the results of the tests so as to sort them into categories of good ICs and defective ones.
In a conventional IC testing apparatus, the trays for holding the ICs to be tested or the tested ICs (hereinafter referred to the “customer trays”) and the trays conveyed through the IC testing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as the “test trays”) are different in type, so the ICs are reloaded before the test and after the test.
When reloading the ICs finished being test from the test tray to the customer tray, a number of empty customer trays corresponding to the different categories, such as “good ICs” and “defective ICs”, are prepared and the ICs reloaded there from the test tray. When a customer tray becomes full, it is necessary to convey it out and prepare a new empty tray. Therefore, a device called a “tray transfer arm” is built into the IC testing apparatus.
In such a conventional IC testing apparatus, however, a large number of operation steps were required to convey the full customer tray out and set the next empty tray. In particular, since the setting of the next tray was the last step, there was the problem that the operation of reloading the ICs ended up being stopped during that interval and the throughput (number of ICs processed by the handler per unit time) falls.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tray transfer arm, a tray transfer apparatus using the same, an IC testing apparatus, and a tray handling method able to reduce the steps of operation at the time exchange of trays and increase the throughput.
Tray Transfer Arm
(1-1) To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tray transfer arm characterized in that a pair of tray holders are provided substantially in the upper and lower direction.
In the tray transfer arm of the present invention, since the pair of tray holders are provided substantially in the upper and lower direction, when exchanging trays, it is possible to perform the operation of conveying a tray out and the operation of conveying a tray in at fixed positions and possible to eliminate the operation of moving the tray transfer arm in the lateral direction between the operation of conveying a tray out and the operation of conveying a tray in. Therefore, since the operation steps at the time of exchange of trays are reduced and another tray can be conveyed in immediately after a tray is conveyed out, the throughput in the work for reloading ICs on trays etc. is remarkably improved. Further, in the tray transfer arm of the present invention, since the pair of tray holders are provided substantially in the upper and lower direction, in particular, the range of movement in the horizontal direction when using the arm for an IC testing apparatus becomes wider.
(1-2) The above invention may be configured so that the pair of tray holders move together, but it is more preferable to provide a drive means for making the pair of tray holders move independently substantially in the upper and lower direction.
By doing this, the operation of conveying a tray out and the operation of conveying the next tray in can be performed simultaneously, the operation steps at the time of exchange of trays is further reduced, and the throughput at the time of the work for reloading ICs etc. is further improved.
(1-3) Further, in the above invention, the structure of the pair of tray holders is not particularly limited and may be configured to store trays in the same direction, but it is more preferable that the pair of tray holders be provided facing away from each other.
The “tray holders be provided facing away from each other” means that the tray holders are designed so that the directions of transfer of the trays with respect to the tray holders when storing the trays are opposite to each other. When the pair of tray holders are provided vertically, trays are stored from the top to the bottom in the upper side tray holder and trays are stored from the bottom to the top in the lower side tray holder.
By doing this, the operation of storing the trays to be conveyed out in the lower side tray holder and the operation of storing the trays to be conveyed in from the upper side tray holder can be performed simultaneously without being accompanied with other operations, the operation steps at the time of exchange of trays is further reduced, and the throughput of the work for reloading ICs etc. is further improved.
Tray Transfer Apparatus
(2-1) Further, to achieve the above object, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tray transfer apparatus for resetting a first tray set at a first position to a second position and resetting a second tray set at a third position to the first position, said tray transfer apparatus characterized by being provided with a tray transfer means provided substantially in the upper and lower direction with at least one pair of tray holders able to store the first and second trays, the pair of tray holders provided to be able to move substantially in the upper and lower direction.
The tray transfer means of the present invention is provided with a pair of tray holders substantially in the upper and lower direction, so when exchanging trays, first, a second tray set at a third position is stored in one of the upper and lower tray holders and moved to an exchange position, a first tray set at the first position is stored in the other of the upper and lower tray holders there, then the second tray stored in the one of the upper and lower tray holders is set to the first position.
In this way, since the operation of making the tray transferring means move in the lateral direction is not required between the operation of conveying the first tray out and the operation of conveying the second tray in, the operation steps at the time of exchanging trays are reduced and a second tray can be conveyed in to the first position immediately after a first tray is conveyed out of the first position, so the throughput in the work for reloading ICs etc. on a tray is remarkably improved. Further, since the tray transferring means according to the present invention is provided with a pair of tray holders substantially in the upper and lower direction, when using the tray transfer apparatus of the present invention for an IC testing apparatus, the range of movement in the horizontal direction becomes wider.
(2-2) In the present invention, while not particularly limited, it is more preferable that further provision be made of a tray elevating means for carrying a first tray set to the first position and moving it substantially in the upper and lower direction.
That is, a first tray set to the first position is made to move in the upper and lower direction by the tray elevating means and a second tray stored in one of the tray holders of the tray transfer arm is set to the first position during that time.
Due to this, the time for exchanging trays at the first position becomes shorter and the throughput of the work for reloading ICs etc. on a tray is remarkably improved.
(2-3) The present invention is not particularly limited in the positional relationship of the first to third positions. All positions may be located on the same horizontal plane or for example the second position and the third position may be positioned at least at either a substan
Advantest Corporation
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Nguyen Tuan N.
LandOfFree
IC testing apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with IC testing apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and IC testing apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2452198