Electricity: measuring and testing – Measuring – testing – or sensing electricity – per se – With rotor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-19
2001-03-06
Metjahic, Safet (Department: 2858)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Measuring, testing, or sensing electricity, per se
With rotor
C324S755090
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198274
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an IC testing apparatus for testing a semiconductor device constructed by a semiconductor integrated circuit (hereinafter referred to as IC), such as, for example, a memory IC or a logic IC.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 3
shows a schematic configuration of an example of a conventional IC testing apparatus. An IC testing apparatus comprises, mainly, an IC tester
100
which generates a test pattern signal to be applied to an IC under test, an address signal, a control signal, an expected value signal and the like, and determines whether an IC under test is defectless (pass or conforming article) or defective (failure or non-conforming article) based on a response output signal read out from the IC under test, and a handler (semiconductor device transporting and handling apparatus)
400
which transports ICs to be tested from a loader section to a test section to make an electrical contact between an IC under test and an IC socket, and carries, when the test is completed, the tested IC out of the test section to an unloader section where the tested ICs are sorted out or classified on the basis of the test results.
The IC tester
100
includes a test head
200
which is a separate body electrically connected to the main body of the IC tester via a cable KB
1
. In the exemplary IC testing apparatus, this test head
200
is disposed in the predetermined position under the test section of the handler
400
. The test head
200
usually includes a driver group for applying a test pattern signal and/or an address signal generated by the IC tester
100
to an IC under test, and a comparator group for comparing a response output signal read out from the IC under test with an expected value signal. An output signal from the comparator group is sent to the IC tester
100
via the cable KB
1
.
On the upper portion of the test head
200
is detachably mounted a member or fixture
300
called a measurement part which electrically connects a group of drivers and a group of comparators in the test head to IC sockets SK to which lead terminals of the IC under test are electrically contacted (hereinafter simply referred to as a measurement part). A predetermined number of IC sockets are mounted on the upper surface of the measurement part
300
, which is disposed in the test section of the handler
400
.
The handler
400
makes, after transporting the IC under test to its test section, the IC under test contact with the IC socket SK and the IC tester
100
applies a predetermined test pattern signal to the IC under test through the cable KB
1
, the test head
200
, the measurement part
300
and the IC socket SK to perform the test of the IC under test. The tested IC is removed from the IC socket by the handler
400
and then transported from the test section to the unloader section.
The IC tester
100
operates in accordance with a test program stored in a main controller
101
and tests the IC under test via the IC socket mounted on the measurement part
300
. That is, a test pattern signal is applied to the IC under test from the IC tester
100
via the cable KB
1
, the test head
20
0
, and the measurement part
300
. The response signal from the IC under test is acquired by the test head
200
via the measurement part
300
, and the response signal is compared with an expected value signal supplied from the IC tester
100
by the comparator group disposed within the test head
200
, then the comparison result is transmitted to the IC tester
100
via the cable KB
1
. The IC tester
100
performs a determination operation to identify the failure position of the IC under test or the like based on the result of the comparison between the response signal and the expected value signal.
Next, the reason why the measurement part
300
is detachably mounted on the test head
200
will be explained.
There are many kinds of ICs under test. Therefore, when ICs each having pins the number of which is different from that of another IC are tested, a measurement part
300
must be replaced by another measurement part
300
on which an IC socket adaptable to the specific IC under test is mounted.
In addition, since the number of pins of an IC varies from several tens to several hundreds depending on the IC kind, the number of ICs which can be tested at the same time, i.e., the number of ICs which can be tested simultaneously (hereinafter referred to as the number of simultaneous tests) largely varies. Specifically explaining, the number of channels through which test pattern signals or power supply voltages, device control signals and the like can be supplied to an IC under test from the IC tester
100
is about 1000 in general, 1024 in specific. Some of the 1024 channels of the signal paths are appropriately allocated to each IC socket SK to perform the test. Therefore, when ICs each having a small number of pins are tested, the number of simultaneous tests can be large, but when ICs each having several hundred pins are tested, the number of simultaneous tests is obliged to become small.
For the above reason, a plurality of measurement parts
300
on each of which IC sockets of one kind in terms of the number of pins are mounted are provided. One of those measurement parts
300
is mounted on the test head
200
in accordance with the kind (the specifications) of the IC under test so that the test of different kinds of ICs can be performed.
FIGS. 4
to
10
show examples of various types of measurement parts.
FIGS. 4A
,
4
B and
4
C are plan view diagrams each showing a construction of a measurement part
300
called type No. 5 (TYPE=5). Further, in each drawing of
FIGS. 4
to
10
, a square area in the measurement part
300
shown by a dotted line indicates a mounting position of an IC socket SK, and a numeral in the square area indicates a number affixed to each IC socket SK (also corresponds to a number affixed to an IC under test to be contacted with the IC socket).
FIG. 4A
shows a measurement part
300
in which the number of simultaneous tests SUM is equal to 32 (SUM=32) and the IC sockets are arranged in 4 rows×8 columns (hereinafter expressed as 4×8).
FIG. 4B
shows a measurement part
300
in which the number of simultaneous tests SUM is equal to 16 (SUM=16) and the IC sockets are arranged in 4 rows×4 columns (4×4).
FIG. 4C
shows a measurement part
300
in which the number of simultaneous tests SUM is equal to 8 (SUM=8) and the IC sockets are arranged in 4 rows×2 columns (4×2). Further, in
FIGS. 4B and 4C
, a portion to which 0 is affixed indicates a position having no IC socket. The common characteristics of the measurement parts
300
of TYPE-5 shown in
FIGS. 4A
,
4
B and
4
C are that the IC sockets SK are disposed in all of the 4 rows and the numbers of the IC sockets are indexed in the horizontal direction.
On the contrary,
FIGS. 5A
,
5
B and
5
C are plan view diagrams each showing a construction of measurement part
300
called type No. 4 (TYPE=4).
FIG. 5A
shows a measurement part
300
in which the number of simultaneous tests SUM is equal to 32 (SUM=32) and the IC sockets are arranged in 4 rows×8 columns (4×8).
FIG. 5B
shows a measurement part
300
in which the number of simultaneous tests SUM is equal to 16 (SUM=16) and the IC sockets are arranged in 4 rows×4 columns (4×4).
FIG. 5C
shows a measurement part
300
in which the number of simultaneous tests SUM is equal to 8 (SUM=8) and the IC sockets are arranged in 4 rows×2 columns (4×2). The characteristic of the measurement part of TYPE=4 different from that of the measurement part of TYPE=5 shown in
FIG. 4
is that in the measurement part of TYPE=4, the numbers of the IC sockets are indexed in the vertical direction. Further, the number allocation of the IC sockets is determined based on the preference of each user and there is no technical difference between the numbering met
Advantest Corporation
Gallagher & Lathrop
Kerveros J
Lane Timothy J.
Metjahic Safet
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