Method and apparatus for testing electronic devices

Details Method and apparatus for testing electronic devices Method and apparatus for testing electronic devices

2002-02-11

2003-07-22

Cuneo, Kamand (Department: 2829)

Electricity: measuring and testing

Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components

Of individual circuit component or element

C324S754090, C324S755090, C324S763010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06597190

ABSTRACT:

FIELD
This invention relates generally to testing electronic devices and, more specifically, to a device for testing semiconductor devices.
BACKGROUND
Once an electronic device is manufactured, the electronic device is generally tested to ensure that it is working properly.
FIG. 1
illustrates a conventional assembly used to test the performance of an electronic device
120
such as an integrated circuit chip. Assembly
100
includes handler
110
, test contactor
130
, loadboard
160
, and tester
170
. Tester
170
supports loadboard
160
and test contactor
130
in order to test electronic device
120
. Loadboard
160
serves to electrically couple plurality of pins
150
to tester
170
. Handler
110
carries electronic device
120
from an area such as a final test location in a manufacturing area (not shown) and holds electronic device
120
in place while set of contact points
125
, such as an array of solder balls at the bottom surface of electronic device
120
contact a corresponding plurality of pins
150
that protrude from test contactor
130
.
Plurality of pins
150
includes a set of power pins, a set of ground pins, and a set of signal pins. Signal pins typically carry digital I/O signals such as address bits, control bits, and/or data bits. Power pins provide voltage from a power source (not shown) to set of contact points
125
for testing the performance of electronic device
120
. Ground pins generally have ground zero potential to carry the current to ground and prevent the voltage in the power pins from overheating test contactor
130
. To prevent a short circuit, power pins are typically isolated from ground pins.
FIG. 2
illustrates a schematic top view of test contactor
130
on loadboard
160
. Test contactor
130
includes test contactor housing
210
that surrounds plurality of pins
150
. In testing, for example, set of contact points
125
of device
120
by plurality of pins
150
, pins may be addressed individually at fast transient times. The nature of the quick addressing of plurality of pins
150
(e.g., power pins coupled to power rails) causes voltage noise that is generally attributable to variations in the power source (not shown). Outside of test contactor housing
210
a plurality of capacitor pads
280
that include a plurality of capacitors (e.g., fifty capacitors) are placed on loadboard
160
for minimizing variations in the external power source.
FIG. 3
illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of the assembly of
FIG. 1
including a magnified portion of test contactor
130
. Test contactor
130
includes test contactor housing
210
that supports elements of test contactor
130
, namely plurality of pins
150
. Test contactor housing
210
includes a bottom plate typically made of a polymeric or plastic material such as VESPEL® commercially available from E. I. Dupont de Nemours of Wilmington, Delaware. The combination of test contactor
130
and loadboard
160
may be referred to as test interface unit
270
that interfaces with set of contact points
125
of electronic device
120
.
Test contactors have generally been unable to adequately resolve several problems associated with testing of the performance of electronic devices. Test contactors typically have high frequency noise and voltage drops in power delivery systems due, in part, to fast switching transients (e.g., pin to pin) and the current consumption associated with electronic device testing. To address the noise considerations, capacitors are added to loadboards. Unfortunately, there is a very limited and a relatively ineffective decoupling area on test loadboards for a comprehensive test tooling decoupling solution (e.g., suitable capacitance to reduce noise). Yet another problem relates to dissipation of the heat generated from plurality of pins
150
.
In order to reduce the effects from these problems, modifications have been made to test contactors that affect the cost and quality of test contactors. First, the length of each pin of plurality of pins
150
in test contactor
130
has been reduced from, for example, 7.8 millimeters (mm) or greater to about 3.5 mm. However, by reducing the length of each pin, plurality of pins
150
tend to be less reliable and the cost of test contactor
130
is increased.
Second, conventional test systems use a large quantity of decoupling capacitors such as fifty capacitors on, for example, loadboards. These loadboards are generally already fully populated with pin contacts. The larger number of decoupling capacitors increases the cost of the conventional test systems.
Third, conventional test systems increase the time period in which to test the performance of an electronic device such as an integrated circuit due to factors such as excessive noise. By increasing this time period, the time to produce a functional integrated circuit is also increased. This in turn affects the overall cost of producing integrated circuits. It is therefore desirable to have an apparatus and a method for addressing these disadvantages in the art.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5221209 (1993-06-01), D'Amico
patent: 5290193 (1994-03-01), Goff et al.
patent: 5307012 (1994-04-01), Bhattacharyya et al.
patent: 5672981 (1997-09-01), Dehrman
patent: 5721495 (1998-02-01), Jennion et al.
patent: 5923176 (1999-07-01), Porter et al.
patent: 5933309 (1999-08-01), Smith
patent: 5945837 (1999-08-01), Fredrickson
patent: 6046597 (2000-04-01), Barabi
patent: 6049217 (2000-04-01), Viswanath et al.
patent: 6342788 (2002-01-01), McAllister
patent: 3716240 (1987-12-01), None
patent: 0 498 530 (1992-12-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Method and apparatus for testing electronic devices does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for testing electronic devices, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for testing electronic devices will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3025087