Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for... – Condition responsive means controls separating means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-04
2002-02-12
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
Condition responsive means controls separating means
C073S865600, C414S153000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06346682
ABSTRACT:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from seven (7) applications entitled “HAND OF VARIABLE PITCH”, “APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TESTING SEMI-CONDUCTOR DEVICE OF RAMBUS HANDLER”, “RAMBUS HANDLER”, APPARATUS FOR TESTING SEMI-CONDUCTOR DEVICE OF TEST HANDLER AND METHOD THEREFOR, APPARATUS FOR TESTING SEMI-CONDUCTOR DEVICE OF TEST HANDLER”, “CONTACT PICKER ASSEMBLY FOR TESTHANDLER”, and “RAMBUS HANDLER”, filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office respectively on Dec. 6, 1999, Dec. 14, 1999, Feb. 7, 2000, Apr. 14, 2000, Apr. 14, 2000, Apr. 14, 2000, and Nov. 10, 2000,and there duly assigned Ser. Nos. 55206/1999, 57612/1999, 5642/2000, 19553/2000, 19554/2000, 19555/2000, and 66867/2000, respectively.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a test handler for testing performance of electronic components such as Integrated Circuits (IC), semiconductor chips, etc., and more particularly to a test handler, a rambus handler, capable of automatically testing Ball Grid Array (BGA) or Chip Size Package (CSP) type semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, complete assemblies of semiconductor devices (hereinafter called devices) are tested for performances. A test handler tests the devices, in a manner that a certain number of devices are conveyed and connected to test heads for testing, and graded, grouped, and stacked according to the test results. Various test handlers are developed for testing the devices of various shapes and types.
Such test handlers are constructed to test the devices generally having electrodes (so-called leads or pins) protruding from an outer surface of a package.
Recently, new types of devices of high-integration such as Ball Grid Array (BGA) or Chip Size Package (CSP) type devices have been mass-produced. The BGA or CSP type devices have an area array arrangement in which a plurality of electrodes are arranged on a lower surface of the package. Due to different electrode arrangement of BGA or CSP type devices, in which the electrodes are arranged on the lower surface of the devices, there is few conventional test handlers which could perform the testing operation upon these devices. Accordingly, there is a growing demand for the proper testing device to test the BGA or CSP type devices.
When testing the devices, also, since the devices have to be in direct contact with sockets of the test heads, it is required that devices be employed in the test device to guide and press the devices at a proper pressure.
In a general test handler, there are different pitches both between user trays for supplying the devices and between device receiving sections of device testing boats. Accordingly, for a higher testing efficiency, while picking-and-placing the devices, it is necessary that the pitches between the devices are adjusted, and further that the picking-and-placing operation includes a process of adsorbing a plurality of devices.
In order to compensate the pitches between the user trays and device receiving sections of the boats, adjusting devices such as a pre-sizer, or a link type adjusting device of a hand has been used to adjust the pitches between picking-and-placing cylinders. In order to further increase the testing efficiency, the hand usually includes eight picking-and-placing cylinders and vacuum pads.
The conventional test handlers, however, have shortcomings as follows: when using the pre-sizer, device picking-and-placing efficiency could hardly be good, and when using the link type adjusting device, cumulative errors between the links hinders precise picking-and-placing operation.
Further, when the testing time is relatively shorter than the picking-and-placing time, there occurs cost inefficiency since the heavily invested test device idles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to overcome the above-mentioned problems of the related art, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a test handler, i.e., a rambus handler capable of automatically testing rambus type devices such as a Ball Grid Array (BGA) or Chip Size Package (CSP) type devices.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rambus handler having a displaceable hand which does not incur cumulative error during pitch adjustment between cylinders, and is also capable of handling a plurality of devices in one picking-and-placing operation, thus, reducing picking-and-placing time.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a rambus handler having a means capable of picking and connecting the devices into test sockets in a stable and accurate manner when picking the devices from test chambers for testing.
The above objects are accomplished by a rambus handler according to the present invention, including a user tray stacker for stacking user trays which are loaded with semiconductor devices for testing, positioning the user trays at a device supplying position one by one, positioning empty user trays at a device receiving position where the empty user trays receive test-completed semiconductor devices, and stacking user trays which are loaded with the test-completed semiconductor devices; a device loading portion having double-row displaceable hands for picking up the semiconductor devices from the user trays at the device supplying position and positioning the semiconductor devices in a boat which is at a device loading position; a heating/cooling chamber for heating or cooling the semiconductor devices on the boats according to the test requirements, while de-elevating the boats to a lower outlet, sequentially, by order of boat receipt from the device loading portion through an upper inlet, and discharging the semiconductor devices through a lower outlet; a test chamber for connecting and testing the heated or cooled semiconductor devices in sockets of a test head; a recovering chamber for recovering the temperature of the semiconductor devices to a normal degree, while elevating and discharging the boats through the upper end by order of boat receipt from the test chamber through a lower end of the test chamber; a device sorting portion having a plurality of single-row displaceable hands for picking the test-completed semiconductor devices from the boats by order of boat receipt from the recovering chamber, and stacking the semiconductor devices in a plurality of predetermined areas of a plurality of conveying buffers corresponding to the respective grades of semiconductor devices sorted by the testing results; and a device unloading portion for stacking the semiconductor devices at the conveying buffers in user trays for the respective grades of the semiconductor devices.
The device loading portion includes a double-axis loading robot attached to the double-row displaceable hands for positioning the double-row displaceable hands above the user trays or the device loading position; and a device buffer for temporarily holding spare semiconductor devices.
The device unloading portion includes a boat conveying shaft for moving the boats in a forward and backward direction, i.e., X-direction to a device adsorbing position; two single-axis orthogonal robots for picking up the devices from the boats with a plurality of single-row displaceable hands and positioning the devices to predetermined areas of conveying buffers corresponding to respective grades of the devices which are evaluated according to the test results; and two conveying buffers for carrying the devices from the boats to the device unloading portion.
The device unloading portion is a double-axis unloading robots attached to a pickup hand which is comprised of a plurality of pickup cylinders.
Further, the above-mentioned objects of the present invention will be accomplished by a single and double-row displaceable hands according to the present invention.
The single-row displaceable hand includes a hand frame; a guiding bar disposed on the hand frame; a plurality of pickup blocks i
Kim Nam-hyoung
Lee Beum-hee
Shim Jae-gyun
Beauchaine Mark J.
Ellis Christopher P.
Robert E. Bushnell, Esq.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
LandOfFree
Rambus handler does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Rambus handler, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rambus handler will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2963305