Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Of individual circuit component or element
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-07
2002-07-02
Karlsen, Ernest (Department: 2829)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
Of individual circuit component or element
C324S1540PB
Reexamination Certificate
active
06414510
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a testing apparatus and a method for IC devices for performing testing and/or measurement (testing/measuring) on electric properties of the IC devices (integrated circuit elements).
2. Description of Prior Art
An apparatus for performing testing/measuring on the electric properties of the IC devices is, in general, constructed with an IC tester and an IC handler, wherein the IC handler comprises a loader portion, a testing/measuring portion and an unloader portion. In the loader portion, there are provide or prepared a large number of IC devices received within IC device receiving jigs, such as a tray, etc., wherein a predetermined number of the IC devices are moved of mounted onto a test board, which is suitable for performing the testing/measuring by means of an appropriate handling means, and this test board is transferred into the testing/measuring portion. In the testing/measuring portion, there is provided a contact/separate means for contacting and separating the test boards onto a test head of IC devices, as well as for positioning the test board. Thus, the IC devices are connected to sockets of the test head while being mounted on the test board which is transferred into the testing/measuring portion, thereby the testing/measuring of electric properties can be performed through turning or applying the electricity between them. After completing the testing/measuring on the IC devices, the test board is transferred into the unloader portion, thereby being classified into trays depending upon the test results thereof.
For conducting the testing/measuring on the IC devices with efficiency, the large number of the IC devices must be connected to the respective IC testers at the same time, while mounting them on the test board, and it is common that, in the structure of an apparatus for that purpose, there is provide a horizontal convey or transfer passage, on which are positioned the loader portion, the testing/measuring portion and the unloader portion. Namely, after moving and mounting the IC devices to be tested onto the test board in the load portion, this test board is shifted or moved horizontally and sent into the testing/measuring portion, thereby being positioned at a predetermined position so that the IC devices are connected to the test head of the IC tester, and after the completion of the testing, the test board is further shifted or moved until the unloader portion along with the horizontal transfer passage as it is, thereby being performed with unloading operation thereon. Accordingly, the IC tester is positioned at an upper portion or a lower portion of the horizontal transfer passage on which the test board is transferred, and each of the IC devices mounted on this test board is connected to the sockets on the test head by pushing up or pulling down the test board.
However, in positioning of the IC tester and a convey surface of the test board on the horizontal transfer passage in the IC handler up and down in vertical, the size of the apparatus as a whole comes to be large, in particular in the height thereof. In recent years, various package methods and sizes of the IC devices comes to be used in practice, therefore it is common that the testing apparatus of the IC devices is so constructed as to be able to test several kinds or sizes of the IC devices therewith. Accordingly, when conducting the testing on different IC devices, a portion of the apparatus must be re-arranged in the arrangement thereof. With the IC tester, a portion of the members of an interface in a test head must be exchanged, therefore the work of exchanging or re-arrangement of the test head becomes to be difficult. In particular, since the members to be exchanged or re-arranged are considerable heavy things, therefore the higher the position of the IC tester, the more difficult the work in exchanging the arrangement and/or program. Also, if the convey or transfer surface of the test board is positioned in the upper portion of the IC tester, the lower side of the test board must be contact with the test head of the IC tester. Therefore, it is impossible to contact with the leads of the IC devices directly, therefore the test board becomes complicated in the structure thereof, i.e., the electrodes must be provided in the test board for the connection with the contact portions of the test head. Also, it can be considered that the test board is reversed so as to be connected with the test head, then however, there would be a difficulty in the workings, such as loading and unloading of the IC devices, i.e., the work of setting the tray in which the IC devices to be tested are received into the loader portion, and the work of taking out the tray in which the tested IC devices are received into in the unloader portion become difficult.
By taking the aspects mentioned above into the consideration, for example, in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 9-152466 (1997), there is disclosed the structure, wherein the test board is transferred under vertically standing condition not only up to the testing/measuring portion, but also to be carried out from the testing/measuring portion. Accordingly, the contacting/separating of the test board with the test head of the IC tester can be conducted while keeping the test board under the vertical standing condition thereof. With such the structure, it is possible to provide the IC tester and the test board at the positions being substantially same to each other in the height thereof. Herein, in the testing apparatus according to this conventional technology, relating to the fact that the IC devices are tested under the condition of a predetermined temperature, a pre-heat portion is provided at the front stage of the testing/measuring portion, in which all IC devices mounted on the test board are heated or cooled so as to be brought at a preset temperature, while at the rear stage of the testing/measuring portion is provided a defroster portion, in which the temperature of the IC devices and the test board is turned back to the condition, being near to the temperature of the air outside. Constructing them in such the manner as mentioned above, it is possible to perform easily, the work of exchanging the arrangement, in particular in a case where the different kinds of IC devices are tested with the apparatus, and the work of setting in and taking out the trays, further maintenance works for the apparatus as a whole.
Here, in the loader portion, the IC devices to be tested must be moved and/or mounted from the tray or the like onto the test board, while in the unloader portion, the IC devices completed with testing must be moved or taken out from the test board onto the tray or the like. This work, in general, is performed by a handling means which sucks the IC device at a package portion thereof with a vacuum, therefore the test board must lies in the horizontal condition. Therefore, in the known testing apparatus mentioned in the above, the loader and unloader portions are positioned on the upper position of the vertical transfer passage for the test boards, wherein this test board is turned from the horizontal lying condition into the vertical standing condition within the stage before it is transferred from the loader portion into the pre-heat portion, so as to reverse the position thereof, while it is turned from the vertical condition back to the horizontal condition after being carried out from the defroster portion. Also, the transfer passages for transferring the test board under the vertical standing condition, i.e., starting from the re-heat portion through the testing/measuring portion where the test board is connected with or separated from the test head of the IC tester and reaching to the defroster portion, is formed or provided on a straight line.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
By the way, requirements for conducting the testing on the IC devices more quickly and more effectively becomes stronger in recent years, though it is desirable in the construction there
Kuwabara Ichiro
Takeuchi Hideyuki
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Hitachi Electronics Engineering Co. Ltd.
Karlsen Ernest
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