HIGH FREQUENCY TESTING INFRASTRUCTURE

• US 20080242331A1
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Application Number:
  US11/691,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20080242331A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A radio transceiver device includes circuitry for radiating electromagnetic signals at a very high radio frequency both through space, as well as through wave guides that are formed within a substrate material. In one embodiment, the substrate comprises a dielectric substrate formed within a board, for example, a printed circuit board. In another embodiment of the invention, the wave guide is formed within a die of an integrated circuit radio transceiver. A plurality of transceivers with different functionality is defined. Substrate transceivers are operable to transmit through the wave guides, while local transceivers are operable to produce very short range wireless transmissions through space. A third and final transceiver is a typical wireless transceiver for communication with remote (non-local to the device) transceivers.

Claims

1. A testing system, comprising:

a tester further including a wireless test command module for commanding test procedures;

a supporting substrate to be tested, the supporting substrate further comprising;

a remote transceiver operable to communicate with the tester to support test communications;

a first local intra-device wireless transceiver for wirelessly transmitting test commands and for receiving test data at a very high frequency wherein the first local intra-device wireless transceiver is communicatively coupled to the remote transceiver to exchange test communications and wherein the test commands are based upon the test communications;

a second intra-device wireless transceiver for wirelessly receiving test commands and for transmitting test data from and to the first local intra-device wireless transceiver at a very high frequency; and

first test logic associated with the first local intra-device wireless transceiver for processing test the test commands and test data, the logic communicatively coupled to the first local intra-device wireless transceiver wherein the logic is operable to determine, based upon the test communications, a plurality of corresponding test procedures corresponding to at least one of a plurality of circuit modules and to transmit the corresponding test procedures; and

wherein the first and second local intra-device wireless transceivers generate very high frequency, low power short range communications within a device housing the first and second local intra-device wireless transceivers.

2. The testing system of claim 1 wherein the first local intra-device wireless transceiver is operable to determine a target circuit element to be tested and an associated second local intra-device wireless transceiver based upon the test communications.

3. The testing system of claim 2 wherein the first local intra-device wireless transceiver is operable to transmit a test command to the determined second local intra-device wireless transceiver to test the target circuit element.

4. The testing system of claim 1 further including a second test logic associated with the second local intra-device wireless transceiver.

5. The testing system of claim 1 wherein the first local intra-device wireless transceiver transmits configuration vectors to the second local intra-device wireless transceiver for pre-configuring circuit conditions for at least one subsequent test.

6. The testing system of claim 5 wherein the configuration vectors are transmitted to the remote transceiver communicatively coupled to the first local intra-device transceiver by the tester.

7. The testing system of claim 5 wherein the configuration vectors are stored within the first test logic associated with the first local intra-device transceiver by the tester.

8. A method for testing components of a die formed with at least one other die on a substrate wafer, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving at least one test communication transmitted at a radio frequency (RF) having a signal strength from a tester;

wireless transmitting, from a first local intra-device wireless transceiver of the die, at least one of a configuration vector or a test command to a second local intra-device wireless transceiver also located on the die;

receiving test data from the second local intra-device wireless transceiver; and

sending the test data to the tester.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the test communications with the tester are through a remote transceiver of the die communicatively coupled to the first local intra-device wireless transceiver.

10. The method of claim 8 further including identifying at least one configuration vector within logic based upon the test communication.

11. The method of claim 8 further including identifying at least one configuration vector within logic based upon the at least one test command.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the configuration vector comprises data for writing into specified registers.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the configuration vector comprises configuration parameters for a subsequent test that is to be performed, which configuration parameters further include at least one of a switch position setting, a bias level, a configuration setting, or an operational mode setting.

14. The method of claim 8 further including sending configuration parameters for normal operations, which configuration parameters further include at least one of a switch position setting, a bias level, a configuration setting, or an operational mode setting.

15. The method of claim 8 further including receiving extracting power from the test communication from the tester and using the extracted power for subsequent communications and for conducting at least one test procedure.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the subsequent communications and at least one test procedure are performed within a die prior to the die being separated from the die wafer within which the die was formed.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the subsequent communications and at least one test procedure are performed within a die after the die is separated from the die wafer within which the die was formed but before the die is packaged.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the subsequent communications and at least one test procedure are performed within a die during burn-in test procedures.

19. The method of claim 15 further including receiving a plurality of subsequent test communications from the tester and extracting power from the RF of the subsequent test communications to perform at least one subsequent test or communication after receiving the subsequent test communication from the tester.

20. A wireless transceiver integrated circuit die, comprising:

first transceiver circuitry operable to wirelessly receive at least one test communication transmitted at a radio frequency (RF) having a signal strength from a tester and to transmit test results to the tester;

second transceiver circuitry communicatively coupled to the first transceiver circuitry and operable to wirelessly transmit at a very high frequency of at least 10 GHz at least one of the configuration vector or the test command at a minimal power level required to reach a transceiver formed within the same integrated circuit die; and

third wireless transceiver operable to receive the configuration vector or test command and to generate a signal produce the configuration vector or test command to test logic.

21. The wireless transceiver integrated circuit die of claim 20 wherein the third wireless transceiver is operable to transmit test data at the very high radio frequency of at least 10 GHz to the second wireless transceiver for delivery to the first wireless transceiver.

22. The wireless transceiver integrated circuit die of claim 21 wherein the first wireless transceiver is operable to transmit the test data to the tester at a frequency that is in the range of 2 GHz-6 GHz.

23. The wireless transceiver integrated circuit die of claim 20 further including test logic associated with the second wireless transceiver for providing at least one of test commands, test configuration parameters including bias levels, operational mode settings, and configuration vectors based upon the test communication received from the tester.

24. The wireless transceiver integrated circuit die of claim 23 wherein at least one configuration vector comprises data for writing into specified registers.

25. The wireless transceiver integrated circuit die of claim 20 further including circuitry for receiving and extracting power from the test communication from the tester and for using the extracted power for subsequent communications and for conducting at least one test procedure.

26. The wireless transceiver integrated circuit die of claim 25 operable to define test procedures including test commands and configuration vectors for tests prior to die separation from a wafer having a plurality of die and test commands and configuration vectors for post separation tests.

27. The wireless transceiver integrated circuit die of claim 26 further including test commands and configuration vectors for burn-in test procedures.

28. A wireless transceiver integrated circuit die module, comprising:

a first bare die;

a substrate having bumps arranged to contact bond pads of the first bare die; and

first and second wireless transceiver circuitry wherein the first transceiver circuitry is formed within the first bare die and is communicatively coupled receive at least one of a test command or a configuration vector from the substrate by way of at least one bump and is operable to wirelessly transmit at a very high frequency of at least 10 GHz at least one of the configuration vector or the test command at a minimal power level required to reach the second transceiver circuitry.

29. The wireless transceiver integrated circuit die module of claim 28 wherein the second transceiver circuitry is formed within the first bare die.

30. The wireless transceiver integrated circuit die module of claim 28 wherein the second transceiver circuitry is formed within a second bare disposed within a common package.