METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTERROGATING AN ELECTRONIC COMPONENT

• US 20090072843A1
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scanimetrics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Scanimetrics, Inc.
• Inventors: Slupsky, Steven, Sellathamby, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,390,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/750.10
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2889 Interfaces, e.g. between probe and tester G01R31/31905 and G01R1/07364 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/302 Contactless testing G01R31/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3025 Wireless interface with the DUT
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318533 using scanning techniques, e.g. LSSD, Boundary Scan, JTAG
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 Inductance

Abstract

A method and apparatus for interrogating an electronic component (20), includes a body (18 or 102) having an interface (10, 24, 108 or 154) for an interrogating device (48/50 or 106) to use as a conduit in reliably performing multiple discrete interrogations of the electronic component (20) without the interrogating device physically touching the electronic component (20).

Claims

1. A method for interrogating an electronic component (20), comprising:

providing a body (18 or 102) having an interface (10 or 108) for an interrogating device (48/50 or 106) to use as a conduit in the testing of the electronic component (20); and

performing multiple discrete interrogations of the electronic component (20) via the interface (10 or 108) of the body (18 or 102) without the interrogating device (48/50 or 106) physically touching the electronic component (20).

2. An apparatus for interrogating an electronic component (20), comprising:

a body (18 or 102) having an interface (10, 24 or 108, 154) for an interrogating device (48/50 or 106) to use as a conduit in reliably performing multiple discrete interrogations of the electronic component (20) without the interrogating device (48/50 or 106) physically touching the electronic component (20).

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body (18 or 102) is a discrete integrated circuit (24).

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body (18 or 102) is incorporated within an integrated circuit (20) that performs other functions.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body (18 or 102) is incorporated within a substrate (44 or 118) having an integrated circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body is a discrete component positioned upon an integrated circuit.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the interface (10) includes at least one of a transmitter (16), a receiver (22), or a transceiver (24).

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the interface includes at least one transceiver (24) having a separate transmitter circuit (16) and a separate receiver circuit (22).

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the interrogating device (48/50 or 106) and the interface (10, 24 or 108, 154) are in wireless communication (48 to 22 and 50 to 16), communication through physical contact (106 to 108), or both.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein wireless communication includes one of capacitive coupling, inductive coupling, or electromagnetic waves.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body has a logic circuit (28) for converting instructions into control signals, communication signals or both to be applied to the electronic component.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body has a pattern generator (30).

13. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body has an output verification circuit (32, 34, 36, 38) for verifying the outputs of the electronic component.

14. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body has at least one of an analog to digital converter (40) or a digital to analog converter (42).

15. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body (18) has an interface (10) with more than one access port (12) to communicate with more than one electronic component (20).

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the body (18) enables the more than one electronic component to be interrogated at least one of in parallel or in series, or individually.

17. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body (18) has more than one interface (10) through which an interrogating device may communicate with an access port (12) for the electronic component (20).

18. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the interface comprises a wireless communication block (10) having a transmitter (16) and a receiver (22).

19. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the interface is a wired input (108 or 154) adapted to receive data and power.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the wired input is contact pad (108).

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the wired input is a multi-contact panel (154).