TESTING OF ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS USING AN ACTIVE PROBE INTEGRATED CIRCUIT
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for transmission/reception of signals between automatic test equipment (ATE) and a device under test (DUT). A probe card has a plurality of associated proximate active probe integrated circuits (APIC) connected to a plurality of probes. Each APIC interfaces with one or more test interface points on the DUT through probes. Each APIC receives and processes signals communicated between the ATE and the DUT. Low information content signals transmitted from the ATE are processed into high information content signals for transmission to the probe immediately adjacent the APIC, and high information content or time critical signals received by the APIC from the DUT are transmitted as low information content signals to the ATE. Because the APIC is immediately adjacent the probe there is minimum loss or distortion of the information in the signal from the DUT.
57 Citations
77 Claims
-
1-57. -57. (canceled)
-
58. A probe card comprising:
at least one reprogramable active probe integrated circuit (APIC) coupled to at least one probe array, the at least one probe array being physically reconfigurable to suit a device under test (DUT) and the APIC is programmed to perform at least one desired signal transformation to suit the at least one probe array and the DUT, to provide power to the DUT, or to perform a desired signal transformation and provide power to the DUT. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
-
68. A probe, for testing a device under test (DUT), comprising:
-
a probe body having a probe card interface end and a DUT interface end, the probe card interface end interfacing directly or indirectly with a probe card; and at least one integrated circuit integrally formed with the probe body between the probe card interface end and the DUT interface end. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72)
-
-
73. A method of forming a probe card, comprising the steps of:
-
providing at least one programmable active probe integrated circuit (APIC); providing a configurable probe array in communication with the at least one APIC; characterizing a device under test (DUT); reprogramming the at least one APIC to perform a desired signal transformation, to provide power to the DUT, or to perform a desired signal transformation and provide power to the DUT based on the characterization of the DUT; and physically reconfiguring the probe array based on the characterization of the DUT. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77)
-
Specification