Test Circuit And Method

• US 20150241507A1
• Filed: 02/25/2014
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Wang, Mill-Jer, Peng, Ching-Nen, Lin, Hung-Chih, Hsu, Sen-Kuei, Wang, Chuan-Ching, Chen, Hao
• Granted Patent: US 9,891,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/265 Contactless testing of circuits, also in wafer-form G01R31/302
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3025 Wireless interface with the DUT
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/52 Means for reducing coupling between antennas; Means for reducing coupling between an antenna and another structure absorbing means H01Q17/00

Abstract

A method is disclosed that includes the operations outlined below. For a plurality of dies on a test fixture, an antenna distance between each of first antennas of one of the dies and every one of first antennas of the other dies is determined. The dies are categorized into die groups, wherein the antenna distance between each of the first antennas of one of the dies in one of the die groups and every one of the first antennas of the other dies in the same one of the die groups is larger than an interference threshold. Test processes are sequentially performed on the die groups. Each of the test processes is performed according to signal transmissions between the first antennas and second antennas of the under-test device each positionally corresponds to one of the first antennas.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

for a plurality of dies on a test fixture, wherein each of the dies includes a plurality of first antennas, determining an antenna distance between each of the first antennas of one of the dies and every one of the first antennas of the other dies, wherein the dies are arranged in an array and positionally correspond to a plurality of under-test dies of an under-test device;

categorizing the dies into a plurality of die groups, wherein the antenna distance between each of the first antennas of one of the dies in one of the die groups and every one of the first antennas of the other dies in the same one of the die groups is larger than an interference threshold; and

sequentially performing a plurality of test processes on the under-test device by first antennas of the dies of the die groups, and each of the test processes is performed according to signal transmissions between the first antennas and a plurality of second antennas of the under-test device, wherein each of the second antennas positionally corresponds to one of the first antennas.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

categorizing the dies into a first die group comprising a plurality of odd columns/rows of the dies and a second die group comprising a plurality of even columns/rows of the dies.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

categorizing the dies into a first die group and a second die group, wherein the dies in the first die group and the dies in the second die group alternate to each other to form a chequered pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dies are covered by a plurality of 2×

2 windows each comprising at most four of the dies, the method further comprises;

categorizing the dies into four die groups, wherein each of the four die groups comprises one of the dies in each of the 2×

2 windows that are in a same position of the 2×

2 windows.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the dies are covered by a plurality of 3×

3 windows each comprising at most nine of the dies, the method further comprises;

categorizing the dies into nine die groups, wherein each of the nine die groups comprises one of the dies in each of the 3×

3 windows that are in a same position of the 3×

3 windows.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a single test process on the dies when the antenna distance between each of the first antennas of one of the dies and each of the first antennas of the other dies is larger than the interference threshold, wherein the single test process is performed according to the signal transmissions between the first antennas and the second antennas of the under-test device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a range of the interference threshold is five to ten times of a wavelength of signals transmitted by the first antennas and the second antennas.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a distance between each two of the adjacent dies equals to a width of a scribe line formed therebetween.

9. A circuit comprising:

a plurality of dies each comprising;

a plurality of antennas; and

at least one via array formed between at least two of the antennas to separate the antennas.

10. The circuit of claim 9, wherein the via array comprises a plurality of vias.

11. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the via array further comprises at least one shielding plane stretching to connect the vias.

12. The circuit of claim 9, wherein each of the vias and a corresponding surrounding region form a via cell, and the via cell is a square shape, a hexagonal shape or a rhombic shape.

13. The circuit of claim 9, wherein the via array surrounds at least one of the antennas.

14. The circuit of claim 9, wherein the via array comprises an electric-shielding material.

15. The circuit of claim 14, wherein the electric-shielding material is metal.

16. A method comprising:

transmitting first forced signals from a plurality of first antennas of a planar test fixture to a plurality of second antennas of a first wafer layer of an under-test device, wherein each of the second antennas positionally corresponds to one of the first antennas;

receiving first feedback signals from the second antennas by the first antennas; and

determining a first surface warping condition of the under-test device according to a first received power of each of the first feedback signals.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein when the first received power of a first one of the first feedback signals is larger than the first received power of a second one of the first feedback signals, a first distance between a first one of the second antennas that transmits the first one of the first feedback signals and a first one of the corresponding first antennas is determined to be shorter than a second distance between a second one of the second antennas that transmits the second one of the first feedback signals and a second one of the corresponding first antennas.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

for a plurality of central antennas formed on both surfaces of the first wafer layer and a plurality of surrounding antennas formed inside of the first wafer layer symmetrically distributed to surround the central antennas, transmitting second forced signals from the first antennas to activate the surrounding antennas to perform signal transmissions with the central antennas;

receiving second feedback signals from the central antennas through the surrounding antennas by the first antennas; and

determining a physical warping condition of the first wafer layer according to a second received power of each of the second feedback signals.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein under-test device further comprises a second wafer layer that comprises a plurality of third antennas positionally correspond to the second antennas, the method further comprises:

transmitting third forced signals from the first antennas to activate the second antennas to perform signal transmissions with the third antennas;

receiving third feedback signals from the third antennas through the second antennas by the first antennas; and

determining a second surface warping condition of the second wafer layer according to a third received power of each of the third feedback signals.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

moving the test fixture along a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction to perform signal transmissions between an aiming antenna comprised in the first antennas and a plurality of target antennas comprised in the second antenna;

determining a plurality of peak power positions corresponding to a plurality power peaks of the signal transmissions; and

calibrating a position of the aiming antenna to aim a target antenna according to the peak power positions.