SYSTEM FOR TESTING AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT OF A DEVICE AND ITS METHOD OF USE

• US 20160103179A1
• Filed: 12/17/2015
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AEHR Test Systems
• Original Assignee: AEHR Test Systems
• Inventors: Lindsey, Scott E., Jovanovic, Jovan, Richmond, Donald P. II, Hendrickson, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,677,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/287 Procedures; Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2891 related to sensing or controlling of force, position, temperature G01R31/2874 takes precedence; sensing of force G01L; sensing of position G01B, G01D; sensing of temperature G01K; controlling in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31908 Tester set-up, e.g. configuring the tester to the device under test [DUT], down loading test patterns

Abstract

A cartridge, including a cartridge frame, formations on the cartridge frame for mounting the cartridge frame in a fixed position to an apparatus frame, a contactor support structure, a contactor interface on the contactor support structure, a plurality of terminals, held by the contactor support structure, for contacting contacts on a device, and a plurality of conductors, held by the contactor support structure, connecting the interface to the terminals.

Claims

1-75. -75. (canceled)

76. An apparatus for testing an integrated circuit of a device, comprising:

an apparatus frame;

a holder for the device, secured to the apparatus frame;

a contactor support structure held by the apparatus frame;

a plurality of electrical components mounted on the contactor support structure on a side on the contactor support structure opposing the terminals held by the contactor support structure;

a plurality of terminals held by the contactor support structure, the holder and contactor support structure being movable relative to one another so that each one of the terminals makes releasable contact with a respective contact of the device;

a power source;

a power electrical path connecting the power source to a power terminal of the terminals held by the support structure;

a signal source; and

a plurality of signal electrical paths, each connecting the signal source to a respective signal terminal of the terminals held by the support structure.

77. The apparatus of claim 76, further comprising:

an actuator connected between the apparatus frame and the contactor support structure, having first and second portions that are movable relative to one another to move the contactor support structure relative to the apparatus frame and toward the surface of the holder so that the terminals are urged against contacts of the device.

78. The apparatus of claim 77, wherein the first and second portions of the actuator are a cylinder and a piston, respectively, the piston being located in the cylinder so that the cylinder and the piston jointly define a volume, further comprising:

a fluid line connected to the volume to modify a pressure of the volume and move the piston relative to the cylinder.

79. The apparatus of claim 77, wherein the actuator includes an inflatable and deflatable bladder, the first and second portions of the actuator being opposing sides of the bladder.

80. The apparatus of claim 76, further comprising:

a force distribution substrate, the electrical components being located between the force distribution substrate and the contactor support structure; and

a stand-off component between the force distribution substrate and the contactor substrate to transfer force from the contactor substrate to the force distribution substrate.

81. The apparatus of claim 76, wherein the contactor support structure includes a distribution board substrate and a contactor substrate mounted to the distribution board substrate.

82. The apparatus of claim 81, wherein the distribution board has a plurality of layers having a plurality of different stiffnesses, one of the layers in a half of the distribution board substrate opposing the terminals held by the contactor support structure being stiffer than a majority of the layers.

83. The apparatus of claim 81, wherein the distribution board has a plurality of layers including a plurality of metal layers and a plurality of insulating layers, at least a first of the layers having a lower CTE than any other one of the layers, so that an overall CTE of the distribution board is between a CTE of the first layer and a CTE of one of the other layers.

84. The apparatus of claim 76, further comprising:

a cartridge, including a cartridge frame that is removably mountable to the apparatus frame, the contactor board forming part of the cartridge;

a contactor interface on the contactor support structure; and

a connector interface having a surface for connecting to a surface of the contactor interface.

85. The apparatus of claim 84, wherein the cartridge includes a common subassembly and a first unique contactor subassembly that is replaceable with a second unique contactor subassembly.

86. The apparatus of claim 85, further comprising:

a pressure reduction passage in communication with an area between the common subassembly and the second unique contactor subassembly and having an outlet on an external side of the cartridge; and

a pump connected to the outlet of the pressure reduction passage so as to reduce a pressure in the area between the common subassembly and the second unique contactor subassembly.

87. A cartridge, comprising:

a cartridge frame;

formations on the cartridge frame for mounting the cartridge frame in a fixed position to an apparatus frame;

a contactor support structure;

a plurality of electrical components mounted on the contactor support structure on a side on the contactor support structure opposing the terminals held by the contactor support structure;

a contactor interface on the contactor support structure;

a plurality of terminals, held by the contactor support structure, for contacting contacts on a device; and

a plurality of conductors, held by the contactor support structure, connecting the interface to the terminals.

88. The cartridge of claim 87, further comprising:

an actuator connected between the cartridge frame and the contactor support structure, having first and second portions that are movable relative to one another to move the contactor support structure relative to the cartridge frame and toward the surface of the holder so that the terminals are urged against contacts of the device.

89. The cartridge of claim 88, wherein the first and second portions of the actuator are a cylinder and a piston, respectively, the piston being located in the cylinder so that the cylinder and the piston jointly define a volume, further comprising:

a fluid line connected to the volume to modify a pressure of the volume and move the piston relative to the cylinder.

90. The cartridge of claim 88, wherein the actuator includes an inflatable and deflatable bladder, the first and second portions of the actuator being opposing sides of the bladder.

91. The cartridge of claim 87, further comprising:

a force distribution substrate, the electrical components being located between the force distribution substrate and the contactor support structure; and

a stand-off component between the force distribution substrate and the contactor substrate to transfer force from the contactor substrate to the force distribution substrate.

92. The cartridge of claim 87, wherein the contactor support structure includes a distribution board substrate and a contactor substrate mounted to the distribution board substrate.

93. The cartridge of claim 92, wherein the distribution board has a plurality of layers having a plurality of different stiffnesses, one of the layers in a half of the distribution board substrate opposing the terminals held by the contactor support structure being stiffer than a majority of the layers.

94. The cartridge of claim 92, wherein the distribution board has a plurality of layers including a plurality of metal layers and a plurality of insulating layers, at least a first of the layers having a lower CTE than any other one of the layers, so that an overall CTE of the distribution board is between a CTE of the first layer and a CTE of one of the other layers.

95. The cartridge of claim 87, wherein the cartridge includes a common subassembly and a first unique contactor subassembly that is replaceable with a second unique contactor subassembly.

96. The cartridge of claim 95, further comprising:

a pressure reduction passage in communication with an area between the common subassembly and the second unique contactor subassembly and having an outlet on an external side of the cartridge.

97-279. -279. (canceled)