SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WIRELESS DEVICE TESTING

• US 20180003764A1
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Menon, Sankaran M., Sheikh, Rehan M., Kuehnis, Rolf H., Peterson, John Michael, Rahman, Asifur, Detofsky, Abram M., Fazlian, Mohsen
• Granted Patent: US 10,247,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2834 Automated test systems [ATE]; using microprocessors or computers G01R31/317 takes precedence; ATE for detection of defective computer hardware G06F11/2736
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The disclosed systems, devices, and methods may provide for wireless testing of devices and, in particular, wireless testing of semiconductor devices comprising integrated circuits, memory, and logic circuitry that can be present on a wafer. The semiconductor devices can be tested for functional defects by applying one or more test patterns to the semiconductor devices. Further, for devices under test that do not have built-in wireless connectivity (for example, those that do not have a built-in Bluetooth low-energy engine), the disclosure describes systems and methods that the devices under test can use for external wireless connectivity (e.g., an external board having Bluetooth low-energy) on the low-bandwidth interface. In one example embodiment, for high-bandwidth scan testing, wireless connectivity modules (such as those implementing WiFi or WiGig) are described, which can be used to meet the bandwidth requirements of the one or more tests.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions;

a test block comprising a test module configured to test at least one of a logic circuit or a memory of the device;

a wireless connectivity module configured to wirelessly communicate with a tester device; and

at least one processor of one or more processors configured to access the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor of the one or more processors is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

determine, using the wireless connectivity module, a wireless connection between the device and the tester device;

receive, using the wireless connectivity module over the wireless connection, a signal from the tester device, the signal comprising a first data including a manufacturing test for the at least one of the logic circuit or the memory of the device;

cause to send the first data to the test module of the test block;

receive from the test module, a second data indicative of a result of the manufacturing test of the at least one of the logic circuit or the memory of the device; and

cause to send, using the wireless connectivity module, over the wireless connection, the second data to the tester device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless connectivity module comprises wireless communication circuitry for low bandwidth communication.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication circuitry comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the the test module is configured to execute the manufacturing test on the at least one of the logic circuit or the memory of the device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless connectivity module is in communication with an external board that includes a wireless communication circuitry for wireless communication with the tester device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless connectivity module further comprises an embedded controller that activates a wireless communication circuitry of the wireless connectivity module.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the test block comprises one or more scan blocks to be tested by a second manufacturing test received over a high bandwidth communication connection with the tester device.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the wireless connectivity module includes the high bandwidth communication circuitry, and wherein the at least one processor of the one or more processors of the wireless connectivity circuit is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive, using the high bandwidth communication connection, a second signal from the tester device, the second signal comprising a third data including the second manufacturing test for the one or more scan blocks;

cause to send the third data to the one or more scan blocks;

receive from the scan blocks, a fourth data indicative of a result of the second manufacturing test of the one or more scan blocks; and

cause to send, using the high bandwidth communication connection, the fourth data to the tester device.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the high bandwidth communication circuitry comprises a WiFi or a WiGig transceiver.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the wireless connectivity module includes a high bandwidth wired connection interface for wired communication with the tester device.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the high bandwidth wired connection interface further comprises a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) connection.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the wireless connectivity module further comprises an embedded controller that that activates the high bandwidth communication circuitry of the wireless connectivity module.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining, by the processor, a wireless connection between a device and a tester device;

receiving, by the processor, over the wireless connection, a signal from the tester device, the signal comprising a first data including a manufacturing test for at least one of the logic circuit or the memory of the device;

causing to send, by the processor, the first data to a test module of a test block of the device;

receiving, by the processor, from the test module, a second data indicative of a result of the manufacturing test of the at least one of the logic circuit or the memory of the device; and

causing to send, by the processor, over the wireless connection, the second data to the tester device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions to cause to send the first data to the test module of the test block further comprise instructions to execute the manufacturing test on the at least one of the logic circuit or the memory of the device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the test block comprises one or more scan blocks to be tested by a second manufacturing test received over a high bandwidth communication connection with the tester device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions to:

receive, by the processor, a second signal from the tester device, the second signal comprising a third data including the second manufacturing test for the one or more scan blocks;

cause to send, by the processor, the third data to the one or more scan blocks;

receive, by the processor, from the scan blocks, a fourth data indicative of a result of the second manufacturing test of the one or more scan blocks; and

cause to send, by the processor, using the high bandwidth communication connection, the fourth data to the tester device.

17. A method comprising:

determining, using a wireless connectivity module of a device, a wireless connection between the device and a tester device;

receiving, using the wireless connectivity module over the wireless connection, a signal from the tester device, the signal comprising a first data including a manufacturing test for the at least one of a logic circuit or a memory of the device;

sending the first data to a test module;

receiving from the test module, a second data indicative of a result of the manufacturing test of the at least one of the logic circuit or the memory of the device; and

sending, using the wireless connectivity module, the second data to the tester device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising executing the manufacturing test on the at least one of the logic circuit or the memory of the device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the device comprises one or more scan blocks, further comprising receiving, over a high bandwidth communication connection, a second signal from the tester device, the second signal comprising a third data including a second manufacturing test for the one or more scan blocks.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

sending the third data to the one or more scan blocks;

receiving, from the scan blocks, a fourth data indicative of a result of the second manufacturing test of the one or more scan blocks; and

sending, using the high bandwidth communication connection, the fourth data to the tester device.