Infrared receiver wafer level probe testing

• US 5,631,571 A
• Filed: 04/03/1996
• Issued: 05/20/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Air Force (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Inventors: Waters, William, Vaccaro, Kenneth, Spaziani, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieder, Kenneth A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOWSER, BARRY
• Application Number:
  US08/626,870
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 324/752, 324/753, 324/490, 324/71.3, 324/658
• US Class Current: 324/754.03
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/071 containing electro-optic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07342 the body of the probe being at an angle other than perpendicular to test object, e.g. probe card
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2635 Testing light-emitting diodes, laser diodes or photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/311 of integrated circuits G01R31/31728 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for functionally testing opto-electronic devices, such as fiber-optic infrared receiver photodiodes, in the integral wafer or other optical port-exposed status. The testing arrangement uses a portable optical probe for communicating optical signals between the testing apparatus and the tested device in coincidence with electrical energization and functional operation of the electro-optical device by the test apparatus. The optical probe signals may be correlated in time relationship or other manner with the electrical signals applied-to the device-under-test. The invention provides simple conversion between a conventional electrical semiconductor device probe station and an electro-optical device probe station.

Claims

1. The method of probe testing integral wafer-contained fiber-optic receiver photodiode inclusive circuit die comprising the steps of:

disposing a to-be-tested integral wafer-contained fiber-optic receiver photodiode inclusive circuit die into engagement with an array of precisely positioned electrical probe elements located around a circuit die-receiving aperture of a probe card test apparatus;

energizing said to be tested circuit die electrically through said array of electrical probe elements as required for functional operation;

supplying electrical input port signals and electrical output port loading to said circuit die through said array of electrical probe elements as needed for functional operation;

disposing an external signal-communicating optical node in a remembered precise physical position location and orientation with respect to said array of electrical probe elements, said circuit die-receiving aperture and a selected optical input port region of said to-be-tested circuit die;

communicating optical energy signals from a testing apparatus-energized external transducer element through a fiber-optic communication path element to said optical node and thence by a short media path to said optical input port region of said to-be-tested circuit die;

controlling an optical signal communicated between said external transducer apparatus and said circuit die optical port from within said testing apparatus;

evaluating electrical signals communicated from said circuit die to said testing apparatus via said array of electrical probe elements, in response to received optical and electrical signals, against expected die performance criteria;

moving said aperture and said wafer with respect to each other until a next to be tested circuit die on said wafer is precisely located within said aperture and in physical registration with said electrical probe elements and said signal-communicating optical node.

2. The method of probe testing of claim 1 wherein said step of communicating optical energy signals from a testing apparatus-energized external transducer element through a fiber-optic communication path element to said optical node and thence by a short media path to said optical input port region of said to-be-tested circuit die includes communicating infrared optical signals from said optical node through an exclusively atmospheric media path to said optical input port.

3. The method of probe testing of claim 2 wherein said to be tested circuit die is an electrically passive photodiode element without attending transistor electrical circuits and said as required for functional operation electrical energization is zero.

4. The method of probe testing of claim 1 wherein said to be tested circuit die is an electrically passive photodiode element without attending transistor electrical circuits and said as needed for functional operation electrical input port signals and electrical output port loading are zero and an open circuit respectively.

5. The method of probe testing of claim 1 wherein said to be tested circuit die includes an electrically passive photodiode element and transistor electrical circuits connected therewith and said as required for functional operation electrical energization is of nonzero magnitude.

6. The method of probe testing of claim 1 wherein said step of moving said aperture said integrated circuit wafer with respect to each other until a next to be tested circuit die on said wafer is precisely located within said aperture in physical registration with said electrical probe elements and said signal-communicating optical node, includes moving said wafer with respect to a fixed position location of said aperture.

7. The method of probe testing of claim 1 wherein said step of controlling an optical signal communicated between said external transducer apparatus and said integrated circuit device optical port from within said testing apparatus includes executing computer software resident within said testing apparatus.

8. The method of probe testing of claim 1 wherein said circuit die comprises a two electrical terminal fiber-optic receiver transducer and said array of precisely positioned electrical probe elements disposed around an integrated circuit die-receiving aperture of a testing apparatus is comprised of two electrical probe elements.

9. The method of probe testing integral semiconductor wafer-contained optically polarized fiber-optic receiver photodiode and attending electrical circuits-inclusive device-under-test circuit die comprising the steps of:

disposing a device-under-test circuit die into engagement with an array of precisely positioned electrical probe elements located around a circuit die-receiving aperture of a probe card test apparatus;

energizing said attending electrical circuits of said device-under-test circuit die electrically through said array of electrical probe elements;

supplying electrical input port signals and electrical output port loading to said device-under-test circuit die through said array of electrical probe elements as needed for functional operation;

disposing an external signal-communicating optical node in a precise physical position location and orientation with respect to said array of electrical probe elements, said circuit die-receiving aperture and a polarized optical input signal port region of said device-under-test circuit die;

transmitting polarized optical energy signals from a computerized testing apparatus-controlled monochrometer optical signal source through a fiber-optic communication path of elliptically cross-sectioned polarizing optical fiber to said optical node;

communicating polarized optical energy signals from said optical node through an intervening media path to said polarized optical input signal port region of said to-be-tested circuit die;

communicating electrical output signals of said device-under-test circuit die to an input port of said computerized testing apparatus;

said communicating step completing a closed loop optical signal path-inclusive testing loop comprising said computerized testing apparatus and said device-under-test circuit die;

controlling an optical signal communicated between said external transducer apparatus and said circuit die optical port from software executing within said computerized testing apparatus;

evaluating electrical signals communicated from said device-under-test circuit die to said computerized testing apparatus against expected device-under-test circuit die performance criteria;

identifying said device-under-test circuit die according to a results of said evaluating step;

moving said aperture and said device-under-test wafer of circuit die with respect to each other until a next to be tested circuit die on said wafer is precisely located within said aperture and in physical registration with said electrical probe elements and said signal-communicating optical node.

10. The method of probe testing of claim 9 wherein said step of communicating polarized optical energy signals comprises one of the steps of:

communicating optical energy signals through an ambient atmosphere path;

communicating optical energy signals through an anti-reflection coating received over said polarized optical input signal port region of said to-be-tested circuit die;

communicating optical energy signals through an optical index matching fluid;

communicating optical energy signals through a rounded end portion of said fiber-optic communication path optical fiber; and

communicating optical energy signals through a cleaved end surface portion of said fiber-optic communication path optical fiber.

11. The method of probe testing of claim 9 wherein said step of communicating polarized optical energy signals comprises the combination of:

communicating optical energy signals through an anti-reflection coating received over said polarized optical input signal port region of said to-be-tested circuit die; and

communicating optical energy signals through an ambient atmosphere path.

12. The method of probe testing of claim 10 wherein said step of communicating polarized optical energy signals comprises the combination of:

communicating infrared optical energy signals through a rounded end portion of said fiber-optic communication path optical fiber; and

communicating optical energy signals through an ambient atmosphere path.

13. The method of probe testing of claim 10 wherein said step of communicating polarized optical energy signals comprises the combination of:

communicating infrared optical energy signals through an anti-reflection coating received over said polarized optical input signal port region of said to-be-tested circuit die; and

communicating infrared optical energy signals through an optical index matching fluid.

14. The method of probe testing of claim 10 wherein said step of communicating polarized optical energy signals comprises:

communicating infrared optical energy signals through an ambient atmosphere path.

15. The method of probe testing of claim 10 wherein said step of communicating polarized optical energy signals comprises:

communicating infrared optical energy signals through an optical index matching fluid; and

communicating infrared optical energy signals through a rounded end portion of said fiber-optic communication path optical fiber.

16. The method of probe testing of claim 11 further including the step of communicating a sequential plurality of said polarized optical energy signals from a plurality of said optical nodes through intervening media paths to said polarized optical input signal port region of said to-be-tested circuit die.

17. The method of probe testing of claim 16 wherein said polarized optical energy signals are signals having one of the wavelengths of 1.30 and 1.55 micrometers.

18. The method of probe testing of claim 17 wherein said step of communicating a sequential plurality of said polarized optical energy signals from a plurality of said optical nodes through intervening media paths to said polarized optical input signal port region of said to-be-tested circuit die comprises a combination of a responsivity, a pulse response and a frequency response measurement tests.