Intelligent binning for electrically repairable semiconductor chips

• US 5,764,650 A
• Filed: 08/02/1996
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Debenham, Brett M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chung, Phung M.
• Application Number:
  US08/691,335
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 371/5.1, 371/48, 371/21.1, 395/185.01, 324/500
• US Class Current: 714/704
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/01 Subjecting similar articles in turn to test, e.g. "go/no-go" tests in mass production; Testing objects at points as they pass through a testing station testing of cables continuously passing the testing apparatus G01R31/59; testing dielectric strength or breakdown voltage G01R31/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2851 Testing of integrated circuits [IC] G01R31/317 takes precedence; testing individual devices G01R31/26; testing printed circuits G01R31/2801
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31718 Logistic aspects, e.g. binning, selection, sorting of devices under test, tester/handler interaction networks, Test management software, e.g. software for test statistics or test evaluation, yield analysis mechanical aspects G01R31/2808, G01R31/2851
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/319 Tester hardware, i.e. output processing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/44 Indication or identification of errors, e.g. for repair
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/56 External testing equipment for static stores, e.g. automatic test equipment [ATE]; Interfaces therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for testing one or more semiconductor devices (e.g. packaged chips). Test equipment performs at least tests of a first type on the semiconductor device and identifies failures in the semiconductor device, if any. A number of failures is determined. In the case where there are some failures, decision circuitry determines whether it is more efficient to repeat the tests or repair the semiconductor device, if it is repairable. The semiconductor device may be binned differently depending on the number of identified failures. The decision circuitry may designate the semiconductor device for an additional procedure, if the number of the identified failures is within a first number set. The decision circuitry may designate the semiconductor device for repair, if the number of the identified failures is within a second number set. The decision circuitry designate the semiconductor device for additional tests of the first type, if the number of the identified failures is within a third number set. The tests of a first type may be a hot sort procedure and the additional tests may be a cold final procedure.

Claims

1. A system for testing a semiconductor device, the system comprising:

a support to support the semiconductor device;

test equipment to perform tests of a first type on the semiconductor device to identify failures in the semiconductor device;

processing circuitry to communicate with the test equipment and determine a number of failures and provide signals indicative thereof;

decision circuitry to receive the signals indicative of the number of failures, and considering the number of failures, to designate the semiconductor device for an additional procedure, designate the semiconductor device for repair, or designate the semiconductor device for additional tests of the first type;

designates the semiconductor device for the additional procedure if the number of the identified failures is within a first number set;

designates the semiconductor device for repair if the number of the identified failures is within a second number sets; and

designates the semiconductor device for the additional tests of the first type if the number of the identified failures is within a third number set.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is a first semiconductor device and the support supports other semiconductor devices tested by the test equipment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first number set includes only zero, the second number set includes numbers greater than zero and less than a threshold, and the third number set includes numbers equal to or greater than the threshold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is rejected if the number of the identified failures is within the second number set and the semiconductor device is not repairable.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is located proximate to the test equipment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is located remote from test equipment.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a pass bin into which the semiconductor device is relocated if the semiconductor device is designated for the additional procedure; and

a repair bin into which the semiconductor device is relocated if the semiconductor device is designated for repair.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a reject bin into which the semiconductor device is relocated if it is determined to be non-repairable.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a system controller; and

a repair station, wherein the system controller includes the decision circuitry and controls the repair station.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a repair station, and wherein subsequent to the decision circuitry designating the semiconductor device for repair, the decision circuitry determines whether the semiconductor device is repairable and, if the semiconductor device is repairable, the repair station repairs the semiconductor device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the test equipment includes repair circuitry that performs the repair on the semiconductor device if it is designated for repair and is repairable.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is binned based upon the number of identified failures.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the identified failures include failures of different classes, and in which the number of identified failures is a number of total failures of all classes, and the decision circuitry considers failures of different classes in determining whether to designate the semiconductor device for an additional procedure, designate the semiconductor device for repair, or perform additional tests of the first type.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the test of the first type may detect certain defects in the semiconductor device which are not classified as examples of the failures and, therefore, do not contribute to the number of identified failures.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional procedure includes transporting the semiconductor device to a predetermined location.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature regulated chamber in which the tests of the first type are performed.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first temperature regulated chamber in which the tests of the first type are performed; and

a second temperature regulated chamber in which the additional procedure is performed.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the test equipment includes probes, and electrical connection is made between the probes and the semiconductor device.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device includes leads and the support includes sockets for receiving the leads, and electrical connection is made between the test equipment and the sockets.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the tests of the first type include:

subjecting the semiconductor device to various temperatures in a first range while monitoring electrical signals on the semiconductor device; and

the additional procedure includes subjecting the semiconductor device to various temperatures in a second range while monitoring electrical signals on the semiconductor device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein no substantial overlap occurs between the first and second ranges.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is a chip on a wafer.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is a packaged chip including a package and leads.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein tests of the first type and the additional tests of the first type are both of the first type, but not identical.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to the additional tests of the first type, failures in the semiconductor device are re-identified and the number of re-identified failures being determined, with the decision circuitry subsequently;

designating the semiconductor device for the additional procedure when the number of the re-identified failures is within a fourth number set;

designating the semiconductor device for repair when the number of the re-identified failures is within a fifth number set;

designating the semiconductor device for additional tests of the first type when the number of the re-identified failures is within a sixth number set; and

wherein the decision circuitry repeats such designations until the number of the re-identified failures is within the fourth number set, the semiconductor device is repairable and the number of the re-identified failures is within the fifth number set, or the additional tests of the first type have been performed a predetermined number of times and the number of re-identified failures is within the sixth number set.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the values of the fifth and sixth number sets change.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional procedure performed by the decision circuitry includes:

designating the semiconductor for tests of a second type on the semiconductor device to re-identify failures in the semiconductor device and determine a number of re-identified failures;

designating the semiconductor device for a further procedure when the number of the re-identified failures is within a seventh number set;

designating the semiconductor device for repair when the number of the re-identified failures is within an eighth number set; and

the test equipment performing additional tests of the second type on the semiconductor device when the number of the identified failures is within a ninth number set.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the tests of the first type are performed in a first temperature regulated chamber and wherein the tests of the second type are performed in the first temperature regulated chamber.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the decision circuitry includes:

a testing controller to control the tests of the first type; and

a data analyzer receiving data from the tests and determining, alternately, to designate the semiconductor device for an additional procedure, to designate the semiconductor device for repair, or to perform additional tests of the first type on the semiconductor device.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the testing controller and the data analyzer are remotely located from each other.

31. A system for testing a semiconductor device, the system comprising:

apparatus supporting the semiconductor device;

apparatus performing tests of a first type on the semiconductor device identifying failures in the semiconductor device and determining the number of identified failures, wherein the apparatus alternately;

designates the semiconductor device for an additional procedure when the number of the identified failures is within a first number set;

designates the semiconductor device for repair when the number of the identified failures is within a second number set; and

designates the semiconductor device for additional tests of the first type on the semiconductor device when the number of the identified failures is within a third number set.

32. A system for testing a semiconductor device, the system comprising:

a support for the semiconductor device;

test equipment to perform tests of a first type on the semiconductor device to identify failures in the semiconductor device;

processing circuitry to communicate with the test equipment and determine a number of failures and provide signals indicative thereof; and

decision circuitry receiving the signals indicative of the number of failures, the decision circuitry determining the number of failures, and considering the number of failures, the decision circuitry designates the semiconductor device for an additional procedure, designates the semiconductor device for repair, or designates the semiconductor device for additional tests of the first type wherein the decision circuitry classifies failures by class and numbers the identified failures, wherein the total number of identified failures equals a sum of the identified failures for each class, and the decision circuitry considers the total number of identified failures and the number of identified failures in at least one of the classes.

33. A system for testing a semiconductor device, the system comprising:

a support for the semiconductor device;

test equipment that is electrically connected to the semiconductor device, wherein the test equipment performs tests of a first type on the semiconductor device identifying failures in the semiconductor device;

processing circuitry to communicate with the test equipment and determine a total number of identified failures and classifying the identified failures by class and a number for each class determined, the total number of identified failures equaling a sum of the identified failures for each class; and

decision circuitry to designate the semiconductor device for an additional procedure when the number of the total identified failures is within a first number set, the decision circuitry designating the semiconductor device for repair when the number of the total identified failures is within a second number set and the number of identified failures in a predetermined class not being within an auxiliary number set, and the decision circuitry performs additional tests of the first type on the semiconductor device when either the total number of the identified failures is within a third number set or the number of identified failures in a predetermined class is within the auxiliary number set.

34. A method for testing a semiconductor device, the method comprising the steps of:

performing tests of a first type on the semiconductor device to identify failures in the semiconductor device;

determining the number of identified failures;

designating the semiconductor device for an additional procedure when the number of the identified failures is within a first number set;

repairing the semiconductor device when the number of the identified failures is within a second number set; and

performing additional tests of the first type on the semiconductor device when the number of the identified failures is within a third number set.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of:

determining when the semiconductor device is repairable.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the additional procedure includes the steps of:

performing tests of a second type on the semiconductor device re-identifying failures in the semiconductor device and determining a number of re-identified failures;

designating the semiconductor device for a further procedure when the number of the re-identified failures is within a seventh number set;

repairing the semiconductor device when the number of the re-identified failures is within an eighth number set; and

performing additional tests of the second type on the semiconductor device when the number of the identified failures is within a ninth number set.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the seventh, eighth, and ninth number sets are substantially identical to the first, second, and third number sets, respectively.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the tests of a first type include a hot sort procedure and wherein the tests of a second type include a cold final procedure.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the additional tests of the first type are performed, failures in the semiconductor device are re-identified and the number of re-identified failures is determined, further comprising the steps of:

designating the semiconductor device being ready for the additional procedure when the number of the re-identified failures is within a fourth number set;

repairing the semiconductor device when the number of the re-identified failures is within a fifth number set;

performing the additional tests of the first type on the semiconductor device when the number of the re-identified failures is within a sixth number set; and

wherein the steps of designating, repairing, and performing set forth above are repeated until, alternately, the number of the re-identified failures is within the fourth number set, the semiconductor device is repairable and the number of the re-identified failures is within the fifth number set, or the additional tests of the first type have been performed a predetermined number of times and the number of re-identified failures is within the sixth number set.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the tests of the first type and the additional tests of the first type are each substantially performed in a first temperature regulated chamber.

41. A method for testing a semiconductor device, the method comprising the steps of:

performing tests of a first type on the semiconductor device, identifying failures in the semiconductor device and determining the total number of identified failures, wherein the failures are classified by class and the number of identified failures for each class is determined, and wherein the total number of identified failures equals a sum of the identified failures for each class; and

determining when the semiconductor device is to have an additional procedure, repair, or additional tests performed based upon the predetermined combination of the total number of identified failures and the number of identified failures in at least one of the classes.

42. A method for determining an acceptable number of failures prior to retesting a semiconductor device, the steps comprising:

performing tests on a plurality of semiconductor devices;

determining the number of failures of a semiconductor device of the plurality of semiconductor devices;

recording the number of failures of a semiconductor device of the plurality of semiconductor devices;

retesting the plurality of semiconductor devices;

determining the number of failures of the plurality of semiconductor devices;

recording the number of failures determined in the retesting of the plurality of semiconductor devices; and

comparing the number of failures in the testing of the plurality of semiconductor devices to the number of failures determined in the retesting of the plurality of semiconductor devices thereby determining a threshold at which retesting is not economical.