Method and apparatus for wireless radio frequency testing of RFID integrated circuits

• US 6,236,223 B1
• Filed: 02/10/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Duan, Dah-Weih, Brady, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEROUX, ETIENNE PIERRE
• Application Number:
  US09/247,900
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 324/754, 324/72.5, 324/764, 324/601, 324/605, 324/763, 324/765, 324/158.P, 324/752, 713/189, 713/168, 714/733, 714/30, 370/225, 370/390, 370/400, 361/777, 361/774, 361/780, 174/260, 174/261, 340/870-1-8
• US Class Current: 324/750.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2822 of microwave or radiofrequency circuits of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2831 Testing of materials or semi-finished products, e.g. semiconductor wafers or substrates G01R31/318511 takes precedence; testing during manufacture H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3025 Wireless interface with the DUT
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A method and apparatus for wireless radio frequency (RF) testing of radio frequency identification integrated circuits (RFID IC) is disclosed. A fixture is provided for physically and electrically contacting the RFID IC to feed an RF interrogating signal into the RFID IC and receive an RF return signal generated in response thereto. The fixture is coupled to a tester via first and second couplers (interconnected to the fixture and tester, respectively) which establish a wireless link for transmitting and receiving the RF interrogation signal and the RF return signal thereby allowing full and accurate RF characterization of the RFID IC.

Claims

1. A system for performing wireless radio frequency testing of a radio frequency circuit, comprising:

a fixture including a probe for physically and electrically contacting the circuit to feed a radio frequency signal into the circuit;

a first coupler interconnected with said fixture for propagating the radio frequency signal to said fixture; and

a second coupler configured to transmit the radio frequency signal to said first coupler via a wireless link established between said first and second couplers.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency signal transmitter interconnected with said second coupler for generating the radio frequency signal.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said fixture receives a radio frequency return signal generated by the circuit in response to the radio frequency signal.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the radio frequency return signal is a modulated back-scattered radio frequency signal.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein said first coupler is configured to transmit the radio frequency return signal to said second coupler via the wireless link.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising a tester interconnected with said second coupler, said tester including a radio frequency signal transmitter for generating the radio frequency signal and a decoder for decoding the radio frequency return signal.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises an unsingulated die of a wafer having an antenna pad, and said probe is adapted for contacting said antenna pad.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said first and second radio frequency transmitting and receiving assemblies comprises an antenna.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the probe includes an impedance matching circuit for matching the impedance of the antenna to the impedance of the circuit.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an open-ended waveguide coupler.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises a tunnel-like wave launcher.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the circuit is a radio frequency identification integrated circuit.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the radio frequency identification integrated circuit is packaged within a plastic molded package, and wherein said fixture comprises a support having a holder for temporarily mounting the packaged circuit to the support and at least one terminal for coupling a pin of the packaged circuit to said first coupler.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an antenna.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an open-ended waveguide coupler.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises a tunnel-like wave launcher.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an antenna.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an open-ended waveguide coupler.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises a tunnel-like wave launcher.

20. A system for performing wireless radio frequency testing of a radio frequency identification integrated circuit, comprising:

a fixture including a probe for physically and electrically contacting the radio frequency identification integrated circuit to feed a radio frequency interrogating signal into the radio frequency identification integrated circuit and receive a radio frequency return signal generated by the radio frequency identification integrated circuit in response thereto; and

first and second couplers establishing a wireless link for transmitting and receiving the radio frequency interrogation signal and the radio frequency return signal, said first coupler interconnected with said fixture for receiving the radio frequency interrogating signal and transmitting the radio frequency return signal and said second coupler interconnected with said tester for transmitting the radio frequency interrogating signal and receiving the radio frequency return signal.

21. The system according to claim 20, further comprising a radio frequency interrogation signal transmitter interconnected with said second coupler for generating a radio frequency interrogating signal to interrogate the radio frequency identification integrated circuit.

22. The system according to claim 20, further comprising a tester interconnected with said second coupler, said tester including a radio frequency interrogation signal transmitter for generating a radio frequency interrogating signal to interrogate the radio frequency identification integrated circuit and a decoder for decoding the radio frequency return signal generated by the radio frequency identification integrated circuit in response to the radio frequency interrogation signal.

23. The system according to claim 20, wherein the radio frequency identification integrated circuit comprises an unsingulated die of a wafer, and said probe is adapted for contacting said antenna pads of the die.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein at least one of said first and second radio frequency transmitting and receiving assemblies comprises an antenna.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the probe includes an impedance matching circuit for matching the impedance of the antenna to the impedance of the radio frequency identification integrated circuit.

26. The system according to claim 23, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an open-ended waveguide coupler.

27. The system according to claim 23, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises a tunnel-like wave launcher.

28. The system according to claim 20, wherein the radio frequency identification integrated circuit is packaged within a plastic molded package, and wherein said fixture comprises a support having a holder for temporarily mounting the packaged radio frequency identification integrated circuit to the support and a terminal for coupling a pin of the packaged radio frequency identification integrated circuit to said first coupler.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an antenna.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an open-ended waveguide coupler.

31. The system according to claim 28, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises a tunnel-like wave launcher.

32. The system according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an antenna.

33. The system according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an open-ended waveguide coupler.

34. The system according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises a tunnel-like wave launcher.

35. A system for performing wireless radio frequency testing of a radio frequency identification integrated circuit, comprising:

a tester for generating a radio frequency interrogating signal to interrogate the radio frequency identification integrated circuit and for decoding a radio frequency return signal generated by the radio frequency identification integrated circuit in response to the radio frequency interrogation signal;

a fixture including a probe for physically and electrically contacting the radio frequency identification integrated circuit to feed the radio frequency interrogating signal into the radio frequency identification integrated circuit and receive the radio frequency return signal generated in response thereto; and

first and second couplers establishing a wireless link for transmitting and receiving the radio frequency interrogation signal and the radio frequency return signal, said first coupler interconnected with said fixture for receiving the radio frequency interrogating signal and transmitting the radio frequency return signal and said second coupler interconnected with said tester for transmitting the radio frequency interrogating signal and receiving the radio frequency return signal.

36. The system according to claim 35, wherein the radio frequency return signal is a modulated back-scattered radio frequency signal.

37. The system according to claim 35, wherein the radio frequency identification integrated circuit comprises an unsingulated die of a wafer having at least one antenna pad, and said probe is adapted for contacting said antenna pad.

38. The system according to claim 37, wherein at least one of said first and second radio frequency transmitting and receiving assemblies comprises an antenna.

39. The system according to claim 38, wherein the probe includes an impedance matching circuit for matching the impedance of the antenna to the impedance of the radio frequency identification integrated circuit.

40. The system according to claim 37, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an open-ended waveguide coupler.

41. The system according to claim 37, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises a tunnel-like wave launcher.

42. The system according to claim 35, wherein the radio frequency identification integrated circuit is packaged within a plastic molded package, and wherein said fixture comprises a support having a holder for temporarily mounting the packaged radio frequency identification integrated circuit to the support and a terminal for coupling a pin of the packaged radio frequency identification integrated circuit to said first coupler.

43. The system according to claim 42, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an antenna.

44. The system according to claim 42, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an open-ended waveguide coupler.

45. The system according to claim 42, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises a tunnel-like wave launcher.

46. The system according to claim 35, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an antenna.

47. The system according to claim 35, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises an open-ended waveguide coupler.

48. The system according to claim 35, wherein at least one of said first and second couplers comprises a tunnel-like wave launcher.

49. A method for performing wireless radio frequency testing of a radio frequency identification integrated circuit, comprising the steps of:

generating a radio frequency interrogating signal for interrogating the radio frequency identification integrated circuit;

transmitting the generated radio frequency interrogating signal between a first coupler and a second coupler via a wireless link; and

feeding the received radio frequency interrogating signal into the radio frequency identification integrated circuit via a probe that is in physical contact with the radio frequency identification integrated circuit.

50. The method according to claim 49, further comprising the step of receiving a radio frequency return signal from the radio frequency identification integrated circuit in response to the radio frequency interrogation signal.

51. The method according to claim 50, wherein the radio frequency return signal is a modulated back-scattered signal.

52. The method according to claim 50, further comprising the step of decoding the radio frequency return signal and characterizing the function of the radio frequency identification integrated circuit.

53. The method according to claim 50, further comprising the step of transmitting the radio frequency return signal from the first coupler to the second coupler via the wireless link.

54. The method according to claim 53, further comprising the step of decoding the radio frequency return signal to characterize the function of the radio frequency identification integrated circuit.

55. The method according to claim 49, wherein the radio frequency identification integrated circuit comprises an unsingulated die of a wafer, and said feeding step further comprises landing a probe on the antenna pads of the die.

56. The method according to claim 49, wherein the radio frequency identification integrated circuit is packaged within a plastic-molded package, and wherein feeding step comprises temporarily mounting the packaged radio frequency identification integrated circuit in a fixture which couples a pin of the packaged radio frequency identification integrated circuit to said first coupler.