Method for testing electronic components

• US 6,269,326 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1998
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Softlink Co.
• Original Assignee: Softlink Co.
• Inventors: Lejeune, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US09/194,029
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 703/2, 703/22, 703/14, 716/4, 716/5, 716/6, 700/51, 700/48, 700/50, 700/115, 700/121, 702/117, 702/121, 378/22, 324/158.1
• US Class Current: 703/2
• 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: G01R 31/30 Marginal testing, e.g. by varying supply voltage testing computers during standby operation or idle time G06F11/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/04 of instruments for measuring time integral of power or current

Abstract

A device (1) has a processor (13) capable of controlling test equipment (2) to carry out repeatedly at least some of its steps, each time reducing the duration of at least one of the steps until satisfying a final criterion taking into account the distribution of the electric variables measured by the equipment for each reduced duration value, and to set a new duration value at most equal to its initial value, for which the measured electric variable distribution satisfies one selected dispersion condition. The device has a function generator (14) capable of providing a function applicable to at least one of the terms of a comparison executed during one of the steps, so that the function operates on a measurement executed after the new duration.

Claims

1. A method for testing a batch of electronic components, wherein each component has a conductive region formed thereon and a predetermined range of acceptable performance values associated therewith, the method comprising the steps of:

applying a first electrical signal to an electrode that is electrically coupled to a conductive region of each component wherein the first signal is applied by a testing system;

measuring a second electrical signal response to the first electrical signal applied to the electrode, wherein the second signal is measured by a testing system after a nominal waiting period resulting from a nominal wait signal;

generating a modified wait signal corresponding to the batch of components, wherein the testing system replaces the nominall waiting period with a modified waiting period corresponding to the modified wait signal, applying the first electrical signal to the component and iteratively measuring the second electrical signal after different waiting periods, said measuring being generated by a modified wait signal, processing second electrical signals corresponding to the different waiting periods in order to determine an adjusted waiting period so that a statistical value representing second electrical measurements at the adjusted waiting period is acceptable with regard to a criterion; and

testing each of the components, wherein the testing system compares for each of the components, and at said waiting period, the second electrical signal to the predetermined range of acceptable performance values.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the modified wait signal is generated based on interatively aoolying the first electrical signal to an acceptable electrical component.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first electrical signal is iteratively applied to the same component.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first electrical signal is iteratively applied to different components.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing step includes generating a set of statistical data corresponding to the second electrical signals and the different waiting periods and applying a mathematical function to the set of data.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the mathematical function includes calculating a mean and a standard deviation corresponding to the set of data.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the modified wait signal is generated based on analyzing a ratio between a first value of the absolute value of the difference between the mean and a tolerated limit for the mean and a second value corresponding to the standard deviation of the set of data.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the nominal waiting period is modified, the second electrical signals corresponding to the remaining components are measured after the modified waiting period.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second electrical signals corresponding to the modified waiting period are similar to the second electrical signal corresponding to the nominal waiting period.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined range of acceptable performance values is modified based on measuring progressive values of potentials that are set up at a set of terminals of an acceptable batch of components.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined range of acceptable performance values is modified based on applying a statistical function to a set of data corresponding to the second electrical signals of different components.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the statistical function includes filtering out a set of aberrant values.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the statistical function includes computing a mean of the values.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the components are acceptable if the second electrical signals are within the modified range of acceptable performance values.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the iterative process of generating the modified wait signal is monotonically decreasing.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein a set of potentials to be measured undergo a transitional phase followed by a stable phase, and an intermediate phase of the potentials is chosen.

17. A testing system configured to test a batch of electronic components, wherein each component has conductive regions formed thereon and a predetermined range of acceptable performance values associated therewith, the testing system comprising:

a set of electrodes electrically coupled to conductive regions of each component;

testing means including a processor, a memory and a sequencer;

wherein the testing means is coupled to an interface connected to an electrode management system;

wherein the testing means configures the interface with a sequencer; and

wherein the testing means is configured to apply a first electrical signal to the electrodes, measure a second electrical signal in response to the first electrical signal applied to the electrodes, wherein the second electrical signal is measure after a nominal waiting period resulting from a nominal wait signal, generate a modified wait signal corresponding to the batch of components, wherein the nominal waiting period is replaced with a modified waiting period corresponding to the modified wait signal, applying the first electrical signal to the component and iteratively measuring the second electrical signal after different waiting periods, said measuring being generated by said modified wait signal, processing the second electrical signals corresponding to the different waiting periods in order to determine an adjusted waiting period so that a statistical value representing second electrical measurements at the adjusted waiting period is acceptable with regard to a criterion, and test each of the components, wherein the testing system compares the second electrical signal to the predetermined range of acceptable performance values.