Semi-conductor component testing system with a reduced number of test channels

• US 6,977,516 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Polaris Innovations Limited (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Kallscheuer, Jochen, Ferreira, Jesus
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington, Jermele
• Application Number:
  US10/651,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20050099201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 324760-765, 324/758, 324/158.1, 382/145, 438 14- 17, 438/106, 702 80- 84, 702/117, 702/118
• US Class Current: 324/750.15
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54473 for use after dicing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/544 Marks applied to semiconductor devices or parts, e.g. registration marks, alignment structures, wafer maps test patterns for characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

The invention involves a semi-conductor component testing system, a process for semi-conductor components, as well as an assembly, more particularly a wafer with several semi-conductor components to be tested, whereby each semi-conductor component is allocated an individual identifying label, more particularly an identification-number, in order to perform the test—done individually for each semi-conductor component—on the respective semi-conductor component.

Claims

1. A device to be tested by a test device comprising:

a plurality of semi-conductor components to be tested by the test device;

a plurality of identification numbers corresponding to and allocated to said plurality of semi-conductor components, said plurality of identification numbers individually identifying the respective semi-conductor component to be tested;

said plurality of semi-conductor components each having a plurality of electrical contacts, each contact being allocated to a different one of said identification numbers;

wherein a respective identification number is transmitted from the test device to a respective semi-conductor component by providing a signal to an electrical contact of the respective plurality of electrical contacts of the respective semi-conductor component that is allocated to the identification number.

2. The device according to claim 1, in which each semi-conductor component has at least two connections—

mutually respective with the respective semi-conductor components—

, more particularly separate semi-conductor component identification connections, and a respective label is relayed from the test device to the respective semi-conductor component(s) by making available a respective signal from the test device at the first connection of a first semi-conductor component and at a second connection of the second semi-conductor component.

3. The device according to claim 2, in which the signal is emitted at the particular connection of the test device, which is connected to a first and a second contact connection, whereby the first contact connection contacts the first connection of the first semi-conductor component, and the second contact connection the second connection of the second semi-conductor component.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the respective identification number is relayed to the respective semi-conductor component(s) from the test device by means of separately provided channels for each semi-conductor component.

5. The device according to claim 4, in which the separately provided channels are used for the transfer of actual test data before or after relaying a respective label.

6. The device according to claim 5, in which an address identification is sent to the semi-conductor components to select and/or address a particular semi-conductor component, and is compared in the respective semi-conductor component with the respective label, more particularly the identification number.

7. The device according to claim 6, in which the address identification is sent via a channel, which is also used to select the respective test to be performed.

8. The device according to claim 7, in which the respective identification number is stored in the respective semi-conductor component by burning in respective electrical contacts, more particularly by means of fusing or e-fusing-processes.

9. A process for testing components, comprising the following steps:

providing an assembly with a plurality semi conductor components to be tested;

transmitting identification numbers from a test device to the semi-conductor components in order to perform, for each respective semi-conductor component individually, a test on the respective semi-conductor component, the identification numbers individually identifying the respective semi-conductor component to be tested, the semi-conductor components each comprising a plurality of electrical contacts, each of the contacts being allocated to a different one of the identification numbers;

wherein a respective identification number is transmitted from the test device to a respective semi-conductor component by providing a signal to that electrical contact of the respective plurality of electrical contacts of the respective semi-conductor component that is allocated to the identification number to be transmitted to the respective semi-conductor component.

10. A component testing system comprising:

a test device; and

an assembly with a plurality of semi-conductor components to be tested;

a plurality of identification numbers corresponding to and allocated to said plurality of semi-conductor components, said plurality of identification numbers individually identifying the respective semi-conductor component to be tested;

said plurality of semi-conductor components each having a plurality of electrical contacts, each contact being allocated to a different one of said identification numbers;

wherein a respective identification number is transmitted from the test device to a respective semi-conductor component by providing a signal to an electrical contact of the respective plurality of electrical contacts of the respective semi-conductor component that is allocated to the identification number.

11. A semi-conductor component testing system for performing a test on a plurality of semi-conductor components, comprising:

a test device;

an assembly with several semi-conductor components to be tested, each semi-conductor component having a plurality of electrical contacts;

identification numbers allocated to the plurality of semi-conductor components, individually identifying the respective semi-conductor component to be tested, each of the electrical contacts being allocated a different one of the identification numbers; and

a signal transmitted from said test device to each of the electrical contacts for providing the allocated identification number to the respective electrical contact.