Wireless test system

• US 7,218,094 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2003
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Inventors: Miller, Charles A., Eldridge, Benjamin N., Khandros, Igor Y., Sporck, A. Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Ha Tran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tung X.
• Application Number:
  US10/690,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 324/765, 324/763, 324/760, 324/158.1, 324/754, 324/72.5, 324761-762, 340/870.16, 340513-514, 702/119, 455423-425
• US Class Current: 324/750.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3025 Wireless interface with the DUT
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31907 Modular tester, e.g. controlling and coordinating instruments in a bus based architecture
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31908 Tester set-up, e.g. configuring the tester to the device under test [DUT], down loading test patterns

Abstract

One or more testers wirelessly communicate with one or more test stations. The wireless communication may include transmission of test commands and/or test vectors to a test station, resulting in testing of one or more electronic devices at the test station. The wireless communication may also include transmission of test results to a tester. Messages may also be wirelessly exchanged.

Claims

1. A method of testing in a system comprising a tester and a test station, said method comprising:

transmitting a test directive wirelessly from said tester to said test station;

running at said test station a test on an electronic device in accordance with said test directive;

transmitting results of said test wirelessly from said test station to said tester; and

adding another test station to said test system wherein;

the transmitting step comprises transmitting test data wirelessly from said tester to said test station, said test data representing a plurality of tests for testing an electronic device;

the running step comprises testing said electronic device by running said plurality of tests on said electronic device at said test station; and

said step of adding another test station comprises said other test station transmitting wirelessly to said tester a request to be added to said test system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of testing further comprises testing a plurality of electronic devices at said test station using said transmitted test data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said test data comprises commands and said step of testing an electronic device comprises said test station executing said commands and thereby running said plurality of tests on said electronic device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said electronic device comprises self-test circuitry and said step of executing commands comprises said test station initiating operation of said self-test circuitry.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a plurality of test stations, and said step of transmitting test data comprises transmitting test data to at least two of said test stations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein test data transmitted to each of said at least two test stations is the same.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein test data transmitted to at least one of said test stations is different than test data transmitted to another of said test stations.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of testing comprises testing at each of said at least two test stations an electronics device at said test station using test data transmitted to said test station.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising transmitting from each of said at least two test stations results of testing said electronic device at said test station.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said test station comprises a prober and said electronic device comprises a semiconductor wafer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic device comprises a packaged semiconductor die.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic device comprises a singulated, unpackaged semiconductor die.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic device comprises a multi-chip module.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said test directive comprises a command, and said running step comprises said test station decoding said command.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said test directive comprises a command, and said running step comprises said test station executing said command and thereby running said test on said electronic device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said test directive comprises a test vector comprising data and locations to which said data is to be written.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said locations comprise identifications of probes through which said test data is to be written to said electronic device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said transmitting step comprises transmitting a plurality of test directive wirelessly from said tester to said test station; and

said running step comprises running at said test station a plurality of tests on said electric electronic device in accordance with said test directives.

19. A method of testing in a system comprising a tester and a test station, said method comprising:

transmitting a test directive wirelessly from said tester to said test station; and

running at said test station a test on an electronic device in accordance with said test directive, wherein;

said system comprises a plurality of testers,

said step of transmitting comprises a first tester of said plurality of testers transmitting first test data to said test station;

said step of running a test on an electronic device comprises performing a first test on said electronic device in accordance with said first test data;

said method further comprising

transmitting second test data wirelessly from a second tester of said plurality of testers to said test station; and

performing a second test on said electronic device at said test station in accordance with said second test data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said first test and said second test are different tests.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein a plurality of said electronic devices are disposed at said test station, and said first test is performed on a first subset of said plurality of electronic devices, and said second test is performed on a second subset of said plurality of electronic devices.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the transmitting step comprises transmitting test data wirelessly from said tester to said test station, said test data representing a plurality of tests for testing an electronic device; and

the running step comprises testing said electronic device by running said plurality of tests on said electronic device at said test station.