System for testing semiconductors

• US 7,656,172 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cascade Microtech Incorporated (FormFactor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Andrews, Peter, Hess, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington; Jermele M
• Application Number:
  US11/335,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20060184041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/755.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2891 related to sensing or controlling of force, position, temperature G01R31/2874 takes precedence; sensing of force G01L; sensing of position G01B, G01D; sensing of temperature G01K; controlling in general G05

Abstract

A semiconductor testing system that includes an plural imaging devices for capturing plural video sequences from a single optical path and concurrently displaying the video sequences for effectively positioning a probe for testing a semiconductor wafer.

Claims

1. A probing system for a device under test comprising:

(a) an objective lens, light illuminating said device under test traversing a single optical path extending through said objective lens;

(b) a first imaging device sensing a first video sequence of said device under test at a first magnification from said single optical path;

(c) a second imaging device sensing a second video sequence of said device under test at a second magnification from said single optical path;

(d) a third imaging device sensing a third video sequence of said device under test at a third magnification from said single optical path;

(e) providing a video signal to a display that simultaneously presents said first video sequence, said second video sequence, and said third video sequence to a monitor.

2. The probing system of claim 1 wherein said first video sequence is presented in a first window, said second video sequence is presented in a second window, and said third video sequence is presented in a third window.

6. The probing system of claim 1 wherein said video displayed in said second window is from another imaging device at a second magnification from said single optical path.

3. A probing system for a device under test comprising:

(a) an objective lens, light illuminating said device under test traversing a single optical path extending through said objective lens;

(b) a first imaging device sensing a first video sequence of said device under test at a first selectable magnification from said single optical path;

(c) a second imaging device sensing a second video sequence of said device under test at a second selectable magnification from said single optical path;

(d) simultaneously providing said first video sequence, and said second video sequence, to a display.

4. The probing system of claim 3 wherein said magnification of said first video sequence includes a range of at least 5% of the total range of magnification that is not selectable by a user.

5. A probing system for a device under test comprising:

(a) an objective lens, light illuminating said device under test traversing a single optical path extending through said objective lens;

(b) an imaging device sensing a video sequence of said device under test at a first magnification from said single optical path; and

(c) a display displaying the video sequence in a first window;

said display concurrently displaying a region of said first video sequence in a second window.

7. A method for displaying video for a probing system comprising:

(a) receiving a video sequence of a device under test, said video sequence comprising a plurality of frames sequentially presented at a frame rate, a frame comprising an image of a portion of said device under test;

(b) presenting said video sequence in a first window on a display;

(c) concurrently presenting a first portion of said video sequence in a second window on a portion of said display, said first portion of said video sequence comprising first portions of a plurality of said sequentially presented images, said first portions being selectable; and

(d) concurrently presenting a second portion of said video sequence in a third window on a portion of said display, said second portion of said video sequence comprising second portions of a plurality of said sequentially presented images, said second portions being selectable.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising presenting a third portion of said video sequence in a fourth window, a fourth portion of said video sequence in a fifth window, a fifth portion of said video sequence in a sixth window, a fifth portion of said video sequence in a sixth window, and a sixth portion of said video sequence in a seventh window.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh windows are arranged in a 2×

3 format.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh windows are arranged in a 3×

2 format.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh windows are arranged in a 1×

3 format.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh windows are arranged in a 3×

1 format.