RF integrated circuit test methodology and system

• US 7,915,909 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SiBEAM, Inc. (Lattice Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Palmer, George, Gilbert, Jeffrey M., Dunn, Clifford J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, PARESH H
• Application Number:
  US12/059,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20090153158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/762.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/105 using anechoic chambers; Chambers or open field sites used therefor test sites used for measuring on other objects than aerials G01R29/0828; wave absorbing devices H01Q17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2822 of microwave or radiofrequency circuits of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28

Abstract

Over the air or radiated testing of an RF microelectronic or integrated circuit device under test (DUT) that has an integrated millimeter wave (mmw) antenna structure, is described. The antenna structure may have multiple elements in an array design that may be driven and/or sensed by integrated RF transmitter and/or receiver circuitry. An interface printed wiring board (e.g., a tester load board or a wafer probe card assembly) has formed in it a mmw radiation passage that is positioned to pass mmw radiation to and/or from the integrated antenna of the DUT. Test equipment may be conductively coupled to contact points of the interface board, to transmit and/or receive signals for testing of the DUT and/or provide dc power to the DUT. A test antenna is designed and positioned to receive and/or transmit mmw radiation through the passage, from and/or to the integrated DUT antenna. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A system for testing a microelectronic die or package/module device under test (DUT) that has a millimeter wave antenna, comprising:

an interface printed wiring board having a first face and a second face on a side opposite the first face, an area in the interface board through which transmission and reception of millimeter wave radiation occurs between the first face to the second face, and a plurality of contact points on the first face outside the area that are to contact matching ones of a connection board onto which the DUT has been installed, to transmit and/or receive signals for testing the DUT; and

a test antenna facing the second face of the interface board and being adapted to receive and/or transmit millimeter wave radiation through the area, from and/or to the antenna of the DUT.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising test equipment that is conductively coupled to the contact points of the board to transmit and/or receive the signals for testing the DUT.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising an up and/or down frequency converter having a mmw port that is coupled to the test antenna, an LO port that is coupled to a signal generator, and an IF or baseband port, wherein the test equipment is coupled to control the signal generator and transmit and/or receive test information on the IF or baseband port for testing the DUT.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the converter is to (1) upconvert an output signal of the test equipment that is below 10 GHz to millimeter wave frequency, which is then radiated by the test antenna towards the DUT antenna, and (2) downconvert a millimeter wave signal received by the test antenna that was radiated by the DUT antenna, to a frequency below 10 GHz and provide it as an input signal to the test equipment.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the IF or basedband port of the converter is conductively coupled to the test equipment via a conductive path through the interface board.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a connection board having a top face and a bottom face, the bottom face having a plurality of contact points for temporarily making electrical connections with pins of the DUT, and a plurality of pins to contact matching ones of the contacts points of the interface board.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the interface board is a tester load board.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface board is a wafer probe card assembly.

9. The system of claim 6 further comprising an automatically controlled handler having a chuck that is to hold the connection board, the handler to pick up or install the DUT to the connection board, from a DUT waiting or storage area in a volume manufacturing setting, and then move the DUT and connection board together to engage the interface board.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the test antenna comprises a directional horn antenna.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a chamber, the test antenna being located within the chamber.

12. The system of claim 11 where the chamber is an anechoic chamber.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising an RF test head or docking head wherein the chamber is located substantially between the interface board and the RF test head.

14. The system of claim 11 further comprising an RF test head or docking head, wherein the chamber is located substantially inside the RF test head.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the interface board is a tester load board.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the interface board is a wafer probe card assembly.

17. A method for testing a microelectronic die or package/module device under test (DUT) that has an RF antenna, comprising:

installing the DUT to a first printed wiring board so that a temporary electrical connection is made between a plurality of pins of the DUT and a first plurality of contact points of the first board, respectively;

bringing the first board, with the installed DUT, towards a second printed wiring board until a temporary electrical connection is made between a second plurality of contact points of the first board and a plurality of contact points on the second board, respectively; and

, while the temporary connections are there, performing a test of the DUT by

a) sending conducted test signals to the installed DUT via the plurality of contact points of the second board and receiving associated radiated test signals radiated by the RF antenna of the installed DUT, and/or

b) radiating RF test signals to the RF antenna of the installed DUT and receiving associated conducted test signals from the installed DUT via the plurality of contact points of the second board.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the installing and bringing are performed by an automated handler.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the installing and bringing are performed by a wafer probe station.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the installing the DUT comprises inserting the DUT into a test socket on the first board.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

after completing a test of the DUT, moving the first board, with the installed DUT, away from the second board to break the temporary electrical connection with the exposed contact points of the second board; and

removing the DUT from the first board to break the temporary electrical connection with the first contact points of the connection board.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the moving and removing are performed by an automated handler.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the moving and removing are performed by a wafer probe station.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the sending comprises sending dc power and digital test signals to the installed DUT via the plurality of contact points of the second board.

25. A method for testing a microelectronic die or package/module device under test (DUT) that has an RF antenna, comprising:

installing the DUT to a first printed wiring board so that a temporary electrical connection is made between a plurality of contact points of the first board and a plurality of pins of the DUT, respectively; and

, while the temporary connections are there, performing a test of the DUT by

a) sending conducted test signals to the installed DUT via the plurality of contact points of the first board and receiving associated radiated test signals through an RF radiation passage in the first board, wherein the test signals are radiated by the RF antenna of the installed DUT, and/or

b) radiating RF test signals through the RF radiation passage in the first board, to the RF antenna of the installed DUT and receiving associated conducted test signals from the installed DUT via the plurality of contact points of the first board.