Semiconductor test system and method

• US 8,278,958 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm technologies international, ltd. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cambridge Silicon Radio Limited (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walsh, James Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Benitez, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US12/434,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20100277196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 32475702-75705, 324/754.03, 3247541-75414, 32475501-75511, 324/762.01, 324/762.05
• US Class Current: 324/757.03
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2851 Testing of integrated circuits [IC] G01R31/317 takes precedence; testing individual devices G01R31/26; testing printed circuits G01R31/2801
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3167 Testing of combined analog and digital circuits testing ADC's H03M1/1071
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31707 Test strategies methods for generation of test sequences G01R31/318371

Abstract

A method of testing semiconductor devices, the method includes the steps of making a first set of electrical connections to a first set of devices to allow a first set of tests to be performed on that set of devices and concurrently making a second set of electrical connections to a second set of devices to allow a second set of tests to be performed on the second set of devices, wherein the first and second sets of tests are different, and concurrently performing the first set of tests on the first set of devices and the second set of tests on the second set of devices.

Claims

1. A method of testing a plurality of semiconductor devices on a wafer using a single piece of automated testing equipment, each device having the same plurality of electrical connections, each semiconductor device comprising a first subset and a second subset of electrical connections, wherein the first subset and the second subset of electrical connections are different, and wherein the first subset of each device and the second subset of each device are the same for each device, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) using a probe card to make a first set of electrical connections from the automated test equipment to the first subset of the electrical connections of a first set of the plurality of devices to allow a first set of tests to be performed on the first set of devices and concurrently making a second set of electrical connections from the automated test equipment to the second subset of the electrical connections of a second set of the plurality of devices to allow a second set of tests to be performed on the second set of devices, wherein the first and second sets of tests are different;

(b) concurrently performing the first set of tests on the first set of devices and the second set of tests on the second set of devices using the automated test equipment;

(c) relocating the probe card to make the first set of electrical connections from the automated test equipment to the first subset of electrical connections of a first further set of the plurality of devices to allow a first set of tests to be performed on the first further set of devices and concurrently making the second set of electrical connections from the automated test equipment to the second subset of the electrical connections of a second further set of devices to allow the second set of tests to be performed on the second further set of devices; and

(d) concurrently performing the first set of tests on the first further set of devices and the second set of tests on the second further set of devices using the automated test equipment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps are repeated a plurality of times and wherein the devices forming the first and second sets of devices are different for each repetition.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of tests are discrete.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps further comprise the step of storing data relating to the results of the tests.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the steps further comprise the step of correlating data from the first and second sets of tests on each device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wafer is a bare wafer.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the devices are WLCSP devices.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of

using the probe card to make a third set of electrical connections from the automated test equipment to the second subset of electrical connections of the first set of the plurality of devices to allow the second set of tests to be performed on that set of devices.

9. A probe card for making contact between an item of test equipment and semiconductor devices on a wafer, each device having a plurality of electrical connections, the plurality of electrical connections of each semiconductor device comprising a first subset and a second subset of electrical connections, wherein the first subset and the second subset of electrical connections on each device are different, and wherein the first subset of each device and the second subset of each device are the same for each device, comprising:

a first set of test positions for making a first set of electrical contacts between the test equipment and the first subset of electrical connections of each of a first set of the plurality of devices, the first subset of electrical contacts allowing a first set of tests to be performed on the first set of devices; and

a second set of test positions for concurrently making a second set of electrical contacts between the test equipment and the second subset of electrical connections of each of a second set of the plurality of devices, the second subset of electrical connections allowing a second set of tests to be performed on the second set of devices concurrently with the first set of tests;

wherein the first and second sets of tests are different and the first and second sets of devices do not overlap, and

wherein the test equipment is movable between the first set of test positions and the second of test positions to allow the first set of tests to be performed on the second set of devices, and to allow the second set of tests to be performed on the first set of devices concurrently.

10. The contact device according to claim 9, wherein the first and second sets of tests are discrete.

11. The contact device according to claim 9, wherein the devices are WLCSP devices.

12. The contact device according to claim 9, wherein the wafer is a bare wafer.

13. A system of testing a plurality of semiconductor devices on a wafer, each device having a plurality of electrical connections, the plurality of electrical connections of each semiconductor device comprising a first subset and a second subset of electrical connections, wherein the first subset and the second subset of electrical connections on each device are different, and wherein the first subset of each device and the second subset of each device are the same for each device, comprising:

an automated piece of test equipment; and

a probe card associated with the automated piece of test equipment, the probe card comprising;

a first set of test positions for making a first set of electrical contacts between the automated piece of test equipment and the first subset of electrical connections of each of a first set of the plurality of devices, the first subset of electrical contacts allowing a first set of tests to be performed on the first set of devices; and

a second set of test positions for concurrently making a second set of electrical contacts between the automated piece of test equipment and the second subset of electrical connections of each of a second set of the plurality of devices, the second subset of electrical connections being different than the first set of electrical connections and allowing a second set of tests to be performed on the second set of devices concurrently with the first set of tests;

wherein the first and second sets of tests are different and the first and second sets of devices do not overlap, and

wherein the test equipment is movable between the first set of test position and the second of test positions to allow the first set of tests to be performed on the second set of devices, and to allow the second set of tests to be performed on the first set of devices concurrently.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the first and second sets of tests are discrete.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the devices are WLCSP devices.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the wafer is a bare wafer.

17. The system according to claim 13, further comprising means to move the wafer relative to the probe card to vary the devices of the wafer that comprise the first and second sets of devices.

18. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a processing apparatus to correlate the results of the first and second sets of tests for each device.

19. A method of testing a plurality of semiconductor devices on a wafer using a single piece of automated testing equipment, each device having the same plurality of electrical connections, each semiconductor device comprising a first subset of electrical connection comprising m connections and a second subset of electrical connections comprising n connections, wherein the first subset of m connections and the second subset of n connections are different, wherein m and n are a combination of connections having any number of connections, and wherein the first subset of m connections of each device and the second subset of n connections of each device are the same for each device, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) using a probe card to make a first set of electrical connections from the automated test equipment to the first subset of the electrical connections of a first set of the plurality of devices to allow a first set of tests to be performed on the first set of devices and concurrently making a second set of electrical connections from the automated test equipment to the second subset of the electrical connections of a second set of the plurality of devices to allow a second set of tests to be performed on the second set of devices, wherein the first and second sets of tests are different;

(b) concurrently performing the first set of tests on the first set of devices and the second set of tests on the second set of devices using the automated test equipment;

(c) relocating the probe card to make the first set of electrical connections from the automated test equipment to the first subset of electrical connections of a first further set of the plurality of devices to allow a first set of tests to be performed on the first further set of devices and concurrently making the second set of electrical connections from the automated test equipment to the second subset of the electrical connections of a second further set of devices to allow the second set of tests to be performed on the second further set of devices; and

(d) concurrently performing the first set of tests on the first further set of devices and the second set of tests on the second further set of devices using the automated test equipment.