Method and apparatus for interrogating an electronic component

• US 8,390,307 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scanimetrics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Scanimetrics, Inc.
• Inventors: Slupsky, Steven, Sellathamby, Chistopher
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, PARESH H
• Application Number:
  US12/281,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20090072843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,191 Days
• Field of Search: 324/763, 324/765, 714/733, 714/734
• US Class Current: 324/754.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2889 Interfaces, e.g. between probe and tester G01R31/31905 and G01R1/07364 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/302 Contactless testing G01R31/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3025 Wireless interface with the DUT
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318533 using scanning techniques, e.g. LSSD, Boundary Scan, JTAG
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• 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 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 Inductance

Abstract

A method and apparatus for interrogating an electronic component (20), includes a body (18 or 102) having an interface (10, 24, 108 or 154) for an interrogating device (48/50 or 106) to use as a conduit in reliably performing multiple discrete interrogations of the electronic component (20) without the interrogating device physically touching the electronic component (20).

Claims

1. A method for interrogating an electronic component having at least one permanently attached integrated circuit to be interrogated, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one antenna carried by the electronic component;

providing a body functioning as a test access port or system access port carried by and permanently attached to the electronic component, wherein;

the body is an integrated circuit that is separate and distinct from the at least one integrated circuit to be interrogated, wherein at least one of the body and the at least one integrated circuit are separate and distinct from the electronic component;

the body is in communication with the electronic component;

the body has a wireless interface that communicates with an interrogating device via the at least one antenna; and

the body has a logic circuit for converting instructions into signals to be applied to the electronic component;

causing the interrogating device to perform multiple discrete interrogations of the at least one integrated circuit of the electronic component via the wireless interface of the body; and

packaging the electronic component in an integrated circuit package after at least one discrete interrogation has been performed.

2. An apparatus for interrogating an electronic component, the electronic component comprising at least one integrated circuit on a substrate, comprising:

at least one antenna carried by the electronic component;

a body carried by and permanently attached to the substrate of the electronic component, the substrate being suitable for being packaged in an integrated circuit package, the body being hardwired to the at least one integrated circuit, the body being separate and distinct from the at least one integrated circuit, at least one of the body and the at least one integrated circuit being separate and distinct from the substrate of the electronic component, the body comprising;

a wireless interface in communication with an interrogating device via the at least one antenna; and

a logic circuit for converting instructions from the interrogating device into signals to be applied to the at least one integrated circuit of the electronic component.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body is incorporated within an integrated circuit that performs other functions.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wireless interface further comprises a contact pad and at least one of a transmitter, a receiver, or a transceiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wireless interface further comprises at least one of a transmitter, a receiver, or a transceiver.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the wireless interface further comprises at least one transceiver having a separate transmitter circuit and a separate receiver circuit.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wireless interface comprises one of capacitive coupling, inductive coupling, or electromagnetic waves.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the logic circuit includes a pattern generator.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body has an output verification circuit for verifying the outputs of the at least one integrated circuit.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body has at least one of an analog to digital converter or a digital to analog converter.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body further comprises a wired input adapted to receive at least one of data and power.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the wired input is a multi-contact panel.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the wired input is a contact pad.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one integrated circuit comprises multiple integrated circuits, and wherein the body enables the more than one integrated circuit to be interrogated at least one of in parallel or in series, or individually.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the wireless interface comprises a wireless JTAG tester interface.

16. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wireless interface further comprises a wireless communication block having a transmitter and a receiver.

17. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one antenna is part of the body.

18. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein one of the integrated circuits and the body is integrally formed with the electronic component.