Crosstalk suppression in wireless testing of semiconductor devices

• US 8,643,395 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2011
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Pagani, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Isla Rodas, Richard
• Application Number:
  US13/006,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20110109342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 324/754.31
• US Class Current: 324/754.31
• 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 31/2886 Features relating to contacting the IC under test, e.g. probe heads; chucks G01R31/2865 takes precedence, test connections, e.g. test sockets, or probes per se, G01R1/04 or G01R1/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3025 Wireless interface with the DUT
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/303 of integrated circuits G01R31/305 - G01R31/315 take precedence
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

An integrated circuit integrated on a semiconductor material die and adapted to be at least partly tested wirelessly, wherein circuitry for setting a selected radio communication frequencies to be used for the wireless test of the integrated circuit are integrated on the semiconductor material die.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an integrated circuit integrated on a semiconductor material die and adapted to be at least partly tested wirelessly, the integrated circuit comprising circuitry comprising at least one programmable element adapted to store an indication of the radio communication frequency such that the circuitry is configurable, based at least in part on a value programmed in the programmable element, to define a radio communication frequency to be used for wirelessly communicating a radio signal having a test signal modulated thereon to the integrated circuit for a wireless test of the integrated circuit,

wherein the semiconductor material die is a first semiconductor material die formed from a semiconductor material wafer, and wherein the integrated circuit is a first integrated circuit, and wherein the semiconductor material wafer further comprises a second semiconductor material die comprising a second integrated circuit, and wherein the circuitry that is configurable to define a radio communication frequency is adapted to allow defining the radio communication frequency independently of a definition of a radio communication frequency to be used for wirelessly communicating a radio signal having a test signal modulated thereon to the second integrated circuit for a wireless test of the second integrated circuit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second semiconductor material die comprises a corresponding at least one programmable element, said at least one corresponding programmable element being adapted to store a respective indication of the radio communication frequency to be used for wirelessly communicating the radio signal having the test signal modulated thereon to the second integrated circuit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one programmable element comprises at least one fusible link.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one programmable element comprises at least one non-volatile memory cell.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said circuitry that is configurable to define a radio communication frequency structurally differs from circuitry that is configurable to define the radio communication frequency to be used for wirelessly communicating a radio signal having a test signal modulated thereon to the second integrated circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a Colpitts oscillator integrated on the first semiconductor material die and coupled to the integrated circuit.

7. A semiconductor material wafer comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor material dies including a first semiconductor material die and a second semiconductor material die, each of the first and second semiconductor material dies having circuits integrated thereon, and each of the circuits including a programmable element that stores a respective indication of a radio communication frequency to be used for wirelessly communicating a radio signal having a test signal modulated thereon to the circuit, wherein the radio communication frequency for each of the first and second semiconductor material dies is different than radio communication frequencies for other semiconductor material dies of the plurality of semiconductor material dies.

8. The semiconductor material wafer according to claim 7, wherein the programmable element of at least one of the circuits includes one or more fusible links.

9. The semiconductor material wafer according to claim 7, wherein the programmable element of at least one of the circuits includes one or more non-volatile memory cells.

10. A method for wirelessly testing integrated circuits integrated on at least two distinct semiconductor material dies, comprising:

providing a semiconductor wafer that includes a plurality of semiconductor material dies including a first semiconductor material die and a second semiconductor material die, each of the first and second semiconductor material dies having circuits integrated thereon, each of the circuits of the first and second semiconductor material dies including a programmable element configured to store an indication of a radio communication frequency for a respective die; and

programming each of the programmable elements of the circuits of the first and second semiconductor materials dies to store an indication of a radio communication frequency for wirelessly communicating a radio signal having a test signal modulated thereon to the circuit including the programmable element, wherein the radio communication frequency for each of the first and second semiconductor material dies is unique to that die.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein programming comprises setting fusible links of the programmable elements.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein programming comprises setting one or more non-volatile memory cells of the programmable elements.