Electronic test system and associated method

• US 8,816,708 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global UniChip Corp., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Global UniChip Corp., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Lee, Teng-Hui, Kao, Chia-Jen, Chu, Shin-Cheng, Chen, Ching-Tsung
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Huy Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rhodes-Vivour, Temilade S
• Application Number:
  US13/547,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20130113508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 324/750.01, 324/750.02, 324/750.24, 324/754.01, 324/754.03, 324/754.07, 324/756.04, 324/756.05
• US Class Current: 324/750.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/00 Details of instruments or arrangements of the types included in groups G01R5/00 - G01R13/00 and G01R31/00 constructional details particular to electromechanical arrangements for measuring the electric consumption G01R11/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 11/00 Electromechanical arrangements for measuring time integral of electric power or current, e.g. of consumption monitoring electric consumption of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 13/00 Arrangements for displaying electric variables or waveforms
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 17/00 Measuring arrangements involving comparison with a reference value, e.g. bridge
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/00 Arrangements for measuring currents or voltages or for indicating presence or sign thereof G01R5/00 takes precedence; for measuring bioelectric currents or voltages A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 3/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of measuring instruments , e.g. of probe tips
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/002 where the device under test is an electronic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/129 of components or parts made of semiconducting materials; of LV components or parts G01R31/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 5/00 Instruments for converting a single current or a single voltage into a mechanical displacement
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 7/00 Instruments capable of converting two or more currents or voltages into a single mechanical displacement G01R9/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 9/00 Instruments employing mechanical resonance

Abstract

Electronic test system and associated method, including a first and a second connection terminals respectively coupled to two pins of a chip under test, a signal source terminal coupled to a signal generator, a first and a second measurement terminals coupled to a tester, a fifth switch, a seventh switch and a switch circuit which has a first and a fourth front terminals coupled to the signal source terminal, has a first and a fourth back terminals coupled to the first and second connection terminals, and controls conduction between the first front terminal and the first back terminal, as well as conduction between the fourth front terminal and the fourth back terminal. The fifth switch is coupled between the fourth back terminal and the first measurement terminal, and the seventh switch is coupled between the first connection terminal and the second measurement terminal.

Claims

1. An electronic test system for testing a chip, comprising:

a first connection terminal and a second connection terminal respectively coupled to two pins of the chip;

a signal source terminal coupled to a signal generator;

a first measurement terminal and a second measurement terminal coupled to a tester;

a switch circuit comprising a first front terminal, a fourth front terminal, a first back terminal and a fourth back terminal, the first front terminal and the fourth front terminal being coupled to the signal source terminal, the first back terminal and the fourth back terminal being respectively coupled to the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal;

wherein the switch circuit controls conduction between the first front terminal and the first back terminal, and controls conduction between the fourth front terminal and the fourth back terminal;

a fifth switch coupled between the fourth back terminal and the first measurement terminal for selectively conducting between the fourth back terminal and the first measurement terminal; and

a seventh switch coupled between the first connection terminal and the second measurement terminal for selectively conducting between the first connection terminal and the second measurement terminal;

wherein the electronic test system operates in a check mode and a test mode;

when the electronic test system operates in the check mode, the fifth switch conducts;

when the electronic test system operates in the test mode, both the fifth switch and the seventh switch do not conduct.

2. The electronic test system of claim 1, wherein the electronic test system operates in a second check mode;

when the electronic test system operates in the check mode, the seventh switch conducts;

when the electronic test system operates in the second check mode, the switch circuit conducts between the first front terminal and the first back terminal, and conducts between the fourth front terminal and the fourth back terminal.

3. The electronic test system of claim 1 further comprising:

a sixth switch coupled between the first back terminal and the first connection terminal for selectively conducting between the first back terminal and the first connection terminal.

4. The electronic test system of claim 3 further operating in a second check mode;

when the electronic test system operates in the check mode, the sixth switch conducts;

when the electronic test system operates in the second check mode, the switch circuit conducts between the first front terminal and the first back terminal, and conducts between the fourth front terminal and the fourth back terminal.

5. The electronic test system of claim 1 further comprising:

a source switch coupled between the signal source terminal and the first front terminal for selectively conducting between the signal source terminal and the first front terminal;

wherein the first front terminal is further coupled to the fourth front terminal;

when the electronic test system operates in the check mode, the source switch does not conduct;

when the electronic test system operates in the test mode, the source switch conducts.

6. The electronic test system of claim 1 further comprising:

an eighth switch coupled between the fourth back terminal and the second connection terminal for selectively conducting between the fourth back terminal and the second connection terminal;

wherein when the electronic test system operates in the test mode, the eighth switch conducts.

7. The electronic test system of claim 1 further comprising a second signal source terminal coupled to the signal generator;

wherein the switch circuit further comprising a second front terminal, a third front terminal, a second back terminal and a third back terminal, the second front terminal and the third front terminal are coupled to the second signal source terminal, the second back terminal and the third back terminal are respectively coupled to the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal;

the switch circuit further controls conduction between the second front terminal and the second back terminal, and controls conduct between the third front terminal and the third back terminal.

8. The electronic test system of claim 7, wherein when the electronic test system operates in the check mode, the switch circuit operates in a first switch mode and a second switch mode;

when the switch circuit operates in the first switch mode, the switch circuit does not conduct between the second front terminal and the second back terminal, and does not conduct between the third front terminal and the third back terminal;

when the switch circuit operates in the second switch mode, the switch circuit does not conduct between the first front terminal and the first back terminal, and does not conduct between the fourth front terminal and the fourth back terminal.

9. The electronic test system of claim 7, wherein the electronic test system operates in a second check mode;

when the electronic test system operates in the second check mode, the switch circuit conducts between the first front terminal and the first back terminal, and conducts between the fourth front terminal and the fourth back terminal.

10. The electronic test system of claim 7, wherein the electronic test system operates in a third check mode;

when the electronic test system operates in the third check mode, the switch circuit does not conduct between the first front terminal and the first back terminal, does not conduct between the second front terminal and the second back terminal, does not conduct between the third front terminal and the third back terminal, and does not conduct between the fourth front terminal and the fourth back terminal.

11. A method applied to an electronic test system, the electronic test system being arranged to test a chip, and comprising a first connection terminal, a second connection terminal, a signal source terminal, a first measurement terminal, a second measurement terminal and a switch circuit;

wherein the signal source terminal is coupled to a signal generator, the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal are respectively coupled to two pins of the chip, the first measurement terminal and the second measurement terminal are coupled to a tester, the switch circuit comprises a first front terminal, a fourth front terminal, a first back terminal and a fourth back terminal, the first front terminal is coupled to the fourth front terminal and the signal source terminal, the first back terminal and the fourth back terminal are respectively coupled to the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal, and the switch circuit controls conduction between the first front terminal and the first back terminal, and controls conduction between the fourth front terminal and the fourth back terminal; and

the method comprising;

for function check of the switch circuit, conducting the first measurement terminal to the fourth back terminal, conducting the second measurement terminal to the first back terminal, and not conducting between the signal source terminal and the first front terminal.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

for checking continuity between the two pins, controlling the switch circuit not to conduct between the first front terminal and the first back terminal, and not to conduct between the fourth front terminal and the fourth back terminal.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic test system further comprises a sixth switch and a seventh switch, the sixth switch is coupled between the first back terminal and the first connection terminal for selectively conducting between the first back terminal and the first connection terminal, and the seventh switch is coupled between the second measurement terminal and the first connection terminal for selectively conducting between the second measurement terminal and the first connection terminal;

and the method further comprising;

for checking the sixth switch and the seventh switch, controlling the switch circuit to conduct between the first front terminal and the first back terminal, and to conduct between the fourth front terminal and the fourth back terminal; and

, not conducting between the signal source terminal and the first front terminal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the electronic test system further comprises a second signal source terminal coupled to the signal generator, the switch circuit further comprises a second front terminal, a third front terminal, a second back terminal and a third back terminal, the second front terminal and the third front terminal are coupled to the second signal source terminal, the second back terminal and the third back terminal are respectively coupled to the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal, and the switch circuit further controls conduction between the second front terminal and the second back terminal, and controls conduction between the third front terminal and the third back terminal;

and the method further comprising;

controlling the seventh switch not to conduct, controlling the sixth switch to conduct, and controlling the switch circuit to conduct between the first front terminal and the first back terminal, not to conduct between the second front terminal and the second back terminal, not to conduct between the fourth front terminal and the fourth back terminal, and to conduct between the third front terminal and the third back terminal, such that the signal source terminal and the second signal source terminal are respectively conducted to the two pin via the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

controlling the seventh switch not to conduct, controlling the sixth switch to conduct, controlling the switching not to conduct between the first front terminal and the first back terminal, to conduct between the second front terminal and the second back terminal, to conduct between the fourth front terminal and the fourth back terminal, and not to conduct between the third front terminal and the third back terminal, such that the signal source terminal and the second signal source terminal are respectively conducted to the two pin via the second connection terminal and the first connection terminal.