Test equipment for testing semiconductor device and methods of testing semiconductor device using the same

• US 9,618,568 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Young-Chul, Lee, Nam-Hong, Lee, Kyung-Sook, Park, Jung-Hyun, Lee, Sang-Youl
• Primary Examiner(s): Vazquez, Arleen M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah, Neel
• Application Number:
  US14/077,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20140197861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 324537, 324750, 324754, 324755, 324762, 324756, 324757, 324760, 324765, 3247503, 32475602
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2867 Handlers or transport devices, e.g. loaders, carriers, trays
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/287 Procedures; Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2893 Handling, conveying or loading, e.g. belts, boats, vacuum fingers G01R31/2867 takes precedence; handling semiconductor devices or wafers during manufacture or treatment H01L21/67
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2894 Aspects of quality control [QC] G01R31/31718 takes precedence; program control for QC G05B19/41875

Abstract

A method of testing a semiconductor device using the test equipment includes loading an undivided printed circuit board (PCB) including unit PCBs in a test equipment. A semiconductor device is mounted in each of the unit PCBs. Product information of the undivided PCB loaded in the test equipment is confirmed. The undivided PCB whose product information has been confirmed is electrically connected to one of a plurality of main testers of the test equipment. Each of the main testers includes a main test interface directly connected to a cloud server in which firmwares for various kinds of tests are stored. The product information of the undivided PCB is transmitted to the main tester electrically connected to the undivided PCB. The main tester to which the product information has been transmitted performs a main test of the undivided PCB using the product information. The undivided PCB on which the main test has been performed by the main tester is unloaded from the test equipment.

Claims

1. A method of testing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

loading in a test equipment at a loading part thereof an undivided printed circuit board (PCB) including a plurality of unit PCBs fixed on the undivided PCB with a semiconductor device being mounted in each of the unit PCBs, wherein the undivided PCB includes a pad portion including test terminals;

confirming product information of the undivided PCB at the loading part of the test equipment including recognizing arrangement information of the unit PCBs stored in a code of the undivided PCB using a code recognition unit;

conveying the undivided PCB from the loading part of the test equipment to a testing part of the test equipment;

electrically connecting the undivided PCB whose product information has been confirmed to one of a plurality of main testers at the testing part of the test equipment by receiving the pad portion of the undivided PCB in a socket of the main tester, wherein each of the main testers includes a main test interface directly connected to a cloud server in which firmwares for various kinds of tests are stored;

transmitting the product information of the undivided PCB to the main tester electrically connected to the undivided PCB;

using the main tester, performing a main test of the undivided PCB using the transmitted product information; and

unloading the undivided PCB on which the main test has been performed by the main tester from the test equipment,

wherein electrically connecting the undivided PCB to one of the main testers comprises confirming usable main testers of the plurality of main testers, selecting one of the usable main testers, and electrically connecting the undivided PCB to the selected main tester,

wherein electrically connecting the undivided PCB to the selected main tester comprises fixing the undivided PCB into a drawer of the test equipment electrically connected to the selected main tester using a test controller of the test equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the main test of the undivided PCB comprises updating firmware for a main test corresponding to the product information, which is stored in the cloud server, and performing the main test of the undivided PCB using the updated firmware.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the product information of the undivided PCB to the main tester electrically connected to the undivided PCB comprises confirming an electrical connection between the undivided PCB and the selected main tester using the test controller.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electrically connecting the undivided PCB whose product information has been confirmed with an electrical connection tester at the loading part of the test equipment by contacting the electrical connection tester with the pad portion of the undivided PCB;

updating firmware for an electrical connection test corresponding to the product information from the cloud server;

transmitting the updated firmware for the electrical connection test to the electrical connection tester;

performing an electrical connection test of the undivided PCB using the updated firmware for the electrical connection test using the electrical connection tester; and

electrically connecting the undivided PCB, which has passed the electrical connection test, to one of the main testers.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising stacking the undivided PCB, which has not passed the electrical connection test, in a recovery magazine unit of the test equipment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording results of the main test on the undivided PCB that has completed the main test; and

unloading the undivided PCB on which the results of the main test are recorded from the test equipment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein recording the results of the main test on the undivided PCB comprises printing a mark in which the results of the main test are stored on the undivided PCB.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein unloading the undivided PCB on which the results of the main test are recorded from the test equipment comprises classifying the undivided PCB based on the results of the main test.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein classifying the undivided PCB based on the results of the main test comprises ascertaining whether or not the undivided PCB has passed the main test, stacking the undivided PCB, which has passed the main test, in a first keeping magazine unit, and stacking the undivided PCB, which has not passed the main test, in a second keeping magazine unit.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the results of the main test at the cloud server.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising before conveying the undivided PCB from the loading part of the test equipment to a testing part of the test equipment:

loading the undivided PCB into an electrical connection test chamber at the loading part of the test equipment using a conveyor that conveys the undivided PCB into the electrical connection test chamber;

stopping the undivided PCB in the electrical connection test chamber using a stopper unit such that an electrical connection tester is disposed above the pad portion of the undivided PCB; and

performing an electrical connection test of the undivided PCB using an electrical connection tester in the electrical connection test chamber.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein performing an electrical connection test of the undivided PCB includes lowering the electrical connection tester to contact the pad portion of the undivided PCB.

13. A method of testing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

loading an undivided printed circuit board (PCB) in a test equipment, wherein the undivided PCB includes a plurality of unit PCBs fixed on the undivided PCB, each unit PCB including a semiconductor device, wherein the undivided PCB includes a pad portion including test terminals;

moving the undivided PCB to an electrical connection test chamber at a loading part of the test equipment;

confirming product information of the undivided PCB disposed in the electrical connection test chamber including recognizing arrangement information of the unit PCBs stored in a code of the undivided PCB using a code recognition unit of the electrical connection test chamber;

transmitting the product information of the undivided PCB to an electrical connection test unit of the electrical connection test chamber, the electrical connection test unit being directly connected to a cloud server;

performing an electrical connection test of the undivided PCB using the product information using the electrical connection test unit;

conveying the undivided PCB, which has passed the electrical connection test, from the loading part of the test equipment to a testing part of the test equipment;

electrically connecting the undivided PCB, which has passed the electrical connection test, to one of a plurality of main testers of the test equipment at the testing part of the test equipment by receiving the pad portion of the undivided PCB in a socket of the main tester, the main testers being discretely connected to the cloud server;

transmitting the product information of the undivided PCB to the main tester electrically connected to the undivided PCB;

using the main tester, performing a main test of the undivided PCB using the transmitted product information;

recording results of the main test on the undivided PCB on which the main test has been performed by the main tester; and

classifying the undivided PCB on which the results of the main test are recorded based on the results of the main test,

wherein electrically connecting the undivided PCB to one of the main testers comprises confirming usable main testers of the plurality of main testers, selecting one of the usable main testers, and electrically connecting the undivided PCB to the selected main tester,

wherein electrically connecting the undivided PCB to the selected main tester comprises fixing the undivided PCB into a drawer of the test equipment electrically connected to the selected main tester using a test controller of the test equipment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein performing the electrical connection test of the undivided PCB using the product information comprises receiving updated firmware for an electrical connection test corresponding to the product information from the cloud server and performing the electrical connection test of the undivided PCB using the updated firmware.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing results of the electrical connection test in the cloud server.

16. A method of testing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

loading an undivided printed circuit board (PCB) in a loading area of a test equipment, wherein the undivided PCB includes a plurality of unit PCBs fixed on the undivided PCB, each unit PCB including a semiconductor device, wherein the undivided PCB includes a pad portion including test terminals;

confirming product information of the undivided PCB including recognizing arrangement information of the unit PCBs stored in a code of the undivided PCB using a code recognition unit disposed at the loading area;

loading the undivided PCB into an electrical connection test chamber at the loading area of the test equipment using a conveyor that conveys the undivided PCB into the electrical connection test chamber;

stopping the undivided PCB in the electrical connection test chamber using a stopper unit such that an electrical connection tester is disposed above the pad portion of the undivided PCB;

performing an electrical connection test of the undivided PCB using an electrical connection tester in the electrical connection test chamber including lowering the electrical connection tester to contact the pad portion of the undivided PCB;

conveying the undivided PCB to a testing area of the test equipment;

electrically connecting the undivided PCB to one of a plurality of main testers at the testing area by receiving the pad portion of the undivided PCB in a socket of the main tester;

receiving firmware corresponding to the product information from a cloud server at the main tester; and

performing a main test of the undivided PCB at the main tester using the received firmware,

wherein electrically connecting the undivided PCB to one of the main testers comprises confirming usable main testers of the plurality of main testers, selecting one of the usable main testers, and electrically connecting the undivided PCB to the selected main tester,

wherein electrically connecting the undivided PCB to the selected main tester comprises fixing the undivided PCB into a drawer of the test equipment electrically connected to the selected main tester using a test controller of the test equipment.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting the product information to a cloud server using a controller associated with the loading area; and

receiving from the cloud server firmware corresponding to the product information at the controller associated with the loading area;

wherein performing the electrical connection test of the undivided PCB comprises performing the electrical connection test of the undivided PCB using the received firmware.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the code recognition unit is disposed above the conveyor that conveys the undivided PCB into the electrical connection test chamber.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

ascertaining whether the undivided PCB has passed the electrical connection test using an electrical connection tester disposed in the electrical connection test chamber;

conveying the undivided PCB to the testing area of the test equipment if the undivided PCB has passed the electrical connection test; and

conveying the undivided PCB to a recovery magazine unit if the undivided PCB has not passed the electrical connection test.