Test head for IC tester

• US 5,936,417 A
• Filed: 08/19/1997
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ando Electric Co., Ltd. (Yokogawa Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ballato, Josie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hollington, Jermele M.
• Application Number:
  US08/914,722
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 324/500, 324/512, 324/527, 324/537, 324/763, 324/754, 324/538
• US Class Current: 324/754.03
• 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

Abstract

To provide a test head for an IC tester wherein identical test signals can be distributed to a plurality of devices to be tested while holding in check an increase in the number of signal lines connecting a waveform shaper to the test head, upsizing of the test head, and an increase in power consumption. A plurality of pin-electronics-cards are connected with each other via a printed wiring pattern on a back board provided inside a test head, a waveform signal shaped at a waveform shaper is received by a receiver card provided in the test head and the waveform signal delivered from the receiver card is distributed to the plurality of the pin-electronics-cards via the printed wiring pattern provided on the back board while the end of the printed wiring pattern is terminated at the termination card.

Claims

1. An IC tester comprising:

a plurality of pin-electronics-cards provided inside a test head and connected to devices to be tested;

a waveform shaper outside of the test head for supplying waveform signals to the pin-electronics-cards;

a receiver card inside the test head for receiving the waveform signals shaped at the waveform shaper;

a single signal line connecting the waveform shaper to the receiver card;

a back board provided inside the test head for receiving the waveform signals from the receiver card and supplying the waveform signals from the receiver card to the pin-electronics-cards via a printed wiring pattern; and

a termination card at an end of the printed wiring pattern provided on the back board for terminating the waveform signals originating from the receiver card.

2. An IC tester comprising:

a waveform shaper for supplying shaped waveform signals; and

a test head including;

(a) a receiver card for receiving the waveform signals from the waveform shaper, the waveform shaper being located outside of the test head, the receiver card outputting a plurality of the waveform signals;

(b) a back board having a printed wiring pattern thereon, the back board receiving the plurality of the waveform signals at the printed wiring pattern thereon, and the receiver card being secured to a first end of the back board; and

(c) a plurality of pin-electronics-cards connected to the printed wiring pattern on the back board so that each pin-electronics-card receives one of the plurality of the waveform signals from the wiring pattern on the back board, each of the pin-electronics-cards being connected to a device to be tested to apply the respective waveform signal thereto.

3. The IC tester of claim 2, wherein the plurality of waveform signals comprise eight waveform signals carried by the back board to eight of the pin-electronics-cards.

4. The IC tester of claim 2, wherein a single signal line connects the waveform shaper to the receiver card.

5. The IC tester of claim 2, wherein the receiver card is configured to prevent degradation of the waveform signals received from the waveform shaper.

6. The IC tester of claim 2, wherein the test head includes a termination card secured to the back board at a second end thereof for terminating the waveform signals.

7. The IC tester of claim 2, wherein the test head includes a termination resistor for terminating the waveform signals.

8. An IC tester comprising:

a waveform shaper for supplying shaped waveform signals; and

a test head including;

(a) a back board provided having a printed wiring pattern thereon for receiving the waveform signals from the waveform shaper;

(b) a plurality of pin-electronics-cards connected to the printed wiring pattern of the back board so that each of the pin-electronics-cards receives one of the multiple waveform signals from the wiring pattern, each of the pin-electronics-cards being connected to a device to be tested to apply the respective waveform signal thereto; and

(c) a termination card secured to the back board for terminating the waveform signals to prevent reflections of the waveform signals from interfering with testing of the devices.

9. The IC tester of claim 8, wherein a single signal line connects the waveform shaper to the printed wiring pattern of the back board.

10. The IC tester of claim 8, wherein the printed wiring pattern of the back board carries the waveform signals on eight different paths to the plurality of pin-electronics-cards.

11. The IC tester of claim 8, wherein the waveform shaper is outside of the test head.