Sophisticated electronic assemblies often employ dense arrays of electrical conductors to deliver signals from one area to another. Routing large groups of conductors in an efficient and organized manner often proves problematic for a variety of reasons. The overall assembly cost, form factor (size), conductor pitch, and complexity all typically must be taken into account to determine a suitable routing method.
For high performance semiconductor testers, sometimes referred to as automated test equipment or ATE, tester signals up to several gigahertz are funneled and delivered from relatively large circuit boards known as channel cards, to the leads of a very compact device under test or DUT. Often, several thousand signal paths provide the signal delivery scheme between the DUT and the tester electronics. In order to preserve fidelity for such high-frequency signals, the signal paths are constructed to provide as close to a matched fifty-ohm impedance as possible. Providing a closely matched impedance with a large number of signal paths is difficult.
Further, in the past, there is typically a connector between the cable and the interface module, which limits density, and does not allow for low cost contact.
What is needed is a tester interface module capable of delivering high frequency, high fidelity signals at low cost. Moreover, what is needed is a tester interface module and method capable of providing higher signal density with higher frequency and high fidelity at low cost.
In one embodiment, an interface module is provided for connecting a plurality of signal paths to a high signal density interface. The interface module includes a board having axial conductor receptacles. The axial conductor receptacles have at least one ground via extending through the board to an interface side of the board and a shield receiving hole in the board extending into the board from a cable side of the board. At least a portion of the at least one ground via being exposed within the shield receiving hole, the shield receiving hole having a plating therein contacting the portion of the at least one ground via exposed within the shield receiving hole. The axial conductor receptacles have a plated center conductor receiving hole in the board, which extends to a signal via. The signal via extends from the center conductor hole to the interface side of the board. A non-plated hole in the board is located between the plated center conductor receiving hole and the shield receiving hole.
In another embodiment, an interface module is provided for connecting a plurality of signal paths to a high signal density interface. The interface module includes a board having axial conductor receptacles. The axial conductor receptacles include at least one ground via extending through the board to an interface side of the board and a plated shield receiving hole in the board extending into the board from a cable side of the board. The plated shield receiving hole has a plating therein contacting the at least one ground via. The axial conductor receptacles include a filled signal via and a plated center conductor receiving hole in the board extending to the filled signal via, the filled signal via extending from the center conductor hole to the interface side of the board. A non-plated hole in the board is located between the plated center conductor hole and the plated shield hole. A center conductor of an axial cable extends into the plated center conductor receiving hole without extending into the filled signal via.
The features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
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In
A plating 220 is deposited in the openings 225 and 215 as illustrated in
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The tester mainframe 402 includes circuitry for generating test signals and evaluating test signals. The tester mainframe 402 sends test signals to the DUT 404 and receives test signals from the DUT 404 through the test head 408 and the interface board 406. The DUT 404 may be a packaged silicon die including an integrated circuit to be tested. In another embodiment, the interface board 406 is a probe interface board, and the DUT 404 may be a semiconductor wafer including an integrated circuit to be tested.
Although the term “coaxial cable” is used herein for example purposes, the term is merely illustrative and intended to include axial cables in general including concentric cables such as coaxial cable, triaxial cable, or other multiaxial cable, as well as twinaxial cable, and non-concentric cable, and impedance controlled cable in general, or any assortment thereof.
The printed circuit board or printed wire board may be fabricated with printed circuit board sequential lamination technology known in the art. Further, although referred to as a printed circuit board or printed wire board, it may be any insulating board that allows via formation and back drilling.
The interface module may be a tester interface module for example. Nevertheless, the teachings herein apply to any interface module, which may also be referred to as an interface means, connection means, connector, adaptor, translator, etc.
Having described this invention in connection with a number of embodiments, modification will now certainly suggest itself to those skilled in the art. As such, the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, except as required by the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 61/013,631, filed Dec. 13, 2007, by Yaghmai et al., entitled COAXIAL CABLE TO PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD INTERFACE MODULE, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The present application is related to U.S. Non-provisional application Ser. No. 12/315,811, filed on Dec. 4, 2008, by Yaghmai et al., entitled COAXIAL CABLE TO PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD INTERFACE MODULE.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20090176406 A1 | Jul 2009 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61013631 | Dec 2007 | US |