Patent Application
20230168277
This invention relates to an apparatus that is used for full-wafer testing and/or burn-in testing and/or built-in self-testing.
Microelectronic circuits are usually fabricated in and on semiconductor wafers. Such a wafer is subsequently “singulated” or “diced” into individual dies. Such a die is typically mounted to a supporting substrate for purposes of providing rigidity thereto and electronic communication with an integrated or microelectronic circuit of the die. Final packaging may include encapsulation of the die and the resulting package can then be shipped to a customer.
It is required that the die or the package be tested before being shipped to a customer. Ideally, the die should be tested at an early stage for the purposes of identifying the defects that occur during early stage manufacturing.
The earliest stage that a die can be tested is after completion of the manufacture of circuits at wafer level and before a wafer is singulated. Full-wafer testing carries with it a number of challenges. One challenge in full-wafer testing is that there are a large amount of contacts on a wafer and that a large number of power, ground, and signal connections thus have to be made.
The invention provides a method of testing an integrated circuit of a device, including holding the device against a surface of a holder, moving a contactor board assembly relative to the holder to bring terminals of the contactor board assembly into contact with contacts on the device, and providing signals through the terminals and contacts to the integrated circuit.
The method may further include allowing air through a fluid line to modify a size of a volume defined between the first and second components of the actuator to move the contactor support structure relative to the apparatus frame.
The method may further include automatically releasing air from the fluid line though a pressure relief valve when a pressure of the air in the fluid line reaches a predetermined value.
In the method, the device may be a first device, further including reducing a pressure in the internal volume while maintaining the terminals in contact with the contacts, moving the holder relative to the apparatus frame to disengage the terminals from the contacts while maintaining the first and second components of the actuator in a substantially stationary relationship with one another, replacing the first device with a second device by removing the first device from the holder and holding the second device against the surface of the holder, moving the holder relative to the frame to bring the terminals into contact with contacts of the second device while the first and second components of the actuator remain in substantially in the stationary relationship relative to one another, increasing the pressure in the volume to urge the terminals against the contacts on the second device, and providing signals through the terminals and the contacts of the second device to an integrated circuit of the second device.
In the method, the first and second portions of the actuator may be a cylinder and a piston, respectively, the piston being located in the cylinder so that the cylinder and the piston jointly define the volume, further including modify a pressure of the volume and move the piston relative to the cylinder.
The method may further include adjusting the force of at least one spring that connects the piston to the cylinder to level the piston relative to the cylinder.
In the method, the actuator may include inflatable and deflatable bladder, the first and second portions of the actuator being opposing sides of the bladder.
In the method, a plurality of electrical components may be mounted on the contactor board assembly.
In the method, the electrical components may be mounted on a side on the contactor board assembly opposing the terminals held by the contactor board assembly.
In the method, the electrical components may be located between a force distribution substrate and the contactor board assembly, further including transferring force from the contactor substrate to the force distribution substrate through a stand-off component.
The method may further include locating a compensating piece against a first piece of a subassembly that may include the contactor board assembly, the compensating piece having a profiled surface to improve planarity of a surface of the subassembly other than the profiled surface of the compensating piece.
In the method, the contactor support structure may include a distribution board substrate and a contactor substrate mounted to the distribution board substrate.
The method may further include connecting the contactor substrate to the distribution board substrate with at least a first connecting arrangement, the first connecting arrangement including first and second connecting pieces with complementary interengaging formations that allow for movement of the contactor substrate relative to the distribution board substrate in a first radial direction and restricts movement of the contactor substrate relative to the distribution board substrate in a first tangential direction transverse to the first radial direction.
In the method, the distribution board may have a plurality of layers having a plurality of different stiffnesses, one of the layers in a half of the distribution board substrate opposing the terminals held by the contactor support structure being stiffer than a majority of the layers.
The method may further include removably mounting a cartridge frame of a cartridge to the apparatus frame, the contactor board assembly forming part of the cartridge, and connecting a surface of a connector interface to a surface of a contactor interface.
In the method, the cartridge may include a common subassembly and a first unique contactor subassembly, further including replacing the first unique contactor subassembly with a second unique contactor subassembly.
The method may further include reducing a pressure in an area between the common subassembly and the second unique contactor subassembly.
The invention also provides an apparatus for testing an integrated circuit of a device, including an apparatus frame, a holder for the device, secured to the apparatus frame, a contactor support structure held by the apparatus frame, a plurality of terminals held by the contactor support structure, the holder and contactor support structure being movable relative to one another so that each one of the terminals releasably makes contact with a respective contact of the device, a power source, a power electrical path connecting the power source to a power terminal of the terminals held by the support structure, a signal source, and a plurality of signal electrical paths, each connecting the signal source to a respective signal terminal of the terminals held by the support structure.
The apparatus may further include an actuator connected between the apparatus frame and the contactor support structure, having first and second portions that may be movable relative to one another to move the contactor support structure relative to the apparatus frame and toward the surface of the holder so that the terminals may be urged against contacts of the device.
In the apparatus, the actuator may have a volume defined between the first and second components and a fluid line connected to the volume to allow air through the volume and thereby modify a size of the volume and move the contactor support structure relative to the apparatus frame.
The apparatus may further include a pressure relief valve connected to the fluid line to automatically release air from the fluid line though the pressure relief valve when a pressure of the air in the fluid line reaches a predetermined value.
In the apparatus, the device may be a first device, further including a processor, a memory connected to the processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor to carry out a method including reducing a pressure in the internal volume while maintaining the terminals in contact with the contacts, moving the holder relative to the apparatus frame to disengage the terminals from the contacts while maintaining the first and second components of the actuator in a substantially stationary relationship with one another, replacing the first device with a second device by removing the first device from the holder and holding the second device against the surface of the holder, moving the holder relative to the frame to bring the terminals into contact with contacts of the second device while the first and second components of the actuator remain in substantially in the stationary relationship relative to one another, increasing the pressure in the volume to urge the terminals against the contacts on the second device, and providing signals through the terminals and the contacts of the second device to an integrated circuit of the second device.
In the apparatus, the first and second portions of the actuator may be a cylinder and a piston, respectively, the piston being located in the cylinder so that the cylinder and the piston jointly define a volume, further including, the fluid line being connected to the volume to modify a pressure of the volume and move the piston relative to the cylinder.
The apparatus may further include a spring, and a spring adjustment mechanism having a first portion secured to the piston and a second portion connected to the spring, the spring adjustment mechanism being adjustable to adjust a force of the spring and level the piston relative to the cylinder.
In the apparatus, the actuator may include inflatable and deflatable bladder, the first and second portions of the actuator being opposing sides of the bladder.
The apparatus may further include a plurality of electrical components mounted on the contactor support structure.
In the apparatus, the electrical components may be mounted on a side on the contactor support structure opposing the terminals held by the contactor support structure.
The apparatus may further include a force distribution substrate, the electrical components being located between the force distribution substrate and the force distribution substrate and the contactor support structure, and a stand-off component between the force distribution substrate and the contactor substrate to transfer force from the contactor substrate to the force distribution substrate.
The apparatus may further include a subassembly having the contactor support structure, the terminals and a compensating piece with a profiled surface that improves planarity of a surface of the subassembly other than the profiled surface of the compensating piece.
In the apparatus, the contactor support structure may include a distribution board substrate and a contactor substrate mounted to the distribution board substrate.
The apparatus may further include at least a first connecting arrangement that connects the contactor substrate to the distribution board substrate, the first connecting arrangement including first and second connecting pieces with complementary interengaging formations that allow for movement of the contactor substrate relative to the distribution board substrate in a first radial direction and restricts movement of the contactor substrate relative to the distribution board substrate in a first tangential direction transverse to the first radial direction.
In the apparatus, the distribution board may have a plurality of layers having a plurality of different stiffnesses, one of the layers in a half of the distribution board substrate opposing the terminals held by the contactor support structure being stiffer than a majority of the layers.
The apparatus may further include cartridge including a cartridge frame that may be removably mountable to the apparatus frame, the contactor board forming part of the cartridge, a contactor interface on the contactor support structure, and a connector interface having a surface for connecting to a surface of the contactor interface.
In the apparatus, the cartridge may include a common subassembly and a first unique contactor subassembly that may be replaceable with a second unique contactor subassembly.
The apparatus may further include a pressure reduction passage in communication with an area between the common subassembly and the second unique contactor subassembly and having an outlet on an external side of the cartridge, and a pump connected to the outlet of the pressure reduction passage so as to reduce a pressure in the area between the common subassembly and the second unique contactor subassembly.
The invention further provides a cartridge, including a cartridge frame, formations on the cartridge frame for mounting the cartridge frame in a fixed position to an apparatus frame, a contactor support structure, a contactor interface on the contactor support structure, a plurality of terminals, held by the contactor support structure, for contacting contacts on a device, and a plurality of conductors, held by the contactor support structure, connecting the interface to the terminals.
The cartridge may further include an actuator connected between the cartridge frame and the contactor support structure, having first and second portions that may be movable relative to one another to move the contactor support structure relative to the cartridge frame and toward the surface of the holder so that the terminals may be urged against contacts of the device.
In the cartridge, the actuator may have a volume defined between the first and second components and a fluid line connected to the volume to allow air through the volume and thereby modify a size of the volume and move the contactor support structure relative to the apparatus frame.
The cartridge may further include a pressure relief valve connected to the fluid line to automatically release air from the fluid line though the pressure relief valve when a pressure of the air in the fluid line reaches a predetermined value.
In the cartridge, the device may be a first device, further including a processor, a memory connected to the processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor to carry out a method including reducing a pressure in the internal volume while maintaining the terminals in contact with the contacts, moving the holder relative to the apparatus frame to disengage the terminals from the contacts while maintaining the first and second components of the actuator in a substantially stationary relationship with one another, replacing the first device with a second device by removing the first device from the holder and holding the second device against the surface of the holder, moving the holder relative to the frame to bring the terminals into contact with contacts of the second device while the first and second components of the actuator remain in substantially in the stationary relationship relative to one another, increasing the pressure in the volume to urge the terminals against the contacts on the second device, and providing signals through the terminals and the contacts of the second device to an integrated circuit of the second device.
In the cartridge, the first and second portions of the actuator may be a cylinder and a piston, respectively, the piston being located in the cylinder so that the cylinder and the piston jointly define a volume, further including, the fluid line being connected to the volume to modify a pressure of the volume and move the piston relative to the cylinder.
The cartridge may further include a spring, and a spring adjustment mechanism having a first portion secured to the piston and a second portion connected to the spring, the spring adjustment mechanism being adjustable to adjust a force of the spring and level the piston relative to the cylinder.
In the cartridge, the actuator may include inflatable and deflatable bladder, the first and second portions of the actuator being opposing sides of the bladder.
The cartridge may further include a plurality of electrical components mounted on the contactor support structure.
In the cartridge, the electrical components may be mounted on a side on the contactor support structure opposing the terminals held by the contactor support structure.
The cartridge may further include a force distribution substrate, the electrical components being located between the force distribution substrate and the force distribution substrate and the contactor support structure, and a stand-off component between the force distribution substrate and the contactor substrate to transfer force from the contactor substrate to the force distribution substrate.
The cartridge may further include a subassembly having the contactor support structure, the terminals and a compensating piece with a profiled surface that improves planarity of a surface of the subassembly other than the profiled surface of the compensating piece.
In the cartridge, the contactor support structure may include a distribution board substrate and a contactor substrate mounted to the distribution board substrate.
The cartridge may further include at least a first connecting arrangement that connects the contactor substrate to the distribution board substrate, the first connecting arrangement including first and second connecting pieces with complementary interengaging formations that allow for movement of the contactor substrate relative to the distribution board substrate in a first radial direction and restricts movement of the contactor substrate relative to the distribution board substrate in a first tangential direction transverse to the first radial direction.
In the cartridge, the distribution board may have a plurality of layers having a plurality of different stiffnesses, one of the layers in a half of the distribution board substrate opposing the terminals held by the contactor support structure being stiffer than a majority of the layers.
In the cartridge, the cartridge may include a common subassembly and a first unique contactor subassembly that may be replaceable with a second unique contactor subassembly.
The cartridge may further include a pressure reduction passage in communication with an area between the common subassembly and the second unique contactor subassembly and having an outlet on an external side of the cartridge.
The invention is further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
The frame 12 has a prober base portion 26, a thermal system frame portion 28, and a test head frame portion 30. The thermal system frame portion 28 is pivotally mounted to the prober base portion 26. The test head frame portion 30 is pivotally mounted to the thermal system frame portion 28. The probing subassembly 16 and the cartridge 18 are mounted to lower and upper portions 32 and 34 respectively of the prober base portion 26, and the test head 20 and the thermal system 24 are mounted to the test head frame portion 30 and the thermal system frame portion 28 respectively.
The thermal system frame portion 28 can, for example, be pivoted between a position as shown in
As illustrated in
As shown in
Distribution board 48 has a force distribution substrate 55, a thermal expansion equalization substrate 57, and an electrical distribution substrate 54, a plurality of terminals 56 formed on the electrical distribution substrate 54, a plurality of contacts 58 formed on the electrical distribution substrate 54, and a plurality of conductors 60 carried within the electrical distribution substrate 54. The terminals 56 and the contacts 58 are formed on the same side but on different areas of the electrical distribution substrate 54. Each conductor 60 interconnects a respective one of the terminals 56 with a respective one of the contacts 58.
The contactor board 50 includes a contactor substrate 62 having first and second pieces 64 and 66, a collar 67, and a plurality of pins 68. One end of each pin 68 is inserted through an opening in the first piece 64, and then inserted through an opening in the second piece 66. Each pin 68 has a central body that is larger than its ends so that it is held in place by the opening in the second piece 66. The collar 67 is used to align the first and second pieces 64 and 66 relative to one another. One end of each pin 68 forms a contact 70 that is placed against a respective terminal 56 of the distribution board 48. An opposing end of each pin 68 forms a terminal 72 that can touch a contact 74 on a wafer 76. The fasteners 52 may, for example, be bolts, each having a shank that is inserted though an opening in the contactor substrate 62, and thread on the shank is then screwed into a threaded opening in the electrical distribution substrate 54. The electrical distribution substrate 54, the contactor substrate 62, force distribution substrate 55, expansion equalization substrate 57, and the fasteners 52 jointly form a support structure 80 with the terminals 72 extending from the support structure 80. The pins 68, terminals 56, conductors 60, and contacts 58 form conductive links to and from the terminals 72.
Each one of the flexible attachments 46 has a flexible nonconductive outer layer 82, a plurality of conductors 84 held within the outer layer 82 and separated from one another by the material of the outer layer 82, a plurality of open terminals 86 at ends of the respective conductors 84, and a plurality of electrically conductive bumps 88, each on a respective one of the terminals 86. Each one of the conductive bumps 88 is placed against a respective one of the contacts 58 of the distribution board 48. A clamp piece 90 is placed over an end of the flexible attachment 46. Fasteners 91 are used to secure the clamp piece 90 to the electrical distribution substrate 54, and provide a force that clamps the end of the flexible attachment 46 between the clamp piece 90 and the electrical distribution substrate 54.
As further shown in
Referring to
The interfaces 92 of the juxtaposed quarters 102 and 106 are each at an angle 110 of 45 degrees relative to a centerline 112 through the distribution substrate 54. The interfaces of the juxtaposed quarters 104 and 108 are each at an angle 114 of 135 degrees relative to the centerline 112 as measured in the same direction as the angle 110.
Each one of the quarters 102, 104, 106, or 108 has ten of the interfaces 92A to 92J. The interfaces 92C, 92D, and 92E are parallel to one another but at different distances from a center point 116 of the contactor substrate 62. The interfaces 92F, 92G, and 92H are parallel to one another but at different distances from the center point 116. The interfaces 92C and 92F are in line with one another, as are the interfaces 92D and 92G and the interfaces 92E and 92H. The interfaces 92B and 92I are in line with one another but form a row that is closer to the center point 116 than the row formed by the interfaces 92C and 92F. The interfaces 92B and 92I are also spaced further from one another than the interfaces 92C and 92F. The interfaces 92A and 92J also form a row that is closer to the center point 116 than the row formed by the interfaces 92B and 92I.
Each one of the quarters 102, 104, 106, and 108 has an arrangement of ten of the interfaces 92 that is similar to the arrangement of interfaces 92A to 92J. The arrangement is rotated through 90 degrees about the center point 116 when moving from the quarter 108 to the quarter 102. Similarly, the arrangement is rotated through another 90 degrees when moving from the quarter 102 to the quarter 104, etc.
A respective flexible attachment 46 is connected to each respective one of the interfaces 92. The arrangement of the interfaces 92 allows for “fanning-in” or “fanning-out” of a large number of electrical paths to or from a relatively dense arrangement of the terminals 72 of the contactor board 50.
Referring again to
The travel sensor 128 has an outer portion 146 attached to the support structure 80, and an inner portion 148 attached to the backing plate 120. Relative movement between the outer portion 146 and the inner portion 148 results in a change of inductance (or capacitance) between the outer portion 146 and the inner portion 148. The inductance (or capacitance) can be measured to provide an indication of how far the outer portion 146 travels with respect to the inner portion 148. The outer portion 146 fits within a circular opening in the backing plate, and the outer portion 146 additionally serves as a guide for movement of the contactor assembly 42 relative to the backing plate 120.
The wafer chuck 130 forms part of the probing subassembly 16 illustrated in
As illustrated in
As shown in
It will be appreciated that the order and speed of moving the wafer chuck 130 relative to the contactor board 50 actuating the actuator mechanism 126 to bring the terminals 72 into contact with the contacts of the wafer 76 can be varied. Differing contact algorithms can be used to move the wafer chuck 130 and actuate the actuator mechanism 126 to achieve optimal contact (e.g., good electrical contact, least pad damage, etc.) for different types of wafers.
The travel sensor 128 allows the pressure of the piston 140 to be set so that the piston 140 is roughly in the middle of its stroke when it contacts the wafer 76. Wafers having differing contactor technologies and/or numbers of contact points may be used with the apparatus 10. Different contact technologies often require a different force per pin to ensure wafer contact, and may also have different contactor heights. A different total force may be required to be applied to the contactor to make good contact with the wafer 76. The travel sensor 128 can be used to measure the distance the piston 140 has extended the contactor toward the wafer 76 under test. Thus, wafers having these varying types of contactors can be tested using the same apparatus 10.
The alignment and locking mechanism 152 includes an outer sleeve 154, an alignment piece 156, a piston 158, a fluid line 160, and a locking actuator 162.
The alignment piece 156 has an alignment opening 164 formed therein. The alignment opening 164 has a conical shape so that an upper horizontal cross-section thereof is larger than a lower cross-section thereof. The alignment piece 156 is mounted to an upper end of the outer sleeve 154 and extends downwardly into the outer sleeve 154.
The piston 158 is located within a lower portion of the outer sleeve 154 and can slide up and down within the outer sleeve 154. A cavity 166 is defined within the outer sleeve 154 and by a lower surface of the piston 158. The fluid line 160 is connected to the cavity 166. Positive and negative pressure can be provided through the fluid line 160 to the cavity 166. Positive pressure causes upward movement of the piston 158, and negative pressure causes the piston 158 to move down.
The locking actuator 162 has a plurality of spherical locking members 168 and a locking actuator 170. The locking actuator 170 is mounted to the piston 158 so that it can move vertically up and down together with the piston 158. The locking actuator 170 has an internal surface 172 that makes contact with the spherical locking members 168. The surface 172 is conical so that movement of the locking actuator 170 between raised and lowered positions causes corresponding movement of the spherical locking members 168 toward and away from one another.
The alignment pin 40 includes a positioning pin 174 with a recessed formation 176 formed at a location distant from an end of the positioning pin 174. The cartridge frame 38 is moved so that the positioning pin 174 is roughly located over the alignment opening 164. When the cartridge frame 38 is lowered into the position shown in
The positioning pin 174 can be released from the alignment and locking mechanism 152 by first lowering the piston 158 so that the spherical locking members 168 disengage from the recessed formation 176, and then lifting the cartridge frame 38 together with the positioning pin 174 out of the alignment opening 164. It may from time to time be required that a cartridge 18 be temporarily removed for purposes of maintenance or reconfiguration, or be replaced with another cartridge. The alignment pin 40 and the alignment and locking mechanism 152 allow for quick removal and replacement of cartridges.
As previously mentioned with reference to
The first connector set 44 includes a connector block support piece 184, a first connector module 186, and a first engagement component 188.
The first connector module 186 includes a first connector block 190 and a plurality of septa 192. The septa 192 are held in a side-by-side relationship by the first connector block 190.
Referring again to
The first connector module 186 is inserted into the connector block support piece 184 with the first connector block 190 contacting an inner portion of the connector block support piece 184. The first connector module 186 is then secured to the connector block support piece 184 by releasable means so as to again allow for removal of the first connector module 186 from the connector block support piece 184.
The first engagement component 188 has inner and outer portions 204 and 206 respectively. The inner portion 204 is mounted to an outer portion of the connector block support piece 184 for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis 208. A spring 210 biases the first engagement component 188 in a counterclockwise direction 212. The outer portion 206 has a spherical inner engagement surface 214 and a groove 216 as formed into the engagement surface 214.
A slider pin 218 is secured to and extends vertically upwardly from one of the upper support pieces 122 of the cartridge frame 38. A complementary slider opening 220 is formed vertically through the connector block support piece 184. The slider opening 220 is positioned over the slider pin 218, and the first connector set 44 is moved down until the connector block support piece 184 rests on the upper support piece 122. The first connector set 44 is thereby held by the slider pin 218 of the cartridge frame 38 and prevented from movement in horizontal x- and y-directions. The first connector set 44 can still be removed from the cartridge frame 38 by lifting the first connector set 44 out of the slider pin 218, for purposes of maintenance or reconfiguration.
The second connector set 180 includes a subframe 222, a second connector module 224, a cylinder 226, a piston 228, a rod 230, a spherical engager 232, a connecting piece 234, and first and second supply lines 236 and 238, respectively.
The subframe 222 is mounted to the test head frame portion 30. The second connector set 180 is mounted through the subframe 222 to the test head frame portion 30. The second connector set 180 has a second connector block 240 and a plurality of printed circuit boards 242 mounted in a side-by-side relationship to the second connector block 240. Each one of the printed circuit boards 242 has a respective substrate, terminals on a lower edge of the substrate, contacts at an upper edge of the substrate, and electrically conductive traces, each connecting a respective terminal with a respective contact. The second connector block 240 is releasably held within the subframe 222 and secured to the subframe 222 with releasable means.
The cylinder 226 is secured to the subframe 222. The piston 228 is located within the cylinder 226 and is movable in vertically upward and downward directions within the cylinder 226. First and second cavities are defined within the cylinder 226 respectively above and below the piston 228, and the first and second supply lines 236 and 238 are connected to the first and second cavities, respectively.
An upper end of the rod 230 is secured to a piston 228. The rod 230 extends downwardly from the piston 228 through an opening in a base of the cylinder 226. The spherical engager 232 is secured via the connecting piece 234 to a lower end of the rod 230. The connecting piece 234 has a smaller diameter than either the rod 230 or the spherical engager 232.
The engager 182 includes a plate 246 that is mounted to the subframe 222 for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis 248, an actuator assembly 201, and a link mechanism 252 connecting the plate 246 to the actuator assembly 201. The actuator assembly 201 includes an actuator 250, a connecting rod 253, an actuator pivot 251, and a rod pivot 255.
As previously mentioned, the second connector set 180 is initially disengaged from the first connector set 44. The second connector module 224 is thus disengaged from the first connector module 186, and the spherical engager 232 is also disengaged from the first engagement component 188. Pressurized air is provided through the first supply line 236 while air is vented from the second supply line 238, so that the piston 228 moves in a downward direction within the cylinder 226. Downward movement of the piston 228 extends the rod 230 further out of the cylinder 226 and moves the spherical engager 232 closer to the cartridge 18.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The pressurized air provided through the second supply line 238 also creates a force that is sufficiently large to overcome an insertion force required to mate the first connector module 186 with the second connector module 224. Each one of the septa 192 enters into a gap between two of the printed circuit boards 242. Gaps between the contacts 198 on the septa 192 and the gaps between the printed circuit boards 242 are sufficiently small so that an interference fit is required to insert the septa 192 between the printed circuit boards 242. Once the insertion force is overcome and the septa 192 are located between the printed circuit boards 242, each one of the contacts 198 is located against a corresponding terminal on a lower edge of one of the printed circuit boards 242.
The pressurized air provided through the second supply line 238 can be removed after the first and second connector modules 186 and 224 are mated. The first and second connector modules 186 and 224 can be disengaged from one another by providing pressurized air through the first supply line 236 so that the first connector set 44 moves into the position as shown in
As illustrated in
Each one of the first connector sets 44 is symmetrical on the left and the right. The connector block support piece 184 entirely surrounds the first connector module 186, and two slider openings (220 in
As shown in
Each one of the plates 246 is located adjacent a plurality of the spherical engagers 232. Movement of a respective one of the plates 246 causes the respective plate 246 to contact and simultaneously pivot a plurality of the first engagement components 188 of
Referring to
Each one of the slots can only carry one particular type of board 260, 262, or 264. The base structure 266 is configurable so that slots are configurable to allow for more or fewer of a particular board, or to modify the locations of particular boards. Once the slots are inserted, they are typically not replaced over the life of the apparatus 10. The number of boards 260, 262, and 264 that are used can still be configured from one application to the next.
After the boards 260, 262, and 264 are inserted into the slots as discussed with reference to
Referring specifically to
The thermal system 24 includes an outer shell 272, four recirculation fans 274 (only two of the recirculation fans 274 are shown in
What should be noted is that there is no physical contact between any components of the thermal system 24 and any components of the test head 20. Only a small gap 284 is defined between the outer shell 272 and the manifold panel 268. A seal is typically located in the gap 284, and is made of a compliant material so that any vibrations transferred by the recirculation fan 274 to the outer shell 272 do not transfer to the manifold panels 268. Guide panels 286 form part of the thermal system 24, and serve to prevent the air from entering the test head 20 before first passing through the recirculation fans 274 and the heat exchangers 276.
An interconnection scheme 302 connects the driver and power boards 262 and 264 to contacts on the devices 300. The interconnection scheme 302 includes the electrical paths formed by conductors within the cartridge 18 of
A local controller 306 is used to provide test instructions to the tester system 304, and is then used to upload and process test results from the tester system 304. The local controller 306 has memory, and stored in the memory are a test program 308, a configuration file 310, a test application 312, a test results file 314, a processing application 316, and a test report 318.
Reference should now be made to
The test application 312 utilizes the test program 308 and data from the configuration file 310 and data from the test results file 314 to provide instructions to the boards 260, 262, and 264 (step 402). The boards 260, 262, and 264 then provide electric signals, power, or ground through respective conductors of the interconnection scheme 302 (step 404). The configuration file 310 has data representing a relationship between the channels of the boards 260, 262, and 264 and the contacts of the devices 300. The configuration file 310 will be different from one configuration assembly to another configuration assembly of the tester system 304. The configuration file 310 thus represents how the instructions of the test program 308 are fanned out through the tester system 304 to the devices 300. Each device 300 is tested with the same test program 308 (step 406), although the voltage and signal levels may be modified based upon the test results file 314.
The following table is an extract of the configuration file 310 with field names listed at the top of each column:
The fields at the top of the columns of the table above stand for the following:
ZONE NUMBER: index to indicate membership to a pattern zone, determined by pattern generator board 260.
SLOT NUMBER: location of a driver or power board 262 or 264.
CHANNEL TYPE: type of hardware resource to be used.
RAB NUMBER: index of reference and acquisition module on the power board 264, or −1 if not applicable.
PWR MODULE NUMBER: power module on power board 264.
CHANNEL NUMBER: resource index of given board 262 or 264.
COLUMN, ROW: position of the base structure 266 on the wafer (or testboard).
CONN TYPE: connection type; D for device, or T for termination; whether a resource influences a device directly, or provides auxiliary electrical characteristics to the test assembly.
PAD LABEL: designator for the terminal 72 or pin 68 that the resource is connected to; this label is then used for programming purposes.
TERM LABEL: option label for a termination pin.
COMMON KEY: option sort key.
MASK: field to determine whether a device should be tested or not.
Some resources are provided separately to each of the devices 300. For example, there may be a total of 600 of the devices 300, and each device may require a separate input/output line connected through the interconnection scheme 302. Other resources may be shared in order to reduce the number of electrical paths that are provided through the interconnection scheme 302. For example, a single input/output line 320 can be provided through the interconnection scheme 302, and at the last level within the interconnection scheme 302 be fanned to a set (or all) of the devices 300. An input/output signal is thus provided to all the devices 300 of the set. A chip select line 322 can be accessed to select a subset of the devices of the set to which the input/output line 320 is connected. Unique chip select line combinations are then grouped into chip select states.
Again referring to
Referring now to
The assembly module 426 then uses the input provided by the operator via the input module 424 and the net files 422 to assemble the configuration file 310. In the given example, the assembly module 426 will construct the configuration file 310 so that it has data representing two pattern generator net files 422A and three driver board net files 422B, with one driver board net file 422B being associated with one pattern generator board net file 422A and the other two pattern generator net files 422B being associated with the other pattern generator board net file 422A (step 454). The configuration file 310 can then be transferred from the computer system on which the software assembly application 420 resides to the local controller 306 of
Each one of the power boards 264V or 264C is connected to the contactor assembly 42 through four dedicated power flexible attachments 46P. The driver board 262 is connected to the contactor assembly 42 through dedicated signal flexible attachments 46S. The flexible attachments 46 have been described with reference to
The apparatus 10 further includes a ground plate 460 and a Bussed low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) backplane 462 mounted within the test head 20. The power boards 264V and 264C and the driver board 262 each have two direct current (DC) connection pins 508, as illustrated in
The boards 260, 262, 264C, and 264V each have a connection that connects a respective board to the Bussed LVDS backplane 462. A logical link is thereby provided between the boards 260, 262, 264C, and 264V, allowing the boards to communicate with one another. It is also the Bussed LVDS backplane 462 that provides the logical link between the boards 260, 262, and 264 illustrated in FIG. 22.
The apparatus 10 further has a system control bay 470 that includes a die bulk power supply 472V for high voltage, a die bulk power supply 472C for high current, the local controller 306 described with reference to
An Ethernet link 478 connects and networks the die bulk power supplies 472V and 472C, the local controller 306, the system controller 474, and the boards 260, 262, 264C, and 264V with one another. The local controller 306 controls the boards 260, 262, 264C, 264V, and 474 through the Ethernet link 478 and peripheral components of the apparatus 10.
The pattern generator board 260 has a pattern generator power timing bus that is connected through the Bussed LVDS backplane to a device power timing system 500. The device power timing system 500 is connected to the reference and measurement system 496. The device power timing system 500 provides both timing and instructions to the reference and measurement system 496 for purposes of carrying out the instructions that are provided from the board-level control and bulk power control 490 and calibration control 494 (the functioning of the device power timing system 500 has, for purposes of explanation, been equated to an orchestra conductor that provides both timing and instructions of which chords are to be played). The reference and measurement system 496 includes eight logical systems of 64 channels each, thus totaling 512 channels. Inputs into the reference and measurement system include signals from the pattern generator index bus, pattern generator clocks, calibration reference, and ground sense. The reference and measurement system 496 performs voltage readback and current readback. Output from the reference and measurement system 496 includes four voltage references and device power control through a device power control bus. Output from the reference and measurement system 496 thus includes logic for purposes of controlling power.
The reference and measurement system 496 and board-level control and bulk power control 490 are connected to a device power output system 502. A positive side of the die bulk power supply 472V or 472C is also connected to the device power output system 502 through power cable 476. The device power output system 502 regulates the power from the die bulk power supply 472V or 472C, utilizing the signal from the reference and measurement system 496 (the power provided by the die bulk power supply 472V or 472C has, for purposes of explanation, been equated to power or air that is provided simultaneously to a number of music instruments in an orchestra). The device power output system 502 includes 16 sections of 32 channels, grouped into 8 logical groups, thus totaling 512 channels. Each channel includes a Kelvin sense system, each system including one force (+F) and one sense (+S) line, so that there are a total of 1,024 pins and circuits. Input into the device power output system 502 includes references, bulk power, control parameters from board-level control and bulk power control 490, and device power control through the device power control bus. The device power output system 502 also provides voltage and current readback to the reference and measurement system 496 and channel status information to the board-level control and bulk power control 490.
Four of the power flexible attachments 46P are connected to the device power output system 502. Each power flexible attachment 46P includes 128 +F lines, 128 +S lines, AC ground, and ground sense.
Two ground sense traces from each power flexible attachment 46P, thus totaling eight traces, are connected to a board ground control system 506. The board ground control system 506 averages eight measurements from the ground sense traces, and provides the averaged result as an output to the reference and measurement system 496.
A ground pin 508 is connected to the ground plate 460 and the first connector sets 44. The ground pin 508 is connected to both the device power output system 502 and to a board power system 510. The board power system 510 has a separate 48 V input, and can provide, for example, outputs of 15 V, 5 V, 3.3 V, −3.3 V, and 1.2 V. The DC ground cables 464 are connected to the connector block support piece 184. The negative side of the die bulk power supply 472V or 472C is also connected through the power cable 476 to the ground plate 460.
What should be noted is that separate paths are provided for AC ground and for DC ground. AC ground is provided through the flexible attachments 46P that also deliver the power. The physical space between F+ power provision, the S+ line, and AC power ground in a power flexible attachment 46P is extremely small, typically on the order of between 0.002 and 0.010 inches. Such a small space allows for a substantial reduction in noise and an increase in speed, which is particularly important for accurate measurement through the 512 sense lines and clean power delivery through the F+ lines. DC ground is provided through the DC ground cables 464. The AC and DC grounds have, for example, respective resistances of between 0.5 and 1.5 ohms and 0.003 and 0.015 ohms.
Subsystem A includes die bulk power supply 472 and power cables 476 which include an AC-to-DC conversion circuit comprising an inductor I and a capacitor C1 connecting an output terminal of the inductor I to ground and is controlled by board-level control and bulk power control 490 and local controller 306 through Ethernet link 478. An input terminal of the inductor I is connected to the die bulk power supply 472V or 472C in
The DC voltage created by the subsystem B is provided through a force F+ line through a power terminal 72P to a power contact 74P of a respective device 300 (see also reference numerals 72 and 74 in
A resistor R3 is connected between the force and sense lines F+ and S+ and resistively connects the F+ to the S+ of the amplifier A3. The resistor R3 serves to control the amplifier A3 in case of a failure by holding the force and sense lines F+ and S+ to similar voltages. The resistor R3 is thus just a safety device in case of contact failure.
The subsystem B also includes a circuit that automatically switches power to the device 300 off upon the detection of an overcurrent, among other things. The overcurrent detection and switching circuit includes a resistor R6 located after the MOSFET 1 in the force line F+. A voltage over the resistor R6 is linearly related to a current through the force line F+. An amplifier A1 amplifies the voltage detected over the resistor R6. A comparitor A2 compares an output from the amplifier A1 to a current set point supplied by reference and measurement system 496. An output from the comparitor A2 would be zero if the output from the amplifier A1 is the same as, or greater than, the current set point.
The output from the comparitor A2 provides an indication of an overcurrent or undercurrent through the resistor R6. The output from the comparitor A2 is provided to a field programmable gate array (FPGA) 1. The FPGA 1 has logic that determines whether the over- or undercurrent is sufficient to switch subsystem B off. The FPGA 1 also provides for a timing delay before switching the current off, to allow for brief surges in current without switching the current off. An output of the FPGA 1 is provided to a switch 1594 and a switch 2594.
During normal operating conditions, i.e., when the current should continue to flow, the switch 1 is switched into its “off” position and the switch 2 in its “A” position. A voltage of 15 V is provided through a resistor R5 to one terminal of the switch and to a MOSFET 2 located after the resistor R6 in the force F+ line. During normal operating conditions, the voltage provided through the resistor R5 maintains the MOSFET 2 in an “on” position, thereby allowing current to flow through the force line F+. Should an overcurrent be detected, the FPGA 1 switches the switch 1 to its “on” position, thereby grounding the voltage provided through the resistor R5, the MOSFET 2 will switch into its “off” position and disconnect the current, and switch 2 is set to the “B” position, shutting down the amplifier A3.
What should be noted is that each one of the 512 subsystems B has its own overcurrent detection and switching circuit. The 512 overcurrent and switching circuits allow for currents to one or more of the 512 individual devices to be switched off, while current to the other devices continues to flow. Current measurement and voltage measurement can also be done on a per-device level, because each one of the subsystems B has a respective current measurement line (Imeas), and a respective voltage measurement line (Vmeas). The current measurement line Imeas is connected to an output of the amplifier A1, and the voltage measurement line Vmeas is connected to the sense line S+. The current and voltage measurement lines Imeas and Vmeas allow for real-time measurement of current and voltage provided to the power terminal 72P. The subsystem B also includes a switching circuit having a resistor R4 and a MOSFET 3. The resistor R4 is connected to the force line F+ after the MOSFET 2, and the MOSFET 3 is connected in series after the resistor R4. A test signal (Test) can be provided to the MOSFET 3, thereby drawing current through the force line F+ for self-testing.
A high-frequency response is required for the circuit that includes the resistors R1, R2, and the amplifier A3. For this purpose, a capacitor C3 is provided in parallel with the integrated circuit of the device 300. The capacitor C3 is built into the support structure 80 shown in
The distribution board 48 has two ground sense contacts at each interface 92. Ground sense terminals at each interface 92 connect to the ground sense contacts 74G. Eight ground sense lines are provided to a grounding modulation circuit, including an amplifier A4 and a filter 201. The voltage detected at the ground sense contact 74G is added by the ground modulation circuit to a variable input voltage (Vrefin). Ideally, the voltage detected at the ground sense contact 74G is 0 V, in which case the voltage variable Vrefin would be equal to the voltage Vrefout. If the voltage detected at the ground sense contact 74G is not zero, for example, it is 0.1 V, then Vrefout would be driven to 1.1 V (Vrefin+0.1 V). The voltage provided to the negative terminal of the amplifier A3 would then also be 1.1 V, and the voltage provided to the power terminal 74P would be 1.1 V.
Also illustrated in
The terminals of the 10 V voltage source 702 are connected to respective terminals R+ and R− of a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 704. The DAC 704 also has output terminals, and has the ability to switch each output terminal to a voltage between −4.9 V and 5.1 V.
A microprocessor bus 705 is connected to the DAC 704. Information representing desired high and low voltages can be loaded from the microprocessor bus 705 into the DAC 704. The DAC 704 can, for example, be programmed with a high voltage of 3 V and a low voltage of 2 V. Because the voltage provided to the positive terminal of the amplifier A4 is at 0.1 V, the output terminals of the DAC are, in this example, held at 3.1 V and 2.1 V, respectively.
The output terminals of the DAC are connected to high-voltage and low-voltage (VH and VL) terminals of a voltage switch 706. The pattern generator board 260 illustrated in
A damping circuit, including a resistor R11 and a capacitor C4, has an input connected to the output of the switch 706. The resistor R11 has one terminal connected to the switch 706, and an opposing terminal of the resistor R11 is connected through the capacitor C4 to ground. An effect of the damping circuit represented by the resistor R11 and capacitor C4 is that a slew rate of a signal provided on the output of the switch 706 is reduced. The switch 706 provides a square wave at its output, and the damping circuit has an output that responds to the square wave in a non-square fashion. Specifically, the voltage on the output of the damping circuit increases more slowly than the voltage provided to the input of the damping circuit.
The response voltage of the damping circuit is provided to an amplifier A5 with a gain of two, and then through a switch 708 to respective signal contacts 74S (see also reference numeral 74 in
The cartridge frame 602 includes upper support pieces 622, a lower backing plate 624, and connecting pieces 626 that connect the lower backing plates 624 to the upper support pieces 622. The lower backing plate 624 defines a side portion 628 and a rear portion 630 of a cylinder having an internal radius R1.
The piston 604 has an internal portion 632 and an external portion 634. The internal portion 632 has an outside radius R2 that is substantially smaller than the radius R1. The external portion 634 is mounted on a lower side of the internal portion 632 and also has an outside radius R1.
The first volume-defining ring 608 has an outer radius R1, which is the same as the internal radius of the cylinder defined by the side portion 628. The first and second volume-defining rings 608 and 610 have the same internal and external radii R4 respectively and the second and third volume-defining rings 610 and 612 have the same internal and external radii R5 respectively. The third volume-defining ring 612 has an internal radius R2, which is the same as the external radius R2 of the internal portion 632 of the piston 604.
A fastener 638 is inserted from below through the first volume-defining ring 608. Fasteners 640 and 642 are inserted from above into the second and third volume-defining rings 610 and 612 respectively.
As shown in
The third volume-defining ring 612 is positioned over the internal portion 632 and the second volume defining ring 610 is positioned over the third volume-defining ring on an upper surface of the external portion 634. The second and third volume-defining rings 610 and 612 are then secured to the external portion 634 with the fasteners 640 and 642 respectively. The third volume-defining ring 612 effectively increases the radius of the internal portion 632 of a main piston from the radius R2 to the radius R5 and the second volume-defining ring 610 effectively increases the radius from R5 to R4. The second and third volume-defining rings 610 and 612 thus increase the upper surface of the internal portion 632 of the piston 604 proportional to the square of the radius.
The stiffener substrate 614 is made of a metal and is thicker than the distribution board 616, contactor board 618 and stand-off layer 620 alone or in combination. The stiffener substrate 614 also has a larger surface area than the external portion 634 of the piston 604. The stiffener substrate 614 is positioned against a lower surface of the external portion 634 of the piston 604 and fasteners 642 are used to secure the stiffener substrate 614 to the piston 604.
The distribution board 616 and the contactor board are secured to one another and may be of the kind herein before described with reference to
The piston adjustment system 606 includes a spring 644 and a spring adjustment mechanism formed by an elongate member 646 and a nut 648. The elongate member 646 has a first end 650 and a second, opposing end 652. Both ends 650 and 652 are threaded. The first end 650 is inserted through an opening in the rear portion 630 of the cylinder so that the first end 650 is located within the cylinder and the second end 652 is located outside the cylinder. The spring 644 is a coil spring that is positioned over the elongate member 646. The nut 648 has an internal thread that is screwed onto the external thread of the second end 652 of the elongate member 646.
As shown in
The stand-off layer 620 has an opening 658 formed therein and is positioned on top of the distribution board 616 with the components 656 in the opening 658. The stand-off layer 620 is not attached to an upper surface of the distribution board 616 and can be removed from the distribution board 616. Alternatively, a separate stand-off layer may be located against and be attached to the distribution board 616.
As shown in
The location of the components 656 on top of the distribution board 616 saves space that would be taken up should the component 656, for example, be mounted between the distribution board 616 and the contactor board 618. The stand-off layer 620 forms a component through which a force can be transferred from the stiffener substrate 614 in
As shown in
Sections of a vacuum passage 662 are formed through the rear portion 630 of the cylinder, the piston 604, and the stiffener substrate 614. An outlet of the vacuum passage 662 is connected to a pump 664. When the pump 664 is switched on, a vacuum is created in a space between the piston 604 and the stiffener substrate 614 and in cavities between the stiffener substrate 614 and the distribution board 616. Because of the vacuums that are created, the stiffener substrate 614 and the piston 604 are pulled against one another and the distribution board 616 is pulled against the stiffener substrate 614. The stiffener substrate 614 is manufactured so that lower surfaces thereof are planar to a tight degree of tolerance. The distribution board 616 is a printed circuit board, which is typically manufactured to be planar to between 5 and 20 mils per inch. However, by pulling the distribution board 616 against the stiffener substrate 614 with the vacuum, the distribution board 616 has a planarity that is less than 1 mil per inch.
As shown in
A pressure is applied through the pressure and vacuum actuation passage 668 to an area below lower surfaces of the first and second volume-defining rings 608 and 610. An upper surface of the external portion 634 having the same surface area as the combined surface areas of the lower surfaces of the first and second volume-defining rings 608 and 610 is also exposed to the pressure applied through the pressure and vacuum actuation passage 668. Because a larger surface area of the piston 604 is exposed to the pressure applied to the pressure and vacuum actuation passage 668 in
An even larger force can be created by the piston 604 by mounting the third volume-defining ring 612 to the rear portion 630 of the cylinder instead of the piston 604.
The O-rings 666 shown in
An advantage of the actuator bladder 680 is that no static friction is created and the force created by the actuator bladder 680 is therefore linear. An advantage of the volume-defining rings 608, 610, and 612 is that a cross-sectional surface area of the volume of an actuator normal to the direction of movement of the piston 604 relative to the cylinder defined by the rear portion 630 and the side portion 628 can be modified, and such modification will cause a corresponding modification in force that is applied by the piston 604.
Each one of the metal layers 674G, 674S, and 674P, in isolation, has about the same stiffness as every other metal layer 674G, 674S, and 674P. Each one of the laminate layers 676, in isolation, also has approximately the same stiffness. The CTE controlled layer 678A in the top half of the distribution board 616, in isolation, has higher stiffness than any one of the metal layers 674G, 674S, 674P, or any one of the laminate layers 676. The CTE controlled layer 678A also has a lower CTE than any one of the laminate layers 676 or the metal layers 674G, 674S, or 674P, so that the overall CTE of the distribution board 616 is between that of the CTE controlled layer 678A and that of one of the laminate layers 676 or metal layers 674G, 674S, or 674P. The CTE controlled layers 678A and 678B combine to reduce the overall CTE of the distribution board 616. The number or thicknesses of the CTE controlled layers can be increased to further decrease the overall CTE of the distribution board 616. The CTE controlled layer 678A and the CTE controlled layer 678B in the bottom half of the distribution board 616 have approximately the same stiffnesses, each in isolation. The CTE controlled layers 678A and 678B provide the distribution board 616 with additional stiffness, and therefore more planarity. The CTE controlled layer 678A at the top is particularly useful for providing the distribution boards 616 with additional stiffness and planarity, because it is located on the outside of the contactor board assembly formed by the distribution board 616 and contactor board 618 shown in
Each one of the horizontal layers 674P is a power layer that is separately connected to one of the vias 679. Each one of the layers 674G is a ground layer, and all the ground layers are connected to a common via 679. Current cannot conduct from one of the power vias 679 to one of the ground vias 679. A respective capacitor connects each one of the power vias 679 to each one of the ground vias 679, and may be one of the electric components 656 shown in
Each one of the flexible cables 708 is inserted through a respective opening 730 in the holding piece 716. Two of the flexible cables 708 are secured to each one of the printed circuit boards 710. The fasteners 714 secure two of the printed circuit boards 710 to each one of the metal end pieces 712. Three of the metal end pieces 712 are used to secure two of the printed circuit boards 710 to one another. The fasteners 718 are then used to secure each one of the metal end pieces 712 to the holding piece 716. Each one of the caps 720 is subsequently positioned over a respective one of the printed circuit board 710. A connector body is thereby formed by the holding piece 716, the metal end pieces 712, connected to substantially parallel connector body substrates of the printed circuit boards 710, and the caps 720.
The fasteners 722 are used to secure the caps 720 to the metal end pieces 712. Each one of the caps 720 can be independently removed in order to replace either the cap 720 that is being removed or the printed circuit board 710 to which the cap 720 is secured. The fasteners 724 are used to secure the holding piece 716 to the distribution board 616 in
A plurality of signal and ground conductors are held by the connector body. Each signal conductor includes one of a plurality of signal cores (not shown in
As shown in
Each ground conductor 742 protrudes from an end of the insulating sheet 746. Each conductive signal core 740 protrudes from a respective one of the ground conductors 742. Each one of the conductive signal cores 740 is independently soldered to a respective one of the signal contacts 732. Each one of the ground conductors 742 is also soldered to a ground contact 750 shown in
Traces are formed within each one of the printed circuit boards 710 that connect the ground contacts 750 to edge fingers 734 that are not used for signals. Ground can thus be provided through the flexible cable 708 to the contacts 736 on the caps 720.
Referring again to
Referring to
What should also be noted is that the alignment openings 762 are positioned to ensure correct orientation of the connector subassembly of the flexible attachment 702. One of the alignment openings 762 at one end of the connector interface 700 is located on a center line of the connector interface 700. Another alignment opening 762 at an opposing end of the connector interface 700 is located off-center with respect to a center line of the connector interface 700. The alignment openings 762 are thus not at the same locations on both ends of the connector interface 700. The locations of the alignment pins 760 are in the same locations as the alignment pins 760. The alignment pins 760 will enter into the alignment openings 762 if the connector subassembly of the flexible attachment 702 is aligned correctly, but will be misaligned with respect to the alignment openings 762 if the connector subassembly of the flexible attachment 702 is rotated through 180 degrees and will not allow for connection between the connector interface 700 and the contacts 736.
The compensating piece 800 has an upper surface 802 that is substantially flat and matches the substantially flat lower surface of the stiffener substrate 614. The compensating piece 800 has a lower surface 804 that is not flat and has an undulating profile.
As shown in
The mounting ring fastener 826 secure the mounting ring 822 to the distribution board 616. The support arrangement 828 includes a plurality of flanges 832 and 834, and a plurality of flange fasteners 836. The flange 832 is integrally manufactured with the mounting ring 822. The flange fasteners 836 secure the flanges 834 to the mounting ring 822. An edge of the contactor board 618 rests on upper surfaces of the flanges 832 and 834.
The inner connecting arrangement 830 includes a first connecting piece 838 forming part of the contactor board 618 and defining a slot 840 that extends in a radial direction towards a center point of the contactor board 618, a second connecting piece 842, and a plurality of connecting piece fasteners 844. The second connecting piece 842 has a main portion 846 and a finger 848 extending from the main portion 846. The fasteners 844 secure the main portion 846 to the mounting ring 822. The finger 848 extends in a radial direction towards a center point of the mounting ring 822.
When the second connecting piece 842 is mounted to the mounting ring 822, the slot 840 is aligned with the finger 848. The slot 840 is longer than the finger 848 so that the finger 848 is permitted to slide relatively within the slot 840 in a radial direction towards the center point of the contactor board 618 and a center point of the mounting ring 822. Inter-engagement of the finger 848 with the slot 840 prevents tangential movement of the first connecting piece 838 relative to the second connecting piece 842, i.e. rotation of the contactor board 618 relative to the distribution board 616 about a center point of the contactor board 618 or a center point of the mounting ring 822. Relative movement between the contactor board 618 and the mounting ring 822 is thus restricted to a line 850 extending in a radial direction through a center point of the distribution board 618 and the mounting ring 822.
Referring to
As previously mentioned, the materials of the contactor board 618 and the distribution board 616 are engineered so that terminals and contacts on the contactor board 618 and the distribution board 616 match one another at different temperatures. However, during a transition from one temperature to another, it may happen that there is relative movement between corresponding contacts and terminals of the contact board 618 and the distribution board 616 due to non-uniform expansion. If unchecked, non-uniform expansion can thus lead to misalignment between contacts and terminals. The connecting arrangements 830 ensure that a center point (within a central area) of contactor board 618 is always at a center point of the mounting ring 822. The center points will thus coincide with one another at a first temperature, during a transition from the first temperature to a second temperature and at the second temperature. Because the center points coincide and because the materials of the contactor board 618 and the distribution board 616 are engineered to ensure matching between contacts and terminals, the contacts and terminals will match one another at the first temperature and at the second temperature.
A shown in
Referring to
Referring again to
As further illustrated in
Air continues to vent to atmosphere as long as the pressure within the pressure and vacuum actuation passage 668 is above the predetermined pressure. When the pressure within the pressure and vacuum actuation passage 668 again drops below the predetermined pressure, the spring force of the spring overcomes a force created by the pressure on the lower surface of the valve component 872 so that the valve component 872 moves down and seats on the surface 874.
Venting of air to atmosphere is thus automatically terminated when the pressure within the pressure and vacuum actuation passage 668 falls below the predetermined pressure. It can thus be seen that the valve 870 prevents a pressure behind the piston 604 from becoming too large and thereby prevents damage to the cartridge 600A and to the wafer.
An orifice 876 is located within the pressure and vacuum actuation passage 668. The size of the orifice 876, and therefore its resistance to airflow, is chosen so that the valve 870 has a bleeding capacity that is more than a capacity for air flowing through the orifice 876. As such, the mass of air within the pressure and vacuum actuation passage 668 will not increase if the valve 870 is open. The orifice 876 thereby further prevents damage to the cartridge 600A and to the wafer.
The high pressure line includes a line connected to a high pressure pump 884, and an air regulator 886. Air at high pressure is provided from the pump 884 to the air regulator 886. The air regulator 886 reduces the pressure of the air and provides the air at reduced pressure to the low pressure line. The low pressure line includes a proportional controller 888, a probe piston 890, an air tank 892, an isolation valve 894, and a probe piston 896 located in series after one another. The vacuum line includes a line connected to a vacuum pump 898, the probe piston 896, a cartridge clamp 900, and to the signal distribution board vacuum area 902 as hereinbefore described. The low pressure line and the vacuum line are thus both connected to the probe piston 896. The probe piston 896 can be operated to selectively provide air from either the low pressure line or from the vacuum line to the activation line 882 connected to the piston 604. The pneumatic system 880 also includes a vent valve 904 that is connected to the low pressure line between the proportional controller 888 and the probe piston 890, and an air pressure sensor 906 that is connected to the high pressure line.
It will be understood that many of the components of the pneumatic system 880 are under the control of a computer or provide a control input into the computer. Such a computer has a processor and memory connected to the processor. A program having a series of instructions is stored in the memory and is executable by the processor. The air pressure sensor 906 is one component that provides a control input into the computer for purposes of controlling other components of the pneumatic system 880. Specific components of the pneumatic system 880 that are controlled by the computer include the vent valve 904, the isolation valve 894, the probe piston 896, the probe piston 890, and the proportional controller 888. The computer for example controls the piston 896 to provide either air from the low pressure line or vacuum pressure to the piston 604. The computer also controls the isolation valve 894 to isolate a volume behind the piston 604 from the high pressure pump 884 and the vacuum pump 898.
Between Time T0 and Time T1, the volume behind the piston 604 is increased by operating the probe piston 896 in
Between Times T1 and T2, the probe piston 896 in
Between Times T3 and T4 the pressure behind the piston 604 is reduced to zero. The volume only decreases slightly as the terminals 72 again expand. The wafer chuck 130 remains engaged. At Time T5, the isolation valve 894 is closed. The volume behind the piston 604 is thus isolated. When the volume behind the piston 604 is isolated, no air can flow into or out of the volume behind the piston 604. It is also not possible to increase or decrease the pressure of the air in the volume behind the piston 604.
At Time T6, the wafer chuck 130 in
At Time T8, the isolation valve 894 in
At Time T14, following testing a number of the wafers, the pressure is reduced to below atmospheric pressure. Negative pressure causes the piston 604 to retract in a vertical z-direction into the lower backing plate 624 of
The features of the cartridge 600A in
While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive of the current invention, and that this invention is not restricted to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described since modifications may occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art.
This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/391,998, filed on Aug. 2, 2021, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/511,816, filed on Jul. 15, 2019 now U.S. Pat. No. 11,112,429, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/839,707, filed on Dec. 12, 2017 now U.S. Pat. No. 10,401,385, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/453,819, filed on Mar. 8, 2017 now U.S. Pat. No. 9,880,197, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/583,545, filed on Dec. 26, 2014 now U.S. Pat. No. 9,625,521, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/223,319, filed on Sep. 1, 2011 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,947,116, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/411,233, filed on Mar. 25, 2009 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,030,957, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16511816 | Jul 2019 | US |
| Child | 17391998 | US | |
| Parent | 15839707 | Dec 2017 | US |
| Child | 16511816 | US | |
| Parent | 15453819 | Mar 2017 | US |
| Child | 15839707 | US | |
| Parent | 14583545 | Dec 2014 | US |
| Child | 15453819 | US | |
| Parent | 13223319 | Sep 2011 | US |
| Child | 14583545 | US | |
| Parent | 12411233 | Mar 2009 | US |
| Child | 13223319 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17391998 | Aug 2021 | US |
| Child | 18159794 | US |
