TEST FIXTURE AND METHOD FOR TESTING A SEMI-FINISHED CHIP PACKAGE

Abstract

A test fixture has a base, a positioning board, multiple probes, a cushion board, multiple springs and multiple inner bolts. The base has a recess defined in the base. The positioning board is mounted in the recess. The probe is mounted on the positioning board and each probe has a top contacting end. The cushion board is mounted slidably in the recess and has a socket hole to hold a semi-finished chip package. The springs are mounted in the positioning board between the recess and the cushion board and press and bias the cushion board upward. The inner bolts are mounted slidably through the cushion and the springs and the are mounted securely in the base. The cushion board and springs reduce the impact from the semi-finished chip package to the probes so that the probes would not be damaged.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method for testing a semi-finished chip package in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view in partial section of a first embodiment of a test fixture used in the semi-finished chip package in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the test fixture in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view in partial section of a second embodiment of a test fixture used in the semi-finished chip package in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an operation side view in partial section of the test fixture in FIG. 2 with the vacuum suction head holding the semi-finished chip package, wherein the upward arrow in the through hole in the vacuum suction head illustrates the suction force by the air pump;

FIG. 6 is an operational side view in partial section of the test fixture in FIG. 5 with the vacuum suction head moving and pressing the semi-finished chip package in the recess of the test fixture, wherein the downward arrow in the central hole in the vacuum suction head illustrates the positive air pressure force from the vacuum suction head and the downward arrow outside the vacuum suction head illustrates the mechanical force from the vacuum suction head;

FIG. 7 is a side view in partial section of a conventional test fixture with a conventional vacuum suction head in accordance with the prior art holding a semi-finished chip package; and

FIG. 8 is a side view in partial section of the conventional test fixture and vacuum suction head pressing the deformed and curved semi-finished chip packaged in the recess in the conventional test fixture.

Claims

1. A test fixture comprising: a base having a top and a bottom and further having a recess defined in the top of the base and having an inner bottom surface; andmultiple inner mounting holes defined in the inner bottom surface of the recess;a positioning board mounted in the recess and having multiple lower probe holes defined through the positioning board; andmultiple spring holes defined through the positioning board;multiple probes mounted on the positioning board and each probe having a top contacting end and a bottom end mounted respectively in the lower probe holes in the positioning board;a cushion board mounted and being capable of sliding up and down in the recess and having a socket hole defined in the cushion board and having an inner bottom surface;multiple upper probe holes defined through the cushion board communicating with the socket hole, slidably mounted respectively around the probes and selectively protruding the probes into the socket hole; andmultiple inner mounting holes defined through the cushion board;multiple springs mounted respectively in the spring holes in the positioning board between the inner bottom surface of the recess and the cushion board and pressing against and biasing the cushion board upward; andmultiple inner bolts slidably mounted respectively through the inner mounting holes in the cushion board, mounted respectively through the springs and securely mounted respectively in the inner mounting holes in the base.

2. The test fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the cushion board comprises a seat having a top surface and an annular frame mounted on the seat;the socket hole defined through the annular frame;the upper probe holes are defined through the seat; andthe inner mounting holes in the cushion board are defined through the seat.

3. The test fixture as claimed in claim 2, wherein: the cushion board further has multiple oil-free bearings mounted respectively in the inner mounting holes in the cushion board; andthe inner bolts are slidably mounted respectively through the oil-free bearings.

4. The test fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein: each inner mounting hole in the base has a bushing mounted in the inner mounting hole; andthe inner bolts are securely mounted respectively in the bushings in the inner mounting holes in the base.

5. The test fixture as claimed in claim 2, wherein: each inner mounting hole in the base has a bushing mounted in the inner mounting hole; andthe inner bolts are securely mounted respectively in the bushings in the inner mounting holes in the base.

6. A method for testing a semi-finished chip package comprising: an installing act being installing a semi-finished chip package into a socket hole in a base of a test fixture by suction force from a vacuum suction head;a pressing and flattening act being pressing an outer edge of the semi-finished chip package in the socket hole by the vacuum suction head with a mechanical force, pressing and flattening a central area of the semi-finished chip package by a positive air pressure force from the vacuum suction head and contacting multiple probes in the socket hole with the semi-finished chip;a testing act being testing the semi-finished chip package through the probes connected electrically to a carrier of a testing device; anda removing act being removing the semi-finished chip package out from the socket hole of the base of the test fixture by the vacuum suction head.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein: the mechanical force is from an annular bottom edge of the vacuum suction head pressing against the outer edge of the semi-finished chip package;the positive air pressure force is from a central hole of the vacuum suction head; andthe positive air pressure force from the central hole is smaller than the mechanical force from the annular bottom edge.