IP Library Granted Patent US 7,679,392
Granted Patent B2
US 7,679,392 · App. 12/346,087 · Granted Mar 16, 2010

Methods and systems for semiconductor testing using reference dice

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,679,392
App. No.
12/346,087
Granted
Mar 16, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems of semiconductor testing where reference dice and non-reference dice in a wafer and/or lot are tested differently. In one embodiment of the invention, geography, lithography exposure, other characteristics, performance and/or behavior are taken into account when selecting reference dice, thereby improving the likelihood that the response of reference dice to testing is well representative of the wafer and/or lot. In one embodiment, based on data from the testing of reference dice, the test flow for non-reference dice and/or other testing may or may not be adjusted.

Claims (7)

1. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein of semiconductor testing, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code for causing the computer to determine a group of semiconductor dice in a wafer which can be assumed to respond similarly to testing, wherein said group includes less than all dice in said wafer; and

computer readable program code for causing the computer to select at least one reference die from said group for testing differently than other dice in said group which were not selected as reference dice, wherein said at least one reference die includes less than all dice in said group.

2. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein of semiconductor testing, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code for causing the computer to identify or not identify a semiconductor die provided for testing as a reference die which had been previously selected as representative of a group of dice in a wafer that can be assumed to respond similarly to testing, wherein said group includes less than all dice in said wafer, and wherein less than all dice in said group had been previously selected as a reference die;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to test said die with a reference die test flow if said die is identified as a reference die; and

computer readable program code for causing the computer to test said die with a non-reference die test flow if said die is not identified as a reference die.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (REEL/FRAME 057280/0028) Recorded Oct 13, 2023
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065231/0466 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 18, 2021
From: NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 057280/0028 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 23, 2021
From: BALOG, GIL
To: OPTIMALTEST LTD.
Reel/Frame 056023/0860 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 4, 2020
From: BANK LEUMI LE-ISRAEL B.M.
To: OPTIMAL PLUS LTD.
Reel/Frame 052838/0945 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 3, 2019
From: OPTIMAL PLUS LTD.
To: BANK LEUMI LE-ISRAEL B.M.
Reel/Frame 051155/0161 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 4, 2014
From: OPTIMAL TEST LTD
To: OPTIMAL PLUS LTD
Reel/Frame 033685/0637 →