Integrated circuit device test apparatus
A carrier and a frame, movable relative to one another in both an x-y direction and a z direction provide a test bed for MEMS like integrated circuits. The carrier includes receptacles mounted on a test substrate. The frame includes pins projecting from a surface of a plate. The plate has open areas. In a test sequence, the frame and carrier are oriented so that the cavities are exposed by open areas of the plate; a tool is used to place a device to be tested in each cavity; the frame and carrier are moved into alignment and toward one another to bring the pin ends into contact with the devices in the cavities. Then a test cycle is carried out. Following the test cycle the process is reversed to expose the devices for a pick-and-place tool to remove and bin the tested devices.
1. IC device testing apparatus comprising:
a frame and a carrier configured to be movable relative one another in an x-y plane and in a z direction, said carrier comprising receptacles mounted on a test substrate, each said receptacle having one or more cavities into which devices to be tested can be received; said frame comprising pins mounted to and projecting from a surface of a plate, said plate having open areas; wherein said pins are arranged in a manner complementary to an arrangement of said cavities, and said open areas are arranged in a manner complementary to the arrangement of said cavities.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each receptacle includes one cavity.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each receptacle includes a plurality of cavities.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cavities are blind, so that devices placed in the cavities rest on test contacts in a cavity floor.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cavities pass through the receptacles, so that the devices rest upon test contacts on the test substrate itself.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said open areas are formed as openings through the plate.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said open areas are formed at the plate margin.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said open areas include both openings through the plate and open areas at the plate margin.
9. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said frame and said carrier are configured to be moveable relative to one another in an x-y plane along a straight trajectory.
10. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said frame and said carrier are configured to be moveable relative to one another in an x-y plane along a curved trajectory.
11. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said frame and said carrier are configured to be moveable relative to one another in an x-y plane along a circular trajectory.
12. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said frame and said carrier are configured to be rotatable relative to one another in an x-y plane about a common center.
13. Apparatus of claim 12 wherein said test substrate is mounted on a first surface of a support, said test substrate and said support having an opening therethrough at said center; further comprising a stem mounted on a second side of said support, said stem having a cylindrical bore therethrough defining a rotational axis passing through said center perpendicular to said x-y plane; and wherein said frame has an axle mounted on said plate surface, having an axis passing through said center perpendicular to said x-y plane, said axle being dimensioned to move slidably and rotatably within said bore.
14. A system for IC device testing, comprising test apparatus as recited in claim 1 , device placement and removal apparatus, frame and carrier handling apparatus, and test control and record apparatus operatively connected to test circuitry in the test substrate; wherein the frame and carrier handling apparatus, the device placement and removal apparatus, and the test control and record apparatus are operatively connected.
15. The system of claim 14 , including a control system coupled to the frame and carrier handling apparatus, the device placement and removal apparatus, and the test control and record apparatus, including logic executable perform a process including:
orienting the frame and carrier so that the open areas of the plate expose a plurality of cavities on the carrier;
loading IC devices to be tested in the exposed cavities;
moving the frame relative to the carrier to align the pins with the cavities;
moving the frame toward the carrier so that the pins secure the devices within the cavities and provide electrical contact of the devices to test circuitry;
initiating a device test program;
completing the test program;
moving the frame away from the carrier and moving the frame relative to the carrier to expose the cavities; and
removing the IC devices from the cavities and binning the devices.
16. The system of claim 14 , including a control system coupled to the frame and carrier handling apparatus, the device placement and removal apparatus, and the test control and record apparatus, including logic executable perform a process including:
orienting the frame and carrier so that the open areas of the plate expose a plurality of cavities on the carrier;
loading IC devices to be tested in the exposed cavities;
moving the frame relative to the carrier to align the pins with the cavities;
moving the frame toward the carrier so that the pins secure the devices within the cavities and provide electrical contact of the devices to test circuitry;
initiating a device test program;
moving the frame and carrier as a unit to perturb sensors on the devices;
completing the test program;
moving the frame away from the carrier and moving the frame relative to the carrier to expose the cavities; and
removing the IC devices from the cavities and binning the devices.
17. A method for testing IC devices, comprising:
providing test apparatus as recited in claim 1 ;
orienting the frame and carrier so that the open areas of the plate expose a plurality of cavities on the carrier;
loading IC devices to be tested in the exposed cavities;
moving the frame relative to the carrier to align the pins with the cavities;
moving the frame toward the carrier so that the pins secure the devices within the cavities and provide electrical contact of the devices to test circuitry;
initiating a device test program;
completing the test program;
moving the frame away from the carrier and moving the frame relative to the carrier to expose the cavities; and
removing the IC devices from the cavities and binning the devices.
18. A method for testing IC devices having an inertial sensing functionality, comprising:
providing test apparatus as recited in claim 1 ;
orienting the frame and carrier so that the open areas of the plate expose a plurality of cavities on the carrier;
loading IC devices to be tested in the exposed cavities;
moving the frame relative to the carrier to align the pins with the cavities;
moving the frame toward the carrier so that the pins secure the devices within the cavities and provide electrical contact of the devices to test circuitry;
initiating a device test program;
moving the frame and carrier as a unit to perturb sensors on the devices;
completing the test program;
moving the frame away from the carrier and moving the frame relative to the carrier to expose the cavities; and
removing the IC devices from the cavities and binning the devices.