Analog Devices International Unlimited Company

Derek Nolan

Padraig Fitzgerald

Lei Wang

Padraig McDaid

Philip Brennan

Dragoslav Culum

Patrick Martin McGuinness

Eric James Carty

Naveen Dhull

Erkan Acar

Randy Oltman

An apparatus is provided that is implemented to enable multiple tests of different types, such as a direct current (DC) test and/or a radio frequency (RF) test of a semiconductor device. The apparatus includes a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switch block coupled between the semiconductor device and automatic testing equipment (ATE). The apparatus is configured to enable/disable a DC path or an RF path to switch between a DC test and an RF test without reconfiguring the connections between the semiconductor device and the ATE. The DC path is used to perform a DC contact test for one or more pins of the semiconductor device. The RF path is used to perform an RF test for the semiconductor device.

Apparatuses and methods for testing semiconductor circuitry using microelectromechanical systems switches

A phase shifter that includes an RF splitter is disclosed. The RF splitter is arranged so that an RF input signal is provided to, and split over portions of, a feed line that connects an antenna element with a radio transmitter/receiver/transceiver, thus realizing a feed line splitter. Feed line splitters described herein are provided with switches that allow changing a point at which the RF input signal is fed to the feed line, where the switches may be semiconductor-based or MEMS-based switches. The point at which the RF input signal is provided to the feed line to be split defines the electrical path length that the RF energy will travel down each respective path of the feed line splitter, which, in turn, changes the phase shift realized at each output of the feed line splitter. Different antenna elements may be coupled to different outputs of the feed line splitter.

Phase shifters using switch-based feed line splitters

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Tralee, Ireland

Derek Nolan