Teradyne, Inc.

Tyco Electronics Corporation

Frank Parrish

Arash Behziz

Roya Yaghmai

Derek Castellano

Arthur E LeColst

Donald Eric Thompson

Keith J Breinlinger

Brian Brecht

Daniel DeLessert

Jonathan M Becker

Michael Herzog

Diwakar Saxena

Brian Charles Wadell

Roger Allen Sinsheimer

Vladimir Vayner

Gerald H Johnson

Steven Hauptman

Timothy Daniel Lyons

Brian G Donovan

Kevin P Manning

David Evans

Mohamadreza Ray Mirkhani

Brandon E Creager

Edward Patrick Dague

Michael F Halblander

Josh M Mellinger

Edward Dague

Timothy Lee Farris

An interposer for a test system includes coaxial cables, each of which is configured to transport a first portion of current originating from a current source, and printed circuit boards (PCBs), each of which is connected to a set of the coaxial cables in order to receive the first portion of the current from each coaxial cable in the set and to transport a second portion of the current. A spring leaf assembly includes spring leaves, each of which is connected to a PCB in order to transport a third portion of the current obtained from the PCB to a device interface board (DIB) that connects to devices under test (DUTs) to be tested by the test system. The coaxial cables on each PCB are arranged in parallel, the PCBs are arranged in parallel, and the spring leaves on each PCB are arranged in parallel.

Interposer

An example polarity inverter includes multiple contactors, each of which includes switches that are controllable to configure a current path. Each of the multiple contactors includes contacts, which are interleaved such that first contacts to receive voltage having a first polarity alternate with second contacts to receive voltage having a second polarity, where the first polarity and the second polarity are different. The polarity inverter also includes a first conductive plate to connect electrically to each of the first contacts, and a second conductive plate to connect electrically to each of the second contacts. The first conductive plate and the second conductive plate are in parallel. A dielectric material is between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate.

Inductance control system

An example test system has resources that are distributed for access by a device under test (DUT). The example test system includes a device interface board (DIB) having sites to connect to devices to test, and a tester having slots configured to hold test instruments. Each test instrument has resources that are distributed over a dimension of the DIB. The resources are distributed to enable the devices in the sites equal access to the resources.

Test system having distributed resources

An example circuit board structure includes: a substrate; and vias that are electrically conductive and that pass through the substrate to enable electrical connection through the circuit board structure. The substrate is thinner, and lengths of the vias are shorter, in first areas of the circuit board structure that deliver first speed signals than in second areas of the circuit board structure that deliver second speed signals and power. The first speed signals have a shorter rise time than the second speed signals.

Pocketed circuit board

Apparatus and methods for fabricating an interposer that may be used in testing a large number of electronic circuits or devices in parallel. The interposer may be fabricated from a plurality of modules that may be assembled into a selected shape, such that the assembled modules substantially fill the selected shape, e.g., a circle approximately the size of a semiconductor wafer. The plurality of modules may be formed from a single base shape (e.g., formed from a single injection mold). A portion of the formed modules may be machined into a first machined shape, or first and second machined shapes. The assembled modules may include only the base shape and first machined shape or first and second machined shapes. The limited number of shapes can reduce fabrication costs for an interposer.

Probe-card interposer constructed using hexagonal modules

In one implementation, a method is provided for constructing an interface module which includes constructing a board having a signal via through the board, and having at least one ground via extending through the board. The method further includes back drilling the signal via to create a center conductor hole above a remaining portion of the signal via and back drilling a shield opening in the board and at least part way into the at least one ground via such that a height of the center conductor hole is reduced. The method further includes plating the shield opening and the center conductor hole, and back drilling to remove a portion of the plating to electrically isolate the plated shield opening and the plated center conductor hole.

Coaxial cable to printed circuit board interface module

A shielded cable interface module having cable receiving grooves extending laterally to an edge of the board, each including a center conductor groove, an insulator groove, and a shield groove. A center conductor via and a shield via extend through the board. A conductor plane on the cable termination side surrounds the cable receiving grooves. The conductor plane includes a non-conductor region within the conductor plane adjacent to each of the conductor center conductor grooves. Ground vias associated with the cable receiving grooves are spaced apart from and partially surround the center conductor via outside and adjacent to the non-conductor region, the ground vias extend through the printed circuit board from the cable termination side to the system interface side.

Shielded cable interface module and method of fabrication

In one embodiment, an interface module is provided for connecting a plurality of signal paths to a high signal density interface. The interface module includes a board having axial conductor receptacles. The axial conductor receptacles have at least one ground via extending through the board to an interface side of the board and a shield receiving hole in the board extending into the board from a cable side of the board. At least a portion of the at least one ground via being exposed within the shield receiving hole, the shield receiving hole having a plating therein contacting the portion of the at least one ground via exposed within the shield receiving hole. The axial conductor receptacles have a plated center conductor receiving hole in the board, which extends to a signal via. The signal via extends from the center conductor hole to the interface side of the board. A non-plated hole in the board is located between the plated center conductor hole and the shield receiving hole.

A semiconductor wafer prober is configured to rotate a semiconductor wafer into relative alignment with a wafer-interface probe adapted to simultaneously probe a number of integrated circuits within a sector of the semiconductor wafer. The wafer can include integrated circuits having different orientations, such that all of the integrated circuits within a given sector being tested have the same orientation. For example, a semiconductor wafer can include two semicircular sectors, with the integrated circuits on either sector having a common orientation rotated 180 degrees from a common orientation of the integrated circuits of the other sector. A wafer-interface probe, or probe card, adapted to test the entire semicircular sector during a single touch down is able to test the entire wafer with one rotational translation between testing.

Rotational positioner and methods for semiconductor wafer test systems

The traditional device interface board is replaced by a number of smaller strips containing one or more electrical components for interfacing the device under test and the test head. The device interface modules may mount to a stiffening member having a back bone and multiple ribs running through the stiffening member. The device interface strips can create a lattice-like structure for the interface circuitry. Individual circuits may be disposed on the interface strips to perform functionality relating to the device under test and/or the test head.

Modularized device interface with grounding insert between two strips

A device for interfacing a test head and a prober is disclosed using wires or cables to provide the connection from a probe card interface boards to the probe card. The use of wires or cables, in place of the traditional pogo pin arrangement allows for more reliable and efficient testing, as well as additional high performance tests to be run. Optionally, a probe interface contains a stiffening member with multiple sidewalks and individual, configuration-specific probe card interface strips are connected to a probe card through zero insertion force clamps. The probe card interface attaches to the test head using standard probe interface board ('PIB') docking mechanics. The assembly is then connected to a probe to carry out the testing procedures.

Automatic testing equipment instrument card and probe cabling system and apparatus

In one embodiment, a tester interface module for connecting a plurality of signal paths from at least one electronic assembly to at least one other electronic assembly is provided. The interface module includes a capture board having center conductor vias with center conductor holes extending through the capture board. Axial cables secured to the capture board have center conductors extending at least part way through a corresponding center conductor hole of the center conductor via. An interface component is adjacent to the capture board, the conductor paths being conductively bonded to the conductor vias of the capture board so as to electrically connect center conductors to corresponding conductor paths. The conductor paths of the interface component are arranged to allow connection with an electronic assembly.

Tester interface module

A coaxial cable for transmitting high frequency signals includes includes a body having a center conductor and a shield formed coaxially around the center conductor and separated from the center conductor by a layer of dielectric having an annular layer of electro-static-discharge polymer. The cable also includes conductive pads to engage contacts on a mating connector. At least one of the conductive pads is attached to the center conductor and at least another one of the conductive pads is attached to the shield.

Coaxial cable for overvoltage protection

In one embodiment a high power interface apparatus is provided having a multilayer laminated cable including force conductor planes having flush and recessed portions and return conductor planes having flush and recessed portions. The flush portions of the conductor planes extend to a contact end of the laminated cable and the recessed portions are removed from the contact end. The flush portions are aligned along axes at the contact end. The flush portions of the return conductor planes are aligned at the contact end along axes aligned within recessed portions of the force conductor planes. A dielectric material separates the force and return conductor planes. Surface contact pads may be provided on the contact end including force contact pads, each contacting and extending along aligned flush portions of the force conductor planes, and including return conductor pads, each contacting and extending along aligned flush portions of the return conductor planes. The contact pads may be formed by plating the end, and then scoring. The multilayer laminate cable can be formed with a rigid portion near the contact end and a flexible portion between the cable ends. In some embodiments the force and return conductor planes of the flexible portion extend to the ends of the cable while the rigid portion can be formed with additional force and return conductor planes. Through vias may be included at the rigid portion to electrically couple the force conductor planes together and to electrically coupling the return conductor planes together.

High power interface

An interface module for connecting a plurality of signal paths from a first electronic assembly to a second electronic assembly is disclosed. The interface module includes a plurality of coaxial cables having distal ends adapted for coupling to the first electronic assembly and proximal ends, each cable having a shield conductor and a center conductor. A stiffener formed with a plurality of throughbores receives the proximal ends of the plurality of signal cables, the stiffener having a flat termination side at one end of the plurality of throughbores. The module further includes a signal transition assembly having a flat substrate bonded to the stiffener termination side. The substrate includes respective opposite sides and is formed with spaced-apart signal paths and ground paths extending from one side to the other side. Each center conductor and shield conductor are electrically coupled to the signal paths and ground paths and mounted to the signal transition assembly to minimize relative axial displacement.

Growing community of inventors

Simi Valley, CA, United States of America

Frank Parrish