Motorola Corporation

Gregory L Westbrook

William M Williams

Eric Alexander Dounce

Anthony Angelo

Dieter Frentz

Randall D Nelson

James C Van Zee

A sense circuit (23) for generating an actuating signal and a method of using the actuating signal to control movement of a wafer chuck (12). The sense circuit (23) has sense input terminals (24, 28) coupled to corresponding probe-card probes (19, 18). A wafer (26) having contact pads (42, 42') is mounted on the wafer chuck (12) and moved towards the probe-card probes (18, 19). When the probe-card probes (18, 19) contact corresponding contact pads (42', 42) on the wafer, the sense circuit (23) generates an actuating signal. The actuating signal, which is generated in accordance with the heights of the contact pads (42', 42), enables control circuit (48) of the prober (11). The control circuit limits the movement of the wafer chuck (12) to prevent damage to the probe card (12) or the wafer (26).

Method and means for controlling movement of a chuck in a test apparatus

An integrated circuit test system provides a quick change flexible circuit membrane (214). The flexible circuit membrane is a quadrant based design which allows steep launch angles away from a rectangular die under test (112). The flexible circuit membrane is edge guided (308,309) for positioning and concentric alignment in a probe tooling fixture (212). The system may include a focusing force member (528) focusing force only at the test point locations in line with the die pad contact positions (512) which allows greater force to be concentrated on the contact area, and helps to alleviate the debris tracking or 'dust mop' effect. Additionally, a relieved area (620) may be provided on the pressure applicator (616) to prevent membrane droop or the pillowing effects.

Integrated circuit test system

A method of forming a contact between a semiconductor die (10) and a probe (36, 37, 38, 41, 42). The semiconductor die (10) has an integrated circuit region (11) and a bonding pad region (12). A conductive plane (31, 32) couples a bonding pad (16, 17) on one side of the semiconductor die (10) with a bonding pad (16, 17) on an opposite side of the semiconductor die (10). A first probe (41, 42) is positioned a first vertical distance above the conductive plane (31, 32) and a second probe is positioned a second vertical distance above the bonding pad (16, 17) on the semiconductor die (10). The second vertical distance is greater than the first vertical distance. Contacting a portion of the conductive plane (31, 32) with the first probe (41, 42) followed by contacting the bonding pad (16, 17) on the semiconductor die (10)with the second probe (36, 37). The diameter of the first probe (41, 42) is greater than that of the second probe (36, 37).

Method of contacting a semiconductor die with probes

A method for controlling a characteristic impedance during testing of a semiconductor die (13). The semiconductor die (13) is mounted in a TAB package (10 or 54 ) wherein the TAB package ( 10 or 54 ) lacks a ground plane. A conductive plate (40 or 70) is removably mounted to a test contact fixture ( 29 or 60 ) . The conductive plate (40 or 70) may be coated with a layer of dielectric material (50, 56, or 74) having a specified thickness. The layer of dielectric material (50, 56, or 74) contacts a plurality of conductive fingers (16). A microstrip transmission line is formed which includes the plurality of conductive fingers (16) , the layer of dielectric material (50, 56, or 74), and the conductive plate (40 or 70). The semiconductor die (13) is tested by a computer controlled automatic tester (28).

Method for electrically testing a semiconductor die using a test

A test contact fixture which uses a flexible printed circuit tape to make contact to the integrated circuit and to a rigid printed circuit board which is part of the test equipment. The flexible printed circuit tape is held tightly against a hardened steel support allowing extremely accurate alignment both horizontally and vertically. The mounting plate provides a ground plane so that each lead may easily be configured as a 50 ohm transmission line. Leads of the integrated circuit under test are held in contact with the conductive lines on top of the flexible printed circuit tape by externally applied pressure allowing extremely rapid loading and unloading of the fixture. The body of the integrated circuit is held clear of the contact surfaces allowing heat control fixtures to be used to control the temperature of the integrated circuit during testing.

Test contact fixture using flexible circuit tape

An improvement in a pulsed radar system providing coherent-on-receive signals utilizing digital techniques. The phase of the transmitted signal is compared to the phase of a stable local oscillator and the phase relationship is converted to a complex digital number which is then stored in a suitable short term memory. The received signals are also converted to complex digital numbers containing both the phase relationship to the stable local oscillator and the amplitude of the return video signal. The digitized received signals are then digitally phase corrected to provide coherence using the stored complex digital numbers for the correction. The internally generated timing signals are generated synchronously to reduce the inter-signal jitter due to noise.

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Chandler, AZ, United States of America

Gregory L Westbrook