Motorola Corporation

Larry A Nickerson

Mavin C Swapp

Milo W Frisbie

A test fixture operates under the control of a computer to make automatic correction in test contact spacing between the test fixture contact pins and the circuit under test. The computer detects continuity test failures and raises the test fixture to bring the test contact pins into proximity with the leads of the circuit under test. The computer controls rotation of a motor that drives a screw and moves a shaft and wedge assembly in the horizontal direction. A push rod is attached to the test fixture by way of a base plate and angle brackets. The push rod resting on the wedge slide up and down to raise and lower the test fixture.

Apparatus and method of correcting loss of test contact continuity

A handler (11) which transports a number of packaged semiconductor devices (12) in a boat (23) to a test head (14) and tests the devices (12) is provided. The handler (11) has an input staging section (29), a testing section (31) which is adjacent to the test head (14), and an output staging section (36). A boat transport (27a, 27b) moves the boat (23) from the input staging section (29) to the testing section (31) and from the testing section (31) to the output staging section (36). The boat transport (27a, 27b) operates during the device testing to provide substantially parallel operation of the testing and handling steps. A boat lift (39) moves the boat (23) to the test head (14) to allow the packaged semiconductor devices (12) to remain in the boat (23) during testing.

Packaged semiconductor device handler

A handler for semiconductor devices has a positioning wheel with a number of platforms that hold semiconductor devices, a mechanism for rotating the positioning wheel, and a mechanism for elevating and lowering the platforms. A semiconductor device is inserted into one of the platforms, the positioning wheel rotates until the platform is aligned with the leads of a semiconductor device tester. The platform is then raised placing the leads of the tester in contact with the semiconductor device. After testing is complete, the platform is lowered to the surface of the wheel and the wheel is rotated further to align the platform with an apparatus for storing semiconductor devices. The tested semiconductor device is ejected from the platform into the sorting apparatus.

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Mesa, AZ, United States of America

Larry A Nickerson