Applied Materials, Inc.

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Akt Electron Beam Technology Gmbh

Ebetech Electron-beam Technology Vertriebs Gmbh

Matthias Brunner

Ralf Schmid

Shinichi Kurita

Benjamin M Johnston

Reinhold Schmitt

Hung T Nguyen

Sriram Krishnaswami

Emanuel Beer

Fayez E Abboud

John M White

James Craig Hunter

Paul Bocian

Edgar Kehrberg

Wendell T Blonigan

Yong Liu

Burkhard Lischke

Bernhard Gunter Mueller

Axel Wenzel

Fayez (Frank) E Abboud

Dieter Winkler

Juergen Frosien

Lee H Veneklasen

Hans-Peter Feuerbaum

Hermann Wessely

Ludwig Ledl

William Beaton

Young Seop Ko

Juan R Madonado

Michael Regula

An apparatus for testing of a plurality of electronic devices on a flexible substrate is described. The apparatus includes at least two rollers configured for guiding the flexible substrate into a testing area along transport direction, at least one prober configured for electrically contacting one or more of the electronic devices, at least one probing support configured for supporting a portion of the flexible substrate during electrical contact with the at least one prober, and a test device for functional testing of one or more of the electronic devices.

Roll to roll tester and method of testing flexible substrates roll to roll

The present invention relates to a device for testing an optoelectronic module, comprising a first source for generating an electromagnetic beam or particle beam, a second source for illuminating the optoelectronic module; and a detector. In addition, a method for testing an optoelectronic module is provided comprising illuminating the optoelectronic module, directing an electromagnetic beam or particle beam and detecting defects in the optoelectronic module. The illumination additional to the electromagnetic beam or particle beam makes defects visible which otherwise would not be detected.

Light-assisted testing of an optoelectronic module

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a drive electronics for driving a display with a matrixof picture elements. The drive circuitandfor generating signals for driving the pixels via control linesis provided with signals at the input terminalsvia contact areas. In addition to the contact areas used for the generation of arbitrary pictures, there exist contact areasused within the framework of a testing method. These contact areas for the testing method are also connected with the input terminalsof the drive circuit and are used for generating a test pattern.

Drive apparatus with improved testing properties

Methods and apparatus for determining whether a malfunctioning pixel in a large area substrate, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, is due to the pixel itself or to the driver circuit for that pixel and for localizing any driver circuit defects are provided. In an effort to localize the driver circuit defects, test pads coupled to the input and/or output of certain driver circuits may be fabricated on the substrate. The voltage or charge of these test pads may be detected using any suitable sensing device, such as an electron beam, an electro-optical sensor, or an electrode in close proximity to the surface of the pixels and/or drivers capacitively coupled to the pixel or driver. For some embodiments, the defective driver circuits may be repaired in the same area as the test area or may be transported via conveyor or robot to a separate repair station.

Localization of driver failures within liquid crystal displays

The invention relates to a method of calibration of the beam position of a corpuscular beam. A calibration body with structures is used, wherein the structures have a structure period Pin the plain section and within each structure there is a position L intended for the measurement. For the calibration, at least one detection signal each at structures in the plain section of the calibration body is generated, wherein the corpuscular beam is deflected with deflectors on beam target positions Lwith the beam target period P, which is larger than half of the structure period P, whereby a basic calibration is used for the control of the deflectors, and wherein the beam target deflections deviate either in the beam target period Pfrom the structure period Pand/or in the beam target position Lfrom the position L.

Method for beam calibration and usage of a calibration body

A method for testing a plurality of electronic devices formed on a large area substrate is described. In one embodiment, the method includes transferring a substrate on an end effector relative to a testing platform having a plurality of testing columns coupled thereto, the substrate having a plurality of electronic devices located thereon, and moving the substrate in a single directional axis relative to an optical axis of each of the plurality of testing columns, the single directional axis being substantially orthogonal to the optical axis to define a test area on the substrate, wherein the test area is configured to cover an entire length or an entire width of the substrate such that the testing columns are capable of testing the entire substrate as the substrate is moved through the test area.

In-line electron beam test system

A method of testing electronic devices on substrates is described. The method includes placing a configurable prober over a first substrate, testing the first substrate, re-configuring the configurable prober, placing the configurable prober over a second substrate, and testing the second substrate.

Configurable prober for TFT LCD array test

An apparatus and method for testing large area substrates is described. The large area substrates include patterns of displays and contact points electrically coupled to the displays on the large area substrate. The apparatus includes a prober assembly that is movable relative to the large area substrate and/or the contact points, and may be configured to test various patterns of displays and contact points on various large area substrates. The prober assembly is also configured to test fractional sections of the large area substrate positioned on a testing table, and the prober assembly may be configured for different display and contact point patterns without removing the prober assembly from the testing table.

Prober for electronic device testing on large area substrates

A method and apparatus for testing a plurality of electronic devices formed on a large area substrate is described. In one embodiment, the apparatus performs a test on the substrate in one linear axis in at least one chamber that is slightly wider than a dimension of the substrate to be tested. Clean room space and process time is minimized due to the smaller dimensions and volume of the system.

An apparatus and method for testing large area substrates is described. The large area substrates include patterns of displays and contact points electrically coupled to the displays. The apparatus includes a prober assembly that is movable relative to the large area substrate and may be configured to test various patterns of displays and contact points. The prober assembly is also configured to test fractional sections of the large area substrate. The apparatus also includes a test chamber configured to store at least two prober assemblies within an interior volume.

Mini-prober for TFT-LCD testing

The invention relates to methods for positioning of a substrate and contacting of the test object for testing with a test apparatus with an optical axis and corresponding devices. Thereby, the substrate is put on the holder. The substrate is positioned relative to the optical axis. A contact unit is also positioned relative to the optical axis, whereby the contact unit is positioned independent of the positioning activity of the substrate. Thereby, a flexible contacting of test objects on the substrate can be realized.

Apparatus and method for contacting of test objects

A method and an apparatus for testing the function of a plurality of microstructural elements by irradiation with particle radiation. All of the microstructural elements detected as malfunctioning are listed in a first error list in a first test sequence. The microstructural elements listed in the first error list are tested once more in at least one further test sequence and at least the result of the test sequence last carried out is evaluated to establish the overall test result. The first test sequence is designed so that, if possible, all of the microstructural elements which are actually malfunctioning are detected. The invention further relates to a method for producing microstructural elements which are constructed as a plurality on a substrate and are tested according to the above test method.

Method and apparatus for testing function of active microstructural elements and method for producing microstructural elements using the test method

A sensing system includes a plurality of probes arranged in a spaced relation around a stage that is adapted to support a substrate. Each probe includes a detection portion adapted to move from a known starting position toward an edge of the substrate that is supported by the stage; detect the edge of the substrate while the substrate is supported by the stage; generate a detection signal following said detection; and stop moving toward the edge of the substrate following said detection. A controller may determine an edge position of the substrate relative to the stage based on the known starting position of each detection portion and based on the detection signal generated by each detection portion. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Methods and apparatus for determining a position of a substrate relative to a support stage

An improved prober for an electronic devices test system is provided. The prober is 'configurable,' meaning that it can be adapted for different device layouts and substrate sizes. The prober generally includes a frame, at least one prober bar having a first end and a second end, a frame connection mechanism that allows for ready relocation of the prober bar to the frame at selected points along the frame, and a plurality of electrical contact pins along the prober bar for placing selected electronic devices in electrical communication with a system controller during testing. In one embodiment, the prober is be used to test devices such as thin film transistors on a glass substrate. Typically, the glass substrate is square, and the frame is also square. In this way, 'x' and &#x201c;y&#x201d; axes are defined by the frame. The electrical pins may be movable along the axial length of the prober bars, or may be selectively pushed down to contact selected contact pads on the substrate.

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Kirchheim, Germany

Matthias Brunner