Adv Antest Corporation

Niels Markert

Anthony Le

Robert F Sauer

Hiroki Yamoto

Rochit Rajsuman

An apparatus for supporting and manipulating a testhead for testing semiconductor devices includes a supporting frame, plates adapted to be mounted on opposite sides of the testhead and controllable shafts that connect the supporting frame to the plates. Each plate has an opening in which a flanged bearing is fitted. The testhead is mounted by moving the respective shafts through the flanged bearings within the openings of plates. In this manner, the shafts support the testhead on two fixed pivots. The shafts also provide a fixed axis of rotation about which the testhead can be rotated. The testhead can be locked in a particular position about the fixed rotation axis by a locking pin inserted into one of a plurality of locking holes surrounding the plate opening. A lever arm connected to the locking pin is utilized to change the radial position of the testhead. The testhead is dismounted by unlocking the locking pin and moving the shafts from the flanged bearings.

Apparatus for supporting and manipulating a testhead in an automatic test equipment system

The present invention is directed to a locking apparatus and loadboard assembly of a semiconductor testing device apparatus. The loadboard assembly includes a printed circuit board containing a device under test and an interface board secured to the bottom of the printed circuit board. The interface board has two members with a space between them. Spacers connect the members to form apertures for contact pins on a test head. The loadboard assembly is placed on top of a locking apparatus which is mounted on the top surface of the test head. The placement of the loadboard on the locking apparatus is done according to two pins of different cross-sections that extend through two holes in the interface board and printed circuit board of the loadboard assembly. When the loadboard assembly is placed on the locking mechanism, rollers mounted on the interface board are received in cam slots of a cam member of the locking apparatus. These rollers follow the cam slots as the cam member is moved. Based on the profile of the cam slots, the loadboard assembly can be gradually lowered to achieve contact between the printed circuit board and the contact pins on the test head and to lock the interface board.

Locking apparatus and loadboard assembly

The present invention is directed to a test head Hifix of a semiconductor device testing apparatus that does not require disassembly for maintenance or repair of the semiconductor device testing apparatus. In one embodiment, the test head Hifix of a semiconductor device testing apparatus includes a plate that resides as the top surface of a test head and on which the assembly, loadboard, socket and DUT are mounted. The plate is attached to the test head in an arrangement that allows the plate along with the assembly, loadboard, socket and DUT to be easily moved without completely disassembling the plate, assembly and loadboard from the test head. In one embodiment, the plate is attached or coupled to the test head by hinges.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Niels Markert