Keithley Instruments, Inc.

William F Merkel

Wayne C Goeke

James A Niemann

Martin J Rice

William Knauer

Paul Grinberg

Carl Scharrer

Dave Rose

Warren Kumley

Provided is a method and system for diagnosing a test system to determine whether a condition of the test system contributed to an undesirable measurement result. The method includes interrogating a device under test comprising at least one of transmitting an electric signal to energize a device under test by the test system and conducting a passive measurement that does not require the device under test to be energized to be performed to determine if the device under test satisfies a design parameter. The method further includes processing an output signal including at least one of a responsive electric signal transmitted from the device under test in response to being energized and a passive signal corresponding to the passive measurement, and comparing a value of a property of the output signal to a reference value. Responsive to the comparing, the method determines whether the value of the output signal is within an acceptable tolerance of the reference value. A diagnostic routine is initiated on at least a portion of the test system involved in processing of the output signal and comparing the value of the output signal to the reference value when the value of the output signal falls outside of the acceptable tolerance.

Result directed diagnostic method and system

A test head for testing a DUT includes a probe card having a plurality of DUT probes, the probes being in contact with the DUT during the testing; an instrument carrier, the instrument carrier being located above the DUT during the testing; and a SMU mounted on the carrier for each of the probes, each SMU being operably connectable to a respective probe, wherein the carrier is moved with respect to the probe card to permit replacement of the probe card.

Instrument per pin test head

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Aurora, OH, United States of America

William F Merkel