Automated prevention of transfer of an unsoaked ic package from a temperature soaking chamber to a testing chamber

Abstract

For ensuring that each of a plurality of IC (integrated circuit) packages are placed within a temperature soaking chamber for a predetermined time period before being transferred to a testing chamber, an input stopper device is disposed at an input of a track with the track being disposed through the temperature soaking chamber. A prior container holding a prior plurality of IC packages is placed at the input of the track such that the prior plurality of IC packages slides out of the prior container along the track into the soaking chamber when the input stopper device is at a passing position. The prior plurality of IC packages is placed within the soaking chamber for the predetermined time period before each of the prior plurality of IC packages is transferred to the testing chamber when an output stopper device at an output of the track within the soaking chamber is placed to a passing position. A control unit, coupled to the input stopper device, controls the input stopper device to be at a stopping position until each of the prior plurality of IC packages has been transferred to the testing chamber and until the output stopper device is placed to a stopping position when the control unit controls the input stopper device to be at the passing position. Thus, each of a subsequent plurality of IC packages within a subsequent container is blocked, by the input stopper device, to be contained within the subsequent container placed at the input of the track until each of the prior plurality of IC packages within the soaking chamber has been transferred to the testing chamber. In addition, each of the subsequent plurality of IC packages is blocked by the output stopper device from being transferred to the testing chamber until the subsequent plurality of IC packages has been within the soaking chamber for the predetermined time period.