Patent US6064213A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6064213A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Wafer-level burn-in and test
Assignee: FormFactor Inc
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Filing: 1997-01-15
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Granted: 2000-05-16
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Expires: 2017-01-15
Abstract
Abstract Wafer-level burn-in and test of semiconductor devices under test (DUTs) includes a test substrate having active electronic components (e.g. ASICs) secured to an interconnection substrate, spring contact elements effecting interconnections between the ASICs and the DUTs. This is advantageously performed in a vacuum vessel so that the ASICs can be operated at temperatures independent from and significantly lower than the burn-in temperature of the DUTs. The spring contact elements may be mounted to either the DUTs or to the ASICs. The spring contact elements may fan out to relax tolerance constraints on aligning and interconnecting the ASICs and the DUTs. A significant reduction in interconnect count and consequent simplification of the interconnection substrate is realized because the ASICs are capable of receiving a plurality of signals for testing the DUTs over relatively few signal lines from a host controller and promulgating these signals over the relatively many interconnections between the ASICs and the DUTs. The ASICs can also generate at least a portion of these signals in response to control signals from the host controller.
Inventors
- 👤 Igor Y. Khandros
- 👤 David V. Pedersen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 08:19
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R1/00; G01R1/02; G01R1/06; G01R1/067; G01R1/073; G01R1/07307; G01R1/07342; G01R31/00; G01R31/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 58
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A method for supporting wafer-level test of one or more semiconductor devices (DUTs) resident on a semiconductor wafer, providing a semiconductor device (DUT) resident on a semiconductor wafer, the DUT having terminals, providing an active electronic component having a surface and one or more terminals on the surface, the active electronic component connecting one or more test signals between the DUT and a test circuit; providing a first plurality of spring contact elements between the DUT and the active electronic component, the spring contact elements of a size for chip scale connection, and directly connecting one or more terminals of the DUT to a corresponding one or more terminals of the active electronic component through a corresponding one or more spring contact elements.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
123 words
A method for supporting wafer-level test of one or more semiconductor devices (DUTs) resident on a semiconductor wafer, providing a semiconductor device (DUT) resident on a semiconductor wafer, the DUT having terminals, providing an active electronic component having a surface and one or more terminals on the surface, the active electronic component connecting one or more test signals between the DUT and a test circuit; providing a first plurality of spring contact elements between the DUT and the active electronic component, the spring contact elements of a size for chip scale connection, and directly connecting one or more terminals of the DUT to a corresponding one or more terminals of the active electronic component through a corresponding one or more spring contact elements.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: a second plurality of the spring contact elements are mounted to the DUT.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: a second plurality of the spring contact elements are mounted to the active electronic component.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: a second plurality of the spring contact elements connecting the active electronic component to the DUT are mounted to an intermediary substrate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
The method of claim 1 wherein each of a second plurality of the spring contact elements comprises a free standing, resilient element, mounted to a first electronic component and in contact with a second electronic component, where the active electronic component and the DUT are respectively the first and second or second and first electronic component, the method further comprising connecting the free standing, resilient element to the second electronic component.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the active electronic component makes selected electrical connection to the DUT and to no other DUT on the semiconductor wafer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing a plurality of DUTs on the semiconductor wafer; providing a plurality of spring contact elements between the active electronic component and one or more corresponding terminals of a first plurality of the plurality of DUTs; and connecting the active electronic component to one or more DUTs of the plurality of DUTs.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
79 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing a first plurality of DUTs on the semiconductor wafer; providing a first plurality of active electronic components; providing a second plurality of spring contact elements between a second plurality of active electronic components and one or more corresponding terminals of a second plurality of the plurality of DUTs; and connecting the second plurality of active electronic components to one or more DUTs of the second plurality of the plurality of DUTs.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 8 further comprising providing a third plurality of active electronic components and a third plurality of spring contact elements and connecting substantially every DUT on the semiconductor wafer to at least one of the third plurality of active electronic components.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 8 further comprising providing a third plurality of active electronic devices and a third plurality of spring contact elements and connecting substantially every DUT in a region of the semiconductor wafer to at least one of the third plurality of active electronic devices.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: the active electronic component is an ASIC.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: selectively activating the active electronic component so as to test the DUT.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising generating test information and delivering that test information through the active electronic component through the first plurality of spring contact elements to the DUT.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 13 further comprising providing a test circuit in the active electronic device and connecting the test circuit to the DUT.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 13 further comprising connecting a test circuit to the active electronic device and connecting the test circuit to the DUT.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 13 further comprising collecting first test results from the response of the DUT and delivering the test results through the active electronic component.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing a host controller; and connecting the host controller to the active electronic component.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
79 words
The method of claim 17, further comprising: providing a first plurality of DUTs; providing a first plurality of active electronic components; providing common lines from the host controller to one or more of the first plurality of active electronic components, the number of common lines being fewer than the number of lines needed to make direct connection to one or more DUTs to be tested; and providing test signals for testing the plurality of DUTs over the common lines.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 18 further comprising testing one or more of the first plurality of DUTs to generate second test results, collecting the second test results and delivering the second test results to the host controller through the common lines.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising: providing a power supply; and connecting the power supply to one or more of the active electronic components.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 20 further comprising providing voltage regulation in the active electronic components.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the terminals of the active electronic components are capture pads.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the terminals of the electronic component are capture features.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising mounting the active electronic components to an interconnection substrate.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 performing a first test with the DUT at a first temperature and performing a second test with the DUT at a second temperature.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining the active electronic component at a different temperature than the DUT.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein a spring contact element comprises a composite interconnection element.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising aligning the active electronic device with the DUT before establishing a connection between them.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
115 words
An apparatus for performing wafer-level test of one or more semiconductor devices (DUTs) resident on a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor device (DUT) resident on a semiconductor wafer, the DUT having terminals, an active electronic component having a surface and one or more terminals on the surface, the active electronic component connecting one or more test signals between the DUT and a test circuit; and a first plurality of spring contact elements connecting the DUT and the active electronic component, the spring contact elements of a size for chip scale connection, each spring contact element directly connecting one or more terminals of the DUT to a corresponding one or more terminals of the active electronic component.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
115 words
An apparatus for performing wafer-level test of one or more semiconductor devices (DUTs) resident on a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor device (DUT) resident on a semiconductor wafer, the DUT having terminals, an active electronic component having a surface and one or more terminals on the surface, the active electronic component connecting one or more test signals between the DUT and a test circuit; and a first plurality of spring contact elements connecting the DUT and the active electronic component, the spring contact elements of a size for chip scale connection, each spring contact element directly connecting one or more terminals of the DUT to a corresponding one or more terminals of the active electronic component.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 29 wherein: a second plurality of the spring contact elements are mounted to the DUT.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus of claim 30 wherein each of a third plurality of the spring contact elements comprises a free standing, resilient element, mounted to a first electronic component and in contact with a second electronic component, where the active electronic component and the DUT are respectively the first and second or second and first electronic component.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 29 wherein: a second plurality of the spring contact elements are mounted to the active electronic component.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 29 wherein: a second plurality of the spring contact elements connecting the active electronic component to the DUT are mounted to an intermediary substrate.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the active electronic component makes selected electrical connection to the DUT and to no other DUT on the semiconductor wafer.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising: a plurality of DUTs on the semiconductor wafer; and a second plurality of the spring contact elements between the active electronic component and one or more corresponding terminals of a first plurality of the plurality of DUTs.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
61 words
The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising: a first plurality of DUTs on the semiconductor wafer; a first plurality of active electronic components; and a second plurality of spring contact elements, each spring contact element connecting a one of the first plurality of active electronic components and one or more corresponding terminals of a one of the first plurality of DUTs.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 36 further comprising a plurality of active electronic devices connected to substantially every DUT on the semiconductor wafer.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 36 further comprising a plurality of active electronic devices connected to substantially every DUT in a region of the semiconductor wafer.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 29 wherein: the active electronic component is an ASIC.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising: means for selectively activating the active electronic component so as to test a selected one or more of the DUTs.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising a test information source and means for delivering test information from that test information source through the active electronic component through the spring contact elements to the DUT.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 41 further comprising a test circuit in the active electronic device.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 41 further comprising a test circuit connected to the active electronic device.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 41 further comprising a test result collector for collecting test results from the response of a DUT and a test delivery mechanism for delivering the test results through the active electronic component.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising: a host controller; and the host controller connected to the active electronic component.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising: a plurality of active electronic components; and common lines connecting the host controller to one or more active electronic components, the number of common lines being fewer than the number of lines that would be needed to make direct connection to one or more DUTs to be tested.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 46 further comprising: means for communicating test signals over the common lines to the one or more active electronic devices; and means for delivering second test results to the host controller through the common lines.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising: a power supply; and the power supply connected to one or more of the active electronic components.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 48 further comprising voltage regulation means in the active electronic components.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the terminals of the active electronic components are capture pads.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the terminals of the electronic component are capture features.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising an interconnection substrate wherein the active electronic components are mounted to the interconnection substrate.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising temperature modification means for providing a first and a second temperature for a DUT in operation.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising means for maintaining the active electronic component at temperature independent of the temperature of the DUT.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 29 wherein a spring contact element comprises a composite interconnection element.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising an aligning mechanism for aligning the active electronic device with the DUT.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-05-16 | 2003-11-15 | 2004-05-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-05-16 | 2007-11-15 | 2008-05-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-05-16 | 2011-11-15 | 2012-05-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |