Calibration device for the calibration of a tester channel of a tester device and a test system

Claim 2

A calibration device for calibrating a tester channel of a tester device, comprising: a contact carrier comprising a first contact area and a second contact area insulated from the first contact area, wherein the first contact area is connectable to the tester channel being calibrated and the second contact area is connectable to one or more remaining tester channels of the tester device; and a connecting device for electrically connecting the first and second contact areas through a calibration line to the tester device; wherein the first contact area is contact-connectable to one of a plurality of contact-connecting needles of a needle card connected to the tester channel to be calibrated and the second contact area is contact-connectable to one or more remaining contact-connecting needles of the needle card which are connected to the one or more remaining tester channels; and wherein the contact carrier further comprises a planar substrate having a first conductive shielding layer disposed thereon and a first insulation layer disposed on the first conductive shielding layer, wherein the first and second contact areas are disposed on the insulation layer.

Claim 3

The calibration device of claim 1 , wherein the second contact area is electrically connected to the first conductive shielding layer through a plurality of passages through the first insulation layer.

Claim 4

The calibration device of claim 1 , wherein the first contact area is surrounded by the second contact area.

Claim 5

The calibration device of claim 3 , wherein the contact carrier further comprises: a connection layer disposed on the first insulation layer, the connection layer comprising a first contact-connection area, a second contact-connection area and a conductor track connecting the first contact-connection area to the connecting device; and a second insulation layer disposed on the connection layer, wherein the first and second contact areas are disposed on the second insulation layer, wherein the first contact-connection area and the second contact-connection area are respectively connected to the first and second contact areas through a plurality of passages in the second insulation layer.

Claim 6

The calibration device of claim 1 , further comprising a third contact area which is insulated from the first and second contact areas, disposed on the contact carrier adjacent to the first contact area such that an adjacent tester channel to the tester channel to be calibrated is connected to the third contact area when the needle card is placed onto the contact carrier.

Claim 7

The calibration device of claim 1 , wherein the connecting device comprises a coaxial connection having an inner connection and an outer connection surrounding the inner connection, the inner connection and the outer connection each respectively connected to one of the first contact area and the second contact area.

Claim 8

The calibration device of claim 6 , wherein the connecting device is disposed laterally with respect to the contact carrier and is connected to the first contact area via a conductor track on the contact carrier.

Claim 9

A tester system, comprising: a tester device having a plurality of tester channels, wherein each tester channel comprises a first transmission line and a second transmission line for signal transmissions in opposite directions; a needle card for contact-connecting to integrated circuits on a wafer, the needle card having a plurality of contact-connecting needles respectively connected to the plurality of tester channels; and a calibration device, comprising: a contact carrier comprising a first contact area and a second contact area insulated from the first contact area, wherein the first contact area is connectable to the contact-connecting needle of the needle card connected to the first and second transmission lines of the tester channel being calibrated and wherein the second contact area is connectable to one or more remaining contact-connecting needles of the needle card which are connected to the one or more remaining tester channels; and a connecting device for electrically connecting the first and second contact areas through a calibration line to the tester device; wherein the contact carrier further comprises a planar substrate having a first conductive shielding layer disposed thereon and a first insulation layer disposed on the first conductive shielding layer, wherein the first and second contact areas are disposed on the insulation layer.

Claim 10

A tester system, comprising: a tester device having a plurality of tester channels, wherein each tester channel comprises a first transmission line and a second transmission line for signal transmissions in opposite directions; a needle card for contact-connecting to integrated circuits on a wafer, the needle card having a plurality of contact-connecting needles respectively connected to the plurality of tester channels; and a calibration device, comprising: a contact carrier comprising a first contact area and a second contact area insulated from the first contact area, wherein the first contact area is connectable to the contact-connecting needle of the needle card connected to the first and second transmission lines of the tester channel being calibrated and wherein the second contact area is connectable to one or more remaining contact-connecting needles of the needle card which are connected to the one or more remaining tester channels; and a connecting device for electrically connecting the first and second contact areas through a calibration line to the tester device; wherein the contact carrier further comprises a planar substrate having a first conductive shielding layer disposed thereon and a first insulation layer disposed on the first conductive shielding layer, wherein the first and second contact areas are disposed on the insulation layer.

Claim 11

The tester system of claim 8 , wherein the second contact areas are electrically connected to the first conductive shielding layer through a plurality of passages through the first insulation layer.

Claim 12

The tester system of claim 8 , wherein the first contact area is surrounded by the second contact area.

Claim 13

The tester system of claim 10 , wherein the contact carrier further comprises: a connection layer disposed on the first insulation layer, the connection layer comprising a first contact-connection area, a second contact-connection area and a conductor track connecting the first contact-connection area to the connecting device; and a second insulation layer disposed on the connection layer, wherein the first and second contact areas are disposed on the second insulation layer, wherein the first contact-connection area and the second contact-connection area are respectively connected to the first and second contact areas through a plurality of passages in the second insulation layer.

Claim 14

The tester system of claim 8 , further comprising a third contact area which is insulated from the first and second contact areas, disposed on the contact carrier adjacent to the first contact area such that an adjacent tester channel to the tester channel to be calibrated is connected to the third contact area when the needle card is placed onto the contact carrier.

Claim 15

The tester system of claim 8 , wherein the tester device further comprises a test pattern generator, a test evaluation unit, and a plurality of signal amplifiers and delay elements correspondingly provided for the plurality of tester channels.

Claim 16

The tester system of claim 8 , further comprising: a carrier for selectively placing the calibration device in contact with needle card in the tester system.

Claim 19

The method of claim 15 , wherein a fixed potential is applied to the second contact area.

Claim 20

The method of claim 15 , further comprising: connecting one or more adjacent tester channels to one or more third contact areas on the contact carrier which are insulated from the first and second contact areas; and providing another signal through the adjacent tester channels during calibration of the tester channel.