Control of an automated test equipment based on temperature

An automated test equipment (ATE), comprising:

• a control device operable to figure out a temperature of a device under test (DUT) contacting structure using a thermal model and operable to influence a signal applied to the DUT contacting structure based on the figured out temperature, wherein the DUT contacting structure is operable to electrically couple a device under test (DUT) to the ATE, wherein the figured out temperature comprises at least one of a determined temperature or an estimated temperature;
• an ATE resource configured to provide the signal applied to the DUT contacting structure;
• a first measurement unit configured to measure a current of the signal applied to the DUT contacting structure;
• and
• a second measurement unit configured to measure a voltage between an ATE-sided end of the DUT contacting structure and a DUT contact of the DUT, wherein:
• the control device is configured to influence the ATE resource to influence the signal applied to the DUT contacting structure based on the figured out temperature;
• and
• the first and the second measurement units are configured to provide the respective measurements of the measured voltage and the measured current to the control device to allow for a determination or to allow for an estimation of the temperature of the DUT contacting structure.

A method comprising:

• figuring out a temperature of a device under test (DUT) contacting structure using a thermal model, and
• influencing a signal applied to the DUT contacting structure based on the figured out temperature,
• wherein:
• the DUT contacting structure is operable to electrically couple a device under test (DUT) to an automated test equipment (ATE),
• the figured out temperature comprises at least one of a determined temperature or an estimated temperature,
• the thermal model comprises at least one of a thermal model of the DUT contacting structure, a thermal model of a DUT contact operable to electrically couple the DUT to the ATE via the DUT contacting structure, or a thermal model that jointly models the DUT contacting structure and the DUT contact,
• the thermal model comprises a model parametrization, wherein the model parametrization is configured to represent a thermal behavior of the DUT contacting structure,
• the model parametrization is adapted based on at least one of measurements of a current of the signal applied to the DUT contacting structure and measurements of a voltage of the DUT contacting structure, and
• the model parametrization provides at least one of a thermal behavior of an interface of the DUT contacting structure and the DUT contact or a thermal behavior of the DUT contact with the thermal model to figure out the temperature of the DUT contacting structure.

A method comprising:

• providing, with an automated test equipment (ATE) resource, a signal to a device under test (DUT) contacting structure;
• figuring out a temperature of the DUT contacting structure using a thermal model;
• measuring a current applied to the DUT contacting structure;
• measuring a voltage between an ATE-sided end of the DUT contacting structure and a DUT contact of the DUT;
• and
• influencing the ATE resource to influence the signal applied to the DUT contacting structure based on the figured out temperature, wherein:
• the DUT contacting structure is operable to electrically couple a device under test (DUT) to an automated test equipment (ATE),
• the figured out temperature comprises at least one of a determined temperature or an estimated temperature, and
• a determination or estimation of the temperature of the DUT contacting structure is determined or estimated based on the measured voltage and the measured current.