Method and apparatus for testing semiconductor devices using an actual board-type product

Abstract

A method and apparatus for testing semiconductor devices allows devices to be tested under actual operating conditions by interfacing the devices to an actual board-type product. The semiconductor devices are interfaced to the board-type product with a test board that includes a mounting unit such as a socket or pattern of conductive lands that allows the devices being tested can be easily mounted to and removed from the test board with minimal effort and signal degradation. An interface circuit on the test board compensates for environmental differences between the board-type product and the mounting unit. For example, the interface circuit can include a clock distribution circuit, which utilizes a phase locked loop, and a register circuit to compensate for electrical loading caused by the device mounting unit, and to provide the proper timing margins between clock signals and control signals applied to the semiconductor devices. A power control circuit can be used to manipulate the supply voltage applied to the semiconductor devices, thereby providing a voltage margin screening function.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.