Apparatus and method for the parallel and independent testing of voltage-supplied semiconductor devices

An apparatus for the simultaneous and mutually independent testing of devices, comprising:

• a wafer;
• voltage-supplied semiconductor devices disposed on said wafer;
• supply paths;
• a programmable test apparatus having a plurality of output and input channels connected to said semiconductor devices, said test apparatus functionally testing said semiconductor devices;
• at least one voltage supply unit connected to said supply paths for supplying voltage through said supply paths to said semiconductor devices during a functional test;
• at least one needle card simultaneously contact connecting a plurality of said semiconductor devices, said plurality being a true subset of all of said semiconductor devices disposed on said wafer, said at least one needle card connected to said supply paths;
• a plurality of controllable voltage-regulating units and current-limiting units respectively disposed in each of said supply paths between said at least one voltage supply unit and a respective one of said semiconductor devices, each of said current-limiting units at least one of determining and influencing a current intensity in a respective one of said supply paths;
• and
• each of said controllable voltage-regulating units regulating a selectable supply potential of a respective one of said semiconductor devices over a section of the functional test.

A method for the simultaneous and mutually independent testing of a plurality of voltage-supplied semiconductor devices disposed on a wafer, which comprises:

• connecting a plurality of output and input channels of a programmable test apparatus to the semiconductor devices for functionally testing the semiconductor devices;
• supplying voltage to the semiconductor devices with at least one voltage supply unit during a functional test;
• simultaneously contact connecting a plurality of the semiconductor devices to at least one needle card, the plurality being a true subset of all of the semiconductor devices disposed on the wafer;
• regulating a supply potential of each of the semiconductor devices independently of the at least one voltage supply unit with controllable voltage-regulating units disposed in a supply path between the at least one voltage supply unit and a respective one of the semiconductor devices;
• and
• one of:
• limiting a current consumption of an individual semiconductor device through the supply path with a current-limiting unit;
• and
• interrupting a supply path of an individual semiconductor device if a maximum permissible current consumption is exceeded.