# US 2012/0074974 A1 · Test Unit and Test System

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- Number: US 2012/0074974 A1
- Document ID: US20120074974A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/375,588
- Filed: 2010-05-27
- Published: 2012-03-29
- Earliest claimed: 2009-06-02
- Inventors: Yohei Sato; Kenichi Kataoka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120074974A1

## CPC

- G01R 31/2887: {involving moving the probe head or the IC under test; docking stations (moving single probes G01R1/06705; moving individual probes in multiple probes G01R1/07392)}
- G01R 31/3025: {Wireless interface with the DUT}
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)

## Abstract

A test unit to be used with a tester that tests an electrical characteristic of a circuit formed in a wafer includes a tester a board electrically connected to the tester; a first wireless port mounted on a lower surface of the tester board and electrically connected to the tester; a probe board that includes a probe to be in contact with an electrode pad of the electronic circuit, and is configured so that the probe board may be transferred along with the wafer into the system box while the probe and the electrode pad are in contact with each other; a second wireless port that is mounted on an upper surface of the probe board and electrically connected to the probe, and carries out contactless transmission/reception with the first wireless port; a chuck plate that is away from the tester board, and holds the probe board and the wafer; and a flexible expandable chamber that may be inflated by introducing gas thereinto.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A test unit to be used with a tester that tests an electrical characteristic of an electronic circuit formed in a wafer, the test unit comprising:
a tester board that is accommodated in a system box and electrically connected to the tester;
a first wireless port that is mounted on a lower surface of the tester board and electrically connected to the tester;
a probe board that includes a probe to be in contact with an electrode pad of the electronic circuit, and is configured so that the probe board may be transferred along with the wafer into the system box while the probe and the electrode pad are in contact with each other;
a second wireless port that is mounted on an upper surface of the probe board electrically connected to the probe, and carries out contactless transmission/reception with the first wireless port:
a chuck plate that is accommodated in the system box in order to be away from the tester board, and holds the probe board and the wafer transferred into the system box; and
an expandable chamber having flexibility that allows the expandable chamber to be inflated by introducing gas thereinto, thereby applying pressure onto the probe board and wafer held by the chuck plate,
wherein the first wireless port is arranged in order to face the second wireless port via the expandable chamber, and test signals are contactlessly transmitted/received through the expandable chamber by the first and the second wireless ports.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A test system comprising:
the test unit claimed in claim 1;
an alignment unit that aligns the electrode pad of the electronic circuit fabricated on the wafer with the probe of the probe board and temporarily fixes the probe board and the wafer; and
a transfer unit that transfers the temporarily fixed probe board and wafer to the test unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The test system claimed in claim 2, wherein the alignment unit temporarily fixes the probe board and the wafer by reducing pressure in a space between the probe board and the wafer after aligning the electrode pad of the electronic circuit fabricated on the wafer with the probe of the probe board.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The test system claimed in claim 2, wherein the alignment unit temporarily fixes the probe board and the wafer with magnets after aligning the electrode pad of the electronic circuit fabricated on the wafer with the probe of the probe board.