# US 2021/0333319 A1 · Testing system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0333319 A1 - Document ID: US20210333319A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/625,536 - Filed: 2018-04-16 - Published: 2021-10-28 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-21 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Kentaro KONISHI; Jun FUJIHARA; Hiroki SHIKAGAWA; Hiroshi YAMADA; Yukinori MURATA; Katsuaki SUGIYAMA; Shin UCHIDA; Tetsuya KAGAMI; Hiroaki HAYASHI; Rika OZAWA; Takanori HYAKUDOMI; Xingjun JIANG; Kenichi NARIKAWA; Tomoya ENDO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210333319A1 ## CPC - G01R 31/2867: {Handlers or transport devices, e.g. loaders, carriers, trays} - H10P 72/0454: {surrounding a central transfer chamber} - G01R 31/2868: {Complete testing stations; systems; procedures; software aspects} - G01R 31/2877: {related to cooling} - G01R 31/2881: {related to environmental aspects other than temperature, e.g. humidity or vibrations} - 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)} - H10P 72/0456: {in-line arrangement} - H10P 72/0458: {vertical arrangement} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A testing system includes: an inspection module including a plurality of levels of inspection chambers in each of which a tester part having a tester configured to perform an electrical inspection of an inspection object and a probe card is accommodated; an aligner module configured to align the inspection object with the tester part; an alignment area in which the aligner module is accommodated; and a loader part configured to load the inspection object into the alignment area and unload the inspection object out of the aligner module, wherein the inspection module is located adjacent to the alignment area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A testing system comprising: an inspection module including a plurality of levels of inspection chambers in each of which a tester part having a tester configured to perform an electrical inspection of an inspection object and a probe card is accommodated; an aligner module configured to align the inspection object with the tester part; an alignment area in which the aligner module is accommodated; and a loader part configured to load the inspection object into the aligner module and unload the inspection object out of the aligner module, wherein the inspection module is located adjacent to the alignment area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The testing system of claim 1, wherein the aligner module is configured to move up and down, and rotate around a vertical axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The testing system of claim 1, wherein the aligner module includes an aligner, and the aligner is connected to a chuck top on which the inspection object is placed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The testing system of claim 3, wherein the aligner module includes a housing accommodating the aligner and configured to move up and down and rotate around a vertical axis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The testing system of claim 4, further comprising a fan filter unit provided on an upper surface of the housing and configured to form a downflow of clean gas. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The testing system of claim 3, wherein, when the inspection object is mounted on the tester part, the tester part located in a predetermined inspection chamber of the inspection chambers is moved from the predetermined inspection chamber to an upper side of the aligner, the aligner raises the chuck top so as to adsorb the chuck top to the tester part in a state in which the inspection object is in contact with a contact probe of the probe card, and the tester part is moved to the inspection chamber together with the chuck top in the state. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The testing system of claim 1, wherein at least the alignment area and the inspection chambers are maintained in a predetermined atmosphere. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The testing system of claim 7, wherein the loader part comprises: a loader module including a loader configured to load the inspection object into an inspection object accommodation container and unload the inspection object out of the inspection object accommodation container; and a transport area configured to transport the inspection object unloaded from the loader module to the alignment area, wherein the transport area is maintained in the predetermined atmosphere, and a shutter is provided between the transport area and the alignment area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The testing system of claim 8, wherein the loader is configured to move up and down between a position at which the inspection object is delivered to the inspection object accommodation container and a position at which the inspection object is delivered to the transport area. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The testing system of claim 8, wherein the transport area comprises: a buffer part in which the inspection object is temporarily disposed, a pre-alignment part configured to perform pre-alignment of the inspection object, and a transport part having a transport mechanism configured to transport the inspection object between the buffer part, the pre-alignment part and the aligner module, wherein the inspection object is delivered from the loader to the buffer part and the pre-alignment part, the shutter is provided between the transport part and the alignment area, a shutter is provided between the loader module and the buffer part, and a shutter is provided between the loader module and the pre-alignment part. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The testing system of claim 10, wherein the transport mechanism is configured to move up and down between the buffer part, the pre-alignment part and a delivery part of the aligner module. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The testing system of claim 7, wherein the inspection chambers are independently or integrally controlled to the predetermined atmosphere. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The testing system of claim 7, wherein a shutter is provided between each of the inspection chambers and the alignment area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The testing system of claim 13, further comprising a base plate located on an alignment area side of the inspection chamber and having a front surface inclined from a vertical direction, wherein the shutter moves obliquely up and down along the front surface inclined from the vertical direction and opens/closes an alignment area-side opening in the inspection chamber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The testing system of claim 14, wherein the base plate is provided with a guide member configured to guide the shutter, the shutter includes a plurality of cam followers so as to be guided to the guide member by the cam followers, and the guide member includes a drop portion having an angle so as to cause the shutter to be pressed against the base plate when the shutter is closed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The testing system of claim 13, wherein the shutter is closed for at least one inspection chamber among the plurality of inspection chambers, in which maintenance is performed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) The testing system of claim 7, wherein the inspection is performed at low temperature, and the predetermined atmosphere is a dry atmosphere. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The testing system of claim 1, further comprising a cooling mechanism configured to cool the tester. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The testing system of claim 18, wherein the cooling mechanism comprises a cooling liquid tube configured to supply a cooling liquid into the tester, and the cooling liquid tube is accommodated in an articulated cable duct together with a vacuum line and a feeding cable. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The testing system of claim 18, wherein the cooling mechanism comprises a cooling member provided on a rear side of the tester and configured to cool the tester by being brought into contact with the tester during the inspection, and the tester is configured to be capable of being brought into contact with and separated from the cooling member. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The testing system of claim 20, wherein the cooling member is configured to cool the tester by heat transfer. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The testing system of claim 21, wherein the cooling mechanism comprises a cooling medium flow path which is provided in the tester and through which a cooling medium circulates, and the tester is cooled by the cooling medium which circulates through the cooling medium flow path when the tester is spaced apart from the cooling member. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The testing system of claim 20, wherein each of the cooling member and the tester has a cooling medium flow path, wherein, when the cooling member is in contact with the tester, the cooling medium flow path of the cooling member and the cooling medium flow path of the tester are connected to each other by a coupler, so that a cooling medium from the cooling member flows to the tester and the tester is cooled, and wherein, when the tester is spaced apart from the cooling member, the cooling medium flows through the cooling medium flow path of the tester, so that the tester is cooled. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The testing system of claim 18, wherein the cooling mechanism comprises: a cooling member, a tester-side cooling member provided to be capable of being brought into contact with and separated from the cooling member, and a heat pipe having a base end inserted into the tester-side cooling member and a tip end connected to a heat-generator inside the tester. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The testing system of claim 24, wherein the heat pipe is arranged to be inclined downward toward the tip end of the tester side. ### Claim 26 (depends on 18) The testing system of claim 18, wherein the tester performs the electrical inspection of the inspection object when a probe of the probe card is brought into contact with the inspection object held by a chuck top, the chuck top is cooled by a chiller unit for the chuck top, the chiller unit being configured to circulate and supply a cooling liquid to the chuck top, and the cooling mechanism cools the tester by circulating and supplying the cooling liquid from the chiller unit for the chuck top. ### Claim 27 (depends on 18) The testing system of claim 18, wherein the cooling mechanism cools the tester by circulating and supplying factory water of a factory in which the testing system is installed. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The testing system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of inspection modules each of which is the inspection module are provided radially around the alignment area. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The testing system of claim 1, wherein the alignment area has a long rectangular shape, a plurality of inspection modules each of which is the inspection module are arranged along both sides in a longitudinal direction of the alignment area, and the aligner module is configured to move in the longitudinal direction of the alignment area.