# US 2025/0093408 A1 · Active thermal interposer device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0093408 A1 - Document ID: US20250093408A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/970,745 - Filed: 2024-12-05 - Published: 2025-03-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-04 - Assignees: Advantest Test Solutions, Inc. - Applicants: Advantest Test Solutions, Inc. - Inventors: Samer Kabbani; Paul Ferrari; Ikeda Hiroki; Kiyokawa Toshiyuki; Gregory Cruzan; Karthik Ranganathan; Todd Berk; Ian Williams; Mohammad Ghazvini; Thomas Jones - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250093408A1 ## CPC - G01R 31/2875: {related to heating} - G01R 1/0458: {related to environmental aspects, e.g. temperature} - G01R 31/2863: {Contacting devices, e.g. sockets, burn-in boards or mounting fixtures (in general G01R1/04)} - G01R 31/2867: {Handlers or transport devices, e.g. loaders, carriers, trays} - G01R 31/2874: {related to temperature} - G01R 31/2868: {Complete testing stations; systems; procedures; software aspects} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract A stand-alone active thermal interposer device for use in testing an unpackaged integrated circuit device under test (DUT), the active thermal interposer device includes a body layer having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is operable to be disposed adjacent to a cold plate, and a plurality of heating zones defined across a second surface of the body layer, the plurality of heating zones operable to be controlled by a thermal controller to selectively heat and maintain respective temperatures thereof, the plurality of heating zones operable to heat a plurality of areas of the DUT when the second surface of the body layer is disposed adjacent to an interface surface of the DUT during testing of the DUT. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A discrete active thermal interposer device for use in testing a device under test (“DUT”), said discrete active thermal interposer device comprising: a body layer comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein said first surface is operable to be disposed adjacent to a cold plate; a plurality of heating zones defined across the second surface of said body layer that are customized for a design of a plurality of regions said DUT, wherein said plurality of heating zones correspond to said plurality of regions of said DUT and are operable to be controlled by a thermal controller to selectively and independently heat said plurality of regions of said DUT when a surface of said DUT is disposed adjacent to said second surface of said body layer during testing of said DUT, and wherein further said DUT comprises an unpackaged integrated circuit device; and a plurality of temperature measurement devices respectively associated with said plurality of heating zones, and operable to communicate with said thermal controller, for providing temperature measurements of said plurality of regions of said DUT during said testing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The discrete active thermal interposer device as described in claim 1 further comprising a thermal interface material disposed on said first surface to improve thermal coupling between said first surface and said cold plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The discrete active thermal interposer device as described in claim 1 further comprising a thermal interface layer disposed on said second surface to improve thermal coupling between said second surface and said surface of said DUT. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The discrete active thermal interposer device as described in claim 1 wherein each heating zone of said plurality of heating zones comprises respective resistive traces for providing heat responsive to a voltage/current signal applied thereto as controlled by said thermal controller. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The discrete active thermal interposer device as described in claim 4 wherein said body layer further comprises a plurality of pogo pin mechanical/electrical interfaces for mating with corresponding pogo pins of a thermal array, said plurality of pogo pin mechanical/electrical interfaces operable to input voltage/current signals from said thermal array for supply to said plurality of heating zones and also operable to output said temperature measurements corresponding to said plurality of temperature measurement devices. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The discrete active thermal interposer device as described in claim 4 further comprising a grounded shield layer disposed on top of said second surface of said body layer and on top of said plurality of heating zones, said grounded shield layer operable to isolate said DUT from electro-magnetic interference radiation resultant from energizing heating zones of said plurality of heating zones. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The discrete active thermal interposer device as described in claim 1 wherein said body layer further comprises a two dimensional identification code viewable thereon and wherein said two dimensional identification code is operable to be machine readable and provides one of: calibration values for a resistance temperature detector of the discrete active thermal interposer device; identification information for identifying the discrete active thermal interposer device; and security information for authenticating the discrete active thermal interposer device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The discrete active thermal interposer device as described in claim 1 wherein said body layer further comprises alignment features disposed on said first surface, said alignment features for providing alignment between power pins of said discrete active thermal interposer device and pads of a thermal head of a tester system, and wherein said thermal head comprises said cold plate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The discrete active thermal interposer device as described in claim 1 wherein said DUT comprises a single unpackaged die. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The discrete active thermal interposer device as described in claim 1 wherein said DUT comprises a plurality of unpackaged dice. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The discrete active thermal interposer device as described in claim 1 further comprising a securing mechanism disposed with respect to said second surface of said body layer, said securing mechanism operable to secure said surface of said DUT to said second surface of said body layer during said testing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The discrete active thermal interposer device as described in claim 1 wherein said DUT comprises an unpackaged die and wherein further said plurality of heating zones are operable in combination with said cold plate for maintaining temperatures of said unpackaged die during said testing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The discrete active thermal interposer device as described in claim 1 further comprising a Peltier/TEC cooling layer disposed on said first surface of said body layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The discrete active thermal interposer device as described in claim 13 wherein said body layer further comprises a plurality of pogo pin mechanical interfaces, said plurality of pogo pin mechanical interfaces operable to input voltage/current signals for supply to said plurality of heating zones and also operable to output said temperature measurements corresponding to said plurality of temperature measurement devices and also operable to input signals to control said Peltier/TEC cooling layer. ### Claim 15 A method of testing an unpackaged integrated circuit device under test (“DUT”) using an automated handler system and a tester system, said method comprising: using a handler, automatically picking up an active thermal interposer device and automatically positioning said active thermal interposer device with respect to a thermal head and adjacent to a cold plate thereof wherein a thermal interface material is disposed between a first surface of said active thermal interposer device and a surface of said cold plate to improve thermal coupling there between; using said handler, automatically picking up said DUT from a tray and automatically placing said DUT adjacent to said active thermal interposer device wherein a thermal interface layer exists between a second surface of said active thermal interposer device and a surface of said DUT to improve thermal coupling there between; and testing said DUT and maintaining temperature of said DUT concurrently during said testing, by cooling said DUT using said cold plate in combination with heating said DUT using said active thermal interposer device, wherein said maintaining temperature further comprises separately heating a plurality of zones of said active thermal interposer device to heat a plurality of regions of said DUT and wherein further said plurality of zones are customized to a design of said plurality of regions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method as described in claim 15 wherein said using a handler, automatically picking up an active thermal interposer device, is performed by a first pick-and-place head of said handler and wherein further said using said handler, automatically picking up said DUT from a tray and automatically placing said DUT adjacent to said active thermal interposer device, is performed by a second pick-and-place head of said handler. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) A method as described in claim 15 wherein said DUT comprises an unpackaged single die. ### Claim 18 A method of testing an unpackaged integrated circuit device under test (DUT) using an automated handler system and a tester system, said method comprising: using a first pick-and-place head of said handler, automatically picking up an active thermal interposer device and automatically placing a first surface of said active thermal interposer device adjacent to a cold plate of a thermal head wherein a thermal interface material is disposed there between for improved thermal coupling; using a second pick-and-place head of said handler, automatically picking up said DUT from a tray and automatically placing a surface of said DUT adjacent to a second surface of said active thermal interposer device wherein a thermal interface layer is disposed there between for improved thermal coupling; aligning said DUT with said active thermal interposer device using alignment features of said active thermal interposer device; and testing said DUT while maintaining temperature of said DUT using said active thermal interposer device and said cold plate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A method as described in claim 18 wherein said active thermal interposer device comprises a plurality of heating zones customized for a design of a plurality regions of said DUT and wherein further said maintaining temperature comprises cooling said DUT using said cold plate and selectively and individually heating said plurality of regions of said DUT using said plurality of heating zones. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) A method as described in claim 18 wherein said unpackaged integrated circuit device under test (DUT) comprises an unpackaged single die. ### Claim 21 A testing system for testing a device under test (“DUT”), using a discrete active thermal interposer device, said system comprising: a tester for electronically testing said DUT; a test head operable to receive said DUT and said discrete active thermal interposer device, said test head comprising: a cold plate; a thermal controller; and a chiller controlled by said thermal controller and operable to cool said cold plate; and wherein said discrete thermal interposer device comprises: a body layer comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein said first surface is operable to be disposed adjacent to said cold plate; a plurality of heating zones defined across the second surface of said body layer that are customized for a design of a plurality of regions said DUT, wherein said plurality of heating zones correspond to said plurality of regions of said DUT and are operable to be controlled by said thermal controller to selectively and independently heat said plurality of regions of said DUT when a surface of said DUT is disposed adjacent to said second surface of said body layer during said testing of said DUT, and wherein further said DUT comprises an unpackaged integrated circuit device; and a plurality of temperature measurement devices respectively associated with said plurality of heating zones, and operable to communicate with said thermal controller, for providing temperature measurements of said plurality of regions of said DUT during said testing. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The testing system as described in claim 21 further comprising a thermal interface material disposed on said first surface to improve thermal coupling between said first surface and said cold plate. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The testing system as described in claim 21 further comprising a thermal interface layer disposed on said second surface to improve thermal coupling between said second surface and said surface of said DUT. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The testing system as described in claim 21 wherein said thermal controller is operable to couple with said discrete active thermal interposer device and is further operable to maintain temperature of said plurality of regions of said DUT during said testing by controlling said chiller and said discrete active thermal interposer device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The testing system as described in claim 21 wherein said unpackaged integrated circuit device comprises a singulated die. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The testing system as described in claim 21 wherein said unpackaged integrated circuit device comprises a plurality of dice.