Thermal fixture for testing integrated circuits
AssigneeThermonics Incorporated
InventorsJames C. Kufis, Robert S. Semken
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for individually testing semiconductor integrated circuits in wafer form at elevated and/or reduced temperatures include a fixture body for connection to a conventional probing device. The fixture body has an open-ended aperture to permit visual inspection of a circuit being tested, a plenum to receive pressurized gas at a selected temperature(s), and nozzles to direct the gas from the plenum into the aperture for ejection onto the surface of the integrated circuit being tested to rapidly bring that circuit to the temperature of the gas.
Claims9
In a device for individually testing integrated circuits which are part of a semiconductor wafer, said device being at a first temperature and having probing means for making electrical contact with individual integrated circuits, means for holding and positioning the semiconductor wafer to bring individual integrated circuits into position for contacting the probing means, the improvement comprising a thermal test fixture device having a body with an aperture therein, said body being connected to the probing means with said aperture superposing the surface of an individual integrated circuit being tested to permit visual inspection of said individual integrated circuit being tested while in electrical contact with the probing means, a plenum chamber formed in said thermal test fixture device adjacent said aperture and gas inlet means in gas-flow communication with the plenum chamber to admit a flow of pressurized gas, at a predetermined temperature different from said first temperature, from the aperture onto the surface of the circuit being tested to bring the temperature of that circuit substantially equal to the predetermined temperature of the gas while simultaneously enabling visual inspection through the aperture of the circuit being tested;
- means for varying the predetermined temperature of said pressurized gas whereby the circuit being tested can be tested at different temperatures while in said position;
- and
- means for sequentially positioning individual integrated circuits of the wafers in alignment with said aperture for testing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.