Integrated circuit test fixture and method

An integrated circuit test fixture, which comprises a chuck for holding a wafer containing the integrated circuit, a probe positioned over said chuck and having a plurality of electrically conductive tip elements for supplying electrical signals to and receiving electrical signals from the integrated circuit, gas supply means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit and said chuck with a hydrogen or helium gas high thermal conductivity relative to air heat transfer interface fluid to reduce interface thermal resistance between the integrated circuit and said chuck while the integrated circuit is held by said chuck, and a means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit with a cooling fluid, said probe having a tube terminating proximate to said plurality of tip elements and said integrated circuit test fixture including a source of the cooling fluid connected to said tube, said means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit with the cooling fluid additionally comprising said tube and said source of the cooling fluid.

An integrated circuit test fixture, which comprises a chuck for holding a wafer containing the integrated circuit, a probe positioned over said chuck and having a plurality of electrically conductive tip elements for supplying electrical signals to and receiving electrical signals from the integrated circuit, means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit and said chuck with a hydrogen or helium gas high thermal conductivity heat transfer interface fluid while the integrated circuit is held by said chuck, and a means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit with a cooling fluid, said probe having a tube terminating proximate to said plurality of tip elements and said integrated circuit test fixture including a source of the cooling fluid connected to said tube, said means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit with the cooling fluid additionally comprising said tube and said source of the cooling fluid, and a seal mounted on said probe and configured for sealing engagement around a periphery of the integrated circuit.

An integrated circuit test fixture, which comprises a chuck for holding a wafer containing the integrated circuit, a probe positioned over said chuck and having a plurality of electrically conductive tip elements for supplying electrical signals to and receiving electrical signals from the integrated circuit, means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit and said chuck with a hydrogen or helium gas high thermal conductivity heat transfer interface fluid while the integrated circuit is held by said chuck, and means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit with a cooling fluid, said probe having a tube terminating proximate to said plurality of tip elements and said integrated circuit test fixture including a source of the cooling fluid connected to said tube, said means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit with the cooling fluid additionally comprising said tube and said source of the cooling fluid, and a seal coupled to said tube of said means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit with the cooling fluid and configured for sealing engagement around a periphery of the integrated circuit, in which said plurality of electrically conductive tip elements circumscribe said seal.

An integrated circuit test fixture, which comprises a chuck for holding a wafer containing the integrated circuit, a probe positioned over said chuck and having a plurality of electrically conductive tip elements for supplying electrical signals to and receiving electrical signals from the integrated circuit, means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit and said chuck with a hydrogen or helium gas high thermal conductivity heat transfer interface fluid while the integrated circuit is held by said chuck, and a means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit with a cooling fluid, the cooling fluid comprising a liquid.

An integrated circuit test fixture, which comprises a chuck for holding a wafer containing the integrated circuit, a probe positioned over said chuck and having a plurality of electrically conductive tip elements for supplying electrical signals to and receiving electrical signals from the integrated circuit, a power source connected to said probe for supplying continuous, full operating power to the integrated circuit through selected ones of the electrically conductive tip elements, gas supply means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit and said chuck with a Hydrogen or Helium high thermal conductivity relative to air heat transfer interface gas to reduce interface thermal resistance between the integrated circuit and said chuck while the integrated circuit is held by said chuck, and liquid supply means for thermally contacting said integrated circuit with a cooling liquid, the high thermal conductivity relative to air gas being supplied as a gas in a vacuum plenum and vacuum passages in said chuck for holding the wafer in the chuck.

An integrated circuit test fixture, which comprises a chuck for holding a wafer containing the integrated circuit, a probe positioned over said chuck and having a plurality of electrically conductive tip elements for supplying electrical signals to and receiving electrical signals from the integrated circuit, and means for thermally contacting the integrated circuit and said chuck with a Hydrogen or Helium high thermal conductivity heat transfer interface fluid while the integrated circuit is held by said chuck, said probe including a biasing means for contacting the wafer to provide increased contact force between the wafer and said chuck.

An integrated circuit test fixture, which comprises a chuck for holding a wafer containing the integrated circuit, a probe positioned over said chuck and having a plurality of electrically conductive tip elements for supplying electrical signals to and receiving electrical signals from the integrated circuit, and means for thermally contacting a top surface of the integrated circuit with a cooling liquid while the integrated circuit is held by said chuck.

An integrated circuit test method, which comprises holding the integrated circuit in a chuck, positioning a probe having a plurality of electrically conductive tip elements over the chuck with the tip elements electrically connected to the integrated circuit, thermally contacting the integrated circuit and the chuck with a hydrogen or helium high thermal conductivity relative to air heat transfer interface gas to reduce interface thermal resistance between the integrated circuit and the chuck while the integrated circuit is held by the chuck, supplying continuous, full operating power to the integrated circuit through selected ones of the electrically conductive tip elements, supplying electrical signals to and receiving electrical signals from the integrated circuit through the electrically conductive tip elements, and contacting a top of the integrated circuit with a cooling liquid through the probe.

An integrated circuit test method, which comprises holding the integrated circuit in a chuck, positioning a probe having a plurality of electrically conductive tip elements over the chuck with the tip elements electrically connected to the integrated circuit, thermally contacting the integrated circuit and the chuck with a hydrogen or helium high thermal conductivity heat transfer interface fluid while the integrated circuit is held by the chuck, supplying continuous, full operating power to the integrated circuit through selected ones of the electrically conductive tip elements, supplying electrical signals to and receiving electrical signals from the integrated circuit through the electrically conductive tip elements, and contacting a top of the integrated circuit with a cooling fluid through the probe, the cooling fluid being a liquid.

An integrated circuit test method, which comprises holding the integrated circuit in a chuck, positioning a probe having a plurality of electrically conductive tip elements over the chuck with the tip elements electrically connected to the integrated circuit, thermally contacting the integrated circuit and the chuck with a hydrogen or helium high thermal conductivity relative to air heat transfer interface gas to reduce interface thermal resistance between the integrated circuit and the chuck while the integrated circuit is held by the chuck, supplying continuous, full operating power to the integrated circuit through selected ones of the electrically conductive tip elements, supplying electrical signals to and receiving electrical signals from the integrated circuit through the electrically conductive tip elements, and thermally contacting the integrated circuit with a cooling liquid.

An integrated circuit test method, which comprises holding the integrated circuit in a chuck, positioning a probe having a plurality of electrically conductive top elements over the chuck with the tip elements electrically connected to the integrated circuit, thermally contacting the integrated circuit and the chuck with a hydrogen or helium high thermal conductivity relative to air heat transfer interface gas while the integrated circuit is held by the chuck, supplying continuous, full operating power to the integrated circuit through selected ones of the electrically conductive top elements, supplying electrical signals to and receiving electrical signals from the integrated circuit through the electrically conductive tip elements, sealing the probe against the integrated circuit around the plurality of electrically conductive tip elements and thermally contacting the integrated circuit with a cooling liquid through the probe.

The integrated circuit test method, which comprises holding a wafer containing the integrated circuit in a chuck, positioning a probe having a plurality of electrically conductive tip elements over the chuck with the tip elements electrically connected to the integrated circuit, thermally contacting a top of the integrated circuit with a cooling liquid while the integrated circuit is held by the chuck, supplying continuous, full operating power to the integrated circuit through selected ones of the electrically conductive tip elements, supplying electrical signals to and receiving electrical signals from the integrated circuit through the electrically conductive tip elements.