Method and apparatus for testing IC device

An apparatus for successively testing electrical properties of a large number of packaged IC devices, including:

• a test board provided at a testing station and provided with a plural number of sockets for receiving therein plural IC devices for connection to an IC tester separately and independently of each other,
• a loader located at a loading station and adapted to feed untested IC devices toward said test board,
• an unloader located at an unloading station and adapted to discharge tested IC devices from said test board at said testing station, and
• a device transfer mechanism movable across said testing station to transfer untested IC devices from said loader to said testing station and to transfer tested IC devices from said testing station to said unloader,
• said apparatus comprising:
• detection means adapted to detect completion of an IC test conducted on an individual IC device in each respective socket of said test board;
• means for operating said device transfer mechanism in such a way as to pick up an individual tested IC device from said socket and to replace said individual tested IC device with a fresh individual IC device yet to be tested;
• and
• means for individually detecting placement of said fresh individual IC device in said socket of said test board.