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US 6,617,868 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for controlling the power and heat output in a device testing system
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorWayne M. Needham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for testing integrated circuits is described. The method and apparatus provide a nearly constant power supply current load on the test power supply, and a nearly constant thermal load on the cooling system. This promotes more reliable and repeatable testing of production integrated circuits. A dummy load, in thermal contact with a device under test and the cooling system, consumes a value of current complementary to the current consumed by the device under test, which is under the control of a series of enhanced test vectors.
Claims13
A system, comprising:
- a cooling system;
- a cold plate operatively coupled with the cooling system, the cold plate to contact a first device under test positioned in a test socket;
- a dummy load attached to the cold plate and controlled by electronic signals produced by a register, the dummy load configured to consume a complimentary first current to a second current generated in the first device under test, wherein the register produces the electronic signals in response to a load control vector associated with a test vector.
A method, comprising:
- connecting a dummy load controlled by electronic signals produced a register with a device under test positioned in a test socket;
- connecting a cold plate to the dummy load, the cold plate operatively coupled with a cooling system;
- exhausting heat from said cold plate utilizing the cooling system;
- providing a complimentary first current to the dummy load when a second current is applied to the device under test;
- and
- applying a load control vector associated with a test vector to the register to produce the electronic signals from the register.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.