US 7,453,260 B2Granted

Testing circuits on substrate

AssigneeElectroglas, Inc.

InventorsTimothy J. Boyle, Wayne E. Richter, Ladd T. Johnson, Lawrence A. Tom

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The invention provides a method of testing a circuit on a substrate. Generally speaking, a substrate is located in a transfer chuck, a surface of a test chuck is moved into contact with a substrate, the substrate is secured to the test chuck, the test chuck is moved relative to the transfer chuck so that the substrate moves off the transfer chuck, terminals on the substrate are moved into contact with contacts to electrically connect the circuit through the terminals and the contacts to an electric tester, signals are relayed through the terminal and the contacts between the electric tester and the circuit, the terminals are disengaged from the contacts, and the substrate is removed from the test chuck.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method of testing a circuit on each of a plurality of separate substrates, comprising:

locating the plurality of separate substrates in a transfer chuck;
moving a surface of a test chuck into contact with the substrates held by the transfer chuck;
securing the substrates to the test chuck;
moving the test chuck relative to the transfer chuck so that the substrates simultaneously move off the transfer chuck;
moving terminals on each substrate into contact with contacts to electrically connect the circuit through the terminals and the contacts to a port for coupling to a tester;
relaying signals through the terminals and the contacts between the port for coupling to the tester and the circuit;
disengaging the terminals from the contacts;
and
removing the substrates from the test chuck.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/492,509Filed 24 Jul 2006 · division
Priority: 22 Oct 2001
Published: US 2006/0261833 A123 Nov 2006
Granted: 18 Nov 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G01R 31/2893
Testing of integrated circuits [IC]: handling, conveying or loading, e.g. belts, boats, vacuum fingers
G01R 31/2867
Holding devices, e.g. chucks; Handlers or transport devices: handlers or transport devices, e.g. loaders, carriers, trays
G01R 31/2887
Features relating to contacting the IC under test, e.g. probe heads; chucks: involving moving the probe head or the IC under test; docking stations
G01R 31/2891
Features relating to contacting the IC under test, e.g. probe heads; chucks: related to sensing or controlling of force, position, temperature

Family

Application10/035,508Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Oct 2001
Application10/871,630Parent of this division · filed 17 Jun 2004
US 2006/0261833 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Nov 2006
US 7,098,649 B2Parent of this division
US 6,861,859 B1Parent of this continuation
Application10/871,630Parent of this continuation
US 2004/0232928 A1Published application
US 7,453,260 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.