Testing techniques for through-device vias
AssigneeFormFactor, Inc.
InventorBenjamin N. Eldridge
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques for testing an electronic device with through-device vias can include using a probe card assembly with probes for contacting connection structures of the electronic device including ends of through-device vias of the electronic device. A pair of the probes can be electrically connected in the probe card assembly and can thus contact and form a direct return loop from one through-device via to another through-device via of a pair of the through-device vias with which the pair of probes is in contact. The electronic device can include test circuitry for driving a test signal onto the one of the through-device vias and a receiver for detecting the test signal on the other of the through-device vias.
Claims23
A method of testing an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises a plurality of through-device vias, the method comprising:
- bringing electrically conductive probes of a probe card assembly into contact with a first electronic device and thereby making electrical connections between the probe card assembly and the first electronic device through the probes, wherein a set of the probes are electrically connected to each other within the probe card assembly and are brought into contact with a set of through-device vias of the first electronic device;
- providing from within the first electronic device a test signal to a first one of the through-device vias in the set of the through-device vias of the first electronic device;
- and
- determining whether the test signal is present on a second one of the through-device vias in the set of the through-device vias of the first electronic device.
A probe card assembly comprising:
- a substrate;
- probes disposed on the substrate and arranged to contact connection structures including ends of through-device vias of an electronic device;
- and
- a first electrical connection electrically connecting a first probe and a second probe in a first pair of the probes, wherein the first probe, the second probe, and the first electrical connection form a first direct return loop from a first one of the through-device vias to a second one of the through-device vias while the first probe is in contact with the first through-device via and the second probe is in contact with the second through-device via,
- wherein the first direct return loop is the only direct electrical connection between the first through-device via and the second through-device via while the first probe is in contact with the first through-device via and the second probe is in contact with the second through-device via.
An electronic device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- through-device vias passing through the semiconductor substrate from one side of the semiconductor substrate to an opposite side;
- a driver circuit coupled to a first one of the through-device vias;
- a first receiver circuit coupled to a second one of the through-device vias;
- a test circuit coupled to the driver circuit and the first receiver circuit, the test circuit configured to cause the driver circuit to drive a test signal onto the first through-device via and determine whether the test signal is received at the first receiver from the second through-device via,
- wherein the driver circuit, the first receiver circuit, and the test circuit are part of the semiconductor substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.