Method and system for thermal control of devices in an electronics tester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10466292-B2
Application number	US-201715400771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2017
Priority date	Jan 8, 2016
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A tester apparatus is provided. Slot assemblies are removably mounted to a frame. Each slot assembly allows for individual heating and temperature control of a respective cartridge that is inserted into the slot assembly. A closed loop air path is defined by the frame and a heater and cooler are located in the closed loop air path to cool or heat the cartridge with air. Individual cartridges can be inserted or be removed while other cartridges are in various stages of being tested or in various stages of temperature ramps.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A tester apparatus comprising:
a plurality of cartridges, each cartridge including:
a cartridge body for holding a respective wafer;
a plurality of cartridge contacts held by the cartridge body for making contact with contacts on the wafer; and
a cartridge interface connected to the cartridge contacts;

a frame;
a plurality of slot assemblies, each slot assembly including:
a slot assembly body mounted to the frame;
a thermal chuck mounted to the slot assembly body;
a respective first slot assembly interface mounted to the slot assembly body, each cartridge being insertable with a respective wafer into a respective slot assembly body with a respective cartridge body contacting the respective thermal chuck and a respective cartridge interface connecting with the respective first slot assembly interface; and
at least one temperature modification device held by the thermal chuck, which, when operated causes a transfer of heat through a respective cartridge body between the respective thermal chuck and a respective wafer; and
a respective thermal controller that controls the transfer of heat based on the temperature of the wafer placed in the testing station of the respective slot assembly

a plurality of electrical conductors;
a plurality of temperature detectors, each temperature detector mounted in proximity to a respective wafer to detect a temperature indicative of a temperature of the respective wafer;
at least one thermal controller that controls the transfer of heat by the temperature modification device based on the temperatures detected by the temperature detectors;
a power supply connected through the electrical conductors to the wafers in the testing stations and providing at least power to each microelectronic device; and
a tester connected through the electrical conductors to the wafers.

2. The tester apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature modification device is a heating element.

3. The tester apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature modification device includes:
a thermal fluid passage in the thermal chuck through which thermal fluid is movable.

4. The tester apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a thermal fluid actuator that moves the thermal fluid through the thermal fluid passage.

5. The tester apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a heater that is mounted in a position to heat the thermal fluid.

6. The tester apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the heater is located in the thermal chuck.

7. The tester apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the heater is located outside the thermal chuck.

8. The tester apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of cartridges, each cartridge including:
a cartridge body for holding a respective wafer;
a plurality of cartridge contacts held by the cartridge body for making contact with contacts on the wafer;
a cartridge interface connected to the cartridge contacts; and
a plurality of first slot assembly interfaces, each first slot assembly interface being located on a respective one of the slot assemblies, each cartridge being insertable with a respective wafer into the frame and a respective cartridge interface connecting with a respective first slot assembly interface.

9. The tester apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a plurality of tester interfaces; and
a plurality of second slot assembly interfaces, each second slot assembly interface being located on a respective one of the slot assemblies, each slot assembly being insertable into the frame and a respective second slot assembly interface connecting with a respective tester interface.

10. A method of testing microelectronic devices comprising:
placing a respective wafer of a plurality of wafers, each having at least one microelectronic device, in a respective cartridge body of a respective cartridge;
placing each cartridge in a respective testing station provided by a respective thermal chuck of a respective slot assembly mounted to a frame;
detecting a respective temperature indicative of a temperature of the respective wafer with a respective a temperature detector in proximity to the respective wafer;
transferring of heat through a respective cartridge body between the respective thermal chuck and the respective wafer by changing a temperature of a respective temperature modification device held by a respective thermal chuck;
controlling the transfer of heat based on the temperatures detected by the temperature detectors with a respective thermal controller forming part of a respective slot assembly based on the temperature of the wafer placed in the testing station of the respective slot assembly; and
testing the microelectronic devices by providing at least power to each microelectronic device and measuring a performance of the microelectronic device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the temperature modification device is a heating element.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the temperature modification device is a thermal fluid passage in the thermal chuck, further comprising:
flowing a thermal fluid through the thermal fluid passage;
moving thermal fluid through a thermal fluid passage in the thermal chuck to transfer heat between the thermal fluid and the thermal chuck.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
operating a thermal fluid actuator to move the thermal fluid.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
heating the thermal fluid with a heater.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the heater is located in the thermal chuck.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the heater is located outside the thermal chuck.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
holding each of a plurality of wafers in a respective cartridge of a plurality of cartridges;
making contact between a plurality of cartridge contacts held by a cartridge body of the respective cartridge and contacts on the respective wafer;
inserting each cartridge with a respective wafer into the frame; and
connecting a respective cartridge interface on each respective cartridge with a respective first slot assembly interface on the respective slot assembly.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
inserting each slot assembly into the frame;
connecting a respective second slot assembly interface on each respective slot assembly with a respective tester interface.

19. A method of testing microelectronic devices comprising:
placing a respective wafer of a plurality of wafers, each having at least one microelectronic device, in a respective testing station provided by a respective holder of a respective slot assembly mounted to a frame;
detecting a respective temperature indicative of a temperature of the respective wafer with a respective a temperature detector in proximity to the respective wafer;
transferring of heat to or from the wafers;
controlling the transfer of heat based on the temperatures detected by the temperature detectors; and
testing the microelectronic devices by providing at least power to each microelectronic device and measuring a performance of the microelectronic device, wherein a temperature of one of the wafers ramps up while a temperature of another one of the wafers ramps down.

Assignees

• Aehr Test Systems

Inventors

• Jovanovic Jovan
• Deboe Kenneth W
• Steps Steven C

Classifications

• H10P95/90

  Thermal treatments, e.g. annealing or sintering · CPC title

• H10P74/238

  comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement · CPC title

• H10P72/7624

  characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support · CPC title

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title