Test apparatus, test system including test apparatus, test method using test apparatus and test system, and method of manufacturing integrated circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11216622-B2
Application number	US-201916239660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2019
Priority date	Jan 5, 2018
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A test system is provided. The test system includes a test board provided with a near filed communication chip and including an antenna; a tag holding apparatus including first and second tag holders accommodating first and second NFC tags, respectively, and a first controller configured to adjust a position of each of the first and second tag holders; and a second controller configured to: transmit a first test signal to the test board to perform a first communication test for the NFC chip and the first NFC tag; receive a result of the first communication test; and determine whether or not the NFC chip normally reads first data stored in the first NFC tag. The first controller is configured to place the first NFC tag and the antenna to be spaced apart from each other by a first distance based on a type of the first NFC tag and face each other, and rotate the first and second tag holders when the first communication test is completed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A test system, comprising:
a test board comprising an antenna connected to a near field communication (NFC) chip;
a first tag holder accommodating a first NFC tag;
a second tag holder accommodating a second NFC tag;
a first controller configured to adjust a first distance between the first NFC tag and the test board and a second distance between the second NFC tag and the test board and to rotate the first tag holder and the second tag holder; and
a second controller configured to transmit a first test signal to the test board to perform a first communication test for the NFC chip and the first NFC tag.

2. The test system of claim 1 ,
wherein the first controller rotates the first and second tag holders after the first communication test is completed, and then adjusts the second distance between the second NFC tag and the test board based on a type of the second NFC tag different from the type of the first NFC tag and to face each other.

3. The test system of claim 2 ,
wherein the second controller transmits a second test signal to the test board to perform a second communication test for the NFC chip and the second NFC tag after the second controller adjusts the second distance between the second NFC tag and the test board.

4. The test system of claim 1 ,
wherein the first and second tag holders are connected with a support, and
the first controller is configured to rotate the support to rotate the first and second tag holders.

5. The test system of claim 4 ,
wherein the first and second tag holders move along a direction in which the support extends, and
the first controller is configured to move the first tag holder along the direction in which the support extends, so that the first NFC tag and the antenna are spaced apart from each other by the first distance and face each other.

6. The test system of claim 4 , further comprising a third tag holder accommodating a third NFC tag and connected with the support,
wherein the first controller configured to adjust a third distance between the third NFC tag and the test board and to rotate the support to rotate the third tag holder.

7. The test system of claim 6 ,
wherein the first tag holder and the second tag holder are spaced apart from each other by a first angle,
wherein the second tag holder and the third tag holder are spaced apart from each other by a second angle, and
wherein the first angle and the second angle are same value.

8. The test system of claim 6 ,
wherein the first controller configured to adjust the third distance between the third NFC tag and the test board based on a type of the third NFC tag different from the type of the second NFC tag and to face each other.

9. The test system of claim 1 ,
wherein the second controller configured to transmit the first test signal to the test board after the first controller adjusts the first distance between the first NFC tag and the test board.

10. A test apparatus, comprising:
a support;
a first tag holder connected with the support and accommodating a first near field communication (NFC) tag; and
a second tag holder connected with the support and accommodating a second NFC tag,
wherein the first tag holder and the second tag holder are configured to rotate about an axis,
wherein the test apparatus is configured to move the first tag holder to adjust a first distance between the first NFC tag and a test board including an NFC chip based on a type of the first NFC tag, and
wherein the test apparatus is configured to move the second tag holder to adjust a second distance between the second NFC tag and the test board based on a type of the second NFC tag different from the type of the first NFC tag.

11. The test apparatus of claim 10 ,
wherein the first tag holder moves along a direction in which the support extends, so as to adjust the first distance, and
the second tag holder moves along the direction in which the support extends, so as to adjust the second distance.

12. The test apparatus of claim 10 ,
wherein the test apparatus is configured to cause the first tag holder to move to adjust the first distance, to rotate the first and second tag holders about the axis, and then to move the second tag holder to adjust the second distance.

13. The test apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a controller for adjusting the second distance by rotating the first and second tag holders after the first distance is adjusted and a first communication test between the first NFC tag and the NFC chip is performed.

14. The test apparatus of claim 13 ,
wherein, in the first communication test, the test board transmits a first signal including a read command to the first NFC tag, and
the first NFC tag having received the first signal transmits a second signal including first data stored in the first NFC tag to the NFC chip.

15. The test apparatus of claim 14 ,
wherein the first communication test includes:
a first sub communication test in which the NFC chip and the first NFC tag transmit and receive each of the first and second signals at a first rate; and
a second sub communication test in which the NFC chip and the first NFC tag transmit and receive each of the first and second signals at a second rate.

16. The test apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a rotator connected with the support and rotating the first and second tag holders about the axis; and
a distance controller connected with the support and moving each of the first and second tag holders to adjust each of the first and second distances.

17. The test apparatus of claim 16 ,
wherein the distance controller is configured to move along a direction in which the support extends,
wherein the rotator and the distance controller are connected with each other to rotate the distance controller by rotation of the rotator about the axis, and
wherein the first and second tag holders are connected with the distance controller.

18. The test apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a rail connected with the support,
wherein the distance controller moves on the rail along a direction in which the support extends.

19. The test apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising:
a connector disposed at the distance controller,
wherein the connector engaged the distance controller, the first tag holder and the second tag holder with each other.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jae Seol
• Hong Ki Ock
• Jeong Hae Seong

Classifications

• G06F30/392

  Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement · CPC title

• G06K7/083 Primary

  inductive (G06K7/10336 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06K7/0095 Primary

  Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly (testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28) · CPC title

• G06K19/0772

  Physical layout of the record carrier · CPC title