Test fixture with thermoelectric cooler and spring-operated holding pin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016041202-A1
Application number	US-201414452715-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 6, 2014
Priority date	Aug 6, 2014
Publication date	Feb 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A test fixture generally includes a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) configured to regulate the temperature of a device under test (DUT). The test fixture may further include a device carrier configured to secure the DUT in a desired position relative to the TEC and a spring-operated pin configured to generate a desired contact pressure between the DUT and the TEC. The desired contact pressure may be selected to achieve a thermal coupling between the DUT and the TEC that maintains the temperature of the DUT at a desired operation level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A test fixture comprising:
a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) configured to regulate temperature of a device under test (DUT); a device carrier configured to secure said DUT in a desired position relative to said TEC; and a spring-operated pin configured to generate a desired contact pressure between said DUT and said TEC, wherein said desired contact pressure is associated with a desired thermal coupling between said DUT and said TEC.

2 . The test fixture of claim 1 , wherein a portion of said device carrier is interposed between said DUT and said TEC and configured to provide thermal coupling between said device under test and said TEC.

3 . The test fixture of claim 1 , wherein said spring-operated pin is calibrated to generate a spring force associated with said desired contact pressure at a threshold spring compression distance.

4 . The test fixture of claim 1 , wherein said desired contact pressure is associated with an operational temperature for said DUT.

5 . The test fixture of claim 4 , wherein said DUT is a laser diode and said operational temperature is associated with a desired transmission wavelength of said laser diode.

6 . The test fixture of claim 5 , wherein said laser diode is packaged as a mini-coaxial laser.

7 . The test fixture of claim 1 , further comprising a heat sink mounting block, said TEC coupled to said heat sink mounting block.

8 . The test fixture of claim 1 , further comprising test probes electrically coupled to said DUT, said test probes configured to operate and monitor said DUT during a test.

9 . The test fixture of claim 1 , further comprising a force controller module configured to provide closed-loop control of compression of said spring-operated pin.

10 . The test fixture of claim 1 , further comprising an operator interface configured to provide operator control over compression of said spring-operated pin during a test.

11 . The test fixture of claim 10 , wherein said operator interface is further configured to provide a locking mechanism to maintain said compression during said test.

12 . The test fixture of claim 11 , wherein said operator interface comprises a lever and a locking knob.

13 . A method comprising:
securing a device under test (DUT) in a position proximate to a thermoelectric cooler (TEC); regulating temperature of said DUT through operation of said TEC; and applying a spring-operated pin to said DUT to generate a desired contact pressure between said DUT and said TEC, wherein said desired contact pressure is associated with a desired thermal coupling between said DUT and said TEC.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising calibrating said spring-operated pin to generate a spring force associated with said desired contact pressure at a threshold spring compression distance.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said desired contact pressure is associated with an operational temperature for said DUT.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said DUT is a laser diode and said operational temperature is associated with a desired transmission wavelength of said laser diode.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein said laser diode is packaged as a mini-coaxial laser.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising coupling a heat sink mounting block, to said TEC.

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising electrically coupling test probes to said DUT for operation and monitoring of said DUT during a test.

20 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing closed-loop control of compression of said spring-operated pin.

21 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing an operator interface to control compression of said spring-operated pin during a test.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said operator interface further provides a locking mechanism to maintain said compression during said test.

Assignees

• Applied Optoelectronics Inc

Inventors

• Peng Luohan
• Tucker Darren
• Lii Justin
• Hendricks David

Classifications

• G01R31/2635 Primary

  Testing light-emitting diodes, laser diodes or photodiodes · CPC title

• G01R1/44 Primary

  Modifications of instruments for temperature compensation · CPC title

• G01R1/06722

  Spring-loaded · CPC title

• G01R31/2877

  related to cooling · CPC title

• G01R31/2863

  Contacting devices, e.g. sockets, burn-in boards or mounting fixtures (in general G01R1/04) · CPC title