Testing system with capacitively coupled probe for evaluating electronic device structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9274142-B2
Application number	US-201113097847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2011
Priority date	Apr 29, 2011
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

Conductive electronic device structures such as a conductive housing member that forms part of an antenna may be tested during manufacturing. A test system may be provided that has a capacitive coupling probe. The probe may have electrodes. The electrodes may be formed from patterned metal structures in a dielectric substrate. A test unit may provide radio-frequency test signals in a range of frequencies. The radio-frequency test signals may be applied to the conductive housing member or other conductive structures under test using the electrodes. Complex impedance data, forward transfer coefficient data, or other data may be used to determine whether the structures are faulty. A fixture may be used to hold the capacitive coupling probe in place against the conductive electronic device structures during testing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A test system for testing conductive electronic device structures under test, comprising:
a test unit;
a fixture with a cavity that receives the conductive electronic device structures under test, wherein the fixture surrounds the conductive electronic device structures under test and the conductive electronic device structures under test comprise a conductive housing member that forms part of an antenna; and
at least one capacitively coupled probe that is coupled to the test unit, wherein the capacitively coupled probe has a metal layer that forms at least a portion of an electrode that is configured to capacitively couple to the conductive electronic device structures under test and a dielectric layer that covers the metal layer and is interposed between the metal layer and the conductive electronic device structures under test when the conductive electronic device structures under test are received within the fixture, and the metal layer and the dielectric layer are interposed between the fixture and the conductive electronic device structures under test.

2. The test system defined in claim 1 further comprising a biasing member interposed between the fixture and the capacitively coupled probe that biases the capacitively coupled probe against the conductive electronic device structures under test such that the at least one dielectric layer is in direct contact with the conductive electronic device structures under test.

3. The test system defined in claim 2 wherein the biasing member comprises foam.

4. The test system defined in claim 1 further comprising:
biasing structures that bias the at least one pin towards the metal layer.

5. The test system defined in claim 1 wherein the fixture comprises biasing structures that hold the conductive electronic device structures under test within the fixture and the biasing structures bias the conductive electronic device structures under test towards the dielectric layer such that the conductive electronic device structures under test are in direct contact with the dielectric layer.

6. The test system defined in claim 5 wherein the biasing structures comprise movable retention members.

7. The test system defined in claim 6 further comprising levers that move the movable retention members.

8. The test system defined in claim 7 further comprising springs coupled to the movable retention members.

9. The test system defined in claim 1 wherein the test unit is configured to measure test data with the capacitively coupled probe and wherein the test data is selected from the group consisting of: inductance data, impedance data, and capacitance data.

10. The test system defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one capacitively coupled probe comprises at least one positive pin and at least one ground pin, wherein the fixture has an asymmetric opening and wherein the probe has a mating shape to ensure that the probe is inserted in the opening with a desired polarity.

11. The test system defined in claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer electrically isolates the metal layer from the conductive electronic device structures under test.

12. The test system defined in claim 1 , wherein the test unit comprises a vector network analyzer.

13. The test system defined in claim 1 , wherein the test unit is configured to generate and receive radio-frequency test signals.

14. The test system defined in claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer has a thickness of 20 to 30 microns.

15. A test system for testing conductive electronic device structures under test, comprising:
a test unit;
a test fixture having a cavity for receiving the conductive electronic device structures under test; and
a test probe that is coupled to the test unit and that is capacitively coupled to the conductive electronic device structures under test via an electrode, wherein the test unit is configured to convey test signals over the test probe and the electrode, the test probe comprises at least one positive pin and at least one ground pin that protrude through an asymmetric opening in the test fixture, and the test probe has a mating shape to ensure that the test probe is inserted in the asymmetric opening with a desired polarity.

16. The test system defined in claim 15 , further comprising a dielectric layer interposed between the electrode and the conductive electronic device structures under test, wherein the dielectric layer contacts the electrode and the conductive electronic device structures under test during testing.

17. The test system defined in claim 15 , wherein the test probe is capacitively coupled to a first side of the conductive electronic device structures under test, further comprising:
biasing structures formed in the test fixture at a second side of the conductive electronic device structures under test that opposes the first side, wherein the biasing structures are configured to hold the conductive electronic device structures under test within the fixture.

18. A test system for testing conductive electronic device structures under test of an electronic device, comprising:
a test unit configured to generate test signals;
a first test probe that is capacitively coupled to the conductive electronic device structures under test via a first electrode, wherein the conductive electronic device structures under test comprise a conductive housing member that runs around the periphery of the electronic device, the first test probe is capacitively coupled to the conductive housing member, and the first test probe is configured to provide the test signals to the conductive housing member; and
a second test probe that is capacitively coupled to the conductive housing member via a second electrode, wherein the second test probe is configured to receive the test signals from the conductive housing member.

19. The test system defined in claim 18 , further comprising:
a test fixture in which the conductive electronic device structures under test are placed during testing.

20. The test system defined in claim 18 , wherein the electronic device has planar front and rear surfaces and the conductive housing member surrounds a periphery of the planar front and rear surfaces.

21. The test system defined in claim 18 , wherein the electronic device has a display.

22. The test system defined in claim 18 , wherein the conductive housing member forms part of an antenna for the electronic device.

23. The test system defined in claim 22 , wherein the conductive housing member has a gap filled with dielectric, the gap has first and second opposing sides, the first test probe is capacitively coupled to the conductive housing member at the first side of the gap, and the second test probe is capacitively coupled to the conductive housing member at the second side of the gap.

Assignees

• Nickel Joshua G
• Shen Jr-Yi
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Nickel Joshua G
• Shen Jr-Yi

Classifications

• G01R31/312

  by capacitive methods · CPC title

• G01R1/07 Primary

  Non contact-making probes · CPC title