Electronic device transfer apparatus, electronic device handling apparatus, and electronic device testing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340361-B2
Application number	US-201213724234-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2012
Priority date	Dec 28, 2011
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

There is provided an electronic device transfer apparatus which has an excellent capacity of transferring DUTs between trays.
An electronic device transfer apparatus, which transfers DUTs between trays, includes a device conveying unit. The device conveying unit includes a plurality of shuttles which hold the DUTs, an endless first guide rail which guides the shuttles, and first to third feeders which move the shuttles on the first guide rail. The shuttles are movable on the first guide rail over the entire circumference of the rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device transfer apparatus which transfers electronic devices to be tested between trays,
the electronic device transfer apparatus comprising a conveying unit, wherein the conveying unit includes:
a plurality of holding units which hold the electronic devices;
an endless track which guides the holding units; and
a moving unit which moves the holding units on the track, and

the holding units are movable on the track over the entire circumference of the track.

2. The electronic device transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
an interval between the plurality of holding units is variable on the track.

3. The electronic device transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the moving unit is independent of the holding units.

4. The electronic device transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first transfer unit which transfers the electronic devices from a first tray to the holding units; and
a second transfer unit which transfers the electronic devices from the holding units to a second tray.

5. The electronic device transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the track includes an inverted portion which is turned back in a vertical direction.

6. The electronic device transfer apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a first transfer unit which transfers the electronic devices from a first tray to the holding unit with an attitude where terminals of the electronic devices are directed downward or upward; and
a second transfer unit which transfers the electronic devices from the holding unit to a second tray with an attitude where the terminals are directed upward or downward.

7. The electronic device transfer apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the track includes:
a first horizontal portion along which the holding units are moved in a horizontal direction with an attitude where the terminals are directed downward; and
a second horizontal portion along which the holding units are moved in the horizontal direction with an attitude where the terminals are directed upward, and

the inverted portion includes:
a first inverted portion which connects one end of the first horizontal portion with one end of the second horizontal portion; and
a second inverted portion which connects the other end of the second horizontal portion with the other end of the first horizontal portion, and

the moving unit includes:
a first moving unit which moves the holding unit from the other end of the first horizontal portion toward one end of the first horizontal portion;
a second moving unit which moves the holding unit from one end of the second horizontal portion toward the other end of the second horizontal portion; and
a third moving unit which moves the holding unit along the second inverted portion from the other end of the second horizontal portion toward the other end of the first horizontal portion.

8. The electronic device transfer apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the holding unit includes a holding mechanism which holds the electronic devices even though the holding unit is inverted.

9. The electronic device transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the conveying unit includes a floating unit which floats the holding unit from the track with a compressed fluid interposed between the holding unit and the track.

10. The electronic device transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
one of the trays is a customer tray or a test tray, and
the other thereof is a test tray or a customer tray.

11. An electronic device handling apparatus which loads electronic devices to be tested onto a test tray, conveys the electronic devices, and presses the electronic devices against a contact portion of a test head in order to test the electronic devices,
the electronic device handling apparatus comprising at least one of a first electronic device transfer apparatus according to claim 1 or a second transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first electronic device transfer apparatus transfers untested electronic devices from the customer tray to the test tray, and
the second electronic device transfer apparatus transfers tested electronic devices from the test tray to the customer tray.

12. An electronic device testing apparatus which tests electronic devices, the electronic device testing apparatus comprising:
a test head;
the electronic device handling apparatus according to claim 11 which presses the electronic devices against the contact portion of the test head; and
a tester which is electrically connected to the test head.

Assignees

• Nakajima Haruki
• Kikuchi Hiroyuki
• Yamashita Tsuyoshi
• Advantest Corp

Inventors

• Nakajima Haruki
• Kikuchi Hiroyuki
• Yamashita Tsuyoshi

Classifications

• H10P74/00

  Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment of wafers, substrates or devices · CPC title

• H10P72/00

  Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof · CPC title

• G01R31/2893 Primary

  Handling, conveying or loading, e.g. belts, boats, vacuum fingers (G01R31/2867 takes precedence; handling semiconductor devices or wafers during manufacture or treatment H10P72/00) · CPC title

• B65G17/12 Primary

  comprising a series of individual load-carriers fixed, or normally fixed, relative to traction element · CPC title

• G01R31/26 Primary

  Testing of individual semiconductor devices (testing of photovoltaic devices H02S50/10; testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment {H10P74/00}) · CPC title