Handling system for testing electronic components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9519007-B2
Application number	US-201313753706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2013
Priority date	Feb 10, 2012
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A handling system for testing electronic components comprises a rotary turret and pick heads mounted on the rotary turret, each pick head being configured to hold a respective electronic component provided by a supply source. A carrier system which is positionable adjacent to the rotary turret is configured to carry a plurality of electronic components. The carrier system is receivable by a testing station that is operative to simultaneously test a plurality of the electronic components which have been arranged on the carrier system. The pick heads or other transfer mechanism may transfer the electronic components onto the carrier system prior to testing the same at the testing station and remove electronic components from the carrier system after testing the same at the testing station.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A handling system for testing electronic components, comprising:
a rotary turret;
pick heads mounted on the rotary turret, each pick head being configured to hold a respective electronic component provided by a supply source;
a carrier system which is positionable adjacent to the rotary turret and which is configured to carry electronic components, wherein the carrier system comprises a first buffer carrier for carrying a first array of a first plurality of electronic components and a second buffer carrier for carrying a second array of a second plurality of electronic components; and
a testing station which is configured for receiving the carrier system;
and is configured to simultaneously test the first array of the first plurality of electronic components which have been arranged on the first buffer carrier of the carrier system while the second buffer carrier stands by at the testing station, the second buffer carrier proceeding for testing of the second array of the second plurality of electronic components at the testing station after the testing station completes testing of the first array of the first plurality of electronic components on the first buffer carrier;
wherein the pick heads are operative to transfer the electronic components onto the first buffer carrier and the second buffer carrier prior to testing the same at the testing station and to remove electronic components from the first buffer carrier and the second buffer carrier after testing the same at the testing station;
wherein the first array of the first plurality of electronic components are held by a first plurality of pick heads and the second array of the second plurality of electronic components are held by a second plurality of pick heads;
wherein each of the first buffer carrier and the second buffer carrier is movable from a position of the rotary turret to a position of the testing station; and
wherein each of the first buffer carrier and the second buffer carrier is movable at the same time from the position of the rotary turret to the position of the testing station.

2. The handling system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a conveying mechanism for conveying the carrier system between positions of the rotary turret and the testing station.

3. The handling system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the conveying mechanism comprises one or more linear arms operative to hold and convey the carrier system between the rotary turret and the testing station linearly.

4. The handling system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the conveying mechanism comprises a rotary arm which is configured to hold and convey the carrier system between the rotary turret and the testing station.

5. The handling system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the rotary arm is configured to simultaneously hold and convey a plurality of buffer carriers comprised in the carrier system, such that the plurality of buffer carriers are equally spaced around the rotary arm.

6. The handling system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an offloading station located adjacent to the rotary turret to which the pick heads transfer the electronic components which have been removed from the carrier system.

7. The handling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of electronic components arranged on the first buffer carrier are tested at the testing station while electronic components are transferred by the pick heads to the second buffer carrier adjacent to the rotary turret.

8. The handling system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an inspection station operative to visually inspect the electronic components while they are being held by the pick heads.

9. The handling system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a temperature control zone through which the carrier system is conveyed, the temperature control zone being operative to bring the electronic components to a desired temperature prior to testing the electronic components at the testing station.

10. The handling system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the temperature control zone further comprises a heating zone and a separate cooling zone adjacent to the heating zone, the heating zone being operative to elevate a temperature of the electronic components and the cooling zone being operative to lower a temperature of the electronic components to an ambient temperature.

11. A handling system for testing electronic components, comprising:
an onloading station;
a carrier system which is positionable next to the onloading station, the carrier system being configured to carry electronic components transferred from the onloading station, wherein the carrier system comprises a first buffer carrier for carrying a first array of a first plurality of electronic components and a second buffer carrier for carrying a second array of a second plurality of electronic components;
a testing station which is configured for receiving the carrier system;
and is configured to simultaneously test the first array of the first plurality of electronic components which have been arranged on the first buffer carrier of the carrier system while the second buffer carrier stands by at the testing station, the second buffer carrier proceeding for testing of the second array of the second plurality of electronic components at the testing station after the testing station completes testing of the first array of the first plurality of electronic components on the first buffer carrier;
a rotary turret; and
pick heads mounted on the rotary turret, each pick head being configured to hold a respective electronic component provided by the carrier system;
wherein the pick heads are operative to remove electronic components from the first buffer carrier and the second buffer carrier after testing the same at the testing station;
wherein the first array of the first plurality of electronic components are held by a first plurality of pick heads and the second array of the second plurality of electronic components are held by a second plurality of pick heads;
wherein each of the first buffer carrier and the second buffer carrier is movable from a position of the rotary turret to a position of the testing station; and
wherein each of the first buffer carrier and the second buffer carrier is movable at the same time from the position of the rotary turret to the position of the testing station.

12. The handling system as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising a singulation system connected to the onloading station for providing singulated electronic components to the carrier system.

13. A method for testing electronic components, comprising the steps of:
providing electronic components from a supply source to pick heads mounted on a rotary turret, each pick head being configured to hold a respective electronic component;
transferring a plurality of electronic components from the pick heads to a carrier system positioned adjacent to the rotary turret, wherein the carrier system comprises a first buffer carrier for carrying a first array of a first plurality of electronic components and a second buffer carrier for carrying a second array of a second plurality of electronic components;
moving the first buffer carrier of the carrier system to a testing station for simultaneously testing the first array of the first plurality of electronic components which have been arranged on the first buffer carrier of the carrier system;
testing the first array of the first plurality of electronic components on the first buffer carrier while the second buffer carrier stands by at the testing station, the second buffer carrier proceeding for testing

Assignees

• Cheng Chi Wah
• Tse Wang Lung
• Cheung Chi Kit
• Cheung Cho Tao
• Asm Tech Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Cheng Chi Wah
• Tse Wang Lung
• Cheung Chi Kit
• Cheung Cho Tao

Classifications

• G01R31/01 Primary

  Subjecting similar articles in turn to test, e.g. "go/no-go" tests in mass production; Testing objects at points as they pass through a testing station (testing of cables continuously passing the testing apparatus G01R31/59; testing dielectric strength or breakdown voltage G01R31/12) · CPC title

• G01R31/2891

  related to sensing or controlling of force, position, temperature (G01R31/2874 takes precedence; sensing of force G01L; sensing of position G01B, G01D; sensing of temperature G01K; controlling in general G05) · CPC title

• G01R31/2893

  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

• G01R1/02 Primary

  General constructional details · CPC title