TW202240178A - Integrated circuit testing for integrated circuits with antennas - Google Patents

Abstract

A testing system and method for testing integrated circuits with radio frequency (RF) antennas is disclosed. The system includes an alignment plate for receiving a device under test (DUT) having an RF transmitting antenna, an enclosure surrounding but separated from the transmitting antenna, a receiving antenna in a telescopic enclosure, and a conversion circuit connected to the receiving antenna. The conversion circuit is configured to convert an RF output from the DUT to a direct current (DC) voltage. The DC voltage is used as a proxy for the RF output to test the DUT. When testing chips with RF ports, the chip or ports are surrounded by the enclosure which is non-radio reflective and includes antennas for receiving RF outputs disbursed around the enclosure, or a single antenna. If multiple receiving antennas are used, sequential testing can also detect directional transmission patterns to confirm that the direction is correctly calibrated.

Description

IC testing for ICs with antennas

The present disclosure generally relates to the field of testing semiconductor devices and/or integrated circuits. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for testing semiconductor devices and/or integrated circuits with antennas or integrated circuits with antennas mounted on the top or side of the semiconductor device and/or in a package.

Chips that can transmit or receive radio frequency (RF) signals, such as semiconductor devices and/or integrated circuits, need to be tested like other chips, but they pose special problems. For example, the placement of transmit antennas may not be consistent on different dies, so receiving and testing signal strength may require expensive and complex custom setups to transition from testing one die to another. Antennas in Package (AiP) are becoming more and more popular as antennas are integrated into packages of chips to save space and improve performance. Antennas transmit power over the air (Over the Air; OTA), so this can cause problems when trying to test a die with an antenna, as the antenna is usually on the side of the package opposite the input/output ports of the die, and requires contact with multiple sides of the package connected interface, which poses many problems when testing in a traditional handler using a traditional tester. In order to test a die with an antenna, a receive antenna is required and a corresponding transmit antenna is required to provide the antenna signal to one of the die packages. Some new ideas for testing these antennas in 5G applications are to use horn antennas or probes and route the signal through a waveguide or coaxial cable to a socket that can route the signal to a tester. Both of these methods are very expensive and take up too much space to be mechanically feasible.

To avoid the cost of custom setting up a test wafer (such as a semiconductor device and/or integrated circuit (IC)) with an RF antenna, it is possible to create a test system with a small flexible receive antenna to receive the RF output signal. It comes from a device under test (DUT) at multiple locations within the chassis and has circuitry to convert the RF signal to a direct current (DC) voltage, where the DC voltage level is directly proportional to the RF output signal level. The antenna transmits power over the air (OTA). If there are enough antennas and/or RF detectors in the test system, the antenna pattern can be reconstructed from DC measurements using a DC voltage. The test system can be used for antennas with beam steering, they will produce different results in DC voltage depending on how the beam is steered. Calibration equipment (golden parts) with known antenna patterns and steering capabilities can be placed in the test system's test fixture (also known as the alignment board) and the measured DC for each antenna pattern can be recorded The voltage pattern is then fed to a duplicate device with a similar antenna to limit/pattern to determine if the antenna response meets the pattern requirements. The golden unit in which the measured DC voltage can be recorded (a golden unit can be defined as a unit whose antenna pattern performance and/or characteristics are known, a golden unit can be calibrated as a transmitter and/or receiver, and can be used in minimum and and/or test the receiver and/or transmitter) and unit at the maximum performance level so that the corresponding DC voltage level or limit can be measured to determine whether the antenna under test is working within the limit or fails rapidly and is more efficient than using a waveguide horn or other probe systems are much cheaper. The material used for the internal structure of the test system housing can be designed as "Radome like", which means that the signal from the chip will have minimal transmission loss when passing through the housing at the operating frequency of the antenna in the DUT chip package . A radome can be defined as a dome or other structure that protects radar equipment and is made of a material that is transparent to radio waves. Using the embodiments disclosed herein, the performance of the antenna of the DUT can be accurately measured.

Also disclosed is a system for testing an integrated circuit having an RF antenna having any or all of the following: an alignment board for receiving a DUT having at least one RF transmit antenna; a housing; a receiving antenna accommodated in the housing; a radio frequency-to-DC voltage conversion circuit (RF to DC voltage conversion circuit), connected to the receiving antenna, for converting the radio frequency output of the DUT into a DC voltage; thereby the DC voltage is used as the Proxy of RF output to test the DUT.

Also disclosed is a method of testing an integrated circuit with a radio frequency antenna having any or all of the following steps: inserting a device under test (DUT) having a radio frequency antenna into an alignment board; inserting the RF antenna through a housing containing the receiving antenna enclosing; and converting the RF signal received at the receiving antenna to a corresponding DC voltage indicative of the RF signal strength at the receiving antenna.

Also disclosed is a method of tuning a receiving antenna to a predetermined desired frequency by cutting off a portion of the receiving antenna.

Also disclosed is a method of constructing an enclosure of a breathable material to allow a controlled flow of air into a space defined by the enclosure to control the temperature of the DUT environment.

Also disclosed is a method of constructing a housing of radio absorbing material to prevent reflections of RF signals from multiple walls of the housing and any multi-pathing that could corrupt antenna measurements.

Certain mission-critical antenna in package (AiP) wafers, such as semiconductor devices and/or integrated circuits (ICs), may require extensive testing in chambers (enclosures) due to regulatory requirements. Typically, an AiP chip maker may perform rigorous testing at the wafer level and minimal testing in the final OTA test to determine if the antenna installation has caused damage to the chip. Embodiments disclosed herein can facilitate final OTA testing in an RF chamber in a convenient manner, which can save time and reduce testing costs.

Instead of using the actual antenna pattern, which typically takes a long time to make accurate measurements and requires a lot of space to obtain measurements in the far field of the antenna signal, the embodiments disclosed herein target the final OTA testing, in which the performance of the antenna's RF signal is compared to an actual "golden" unit (a unit known to have the exact desired characteristics), or to what may represent the average, best, worst-case The performance of the tested device. Using these tested devices, a corresponding set of DC characteristics/patterns can be determined for each antenna tested under each test scenario, which can lead to DC limits/patterns, This in turn determines whether future tested AiP wafers are good or bad based on their relationship to the DC characteristics derived from acceptable golden unit tests. Depending on the position of the antenna in the test system enclosure and the fact that the antenna's RF signal may suffer losses (1/R ² , where R is the distance between the transmitting and receiving antennas, the greater the distance R, the greater the loss of the RF signal large, the strength of the RF signal output at the transmit antenna is R2 multiplied by the strength of the received RF signal at the receive antenna ⁾ , the test system may require some RF amplification between the receive antenna and the RF detector in order to Signals are obtained within the predetermined dynamic range of the RF detector. Note: The term "receive antenna" is used interchangeably with "transmit antenna" in this document (including patent claims), as it may be necessary to test the DUT in one or both modes.

In one embodiment, materials for internal structures between the transmit and receive antennas (eg, structures that hold the DUT in place) may be used. In this way, the material properties have minimal RF transmission loss at the operating frequency of the antenna, ie similar to Radome materials.

Different measurement/receiving antennas can be placed in one housing, including separating the receiving antennas to measure the antenna beam of the DUT, and the height above the DUT antenna (distance between the receiving antenna and the DUT antenna) can be set to generate RF power level so that the RF signal is well within the predetermined RF detector dynamic range. If the DUT's antenna is able to steer the beam, different beam positions can produce different power measurements, best derived from the DC voltage output by the RF detector. This test method is very fast and easy to implement compared to other solutions that require software algorithms to reconstruct the antenna RF signal pattern from the DC voltage and the measurement/receiving antenna to be calibrated so that the output detected voltage converted to accurate RF power levels. The receiving antenna and circuitry (such as switching and/or gaining circuits) are preferably made of a thin, flexible substrate material so that they can be adhered to any curved surface in the test chamber/enclosure. As the frequency of the device (RF) increases, the wavelength becomes shorter, so the antenna pattern size will decrease, so more circuitry (such as switching and/or gain circuits) can be placed in the test system's enclosure to accept the packaged device Antenna pattern, which makes it easier to recreate the antenna pattern from the DC voltage of the RF detector. A bandpass filter can be added to the receive antenna circuit design with the antenna frequency as the passband to reduce unwanted RF signals received by the detector, which can be due to multipath noise (RF signals reflected from walls) caused. To reduce multipath noise, radar absorbing materials or paints can be used to help attenuate RF signals not received by the receiving antenna and reduce the likelihood of multipath signals being reflected from the enclosure surface to the receiving antenna.

To hold the DUT package on the alignment board and not interfere with the DUT package antenna pattern, the alignment board can be four separate pieces with a rubber band like material around the moving piece to hold the DUT in place . Other fixation methods are to use the cutouts that align to the bottom of the board frame and then pull the DUT down with a vacuum. Another option is to use a slide mechanism to clamp the sides of the DUT and hold the DUT in place. See, eg, commonly-owned US Patent Application Serial No. 63/009,836, entitled "Over-the-Air (OTA) Wafer Testing System," filed April 14, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The principle of a Faraday cage can be used to make a mesh mesh into the top area of the housing housing the receiving antenna, the opening of this mesh is such that the DUT signal wavelength at the test frequency cannot escape, but allows the airflow to control the flow inside the test system (measurement equipment) Temperature (hot, cold, ambient, etc.).

The antenna of the DUT can be compacted with a material that is invisible to the operating frequency and has minimal attenuation at the test frequency (eg Radome material). This is the same principle that covers the DUT antenna to protect it from the elements. If the DUT antenna is on the edge of the DUT, the calibration board should have an opening on that side with enough edge to hold the DUT in place. There can be ball guides on the alignment plate for final precise positioning. This may require making the ball guide (invisible and non-destructive at the operating frequency of the DUT antenna) out of a radome-like material.

Since the RF power drop of ¹ /R2 occurs where the antenna is placed, custom circuitry (such as an amplifier) will be specified to bring the power level within the predetermined dynamic range of the RF detector. Calibration of the test system and subsequent testing of the gold components can determine acceptable limits/patterns/ranges of the DC voltage from the RF detector for each individual test. Beam steering tests will require multiple receive antennas in the enclosure, and depending on how the beam is steered, the output DC voltage of the RF detector will fluctuate.

The circuitry will vary depending on where the customer needs it (relative to the DUT antenna in the package). The farther the receive antenna is from the DUT antenna, the more amplification, or gain, is applied to the receive antenna/amplifier combination to ensure that the signal is within the predetermined dynamic range of the RF detector. Patch antennas (such as those printed on flat substrates) are very narrow-band devices, so for some applications it may be possible to operate without bandpass filtering. Other types of antennas can also be used in the measurement system, such as dipoles, spirals, etc. The more accurate the antenna RF signal pattern required, the more antenna chains (more elements in the circuit) are required and the more complex it is for the software to reconstruct the RF pattern from the DC voltage provided by the RF detector. If the goal of the test system is to monitor only the power of the package containing the antenna, then the switch and transmitter paths are not required in the design. To prevent unwanted multipath noise from occurring and interfering with measurements, it is necessary to include environmentally friendly absorbing material in the area of the cavity of the housing around the receiving antenna to absorb the RF signal, or possibly to attenuate RF bouncing off the surface/wall of the housing Signal absorbing paint. The absorbing material should have good attenuation characteristics at the test frequency and/or the frequency of the AiP device.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a test system 100 using a telescoping housing in which an antenna is inserted into a space defined by the housing, according to one embodiment.

System 100 is used for testing wafers such as semiconductor devices and/or integrated circuits (ICs) with antennas. System 100 includes an enclosure (120, 130). The housing ( 120 , 130 ) includes an upper portion 120 and a lower portion 130 . The upper portion 120 and the lower portion 120 define cavities of the housings 120 , 130 . The height of the enclosure can be adjusted to suit the RF frequency of the transmission (e.g. DUT antenna). Upper portion 120 and lower portion 130 may be press fit together. In one embodiment, the upper portion 120 is telescoping into the lower portion 130 (or vice versa) to adjust the height of the cavity to accommodate different frequencies or directional fields. The upper part 120 and lower part 130 may also be connected by a connecting assembly (not shown) having connecting and locking mechanisms such as one or more bolts and one or more nuts, or may have pneumatic or gear transmission for height adjustment. The connection assembly may be adjusted (eg, the length of the bolt or spacer within the cavity may be adjusted (decreased and/or increased) to adjust the height of the housing (120, 130).

The upper portion 120 includes at least one opening through which the circuit board holder 170 can be inserted into the cavity of the housing (120, 130). The upper portion 120 may be square, rectangular or circular so long as the two parts are in a slidable mating relationship. Each of the four sides of the upper part 120 may include an opening, and each opening may allow the circuit board holder to be inserted into the cavity of the housing, or the upper part may be automatically removed during insertion and then replaced for replacement. test. The robot can also be tuned to know the exact telescope height needed for a particular test and adjusted for subsequent tests at different frequencies. The system 100 also includes an alignment plate 160 to hold a DUT (not shown) in a recess in the middle of the alignment plate 160 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the DUT includes one or more antennas on the top surface of the DUT facing the circuit board holder 170 . Circuit board holder 170 may hold a flexible circuit such as the circuit of FIG. 5 . It will be appreciated that circuit board holder 170 may hold one or more elements of a circuit (eg, a receive antenna). It should also be understood that the term "receiving antenna" refers to an antenna of a test system for receiving an RF signal output from a DUT antenna (AiP) to test the performance of the DUT antenna. The receive antenna can also be used as a transmit antenna for sending RF signals to the DUT antenna to test the responsiveness/sensitivity of the DUT antenna. The DUT antenna can transmit RF signals to (the receiving antenna of) the tester, and can receive RF signals from (the transmitting antenna of) the tester.

System 100 further includes receptacle 150, optional clamping plate 140 mounted on receptacle 150, load plate 180, and rigid plate 110 mounted on load plate (see p. 2 figure). Rigid plate 110 may help hold enclosures ( 120 , 130 ) and other components in place between rigid plate 110 and load plate 180 .

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of components of a test assembly 200 of a test system for final OTA testing of AiP wafers (DUTs, not shown), according to one embodiment. It will be appreciated that connection components such as fasteners and/or parts to mount and manipulate the various components of the test assembly are not shown.

Test assembly 200 includes stiffener 210 , load board (not shown), socket 220 , alignment plate 230 , optional clamping plate 240 , housings ( 250 and 260 ), and circuit board holder 270 .

The stiffener 210 may provide structural support to the load board (sub board, not shown, see FIG. 1 ) to minimize deflection to ensure socket 220 makes contact with the load board.

The load board is used to route signals from the DUT (via socket 220) to the tester (not shown) and vice versa. The tester is used to test the DUT (eg, by sending commands/input to the DUT and/or by receiving data/output from the DUT). The load board is mounted to the test head in the tester. In the test assembly 200 , the load board is disposed between the stiffener 210 and the socket 220 .

The socket 220 is used to provide a path for the input/output of the DUT to the tester (via the load board).

The device alignment board 230 aligns the DUT (eg, a die, not shown) to the socket 220 . Alignment plate 230 is aligned and attached to stiffener 210 by fasteners, such as through holes in socket 220 and the load plate. The alignment plate 230 has: a groove/opening (e.g., in the middle of the alignment plate 230) with alignment features; and a retainer (e.g., a stop in the z direction) for holding the DUT and attaching the DUT to the socket 220 (to align the input and/or output pins/pads/lines of the DUT with the IO pins/pads/lines of the socket 220).

Splint 240 is optional. The clamping plate 240 can hold the DUT securely on the load board (via the alignment plate 230 and socket 220 ) during testing. In one embodiment, a vacuum (instead of clamping plate 240) may be used as the compression mechanism for the DUT. In another embodiment, the alignment of the DUT (via the alignment plate 230 ) can be made as flush as possible, and the DUT can be secured in the corners instead of using clamps.

The housing ( 250 and 260 ) has an upper portion 260 and a lower portion 250 . The walls of the enclosures (250 and 260) may have a radio-absorbing absorbent (eg, paint) to absorb RF signals so that reflected noise/signals may be reduced. The lower part 250 has a cavity formed by the optional inner structure 251 or the walls of the lower part 250 . The walls of the lower portion 250 and the upper portion 260 may be made of RF signal isolating material (eg, RF absorbing material filled with RF absorbing foam). In an embodiment, internal structure 251 may be optional. In another embodiment, the internal structure 251 may be made, for example, of a transmissive radome material (eg, a material that is transparent to RF radio waves) at the particular frequency at which the DUT's antenna operates. In one embodiment, the inner structure 251 includes a three sided frame of walls that provides support for the lower portion 250 . Not shown are the slots provided to receive the patch antenna and the circuit board 270 bounded by the three side wall frame.

In such an embodiment, the inner structure/wall 251 is removable from the lower portion 250 such that each time the frequency of the DUT's antenna changes, the inner structure/wall 251 can be replaced with a different material.

Either upper portion 260 or lower portion 250 may be secured to splint 240 (or to alignment plate 230 if splint 240 is optional). The non-fixed parts of the housing (lower part 250 and upper part 260) are height adjustable so that the height of the cavity space of the housing can be adjusted to accommodate different frequencies for testing the DUT antenna. In one embodiment, the upper portion 260 is retractable into the lower portion 250 (and vice versa) to adjust the height of the cavity space of the housing. In another embodiment, a spacer may be used between the upper portion 260 and the lower portion 250 to adjust the height of the cavity space of the housing. When adjusting the height of the cavity space of the housing, a locking mechanism (not shown, such as a nut) can be used to lock the upper part 260 and/or the lower part 250 in place so that the upper part 260 and/or the lower part 250 are fixed during testing. of. As explained in the previous embodiments, pneumatic or mechanical systems can be used to adjust the height.

The upper portion 260 has an opening for mounting an OTA's RF signal circuit board holder 270 . The circuit board holder 270 may include waveguides or sensors to convert received input signals into waves such as electromagnetic waves, radio waves, and the like. The circuit board holder 270 is connected to the tester. In one embodiment, circuit board holder 270 includes a circuit with an antenna (see FIG. 5 ). The antenna for the circuit on the circuit board holder 270 may be a patch/pad antenna (typically a narrowband antenna). In an embodiment, the antennas of the circuits on the circuit board holder 270 may be dipole and/or monopole antennas (eg, broadband). In one embodiment, the upper portion 260 has up to four (4) openings (on each side surface of the upper portion) for receiving four (4) circuit board holders 270 (see FIGS. 3a-3d and 4 ).

In one embodiment, there may be 1, 2, 3, or 4 (or more) patch antennas so that they can steer and determine which direction the DUT antenna is pointing (e.g., by picking up the signal from the DUT). different RF power levels), which is done, for example, by using a predetermined antenna signal pattern pattern of the DUT. See Figures 6a-6c. It should be understood that a recalibration process may be required if the DUT's antenna is moving (for example, if a patch antenna is used for testing). Using more than one patch antenna can help reduce/eliminate the need for recalibration. This way, voltage (corresponding to some RF power level) can be transmitted to the tester instead of RF power (which suffers from ¹ /R2 loss). Therefore, it is desirable to place the RF voltage circuit close to the antenna. In another embodiment, each of the 4 patch antennas can be tuned to handle different frequencies, so multiple antennas of the DUT can be tested simultaneously (see Figure 6c).

Since the height of the cavity of the housing (250, 260) can be adjusted (note the signal loss, expressed as ¹ /R2), depending on the frequency of the DUT's antenna, the antenna on the circuit board holder 270 can be configured to always be on In the far field of the DUT antenna signal pattern (sufficient distance so that the signal pattern can be formed into a recognizable pattern and the RF signal power can be easily detected and determined to correspond to the antenna frequency). In one embodiment, a far field of 5 GHz corresponds to a distance of about 17-20 mm (between the antenna of the DUT and the antenna of the circuit on the circuit board holder 270, i.e., the height of the cavity space of the housing); 81 GHz ( Antennas used in automobiles) the far field corresponds to a distance of about 1 mm; the 5 GHz band corresponds to a distance of about 10 mm. The lower the frequency (larger wavelength), the greater the distance. Embodiments disclosed herein can be used to test different antennas at different frequencies (eg, at about 5-40 GHz).

Figures 3a-3d and 4 illustrate various embodiments of the housing (250, 260) of the test assembly 200 of Figure 2 . Some embodiments in Figures 3a-3d and 4 also show the circuit board holder 270 of Figure 2 (some embodiments can accommodate up to 4 circuit board holders).

Referring again to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the DUT, clamping plate 240, and housing (250 and 260) can be attached to the handler's pick arm or other robotic mechanism (could be x2, x4, x8, etc., depending on depending on the resources of the tester, the complexity of the structure and/or mechanics of the process). The picker arm of the handler can pick up the DUT (e.g. wafer) from the input tray/cassette, insert the DUT into the alignment plate 230, press the DUT with the clamp plate 240 onto the alignment plate 230 (or socket 220), and wait for the test to complete , release the DUT from the hold, pick up the DUT, and return the DUT to the output tray/cartridge.

A manipulator's pick-up arm can adjust the height of the cavity of the space (eg, by adjusting the telescoping of upper section 260 or lower section 250 ) to determine the ideal "sweet spot" for far-field and/or near-field testing. Adjustments can be made manually or automatically using antenna pattern recognition algorithms and closed-loop feedback control schemes.

It will be understood that the near field and the far field are the regions of the electromagnetic (EM) field around the transmitting antenna. Typically, the purpose of an antenna is to use the far field (primary operating area) for long-distance wireless communication. Typically, the far field has a relatively uniform waveform. The near field generally refers to the area where the propagation of electromagnetic waves is disturbed. Thus, when determining the antenna signal pattern, it is best to use the far-field (relatively uniform waveform, less interference and/or noise) antenna signal pattern, and the RF power in the far field can be determined and represented by a voltage level (corresponding to Antennas for specific frequencies).

In some embodiments, the antenna of the DUT is on the top side of the DUT (and the pins/pads/terminals/wires of the DUT are on the bottom side of the DUT opposite the top side). See Figure 1 and Figures 6a-6c. It will be appreciated that if there is a component between the antenna of the DUT and the antenna on the circuit board holder 270, the antenna signal may be attenuated. As shown in Figure 1 and Figures 6a-6c, when the antenna of the DUT is on the top of the DUT, there is a cavity of the housing (250, 260), and there is no space between the antenna of the DUT and the antenna on the circuit board holder 270. other components.

In one embodiment, the antenna of the DUT may be on one or more sides (typically in the middle of one or more sides), rather than on the top surface of the DUT. In such embodiments, alignment plates 230 (which typically wear out over time) may align the DUT at the corners of the DUT. See image 7 which shows another alignment plate from image 2. The circuit board holder 270 may be disposed in the slot/gap between the wall of the test assembly and the antenna of the DUT. There are one or more cutouts/openings on the alignment plate so there are no other components blocking the radio path between the DUT's antenna and the antenna on the circuit board holder 270 . As described above, the distance between the antenna of the DUT and the antenna on the circuit board holder 270 may be determined by the frequency of the antenna of the DUT under test.

Figures 3a-3d and Figure 4 are schematic illustrations of housings (310, 320, 330, 340, and 350) of a testing system according to one embodiment.

The housing ( 310 , 320 ) includes an upper portion 310 and a lower portion 320 . The upper portion 310 includes an opening 311 to allow the circuit board holder to be inserted into the cavity of the housing (310, 320). The upper portion 310 also includes a support 312 to support (retain within the cavity) a portion of the circuit board holder. The lower part 320 includes an inner structure 321 , an outer wall 322 and a groove 323 .

The housing ( 330 , 340 ) includes an upper portion 330 and a lower portion 340 . Housings (330, 340) are of the same (or similar) construction as housings (310, 320), except that upper portion 330 has openings on each side (which allow circuit board holders to be inserted into cavities of the housing) and holders (supporting the corresponding circuit board holder), and each side of the lower part 340 has a groove.

350 is the upper part of the housing with a circuit board holder 351 inserted into the cavity of the housing through the opening of the housing. The circuit 352 is arranged on the circuit board holder 351 . Circuitry 352 may be a flexible circuit including pad/patch antenna 353 electrically connected to connector 354 .

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a circuit 400 according to one embodiment. Circuit 400 may be an RF measurement and/or conversion circuit that includes: an antenna; an amplifier; and an RF detector/converter that changes an RF signal to a corresponding DC voltage or current. An optional variable attenuator may also be incorporated into circuit 400, depending on the measurements required. Also, depending on antenna gain and parallelism required for RF detection, one or more low noise amplifiers (LNAs) or no LNAs may be incorporated into circuit 400 depending on the distance between the receive antenna and the DUT antenna . A switch can also be included to change the tester from receive mode to transmit mode, or to be a detector for a different receive antenna.

Circuitry 400 may be disposed on circuit board holder 270 of FIG. 2 . The circuit 400 includes an antenna 410 , a low noise amplifier (LNA) 420 electrically connected to the antenna 410 , and an RF detector 440 electrically connected to the LNA 420 . In one embodiment, between the antenna 410 and the LNA 420, there may be a switch 415 that selectively electrically connects the antenna 410 to the LNA 420, or selectively electrically connects the antenna 410 to (tester of) RF signal transmitter. In one embodiment, between the LNA 420 and the RF detector 440 , there may be an optional filter 430 electrically connected to the LNA 420 and the RF detector 440 . A connector (not shown) may connect the output of the RF detector 440 to a tester.

Antenna 410 may be a (receiving and/or transmitting) antenna or a gold antenna element for testing a DUT antenna. As a receiving antenna, the antenna 410 may receive an RF signal output from the antenna of the DUT and transmit the received RF output signal to the LNA 420 . When the RF signal is radiated from the DUT's antenna, the RF signal bounces off the enclosure walls and creates (multipath) noise. Noise typically includes those signals that do not propagate directly from the DUT's antenna to antenna 410 .

LNA 420 may be an electronic amplifier that amplifies very low power signals (eg, RF signals from an antenna) without significantly reducing its signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). A typical amplifier adds both signal power and noise at the input, but the amplifier also introduces some additional noise. LNAs can minimize this extra noise. In addition, the loss of the RF signal received by the antenna 410 will reduce the received SNR: for example, a loss of 3dB will reduce the SNR by 3dB. The LNA can provide enough gain (to boost the signal) to offset the loss and reduce unwanted noise. By using an LNA close to the signal source (eg, antenna 410 ), the effect of noise from subsequent stages of the receive chain in the circuit can be reduced by the signal gain created by the LNA. The LNA boosts the power of the desired RF signal while minimizing noise and distortion, thus enabling optimal retrieval of the desired signal in later stages of the system.

LNA 420 can be electrically connected to optional filter 430 . Filter 430 may be, for example, a narrowband filter. A narrowband filter may have a narrowbandpass. Bandpass is the range of frequency spectrum that the filter allows to pass. Filter 430 may be a 27GHz-29GHz (eg, 28GHz) narrowband filter. Filter 430 may filter noise due to multipath or bounced noise (bounced signals may be out of frequency due to delay, or not so powerful to be detected/picked up).

The filter 430 can be electrically connected to the RF detector 440 . The RF detector 440 can obtain the actual RF signal radiated/received by the antenna 410 due to the filtering/reduction of noise via the LNA and filter. An RF detector converts an RF signal (RF power) into a corresponding DC voltage.

An optional attenuator (transformer/impedance, not shown) may be used to lower the impedance of the antenna 410 down (e.g., from about 200-300 ohms in the middle of the circuit 400 to about 100 ohms, and at the connector ( Not shown, connector examples see figs 3a-3d and 4) down to 50 ohms or about 50 ohms).

When using a tester (test equipment/equipment for testing a DUT) as a transmitter (RF signal generator) and the DUT's antenna as a board receiver, a switch 415 may be included to switch the tester to RF signals transmitter or receiver. Circuit 400 may be a flexible circuit (eg, the circuit has a flexible substrate such that the circuit can be bent around any suitable surface).

It should be appreciated that the waveguides (eg, 40-60 GHz or 60-90 GHz, depending on the opening of the waveguide) used to measure the antenna pattern (eg, the RF signal pattern from the DUT antenna) are generally very expensive. The space required for the waveguide (cavity of the housing) is relatively large. Cables are also required (also expensive) to carry the signal from the waveguide to a tester capable of high frequency (HF testers are also expensive). Circuit 400 can save cost by, for example, converting the RF signal pattern (of the DUT's antenna) to a digital signal and recompiling the RF signal from the digital footprint at the tester, rather than using waveguides, cables, and high frequency testers. Up to four (4) patch antennas (the size of the patch/trace can determine the frequencies it can receive, eg see Figures 6a-6c) can be used instead of waveguide antennas. Patch antennas can be used to handle different frequencies (eg, each patch antenna corresponds to a specific frequency).

At the end of the circuit 400 (usually a connector is attached/connected), the signal (digital voltage representing the pattern of the RF signal) can be sent across the wire (e.g. unlimited length, may require relay/amplifier, no ¹ /R2 loss). It should be understood that software algorithms will be required to convert the antenna signal output to a digital representation and vice versa. It should also be understood that the more RF power, the higher the corresponding voltage will be (eg, 30 dB of RF power may correspond to 1 volt, while less than 30 dB of RF power will correspond to less than 1 volt). It should also be understood that an antenna may have a particular RF electromagnetic (EM) radiation beam/signal pattern. An antenna may have a different signal pattern if it is excited differently (eg, at a different angle or with a different antenna).

Figures 6a-6c show schematic views of housings 510, 520, 530 of a test system showing receive and transmit antennas according to one embodiment.

The housing 510 has an antenna 511 at the top and an antenna 512 at the bottom. One of the antennas 511, 512 may be an antenna connected to a tester or DUT antenna (for reception and/or transmission). One of the antennas 511, 512 may be a 28GHz antenna (3.422×4.178mm in size), a 39GHz antenna (2.33358×2.852mm in size) and the like. It should be understood that tuning the size of the antenna to a predetermined desired frequency can be achieved by cutting out a portion of the antenna. It will be appreciated that the antenna may be rotated into position to determine antenna steering, or 2 or 4 or more receive antennas may be incorporated to monitor DUT antenna steering.

Housing 520 includes antennas 521, 522, 523, and 524 at the top and corners, and antenna 525 at the bottom. A circuit board holder is available for each top antenna to insert the circuit with the antenna into the case. An opening in the door can be used to insert the DUT into the alignment board without interfering with the antenna. The top or bottom antenna may be the antenna (for reception and/or transmission) connected to the tester or DUT antenna. Housing 530 includes antennas 531, 532, 533, and 534 at the top and corners, and antennas 535, 536, 537, and 538 at the bottom. The top antenna or the bottom antenna can be the antenna (for receive and/or transmit) that connects to the antenna of the tester or the DUT (4 antennas/ports on the surface of the DUT). The housing 530 has an opening (not shown) at the top for inserting the DUT, or the housing 530 can be moved into place after the DUT is inserted into the housing.

It should be understood that the housings 510, 520, 530 may be the housings disclosed in Figures 3a-3d and 4. The antennas in/on the housings 510, 520, 530 may be patch/panel antennas.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an alignment plate 600 of a testing system according to one embodiment.

The alignment plate 600 includes a frame 610 and a holder 620 . On the surface of the frame 610 there may be slots 611, 612, 613, 614 for insertion of circuit boards, eg vertical circuit boards with antennas and possibly RF to voltage circuits as described above. The distance between the slot 611 (and 612, 613, 614) and the holder 620 is designed for different RF frequencies (due to the ¹ /R2 loss). There are openings/cutouts/gaps on each side of the retainer 620 . Thus, when the antenna port (not shown) on the DUT is aligned with the gap 620 and the DUT antenna is on the sides (up to four sides) of the DUT, the DUT antenna can communicate with the antenna on the DUT. The circuit board holder is clear of obstructions (ie, no other components are placed between the opening of the circuit on the circuit board holder and the antenna).

In Figure 8, patch antenna 353 may be received vertically within each slot 611-614 such that antenna 353 directly faces the DUT antenna. Figures 7 and 8 show that multiple spaced and linearly aligned slots are possible so that the distance between the two antennas can be adjusted according to the desired frequency. The slots can also be offset laterally so that limited antenna aiming is possible.

Patch antennas can be tuned to different frequencies by cutting the traces applied to the substrate. For example, the substrate may have alternate traces that electrically connect to the tester. For example, a substrate may have a pair of opposing traces designed for one frequency, and elsewhere on the substrate, another antenna at a different frequency. Connection to one antenna can be obtained by electrical/mechanical switching from one conductor to the other or by cutting (breaking) portions of the trace to achieve a different resonant frequency without physically swapping out the antenna.

9 and 10 schematically illustrate the structure and method of tuning the patch antenna by cutting the trace 422 . Mechanical means are also contemplated, the preferred method being a cutting laser 460 that projects a laser beam 421 onto the conductive traces of the patch antenna. In one embodiment, the thickness of the trace can be reduced by cutting off a portion of the trace width. In another embodiment, trace 422 may be cut away or disconnected from the antenna leads (not shown) to effectively shorten the antenna and thereby increase its frequency.

Alternatively, different frequencies can be tested by sliding the antenna element (patch antenna on substrate) out of the receiving slot in the antenna housing.

The descriptions of the invention and its applications set forth herein are illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that variations and modifications of the embodiments disclosed herein are possible, and that actual alternatives and equivalents for the individual elements of the embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, during a study of this patent document Obvious. These and other variations and modifications can be made to the embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Some aspects:

It is to be noted that any of the following aspects may be combined with each other.

Aspect 1:. A test system for testing an integrated circuit having a radio frequency (RF) antenna comprising: an alignment board for receiving a device under test (DUT) having at least one RF transmit antenna; an enclosure surrounding but separate from the transmitting antenna; receiving antenna in the housing; A switching circuit connected to the receiving antenna, Wherein, the conversion circuit is configured to convert the RF output from the DUT to a direct current (DC) voltage, whereby the DC voltage is used as a proxy for the RF output to test the DUT.

Aspect 2: The system of aspect 1, wherein the housing has an upper portion, a lower portion, and a spacer connecting the upper portion and the lower portion, wherein: The receiving antenna is arranged on the upper part of the shell; The upper and lower parts form a cavity between the receiving antenna and the DUT; The spacers are configured to adjust the height of the cavity for different RF frequencies.

Aspect 3: The system of aspect 1 or aspect 2, wherein the transmit antenna is located on a top surface of the DUT facing the receive antenna.

Aspect 4: The system of aspect 1, wherein the transmit antenna is located on a side of the DUT facing the receive antenna.

Aspect 5: The system according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the housing has four sides, each side of the housing has an opening, and each opening houses a receiving antenna.

Aspect 6: The system of any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the switching circuit includes a switch configured to electrically connect the receive antenna to a tester configured to test the RF output of the DUT.

Aspect 7: The system according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein: The conversion circuit includes a low noise amplifier and a radio frequency detector; the low noise amplifier is configured to be electrically connected to the receive antenna; the low noise amplifier is also configured to amplify the RF output from the DUT received by the receive antenna; the RF detector is configured to be electrically connected to the low noise amplifier; and The RF detector is also configured to convert the amplified RF output to a DC voltage.

Aspect 8: The system of aspect 7, wherein: The conversion circuit also includes a filter; a filter configured to be electrically connected to a low noise amplifier and an RF detector; a filter disposed between the low noise amplifier and the radio frequency detector in the conversion circuit; and The filter is configured to filter noise in the amplified RF output.

Aspect 9: A method of testing an integrated circuit using a radio frequency (RF) antenna, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a device under test (DUT) having at least one radio frequency transmit antenna into the alignment board; enclosing the transmitting antenna by a housing housing the receiving antenna; receiving the RF output from the DUT via the receive antenna; and Through the conversion circuit, the RF output received by the receiving antenna is converted into a direct current (DC) voltage, which is used as a proxy for the RF output to test the DUT.

Aspect 10: according to the method described in aspect 9, further comprising the steps of: The receiving antenna is tuned to a predetermined desired frequency by cutting away a portion of the receiving antenna.

Aspect 11: according to the method described in aspect 9 or aspect 10, further comprising the steps of: The enclosure is constructed of a breathable material to allow controlled air flow into the space defined by the enclosure to control the DUT temperature.

Aspect 12: The method according to any one of aspects 9 to 11, further comprising the steps of: The housing is constructed of non-radio reflective material to prevent RF reflections on the walls of the housing.

Aspect 13: A test system for testing an integrated circuit device having at least one radio frequency (radio frequency; RF) antenna, comprising: an alignment board for receiving a device under test (DUT) having at least one RF transmit antenna; Receive antenna; A housing surrounding but separate from the at least one RF transmitting antenna, the housing comprising: a. The first static part; b. a second movable part comprising a container for the receiving antenna; and c. the second movable portion is telescopically movable along an axis substantially normal to the DUT, thereby increasing or decreasing the distance between the DUT and the second movable portion; and the receiving antenna in the housing, Wherein, the distance between the DUT and the receiving antenna is adjustable.

Aspect 14: The system according to aspect 13, further comprising a conversion circuit connected to the receiving antenna, wherein the conversion circuit is configured to convert the RF output from the DUT to a direct current (DC) voltage, so that the DC Voltage was used as a proxy for the RF output to test the DUT.

Aspect 15: The system of aspect 13, wherein the second movable portion of the housing at least partially surrounds the first static portion of the housing.

Aspect 16: The system of aspect 13, wherein the container includes a pair of spaced apart slots in the second movable portion of the housing, and wherein the receive antenna includes a width dimensioned to be received in the slot. substrate in the slot.

Aspect 17: The system of Aspect 13, wherein the receive antenna comprises conductive traces on a substrate.

Aspect 18: The system of Aspect 17, wherein the conductive trace includes a plurality of severable portions that can be electrically disconnected from other portions of the conductive trace to alter the frequency response of the receive antenna.

Aspect 19: The system of Aspect 13, wherein the housing has four sides, each side of the housing has an opening, each opening receiving a receiving antenna.

Aspect 20: A test system for testing an integrated circuit device having a top, a bottom, and an edge surface with a corner at the intersection of the edge surfaces, and at least one radio frequency (radio frequency (RF) antenna is mounted on the edge surface, wherein the system includes: an alignment board for accommodating a device under test (DUT), the alignment board having at least one RF transmit antenna mounted on the edge surface; receiving antenna; and DUT holder equipment, the DUT holder equipment includes: a plurality of corner holders for engaging at least two corners of the DUT, the corner holders defining a gap aligned with the at least one RF transmit antenna; and A substantially flat portion is adjacent to the gap, wherein the substantially flat portion includes at least one slot for receiving the receiving antenna.

Aspect 21: The system of aspect 20, wherein the at least one slot comprises a plurality of slots spaced apart at different distances from a transmit antenna on the DUT, and wherein the receive antenna is sized to fit any slot.

Aspect 22: The system of Aspect 20, wherein the slots are collinearly aligned.

Aspect 23: The system of aspect 20, further comprising switching circuitry connected to the receive antenna, wherein: the conversion circuit is configured to convert the RF output from the DUT to a direct current (DC) voltage, whereby the DC voltage is used as a proxy for the RF output to test the DUT; and The conversion circuit includes a low noise amplifier and an RF detector.

Aspect 24: The system of aspect 23, wherein: the low noise amplifier is configured to be electrically connected to the receiving antenna, the low noise amplifier is also configured to amplify the RF output from the DUT received by the receive antenna; the RF detector is configured to be electrically connected to a low noise amplifier; and The RF detector is also configured to convert the amplified RF output to a DC voltage.

Aspect 25: The system of aspect 23, wherein: The conversion circuit also includes a filter; the filter is configured to be electrically connected to the low noise amplifier and the RF detector; the filter is disposed between the low noise amplifier and the RF detector in the conversion circuit; and The filter is configured to filter noise in the amplified RF output.

Aspect 26: A method of testing an integrated circuit using a radio frequency (radio frequency; RF) antenna, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a device under test (DUT) having at least one RF transmit antenna into the alignment board; enclosing the transmit antenna by a housing, wherein the housing has a top wall spaced from the DUT; placing spaced apart receiving antennas on the top wall facing the transmitting antenna; and An adjuster is provided, and the adjuster can change the distance between the top wall and the DUT, so as to adapt to tests at different frequencies.

Aspect 27: The method of aspect 26, further comprising the step of tuning the receiving antennas to predetermined desired frequencies by cutting portions of the receiving antennas.

Aspect 28: The method of aspect 26, further comprising the step of: forming the enclosure from a breathable material to allow controlled air flow into the space defined by the enclosure to control the temperature of the DUT.

Aspect 29: The method of aspect 26, further comprising the step of: forming the enclosure from a breathable material to allow controlled air flow into the space defined by the enclosure to control the temperature of the DUT.

Aspect 30: The method of aspect 26, further comprising the step of: constructing the enclosure from a non-radio reflective material to prevent RF reflections on walls of the enclosure.

The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments, not for limitation. The terms "a", "an" and "the" also include plural forms unless expressly stated otherwise. When used in this specification, the terms "comprising" and/or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more. Other more functions, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components.

With regard to the foregoing description it is to be understood that changes may be made in detail, particularly in respect of the construction materials used, as well as the shape, size and arrangement of parts, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The specification and described embodiments are exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the disclosure being indicated by the appended claims.

100: system 110: Rigid plate 120: shell/upper 130: shell/lower part 140: splint 150: socket 160: Alignment board 170: circuit board holder 180: load board 200: Test components 210: reinforcement 220: socket 230: Alignment board 240: splint 250: shell/lower part 251: Internal structure/wall 260: shell/upper 270: circuit board holder 310: shell/upper 311: opening 312: supporter 320: shell/lower part 321: Internal structure 322: outer wall 323: notch 330: shell/upper 340: shell/lower part 350: shell/upper 351: circuit board holder 352: circuit 353: Antenna 354: Connector 400: circuit 410: Antenna 415: switch 420: Low Noise Amplifier/LNA 421:Laser beam 422:Trace 430: filter 440: RF detector 460: Cutting Laser 510, 520, 530: Shell 511, 512: Antenna 521~525: Antenna 531~538: Antenna 600: Alignment board 610: frame 611~614: slot 620: retainer

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this disclosure and which illustrate embodiments in which the systems and methods described in this specification may be practiced. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a test system using a retractable housing according to one embodiment, wherein an antenna is inserted into a space defined by the housing. Figure 2 is an exploded view of a test assembly for final OTA testing of an AiP wafer according to one embodiment. Figure 2a is a top view of the housing/cover. Figure 2b is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of Figure 2a. Figure 2c is a bottom perspective view of the housing/cover. Figures 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d are schematic diagrams of a housing of a test system according to an embodiment. Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of Figure 2c. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a circuit according to an embodiment. Figures 6a, 6b and 6c show a schematic view of a housing of a test system showing receiving and transmitting antennas according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an alignment plate of a testing system according to an embodiment. Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 with a side mounted receiving antenna. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of two laser cut antenna tuners. Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 with an alternative laser antenna tuner. The same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout.

200: Test components

210: reinforcement

220: socket

230: Alignment board

240: splint

250: shell/lower part

251: Internal structure/wall

260: shell/upper

270: circuit board holder

Claims (18)

A test system for testing an integrated circuit device having at least one radio frequency (radio frequency; RF) antenna, comprising: an alignment board for receiving a device under test (DUT) having at least one RF transmit antenna; Receive antenna; A housing surrounding but separate from the at least one RF transmitting antenna, the housing comprising: a. The first static part; b. a second movable part comprising a container for the receiving antenna; and c. the second movable portion is telescopically movable along an axis substantially normal to the DUT, thereby increasing or decreasing the distance between the DUT and the second movable portion; and the receiving antenna in the housing, Wherein, the distance between the DUT and the receiving antenna is adjustable. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a conversion circuit connected to the receiving antenna, wherein the conversion circuit is configured to convert the RF output from the DUT into a direct current (direct current; DC) voltage, so that the DC voltage is Used as a proxy for the RF output to test the DUT. The system of claim 1, wherein the second movable portion of the housing at least partially surrounds the first static portion of the housing. The system of claim 1, wherein the container includes a pair of spaced apart slots in the second movable portion of the housing, and wherein the receive antenna includes a width dimensioned to be received in the slot the substrate. The system of claim 1, wherein the receive antenna includes conductive traces on the substrate. The system of claim 5, wherein the conductive trace includes a plurality of severable portions that can be electrically disconnected from other portions of the conductive trace to change the frequency response of the receiving antenna. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing has four sides, each side of the housing has an opening, each opening receiving a receiving antenna. A test system for testing an integrated circuit device having a top, a bottom, and an edge surface with a corner at the intersection of the edge surfaces, and at least one radio frequency (RF ) antenna is mounted on the edge surface, wherein the system includes: an alignment board for accommodating a device under test (DUT), the alignment board having at least one RF transmit antenna mounted on the edge surface; receiving antenna; and DUT holder equipment, the DUT holder equipment includes: a plurality of corner holders for engaging at least two corners of the DUT, the corner holders defining a gap aligned with the at least one RF transmit antenna; and A substantially flat portion is adjacent to the gap, wherein the substantially flat portion includes at least one slot for receiving the receiving antenna. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one slot comprises a plurality of slots spaced at different distances from a transmit antenna on the DUT, and wherein the receive antenna is sized to fit in any slot . The system of claim 9, wherein the slots are aligned collinearly. The system of claim 8, further comprising a switching circuit connected to the receiving antenna, wherein: the conversion circuit is configured to convert the RF output from the DUT to a direct current (DC) voltage, whereby the DC voltage is used as a proxy for the RF output to test the DUT; and The conversion circuit includes a low noise amplifier and an RF detector. The system of claim 11, wherein: the low noise amplifier is configured to be electrically connected to the receive antenna, the low noise amplifier is also configured to amplify the RF output from the DUT received by the receive antenna; the RF detector is configured to be electrically connected to a low noise amplifier; and The RF detector is also configured to convert the amplified RF output to a DC voltage. The system of claim 11, wherein: The conversion circuit also includes a filter; the filter is configured to be electrically connected to the low noise amplifier and the RF detector; the filter is disposed between the low noise amplifier and the RF detector in the conversion circuit; and The filter is configured to filter noise in the amplified RF output. A method for testing an integrated circuit using a radio frequency (radio frequency; RF) antenna, the method comprising steps: inserting a device under test (DUT) having at least one RF transmit antenna into the alignment board; enclosing the transmit antenna by a housing, wherein the housing has a top wall spaced from the DUT; placing spaced apart receiving antennas on the top wall facing the transmitting antenna; and An adjuster is provided, and the adjuster can change the distance between the top wall and the DUT, so as to adapt to tests at different frequencies. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of: tuning the receiving antennas to predetermined desired frequencies by cutting portions of the receiving antennas. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of: forming the enclosure with a breathable material, so that controlled air flows into the space defined by the enclosure, thereby controlling the temperature of the DUT. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising the step of: forming the enclosure with a breathable material, so that controlled air flows into the space defined by the enclosure, thereby controlling the temperature of the DUT. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising the step of: forming the housing from a non-radio reflective material to prevent RF reflections on walls of the housing.

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