JP2003322672A - Auto-handler - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ensure the positioning of a tray of an auto-handler. <P>SOLUTION: In the case a device containing tool to be measured is put on a tray table 13 and elevated in the auto-handler, the diameter of a bolt 16 is made smaller than the diameter of a penetration hole 12a provided on a base plate 12 and the inner diameter of a compression spring 15 inserted in between the base plate 12 and the tray table 13 by adjusting the position of the penetration hole 12a. One end of the bolt 16 is hooked on the base plate 12 and the other end is hooked on the tray table 13. The tray table 13 is thus made movable in the horizontal direction and it is made movable in the vertical direction by the compression spring 15. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention delivers a semiconductor integrated circuit (device under test), which is an object of an operation test, to a semiconductor integrated circuit test device and collects a tested device under test from the semiconductor integrated circuit test device. Regarding auto handler.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional autohandler, in order to reliably deliver a device under test to a measuring section connected to a semiconductor integrated circuit tester, a supply tray containing a device under test before testing is positionally regulated. Has become. And
Pick up the device to be measured from above by pick and press from inside the supply tray whose position is regulated in advance.
Hold and transfer to the measurement unit. Then, in a certain type of auto handler, as a mechanism for regulating the position of the supply tray, the supply tray supported by the elevating mechanism is engaged with the positioning groove formed on the lower surface of the positioning member arranged above. The supply tray regulates the position of the supply tray to a predetermined position.

[0003]

However, the relative positional relationship between the supply tray and the positioning groove may vary due to variations in dimensions and assembly of the elevating mechanism, the positioning member, or various members supporting them. . When such variations occur, it becomes impossible to reliably engage the supply tray with the positioning groove, and as a result, the positional relationship between the pick and press and the device under measurement is displaced from the original positional relationship. Therefore, the pick-and-press cannot securely adsorb and hold the device under test, or even if it can adsorb and hold the device under test, the positional relationship between the pick-and-press and the device under test will be incorrect. This causes a problem that the measuring device cannot be delivered to the measuring section accurately.

The autohandler also has a function of storing the device under test, which has been tested, in a recovery tray (empty tray) whose position is regulated like the supply tray. When storing such a device under test in the collection tray,
If the position of the recovery tray is not securely regulated, the device under measurement that is sucked and gripped by the pick and press cannot be reliably stored in the recovery tray.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to more reliably regulate the position of the supply tray and / or the recovery tray.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, in the first means according to the present invention, a device under test accommodating device in which a device under test is accommodated is raised by an elevating mechanism to form a positioning groove. An autohandler which is engaged and positioned, and in this state is conveyed to a measuring section connected to a semiconductor integrated circuit device by a device under test suction mechanism, the device under test housing has play with respect to an elevating mechanism. The means supported by the support mechanism is adopted.

As a second means, in the above-mentioned first means, the support mechanism having play is fixed to the tray table on which the device to be measured storage device is placed in a predetermined posture, and the movable portion of the lifting mechanism. With a base plate having a through hole formed therein, a hollow elastic member that is inserted between the base plate and the tray table in accordance with the position of the through hole, and the through hole and the elastic member are inserted. A means is adopted in which one end is engaged with the tray table and the other end is constituted by a shaft having a smaller diameter than the through hole engaged with the base plate.

As the third means, in the above second means, the elastic member is a spring.

As a fourth means, in the above second means, the elastic member is rubber.

As a fifth means, in any one of the first to fourth means, a mechanism in which the lifting mechanism is an air cylinder is adopted.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of an auto handler according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The present embodiment relates to a case where the present invention is applied to a horizontal transfer type auto handler.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the horizontal transfer type auto handler. In this figure, reference numeral 1 is a carrier plate, 2A is an opening for a supply tray, 2B is an opening for an empty tray, 2C to 2F are openings for a recovery tray, and 3 is a supply P & P.
(Measurement device suction mechanism), 4 is a P & P for collection (measurement device suction mechanism), Ta is a supply tray (measurement device storage tool), Tb is an empty tray (measurement device storage tool), and Tc to Tf are recovery trays. (Device to be measured storage), X is a semiconductor integrated circuit (device to be measured) to be measured.

The carrying plate 1 is a rectangular flat plate material and constitutes a carrying reference surface of the device under test X. As shown in the figure, the transport plate 1 is provided with a supply / accommodation section, a lift section, a preheating section, a measurement section, a drying section, a buffer section, and the like, and for a rectangular tray at predetermined intervals along one side (lower side). The openings 2A to 2F, that is, the supply tray opening 2A, the empty tray opening 2B, and the recovery tray openings 2C to 2F are formed in a line. The supply tray Ta is arranged in the supply tray opening 2A, the empty tray opening 2B is provided with an empty tray Tb, and the recovery tray openings 2C to 2C.
Recovery trays Tc to Tf are arranged in F respectively.
In the following description, these supply tray Ta, empty tray Tb, and recovery trays Tc to Tf are collectively referred to as each tray Ta to Tf.

Each of the trays Ta to Tf has a substantially rectangular shape, and a plurality of storage grooves for storing the device under measurement X are formed and are classified by use. Of the trays Ta to Tf, the supply tray Ta is
A plurality of devices to be measured X before the test are accommodated, an empty tray Tb is prepared as a spare, and the recovery trays Tc to Tf each accommodate the devices to be measured X classified according to the test result. It is a thing. Supply tray Ta
The device to be measured X in the inside is in a state in which the upper surface thereof is adsorbed and grasped by the supply P & P 3 and transferred to the supply / accommodation part, and the test is completed by going around each part on the carrier plate 1 as shown by the arrow. Return to supply / housing area. P & for recovery
P4 sucks and holds the device under test X, which has been tested in this way and has been tested, in the same manner as the supply P & P3,
It is transferred to any of the recovery trays Tc to Tf depending on the test result.

Next, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a frame structure provided under the carrier plate 1. In this frame structure, an upper frame 6 and a lower frame 7 are assembled in a box shape by the left and right vertical frames 5 and 8. The upper frame 6 is formed in conformity with the shape of each tray Ta to Tf. A rectangular tray opening, that is, an opening 6a corresponding to each position and shape of the supply tray opening 2A, the empty tray opening 2B, and the recovery tray openings 2C to 2F.
.. to 6f are formed, and tray up-and-down transport mechanisms 9A to 9F are provided directly below the respective openings 6a to 6f.

The tray vertical transport mechanisms 9A to 9F have exactly the same configuration. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the main parts of the tray vertical transport mechanisms 9A to 9F. In this figure, reference numeral 10 is a column, 11 is an air cylinder (elevating mechanism), 12 is a base plate, 13 is a tray table, and 14 is a table connecting mechanism. Among these components, the base plate 12 and the tray table 13
The table connecting mechanism 14 constitutes a supporting mechanism having a play which is a feature of this embodiment.

The columns 10 are erected at equal intervals in the frame structure. Air cylinder 11
Is a rod 10a (movable part) along the pillar 10.
Is provided so that the moving direction thereof is the vertical direction, and a flat base plate 12 is horizontally attached to the tip of the rod 10a. This base plate 12
A flat tray table 13 is attached to the upper surface of the table by a table connecting mechanism 14.

The tray table 13 is a portion on the upper surface of which the trays Ta to Tf are placed in a horizontal state, and a plurality of positioning pins 13a for positioning the trays Ta to Tf are provided at predetermined positions separated from each other. Has been. The table connecting mechanism 14 is interposed between the tray table 13 and the base plate 12 at four positions with a predetermined interval in order to stably fix the tray table 13 to the base plate 12.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a detailed configuration of the table connecting mechanism 14. As shown in this figure, the table connecting mechanism 14 includes the base plate 1
The compression spring 15 is inserted between the base plate 12 and the tray table 13 in accordance with the positions of the through hole 12a formed in 2 and the through hole 13a formed in the tray table 13, and the through hole 12a of the base plate 12 Also, a bolt 16 having a small diameter is inserted from the side of the base plate 12 so as to penetrate the through holes 12a and 13a and the compression spring 15, and a locking nut 17 is attached and fixed to the tip of the bolt 16.

That is, the tray table 13 and the base plate 12 are locked by the bolts 16 (correctly, the heads of the bolts 16) and the locking nuts 18 with the compression spring 15 sandwiched therebetween. Moreover,
The outer diameter of the bolt 16 is the through hole 12a of the base plate 12.
The tray table 13 is connected to the base plate 12 with a certain degree of freedom not only in the vertical direction but also in the horizontal direction since the tray table 13 has a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the tray table 13. That is, the tray table 13 can move up and down with respect to the base plate 12 by the elastic action of the compression spring 15, and the bolt 16 can be tilted because there is a gap S between the through hole 12 a of the base plate 12 and the bolt 16. Therefore, the tray table 13 is the base plate 1
It is possible to move in a horizontal range to some extent with respect to 2.

Next, FIG. 5 is a rear surface front view of the upper frame 6. On the peripheral edge of each of the openings 6a to 6f formed in a rectangular shape, a positioning member 17 having a substantially U-shape that regulates the position of each corner of each of the trays Ta to Tf.
One pair is provided so that a to 17f oppose each other. Figure 6
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing a detailed shape of a positioning member 17f as an example (enlarged view A in FIG. 5). As shown in this figure,
The positioning member 17f is a substantially U-shaped plate, and positions the corners k, k of the tray Tf by the two sides s, s that form an angle of 90 ° with each other. That is, the position of the tray Tf is regulated by the positioning groove M formed by the two sides s, s of four positions in total by the two positioning members 17 a and the back surface of the upper frame 6.

Next, the operation of the main part of the horizontal transfer type auto handler having the above-described configuration will be described.

First, in the initial operation state, for example, a plurality of supply trays Ta are stacked on the tray table 13 of the leftmost tray up-and-down transport mechanism 9A, while four right and left trays are vertically transported. Mechanism 9C-
Collection trays Tc to T are provided on each tray table 13 on the 9th floor.
A plurality of fs are placed in a stacked state. The tray table 1 of the remaining tray vertical transport mechanism 9B
The empty tray Tb is not placed on the sheet 3.

Then, the air cylinders 11 of the tray vertical transport mechanism 9A and the tray vertical transport mechanisms 9C to 9F are operated to cause the uppermost supply tray Ta and the recovery trays Tc to Tf to open the openings 6a of the upper frame 6, respectively. Positioning groove M formed on the lower side of 6c to 6f
Are respectively engaged and positioned. That is, the supply tray Ta in which the device to be measured X is housed is placed in an exposed state in the supply tray opening 2A located directly above the opening 6a of the upper frame 6, and the supply tray Ta is positioned directly above each of the openings 6c to 6f. In each of the collection tray openings 2C to 2F
The empty collection trays Tc to Tf in which the device under test X is not housed are arranged in an exposed state.

In such a state,
The device under test in the supply tray Ta is the supply P & P3.
It is sucked and gripped by and is sequentially carried out to the supply / accommodation part. On the other hand, the device under test X that has been tested is sequentially carried into the recovery trays Tc to Tf by the recovery P & P 4. Then, when the supply tray Ta becomes empty, the air cylinder 11 of the tray vertical transport mechanism 9A operates to drop the tray table 13 once, and the empty uppermost supply tray Ta is removed, and the tray table 13 is further removed. Is raised, the supply tray Ta accommodating the device to be measured X is exposed and arranged in the supply tray opening 2A.

On the other hand, each recovery tray Tc-
When any one of Tf, for example, the recovery tray Tc is filled with the device under test X that has been tested, the tray table 13 of the tray vertical transport mechanism 9C is once lowered to remove the recovery tray Tc in the full state, and further the tray table. Thirteen
As a result, the empty recovery tray Tc is exposed and arranged in the supply tray opening 2C.

In such a series of operations, the supply tray Ta and the respective recovery trays Tc to Tf have the respective openings 6a and 6c to 6f (that is, the supply tray opening 2A and the respective recovery tray openings 2C) by the following actions.
~ 2F). As an example, the positioning of the supply tray Ta with respect to the supply tray opening 2A will be described below.

In the horizontal transfer type auto handler, the tray table 13 is lifted by the operation of the air cylinder 11, and the supply tray Ta placed on the tray table 13 is finally placed in the positioning groove M located immediately above. The positioning is completed by being accommodated in the housing. However, a deviation may occur in the relative positional relationship between the tray table 13 (that is, the supply tray Ta) and the positioning groove due to variations in the dimensions and assembly accuracy of each member of the frame structure shown in FIG. In such cases,
A positioning groove M is provided at a position displaced from directly above the supply tray Ta.
Will exist.

For such a state,
The supply tray Ta is placed on the tray table 13 in a state where it is allowed to move to a certain width in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction by the action of the table connecting mechanism 14, so that the supply tray Ta is in spite of the above displacement. It is easily accommodated in the positioning groove M. That is, when the upper surface of the supply tray Ta comes into contact with the surface (lower surface) of the positioning member 17a due to the displacement, the supply tray Ta (that is, the tray table 13) is inclined from the horizontal state, but the base plate Since the gap S between the through hole 12a of 12 and the bolt 16 is formed, the bolt 16 tilts or moves with respect to the base plate 12, so that the supply tray Ta is compared with the case where the gap S does not exist. It is possible to easily slip into the positioning groove M, and thus the position is regulated more reliably.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the following modified examples can be considered. (1) The above embodiment relates to the case where the present invention is applied to the horizontal transfer type auto handler, but it is also applicable to other types of auto handlers. (2) The compression spring 15 is used to be inserted between the base plate 12 and the tray table 13 in accordance with the position of the through hole 12a, but a hollow elastic body may be used, for example, rubber may be used. (3) An air cylinder is used for the lifting mechanism 11,
For example, a motor type or electric type lifting mechanism may be used.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Due to variations in the dimensions and assembly of the auto handler lifting mechanism, positioning members, or various members that support them, the relative positional relationship between each tray and the positioning groove will vary, and each tray will be securely engaged with the positioning groove. Even when the trays cannot be combined with each other, the supporting mechanism has a play with respect to the elevating mechanism, so that each tray can be reliably arranged in the positioning groove.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a horizontal transfer type auto handler according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a frame structure of a horizontal transfer type auto handler according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of tray vertical transport mechanisms 9A to 9F according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a detailed configuration of the table connecting mechanism 14 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a rear surface front view of the upper frame 6 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing a detailed shape of a positioning member 17f according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Conveyor plate 2A ... Open for supply tray 2B ... Open for empty tray 2C to 2F ... opening for collection tray 3 ... Supply P & P (measuring device suction mechanism) 4 ... P & P for recovery (measuring device adsorption mechanism) 5: Vertical frame 6 ... Upper frame 6a to 6f ... Opening 7 ... Lower frame 8: Vertical frame 9A-9F ... Tray vertical transport mechanism 10 ... Support 10a ... rod 11 ... Air cylinder (lifting mechanism) 12 ... Base plate (support mechanism with play) 12a ... through hole 13 ... Tray table (support mechanism with play) 13a ... positioning pin 14 ... Table connection mechanism (support mechanism with play) 15 ... compression spring 16 ... Bolt 17a to 17f ... Positioning member 18 ... Nut for bolt locking X: Device under test S ... gap s ... side k …… Corner M: Positioning groove

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Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A device under test storage (Ta) in which a device under test (X) is stored is raised by an elevating mechanism (11) to engage with a positioning groove (M) for positioning, and in this state. An automatic handler that conveys a device to be measured to a measuring unit connected to a semiconductor integrated circuit device by a device (3) for adsorbing a device to be measured (Ta). An auto handler characterized by being supported by a mechanism. 2. A support mechanism having play includes a tray table (13) on which a device under test storage (Ta) is placed in a predetermined posture, and a movable part (10a) of a lifting mechanism (11).
Fixed to the base plate (12) having a through hole (12a) formed therein, and was inserted between the base plate (12) and the tray table (13) according to the position of the through hole (12a). Hollow elastic member (15)
And the through hole (12) and the elastic member (15) are inserted into the through hole (12) and the tray table (13) at one end and the base plate (12) at the other end. The autohandler according to claim 1, characterized in that it is constituted by a bolt (16) having a diameter smaller than that of the hole (12a). 3. The autohandler according to claim 2, wherein the elastic member (15) is a spring. 4. The autohandler according to claim 2, wherein the elastic member (15) is rubber. 5. The automatic handler according to claim 1, wherein the lifting mechanism (11) is an air cylinder.