JP2007051959A - Semiconductor testing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve a semiconductor testing apparatus which can absorb self-heating, produced in an IC under testing by the semiconductor test apparatus itself. <P>SOLUTION: The semiconductor testing apparatus for testing a self-heating semiconductor comprises a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the semiconductor and a temperature control means for controlling the flow of a cooling medium blown on the semiconductor, on the basis of the measured value of the temperature and the upper-limit temperature of the semiconductor allowed in the testing environment. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a semiconductor test apparatus for testing a self-heating semiconductor. The semiconductor test apparatus that is the subject of the present invention is applied to an IC handler that performs electrical characteristic tests on finished products, a wafer prober that performs electrical characteristic tests on wafers in a semiconductor manufacturing process, and the like.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a conventional semiconductor test apparatus applied to an IC handler. Reference numeral 1 denotes a chamber that provides a predetermined test temperature environment. Reference numeral 2 denotes a socket disposed on a test board (not shown) formed at the bottom of the chamber, and reference numeral 3 denotes a semiconductor integrated circuit (hereinafter referred to as an IC) to be tested mounted in the socket.

  The IC 3 is sucked and fixed to a contact head 41 formed on the handler 4, transported from a predetermined stock location, and attached to the socket 2. Reference numeral 42 denotes a suction tube formed in the handler 4 and the contact head 41, which is led to a vacuum suction device (not shown), and fixes the IC 3 being transported to the contact head 41 by suction.

  Reference numeral 5 denotes a tester, which is electrically connected to the socket 2 via appropriate connectors 51 and 52, and executes an electrical characteristic test of the IC 3 attached to the socket 2. Thereafter, the IC 3 is removed from the socket 2 by the contact head 41. The removed IC is classified by the handler 4 according to the test result (non-defective product / defective product). Thereafter, this cycle is repeated to sequentially perform IC characteristic tests.

  The environment in which the electrical characteristics test of the IC is performed is not only normal temperature (25 ° C) environment but also high temperature environment (eg 70 ° C). Nearby ICs can be screened. The chamber 1 is a space for providing such a high temperature environment. A temperature sensor 6 detects the temperature in the chamber 1 and inputs a measured value PV to the temperature adjusting means 7.

  The temperature adjusting means 7 outputs an operation signal MV based on the deviation between the measured value PV and the set value SV to the heater air blow 8, controls the flow rate of the heat air H blown into the chamber 1, and sets the temperature in the chamber 1 to the set value. Adjust to SV.

  Patent Document 1 describes a semiconductor inspection apparatus that performs a characteristic inspection while controlling the temperature of a semiconductor element.

JP 2003-4799 A

The semiconductor test apparatus having such a configuration has the following problems.
The increase in the number of terminals accompanying the improvement in the functional performance of the IC increases the current consumption. For example, in a high-speed and high-performance IC represented by Pentium (registered trademark), a large amount of heat is generated during operation, so that a cooler is required during normal use.

  When such an IC characteristic test is performed without installing a cooler, there is a risk that the IC will be thermally runaway and destroyed unless the IC's self-heating is absorbed by some means, and a test in a normal operating state cannot be performed. However, since the conventional semiconductor test apparatus does not have a means / function for absorbing the self-heating of the IC, it is difficult to perform a proper characteristic test.

  Accordingly, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to realize a semiconductor test apparatus that can absorb self-heating generated in an IC in a test state by the test apparatus itself.

In order to achieve such an object, the configuration of the present invention is as follows.
(1) In a semiconductor test apparatus for testing a self-heating semiconductor,
A temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the semiconductor;
Temperature adjusting means for controlling the flow rate of the cooling medium sprayed on the semiconductor based on the measured value of the temperature and the upper limit temperature of the semiconductor allowed in a test environment;
A semiconductor test apparatus comprising:

(2) The semiconductor test apparatus according to (1), wherein the temperature sensor is a thermal diode built in the semiconductor.

(3) The semiconductor test apparatus according to (1) or (2), wherein the semiconductor is in contact with a thermal fin to which the cooling medium is sprayed.

(4) The semiconductor test apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the cooling medium is a fluid.

  As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a semiconductor test apparatus capable of absorbing the self-heating generated in the test IC by the test apparatus itself can be realized. It is possible to safely test an IC that may be subject to thermal runaway due to self-heating in a high temperature environment under the same test environment as a normal IC.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a semiconductor test apparatus to which the present invention is applied. The same elements as those of the conventional apparatus described with reference to FIG. Hereinafter, the characteristic part of the present invention will be described.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a thermal fin made of a metal (AL6063, Cu, Ag, etc.) having a high thermal conductivity, which is formed extending from the bottom surface of the contact head 41. In the inspection state, the bottom surface 100a of the thermal fin is in close contact with the upper surface of the IC 3 to be inspected and efficiently transmits the self-heating generated in the IC 3 to the contact head 41.

  As described above, in the configuration in which the thermal fin 100 is formed extending to the contact head 41, the suction tube 41 is extended from the bottom surface of the contact head 41 to the bottom surface 100a of the thermal fin 100, and the inspection target IC is transferred during transportation. Fix with suction.

  Reference numeral 101 denotes a cylindrical air blowing means, which is formed above the thermal fin 100 so as to penetrate through the contact head 41 and the handler 4. The top part of the air blowing means penetrates the top part of the chamber 1 and extends to the outside to form an air A introduction hole 101a for cooling. The cooling air A can be easily supplied from an air compressor means or the like as an infrastructure in the inspection environment.

  Reference numeral 102 denotes an electromagnetic valve provided in the chamber 1 in the middle of the air blowing means 101, and the flow rate of air A to the contact head 41 is controlled by opening and closing the electromagnetic valve.

  Reference numeral 103 denotes a thermal diode incorporated in the IC 3 as a standard function. The measured value PVt of the internal temperature of the IC 3 by the thermal diode is input to the temperature adjusting means 104 via an appropriate connector (not shown) connected to the socket 2 or the connectors 51 and 52 of the tester 5. When IC3 does not have a built-in thermal diode as a standard function, a surface temperature sensor can be used.

  When the built-in thermal diode 103 is used to measure the internal temperature of the IC 3, the temperature is calculated by a conversion formula using a voltage difference when a different constant current is applied, or by correcting with a VF temperature curve to be calibrated in advance. To do.

  The temperature adjusting means 104 outputs an operation signal MVt based on the temperature measurement value PVt and a temperature setting condition (for example, 90 ° C. ± 10 ° C.) P regarding the upper limit temperature of the inspection target IC allowed in the test environment, and outputs the operation signal MVt. Is controlled to control the flow rate of air A as a cooling medium.

  The temperature adjusting means 104 opens the electromagnetic valve 102 when the internal temperature of the IC 3 reaches a certain level or more, blows air A to the contact head 41, and lowers the temperature of the IC 3 through the thermal fin 100. Further, when the temperature of the IC 3 becomes below a certain level, the solenoid valve 102 is closed and the blowing of the air A is stopped, and the upper limit temperature of the IC 3 during self-heating is adjusted so as to be maintained within the safe range.

  The temperature setting conditions related to the start / stop of air A blow can be set individually for each IC type, and the operator selects from the product type conditions registered in advance before starting the test, and is optimal regardless of the IC type. Implement proper temperature control.

  FIG. 2 is a characteristic diagram in which temperature measurement results are recorded when an IC is heated in a pseudo-periodic manner in a test environment to which the present invention is applied. A characteristic curve C1 indicates a change in the internal temperature of the IC, and a characteristic curve C2 indicates a change in the surface temperature of the IC. In this test environment, the inside of the chamber 1 is managed at a high temperature environment of 70 ° C.

  The test starts at time t1, and until near time t2, the amount of heat generated is small because of the test with little self-heating, and the internal temperature rises slowly from 70 ° C. and maintains about 80 ° C. When a test with self-heating starts from time t2, the internal temperature starts to rise rapidly.

  When the internal temperature of the IC reaches 85 ° C. or higher, the air A starts to be blown onto the thermal fin 100 via the contact head 41 (air blow-on). When IC self-heating starts, the temperature of the IC rises. When the heat generation amount further increases, the IC temperature also rises in relation to it, but it can be seen that the temperature rise rises to around 100 ° C. and then falls due to the blowing of air.

When the test is completed at time t3, the internal temperature rapidly decreases to 70 ° C. or lower. At an appropriate time after the elapse of time t3, the electromagnetic valve 102 is closed to stop blowing. The surface temperature indicated by C2 is maintained at 65 ° C. until time t2, is decreased by blowing air A after time t2, and is 40 ° C. at time t3.
Go down to near.

  In the embodiment described above, the air blowing control is performed by the air blowing means through the thermal fin as the means for absorbing the heat generated by the IC itself. However, the circulating cooling water installed on the thermal fin is used. The same effect can be expected with flow control.

  In the embodiment described above, the configuration of the semiconductor test apparatus in which the present invention is applied to the IC handler is shown, but also in the transfer apparatus (wafer prober) for measuring the wafer in the electrical property test process of semiconductor manufacturing, The present invention can be applied on the same principle.

It is a functional block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the semiconductor test apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is the characteristic figure which recorded the temperature measurement result at the time of making IC generate | occur | produce heat | fever in a fixed period in the test environment to which this invention is applied. It is a functional block diagram which shows an example of the conventional semiconductor test apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

1 Chamber 2 Socket 3 IC
4 handler 41 contact head 42 suction pipe 5 tester 51, 52 connector 6 temperature sensor 7 temperature adjusting means 8 heater air blow 100 thermal fin 100a bottom face 101 air blowing means 101a air introduction hole 102 solenoid valve 103 temperature sensor 104 temperature adjusting means

Claims (4)

In semiconductor testing equipment for testing self-heating semiconductors,
A temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the semiconductor;
Temperature adjusting means for controlling the flow rate of the cooling medium sprayed on the semiconductor based on the measured value of the temperature and the upper limit temperature of the semiconductor allowed in a test environment;
A semiconductor test apparatus comprising:   The semiconductor test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is a thermal diode built in the semiconductor.   The semiconductor test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor is in contact with a thermal fin to which the cooling medium is sprayed. The semiconductor test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling medium is a fluid.

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