JP2010243221A - Lsi tester - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an LSI tester for reducing useless power consumption. <P>SOLUTION: The LSI tester having multichanneled test inspection systems includes a test head TH, a power supply section 1, a pin electronics section 2, a tester controller 3, a switch section 4, and a switch controller 5, and is so configured as to supply power selectively only to a test inspection system to be used for testing a DUT, from a first power source 11, a second power source 12, a third power source 13, and a fourth power source 14 of the power supply section 1, based on a program in accordance with the kind of the DUT. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an LSI tester, and more particularly to improvement of power supply.

  In recent years, the number of pins has increased with the evolution of system LSIs.

  On the other hand, in an LSI tester, a multi-DUT test for testing a plurality of objects to be inspected (hereinafter referred to as “DUT”) at the same time is frequently performed in order to reduce the number of test inspection steps with respect to an increase in LSI pins.

  Along with this, the number of test inspection systems for performing various test inspections on LSIs such as pin electronics and DC modules of LSI testers has been increasing.

  Since these test and inspection systems basically have the same functions and performance, a common power source is used to drive these test and inspection systems.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of an LSI tester in which the test / inspection system is multi-channel, and shows a schematic configuration of the power supply system in the test head TH.

  The power supply unit 1 is provided with a first power supply 11 to a fourth power supply 14 that output four different voltages. The output voltages of the first power supply 11 to the fourth power supply 14 are supplied in parallel to a plurality of n pin electronics 21 to 2n composed of drivers and comparators of the same function and performance provided in the test head TH. Yes. The pin electronics 21 to 2n are controlled based on a predetermined program set in accordance with the DUT by the tester controller 3.

  Patent Document 1 describes a power supply device for a semiconductor test apparatus that can stop power supply to a tester channel that is not used for device testing at any time.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-4711

  However, since system LSIs in recent years are mainly multi-product, small-lot products, in many cases, there are test inspection systems that are not used in LSI testers.

  However, the conventional LSI tester shown in FIG. 3 supplies drive voltage to all test inspection systems and blocks regardless of whether or not they are used for actual test inspection. This is a waste of both operating costs and environmental aspects.

  The present invention solves such a problem, and an object thereof is to provide an LSI tester capable of reducing wasteful power consumption.

In order to achieve such a problem, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is:
In an LSI tester with multi-channel test inspection system,
Based on a program corresponding to the type of DUT, power is selectively supplied from a power supply unit only to a test inspection system used for testing the DUT.

The invention described in claim 2 is the LSI tester according to claim 1,
The test and inspection system is pin electronics.

The invention according to claim 3 is the LSI tester according to claim 1 or 2,
The power supply unit outputs a plurality of different voltages.

The invention according to claim 4 is the LSI tester according to claim 3,
The different voltages of the plurality of systems of the power supply unit are controlled so as to be supplied individually with a necessary time difference according to the type of the DUT.

In an LSI tester with multi-channel test inspection system,
Based on a program corresponding to the type of DUT, power is selectively supplied from the power supply unit only to the test inspection system used for the DUT test, and only the test inspection system used for the DUT test transmits a signal to the DUT. It is characterized in that it is configured to send and receive.

  According to the present invention, the power consumption of the entire LSI tester can be greatly reduced, and waste in terms of operating cost and environment can be eliminated.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the other example of embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the conventional LSI tester.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention. Components identical to those in FIG.

  In FIG. 1, the power supply to the pin electronics 21 to 2n is selectively turned on / off between the first power supply 11 to the fourth power supply 14 of the power supply unit 1 and the pin electronics 21 to 2n of the test head TH. A plurality of n switches 41 to 4n are provided. These switches 41 to 4 n are selectively turned on / off by the switch control unit 5. The switch control unit 5 is controlled based on a predetermined program set according to the DUT by the tester controller 3.

  Specifically, when executing a test for a DUT (not shown), the tester controller 3 supplies power to a test inspection system used for the DUT test based on a program corresponding to the type of the DUT to test the DUT. A control signal for turning on / off the switches 41 to 4n is supplied to the switch control unit 5 so that power is not supplied to a test / inspection system that is not used.

  The switch controller 5 selectively turns on / off the switches 41 to 4 n based on a control signal corresponding to the type of DUT input from the tester controller 3.

  The on / off driving of the switches 41 to 4n may be interlocked so that the output voltages of the first power supply 11 to the fourth power supply 14 are simultaneously supplied, or may be individually required depending on the type of DUT. You may control to supply with a sufficient time difference.

  Thus, by supplying power only to the test and inspection system used for DUT testing according to the type of DUT, the power consumption of the entire LSI tester can be greatly reduced, resulting in waste in terms of operating cost and environment. Can be omitted.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another example of the embodiment of the present invention, and the same components as those in FIG.

  In the circuit of FIG. 2, a plurality of n switches 41 to 4n for selectively turning on / off the power supply to the pin electronics 21 to 2n are provided, and the input / output signal systems of the pin electronics 21 to 2n are individually provided. Relays 61 to 6n are provided.

  These relays 61 to 6 n are selectively turned on / off by the switch control unit 7. Since the switch control unit 7 is also controlled by the tester controller 3 based on a predetermined program set in accordance with the DUT, the relays 61 to 6n are substantially driven in conjunction with the switches 41 to 4n.

  2, the power supply system to the pin electronics 21 to 2n is selectively turned on / off according to the DUT, and the signal system between the pin electronics 21 to 2n and the DUT is also connected to the DUT. It can be selectively turned on / off in response to the power supply to only the test and inspection system used for the DUT test and only the test and inspection system used for the DUT test can exchange signals with the DUT. Therefore, a signal leakage prevention effect can be expected due to a synergistic effect of the selective supply of power and the selective conduction of the signal system.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which the test and inspection system is pin electronics has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to other test and inspection systems as long as the multi-channel configuration has the same function.

  The relay of FIG. 2 may be a switch.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the power consumption of the entire LSI tester can be greatly reduced, so that waste in terms of operating cost and environment can be eliminated.

1 Power Supply Unit 2 Pin Electronics 3 Tester Controller 4 Switch 5, 7 Switch Control Unit 6 Relay

Claims (5)

In an LSI tester with multi-channel test inspection system,
An LSI tester configured to selectively supply power from a power supply unit only to a test inspection system used for testing the DUT based on a program corresponding to the type of DUT.   2. The LSI tester according to claim 1, wherein the test inspection system is pin electronics.   The LSI tester according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit outputs different voltages of a plurality of systems.   4. The LSI tester according to claim 3, wherein different voltages of the plurality of systems of the power supply unit are controlled so as to be supplied individually with a necessary time difference according to the type of the DUT. In an LSI tester with multi-channel test inspection system,
Based on a program corresponding to the type of DUT, power is selectively supplied from the power supply unit only to the test inspection system used for the DUT test, and only the test inspection system used for the DUT test transmits a signal to the DUT. An LSI tester characterized in that it is configured to send and receive.

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