JPH0682520A - Electric characteristics measuring apparatus for ic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to carry out test and measurement of various types of IC device by constituting a mechanism for bringing a tester into contact with an IC of a socket board, an interface board, and interconnecting board units. CONSTITUTION:An IC device D is discharged from a magazine at a loader section 3 and when the IC device arrives at a vertical shoot 5b through an inclining shoot 5a, it is positioned and connected with the contact mechanism 10 in a test head 2a in order to perform test and measurement. The contact mechanism 10 is constituted of three independent and mutually detachable members, i.e., an interface board 11, a plurality of interconnecting board units 12, and a socket board 13. A wiring pattern is formed on the surface of the interface board 11 whereas pin connecting parts are provided on the rear surface. Lead pins of the device D are inserted into the IC socket 14 on the socket board 13. In case of same outline different type device D, only the interface board 11 is required to be replaced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for testing / measuring the electrical characteristics of an IC device (integrated circuit element), and more particularly to improving the head portion for the measurement.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, an apparatus for testing / measuring the electrical characteristics of an IC device is roughly classified into an IC handler which constitutes a device transport system and an IC tester which constitutes a test / measurement system. You can The IC handler has a loader section and an unloader section, and a large number of devices housed in a jig such as a magazine are installed in the loader section, and the devices are separated from the magazine and conveyed to the IC tester. It is equipped with a mechanism for performing a test / measurement by connecting to, and categorizing by quality in the unloader section based on the test / measurement result and storing in a magazine.
On the other hand, the IC tester has a tester main body provided with a signal processing unit, and a contact mechanism for contacting an IC device is attached to the tester main body, and when the device is connected to the contact mechanism. Then, capture the electrical signal from this device into the tester body,
By performing the signal processing, it is configured to determine whether or not it operates according to the standard.

The contact mechanism has at least an IC socket for contacting a device and a socket board on which the IC socket is mounted. In recent years, in particular, a large number of devices of different models with different package sizes and shapes, different numbers of pins, etc., and devices of the same model but with different functions and characteristics but of the same type have been used. Therefore, in order to share the tester body when testing and measuring devices of different types and types, this contact mechanism is removable from the tester body, and this contact mechanism is replaceable. ing. Further, in order to improve the efficiency and speed of the test / measurement, a structure in which a large number of devices can be contacted with the contact mechanism at the same time is being used.

From the above requirements, in addition to the above-mentioned IC socket and socket board, the contact mechanism section is
By using an interface board and configuring a plurality of socket boards as a contact unit mounted on this interface board, and connecting the interface board and the tester main body of this contact unit via connection pins, the contact unit is connected to the tester main body. It is configured to be electrically connected to. A coaxial cable is used for connection between the socket board and the interface board, and both ends of the coaxial cable are connected to the socket board and the interface board by soldering means.

[0005]

By the way, in the above-mentioned prior art, the whole contact unit must be replaced every time the type of device to be tested / measured is different. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare as many contact units as the types and types of devices to be tested and measured.
In order to cope with the diversification of the types of devices, it may be necessary to exchange and use several hundreds or more contact units, which is expensive in terms of price and poses a serious problem in terms of storage space.

When the number of devices to be tested / measured at the same time, such as 16 stations, 32 stations, and 64 stations, is increased, the number of wires between the socket board and the interface board is increased according to the number. Therefore, there is a manufacturing problem that the soldering work for a large number of wirings is extremely troublesome. In particular, in the case of a multi-pin device, as more and more devices are connected, more points must be soldered, and since this soldering work is difficult to automate due to its structure, it must be done manually. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the contact unit is significantly increased.

Therefore, the applicant of the present invention comprises a contact mechanism mounted on the test head with three members, an interface board, a relay board, and a socket board equipped with an IC socket, which are removable from each other. , An interface board and a socket board are provided with electrode pins that are detachably connected to the electrodes, and the electrode pins are proposed to be detachable from the electrodes. by this,
Since the interface board, relay board, and IC socket can be independently combined, the number of parts to be replaced can be reduced when testing and measuring various types of devices, and the interface can be reduced. Since the connection between the board and the socket board does not need to be made by using soldering means, there are advantages that the manufacturing of this contact mechanism is facilitated and the manufacturing thereof can be automated. However, such a configuration is not without problems.

In particular, in recent years, the increase in the number of pins of IC devices has become more prominent, whereas the relay board requires a certain amount of thickness in terms of strength and the like, and facilitates attachment / detachment. From the viewpoint of the above, since each of these relay boards must be arranged with a certain distance from each other, it may not be possible to secure a sufficient space for arranging the relay boards. Also, since the relay board needs to be replaced every time the type of device to be tested / measured is changed, it must be attached / detached with a certain frequency, and if the wiring pattern on the board is exposed to the outside, There is also a risk that the wiring pattern will be scratched when attaching or detaching.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is possible to test and measure various types of IC devices without requiring soldering and reducing the number of types of contact units. In order to make it possible to use the relay board unit detachably connected between the socket board and the interface board, it is possible to arrange a large number of the relay board units in a narrow space, and It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric characteristic test measuring device for an IC device in which a wiring pattern of a circuit board constituting the device is not damaged.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a contact mechanism, a socket board to which an IC socket is connected, an interface board detachably connected to the IC tester main body, and The relay board unit is detachably connected to the socket board and the interface board and electrically connects the two boards to each other. The relay board unit is a pair of circuits each having a wiring pattern formed on opposite surfaces thereof. The present invention is characterized in that it has a board, and that both circuit boards are joined via a spacer and connector pins that are detachably connected to a socket board and an interface board are projectingly provided on this spacer. It is a thing.

[0011]

In this way, by dividing the contact mechanism into three members, and making the relay board unit interposed between the socket board and the interface board separable from each board, for example, When testing and measuring different types of devices of the same type, it is sufficient to leave the socket board as it is and replace only the interface board. Also, when handling devices of different sizes and shapes, some of them can share the interface board. In this case, it is sufficient to leave the interface board as it is and replace only the socket board. As a result, even if there are many types of devices to be tested / measured, it is not necessary to prepare the number of contact mechanisms corresponding to the types, and the number of parts can be reduced. Further, since the connection between the socket board and the interface board can be performed by using the relay board unit and connecting the relay board unit by the plug-in type, there is no need to perform soldering. It is easy to manufacture and can be automated.

Moreover, since the two circuit boards are used in combination, the strength is good even if the thickness of each circuit board is reduced, and the distance between the two circuit boards bonded to each other can be made extremely small. Therefore, a large number of relay board units can be arranged between the socket board and the interface board, and even if the number of pins of the device to be tested / measured is large, it can be sufficiently dealt with. Further, since the circuit boards to be joined to each other have the wiring patterns formed on the surfaces facing each other, when the relay board unit is attached or detached, the wiring patterns are touched by the hands to be soiled or scratched. There is no fear of sticking.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of an IC device test measurement apparatus. In the figure, 1 is an IC handler,
Reference numerals 2 are IC testers, respectively, and the handler 1 includes a loader unit 3, an unloader unit 4, and loader units 3 to 4
And a transport path 5 leading to. The transport path 5 is composed of an inclined chute 5a on the loader side, a vertical chute 5b, and an inclined chute 5c on the unloader side, and a transition part from the inclined chute 5a to the vertical chute 5b and a transition from the vertical chute 5b to the inclined chute 5c. In the section, the direction changing section 6a,
6b is provided. Also, the test head 2a of the tester 2
Is arranged at a position facing the vertical chute 5b, and a contact mechanism 10 described later is detachably attached thereto. Then, clamp the device D on this vertical chute 5b,
A mechanism (not shown) for contacting and separating the contact mechanism 10 of the test head 2a is provided. Further, a classification mechanism section 7 for classifying the devices D based on the test / measurement results is provided at an intermediate position of the inclined chute 5c on the unloader section side.

As is well known, the device D is stored in a row in a magazine in the loader section 3. By tilting the magazine, the device D is ejected from the magazine by its own weight and separated one by one. When it reaches the vertical chute 5b from the tilt chute 5a through the direction changing portion 6a, it is positioned at a predetermined position and connected to the contact mechanism 10 of the test head 2a of the tester 2 to Testing and measurement of physical characteristics are performed. When the test / measurement is completed, the contact mechanism 10 is disengaged, the vertical chute 5b is again lowered, and the direction changing section 6b is moved to the unloader section side inclined chute 5c. When the magazines are classified and tilted, the magazines provided in the unloader unit 4 are stored in the magazines on the unloader side.

The test / measurement of the IC device D is carried out as described above. In order to carry out the test / measurement efficiently and at high speed, a large number of devices D are simultaneously tested by the test head.
It can be mounted on 2a. Therefore,
The test head 2a is provided with a plurality of IC sockets vertically and horizontally. For example, 32 series of IC sockets having 4 rows in the vertical direction and 8 rows in the horizontal direction, and 64 series having 8 rows and 8 rows have been developed.

The structure of the test head 2a is shown in FIG. In the figure, the one provided with four-stage IC sockets is shown. As is clear from the figure, the contact mechanism 10 is detachably connected to the test head 2a. The contact mechanism 10 is composed of three independent members that can be attached to and detached from each other, and includes an interface board 11, a plurality of relay board units 12 and a socket board 13 from the test head 2a side. The interface board 11 has a predetermined wiring pattern formed on its front surface, and a pin connection portion connected to a large number of connector pins (not shown) provided on the test head 2a side is provided on its back surface side. There is. Further, an IC socket 14 is attached to the socket board 13, and an IC is attached to this IC socket 14.
The lead pin of the device D is adapted to be inserted / removed or contacted / separated.

The relay board unit 12 is for electrically connecting the interface board 11 and the socket board 13 described above, and as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pair of circuit boards 15 is provided. And a pair of upper and lower spacers 16 interposed therebetween, and a large number of connector pins 17 provided on the spacer 16. The circuit board 15 has a wiring pattern 18 formed on one side surface thereof.
Through holes 20 are formed in the terminal portions 19 at both ends of
The connecting pin 21 is inserted through the through hole 20. On the other hand, the spacer 16 is composed of an electrically insulating member, and the connector pins 17 provided therein are provided in two rows each. Then, this relay board unit 12
The pair of circuit boards 15 constituting the above are assembled in such a manner that the wiring patterns 18 provided in the circuit boards 15 face each other and the spacer 16 is interposed therebetween.

The connector pin 17 is detachably connected to a terminal (not shown) provided on the interface board 11 and the socket board 13, and is a spacer.
A recess 22 for mounting the connector pin 17 is formed in the recess 16, and a holding pipe 23 is inserted into the recess 22 and fixed to the recess 22. Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the connector pin 17 has a large diameter portion 17a and a small diameter portion 17b.
The large diameter portion 17a is in sliding contact with the inner wall of the concave portion 22, and the small diameter portion 17b is in a state of protruding from the end portion of the holding pipe 23. A spring 24 is provided in the recess 22, and the urging force of the spring 24 causes the connector pin 17 to move.
The tip of the small diameter portion 17b is held in a state of protruding from the holding pipe 23 by a predetermined length. A pin insertion hole 25 for inserting the connecting pin 21 is formed on both left and right sides of the spacer 16, and a conductive member is applied from the inner wall of the pin insertion hole 25 to the inner surface of the recess 22. Therefore, the wiring pattern 18
Is electrically connected to the connector pin 17 through the terminal portion 19, the connecting pin 21, and the pin insertion hole 25 and the conductive member formed in the recess 22.

The present embodiment is constructed as described above, and from the state in which the electrical characteristic measuring apparatus for this IC device is assembled in a state in which one type of device D is tested and measured, The setup change when testing and measuring different devices will be described.

When performing this setup change, first, confirm what type the contact mechanism 10 already mounted on the test head 2a is,
For example, testing a device of the same type and different type as the previous device
If measurement is to be performed, only the interface board 13 is replaced. Therefore, first, the socket board 13 is removed either integrally with the relay board unit 12 or separately.
Then, replace it with an interface board that is suitable for conducting new tests and measurements, and replace it with a relay board unit.
Install 12 and socket board 13. This completes the setup change when testing and measuring different types of devices.

On the other hand, when the IC socket 14 mounted on the socket board 13 has to be changed because the size and shape of the device are different, but the interface board 13 does not need to be changed, only the socket board 13 should be removed. , Just replace it with a new one. At this time, if the number of pins of the device is different, it is necessary to replace the relay board unit 12 together with the socket board 13.

From the above, the contact mechanism 10 as a whole must be replaced only when testing and measuring devices of different types and different types. It is possible to reduce the number of members required for the operation. In addition, if the wiring pattern of the interface board 13 can be shared by as many types of devices as possible, it is often unnecessary to replace the interface board even if the dimensions and shape of the device are different. Therefore, commonization of the members can be achieved.

As described above, the relay board unit 12 is attached / detached in order to correspond to the type of the device. The circuit board 15 constituting the relay board unit 12 has its wiring pattern.
Since the 18 are formed on the inner surfaces facing each other, the wiring pattern 18 is not directly touched by the hands or the like at the time of this attachment / detachment, and therefore the wiring pattern 18 is not likely to be soiled or damaged.

Further, even if the thickness of the circuit board 15 is made thin, sufficient strength is maintained, and the distance between the circuit boards 15 to be joined to each other should be kept in a non-contact state. Therefore, both can be extremely close to each other. As a result,
It becomes possible to connect to an extremely large number of electrodes. For example, in recent years, SOP type devices, SOJ type devices, and the like in which a large number of lead pins are provided at extremely short pitch intervals have also been used. As described above, in the case of measuring the multi-pin device D, as shown in FIG.
(And the interface board 11), each electrode 26 is arranged in two rows for each of the lead pins arranged on the left and right sides of one device D, and a total of four rows are arranged.
By connecting the connector pins 17 provided on the relay board unit 12 to each of the above, the wiring pattern 18 on the circuit board 15 can be formed with a margin.

In the above-described embodiment, the circuit board 15 is provided with the connecting pin 21, but if it is constructed in this manner, the positions of the circuit board 15 and the spacer 16 when the circuit board 15 and the spacer 16 are assembled together. You will be able to perform the alignment accurately. However, other than this, for example, it is also possible to provide electrodes to be phase-bonded to the circuit board side and the spacer side, respectively, and to electrically connect both electrodes by means of bump bonding or the like. Further, although the spacers are configured as a pair of upper and lower parts sandwiched between the circuit boards, as shown in FIG. 7, if the frame-shaped spacers 30 are used, the wiring patterns 18 on the circuit board 15 are formed. The formed portion is isolated from the outside, and it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as dust from adhering to the wiring pattern 18 and causing a short circuit accident or the like. Furthermore, the wiring pattern 18 does not necessarily have to be provided on the inner surface side of the circuit board 15; for example, the ground wire may be formed on the outer surface of the circuit board 15. If such a configuration is adopted, the circuit board 15 can be formed. The margin of the wiring pattern 18 formed on the inner surface side of is further increased. further,
Although the electrode pin is configured to be elastically supported by the spacer, it may be configured to be fixedly attached to the spacer.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, the relay board units, which are detachably connected to the socket board and the interface board and electrically connect the both boards, are provided on the opposite surfaces. A pair of circuit boards each having a wiring pattern are provided, and both circuit boards are joined together via a spacer, and connector pins that are detachably connected to a socket board and an interface board are projectingly provided on this spacer. Since it is configured, you can connect between the socket board and the interface board with a plug-in type,
Since there is no need to perform soldering, the contact mechanism can be easily manufactured and its automation is possible. Also, since two relay boards are combined, there is some strength even if each relay board is made thin. Moreover, since the distance between the two relay boards bonded to each other can be made extremely small, a large number of relay boards can be arranged between the socket board and the interface board, and even a device having a large number of lead pins can be sufficiently dealt with, and Since the wiring patterns are formed on the opposite surfaces of the circuit board, there is no risk that the wiring pattern will be touched by hands and dirt will be attached or scratched when the relay board unit is attached or detached. Produce an effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of an electrical characteristic test apparatus for an IC device.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing each member constituting the contact mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a separated state.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a relay board unit.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a relay board unit.

5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a connection mode of a relay board unit to a socket board.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a relay board unit showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 IC handler 2 IC tester 2a Test head 10 Contact mechanism 11 Interface board 12 Relay board unit 13 Socket board 14 IC socket 15 Circuit board 16, 30 Spacer 17 Contact pin

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A contact mechanism for contacting an IC device connected to an IC tester body, comprising a plurality of I
In an apparatus for simultaneously contacting a C device with the IC tester and measuring its electrical characteristics,
The contact mechanism is a socket board to which an IC socket is connected, an interface board that is detachably connected to the IC tester body, and the socket board and the interface board are detachably connected to electrically connect both boards. This relay board unit has a pair of circuit boards each having a wiring pattern formed on the opposite surfaces thereof, and both circuit boards are joined together through a spacer. An electrical characteristic measuring apparatus for an IC device, characterized in that a connector pin that is detachably connected to the socket board and the interface board is provided on a spacer.