JPH0746119B2 - Semiconductor device test equipment - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor device test apparatus for simultaneously testing a plurality of electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device.

[Conventional technology]

A semiconductor device (hereinafter referred to as an IC) is manufactured by a manufacturing device and then subjected to various tests. Among them, a conventional test device for testing electrical characteristics is configured as shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. Has been done. That is, FIG. 5 is a schematic front view thereof, FIG. 6 is a side view of FIG. 5 as viewed from A, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of B as viewed in FIG. A loader rail 2 for accommodating a plurality of ICs 1 each having an electrode lead 1a is provided so as to be inclined, and a shutter 3 is attached to this.

On the downstream side of the loader rail 2, there is disposed a separation mechanism 4 having a rotary rail 4a that is driven to rotate between a chain line position and a solid line position in the figure, and a shutter 5 that can be opened and closed is provided on the separation mechanism 4. It is attached.

Below the separating mechanism rotated to the solid line position, a guide rail 6 bent in a dogleg shape is installed, and a test provided with a plurality of shutters 7 and a contact mechanism 8 in the upper half part thereof. The contact mechanism 8 is provided with a portion 9 and includes a swingable contactor 8a and a drive device 8b for bringing the contactor 8a into contact with the electrode lead 1a.
Is equipped with. Reference numeral 10 denotes a separating / discharging mechanism provided obliquely below the guide rail 6, and a plurality of tubes 11 are arranged side by side on the downstream side of the separating / discharging mechanism.
The IC 1 is configured to be sorted and discharged into the tube 11.

With the above configuration, the ICs 1 supplied to the loader rail 2 slide down on the loader rails 2 and are sent one by one to the rotary rails 4a of the separating mechanism 4 when the shutter 3 is opened. When the rotary rail 4a is rotated to the solid line position at a predetermined timing and the shutter 5 is opened, the ICs 1 are sent to the test unit 9, and the shutters 7 are actuated to set two ICs at predetermined positions in the test unit 9. In the test unit 9, a test is performed by the contact 8a swinging by the driving device 8b coming into contact with the electromagnetic lead 1a and being electrically connected to an external tester. After the contact of 8a is released, they are sent to the separating and discharging mechanism 10 one by one.
Here, IC1 is classified according to the test result, and is discharged into each tube 11 which is set in parallel by the number of classifications. When the two IC1s in the test section 9 are ejected, the next IC1 in the loader rail 2 is again sent out by the separating mechanism 4 and set at the two test positions, and then the above operation is repeated.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, in such a conventional test apparatus, the release of the contact 8a-classification of the tested IC, ejection-separation of the next test IC-supply of this IC to the test unit 9, set-contact 8a Since a series of operations of contact operation are performed in series, there is a problem that the test is not operated for a long time, the operation rate is low, and the processing capacity of the entire apparatus is low. Also, in the figure, an example of testing two IC1s at a time is shown, but as the number of simultaneous tests increases to 4 or 8, each mechanism must be increased, which makes the structure complicated. There was a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and enables the same mechanism to be used regardless of the number of ICs to be simultaneously tested, and classifies and discharges tested ICs by different ICs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device test apparatus having a large processing capability that can be performed in parallel during the test time.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to achieve such an object, according to the present invention, a plurality of sets of pallets having a plurality of semiconductor device accommodating sockets on the front surface and electrodes electrically conducting to the outside on the bottom surface, and semiconductor devices for these pallets are provided. A supply unit provided with a supply robot, a test unit provided with a contact mechanism for testing a semiconductor device for bringing a contact into contact with the electrode, and a discharge unit provided with a discharge robot for discharging a tested semiconductor device from a pallet into a tube. And a transfer robot that circulates and conveys the pallet in a normal route of returning from the supply unit to the test unit and the discharge unit to the supply unit, and mounting the pallet on the test unit and connecting the pallet to the contact mechanism. The table driven by the driving device is provided so as to move between the corresponding position and the non-corresponding position.

[Work]

The pallet to which the semiconductor device is supplied by the supply robot in the supply unit is transferred onto the table of the test unit by the transfer robot, and is moved to the contact mechanism corresponding position by the movement of the table to perform an electrical test. The pallet moved together with the table after the test is transported to the discharge part by the transport robot, the semiconductor device that has been tested is discharged into the tube by the discharge robot, and the empty pallet is transported to the supply part by the transport robot. The above operation is repeated. At the time of testing the semiconductor device, in parallel with this, the pallet is received in the test unit and the pallet is delivered from the test unit at the same time.

〔Example〕

1 to 4 show an embodiment of a semiconductor device test apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view thereof, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a pallet, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the same. 4 (a) to 4 (f) are schematic plan views of the test apparatus shown for explaining the operation. In the figure, the test apparatus includes a test section 21, and a supply section 22 and a discharge section 23 that are arranged in parallel to the sides of the test section 21, and these sections 21, 22, 23 are circulated and conveyed by a conveyance robot 24 described later. A plurality of pallets 25 are arranged one by one. In Fig. 1, the pallet 25 is the test section.
Although it is illustrated that eight in 21 and two in the supply section and two in the discharge section, respectively, as will be described later in the description of the operation, a pallet 25 is provided at any two of them.
There is no. The pallet 25 is formed in a rectangular shape and has, for example, eight sockets 26 fixed on the surface thereof, and a plurality of sockets 26 electrically connected to the outside at a position corresponding to a contact mechanism described later on the bottom surface. Electrodes 27 are provided corresponding to each socket 26.

A loader unit 28 is also provided in the supply unit 22, and the loader unit 28 has a semiconductor device 29 (hereinafter referred to as an IC) shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
29) is provided for storing a plurality of IC tubes 30. Further, the supply unit 22 is provided with a supply robot 31 that moves in the front-rear and left-right directions to supply the pre-test ICs 29 in the IC tube 28 one by one to the sockets 26 of the pallet 25 stopped on the supply unit 22. ing.

Two sets of turntables 32, which are shown as an example of a table for moving the pallet 25, are rotatably provided at predetermined intervals in the test section 21, and four turntables 32 are provided on each turntable 32. The pallet 25 is supplied and placed at a predetermined position that divides the pallet into four equal parts in the circumferential direction. At a predetermined position below the pallet 25, the same contact mechanism 33 as that of the conventional one shown in FIG. 7 is provided, in which a contact is brought into contact with the electrode 27 to electrically test the IC 29. Then, each turntable 32 is driven by a driving device to intermittently rotate by 90 ° in opposite directions as shown by arrows in the figure, and each pallet 25 sequentially enters a position corresponding to the contact mechanism 33. After being tested by the IC 29, the IC 29 is configured to move to a position not corresponding to the contact mechanism 33.

Further, the discharging section 23 is provided with an unloader section 34, and the unloader section 34 is provided with a plurality of IC tubes 35 for accommodating a plurality of tested ICs 29. Further, the discharging unit 23 is provided with a discharging robot 36 that moves the front, rear, left, and right directions to take out the tested ICs 29 from the stopped pallet, sort them based on the test results, and discharge them into the IC tube 35.

The transfer robot 24 includes a test unit 21, a supply unit 22, and a discharge unit 2.
The pallet 25 is circulated and conveyed by a route of returning from the supply unit 22 to the test unit 21 and the discharge unit 23 to the supply unit 21 by rotating the arm to open and close the gripping unit. Is configured.

The operation of the test apparatus configured as described above will be described in the order of FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (f). In the figure, the places where each pallet 25 is placed are denoted by the symbols A to M, and the places without the pallets 25 are hatched. In FIG. 4 (a), there is no pallet 25 at the locations L and M of the discharge section 23, and the pre-test IC 29 in the IC tube 30 is supplied to the pallets 25 placed at the locations J and K of the supply section 22. Powered by Robot 31. The pallets 25 placed at the locations D and H of the test section 21 correspond to the contact mechanism 33, and the contacts are in contact with the electrodes 27 and the ICs in the sockets 26 are
Twenty-nine electrical tests are being conducted simultaneously. Also at location A,
B, C, E, F, G pallet 25 containing IC 29 before test
Is placed.

When the test of the IC 29 at the locations D and H is completed from this state, the turntable 32 rotates 90 ° and stops as shown in FIG. 4 (b), and the pallet 25 at the locations C and G comes into contact with the contact mechanism. 3
Corresponds to 3. At this time, the transfer robot 24 is rotated, and the pallets 25 for storing the tested ICs at the locations D and H are removed from the turntable 32 and transported to the locations L and M of the discharging section 23, and at the same time, the locations C and G are also transported. Electrical testing of pallet 25 at

When this test is started, as shown in FIG. 4 (c), the discharging robot 36 operates to extract the tested IC 29 from the pallet 25 at the locations L and M, and classify the ICs 29 according to the test results. Discharge into the IC tube 35. At this time,
There are no pallets 25 at the test locations D and H.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4 (d), the transfer robot 24 is rotated and the IC-supplied pallets 25 at the locations J and K of the supply unit 22 are moved.
Is conveyed to the places D and H of the test section 21, and the places J and K are emptied.

FIG. 4 (e) shows a state in which the places J and K of the supply section are empty, and at this time, the discharge robot 36 continues to discharge the IC 29.

After discharging, as shown in Fig. 4 (f), the transfer robot
Place the pallet 25, which was emptied by the rotation of 24, from place L, M
Since it is conveyed to J and K, it returns to the initial state shown in FIG. 4 (a). After that, the operation described in accordance with FIGS. 4A to 4F is repeated.

In the above operation, the idle time during which the IC tester is not operating is only the sum of the time during which the turntable 32 is rotating and the time during which the contact of the contact mechanism 33 operates.
The downtime of the tester is shortened.

In the present embodiment, the turntable 32 is illustrated as a table on which the pallet 25 is mounted and moved in the test unit 21, but the pallet 25 is moved between the corresponding position and the non-corresponding position to the contact mechanism 33. In this case, for example, a table in which a plurality of pallets 25 are linearly mounted in parallel and which moves linearly may be used. Further, the number of pallets mounted on the table is not limited to four as in the present embodiment, and may be any number as long as it is two or more. Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which two sets of tables are provided is shown, but only one set or two or more sets may be provided.

〔The invention's effect〕

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a semiconductor device test apparatus is provided with a supply unit having a supply robot for supplying a semiconductor device before a test to a pallet and a contact for performing an electrical test of the semiconductor device in the pallet. Separated into a test section equipped with a mechanism and a discharge section equipped with a discharge robot that takes out the tested semiconductor device from the pallet and discharges it into the tube, and installs a transfer robot that circulates the pallet between these parts. A pallet is mounted on the test unit so that the pallet can be moved between a position corresponding to the contact mechanism and a position not corresponding to the contact mechanism, and the robot simultaneously supplies and unloads the semiconductor device and electrically tests the semiconductor device. As a result, when viewed from the test side, the idle time when the tester does not operate can be reduced by moving the table on which the pallet is mounted. Time, only the total time of the operation time of the test contact mechanism improves the tester operating rate as compared to conventional capacity can be greatly improved. Further, since the supply and the discharge of the semiconductor device to each pallet are performed only by the supply unit and the discharge unit separated from the test unit, the mechanism is simplified and the supply and the discharge of the semiconductor device to the pallet are almost the same. The work is done in parallel and at the same time, reducing the overall working time. Further, the transport robot circulates and transports the pallet from the supply section to the test section and the discharge section and returns to the supply section, and the supply section and the discharge section are provided with the supply robot and the discharge robot, respectively. So
The test unit, the supply unit, and the discharge unit can be fixedly arranged without moving, and therefore the entire apparatus can be downsized. Further, since the pallets are circulated and conveyed, the semiconductor devices can be collectively conveyed between the supply unit and the test unit, and between the test unit and the discharge unit, which can reduce the conveyance time. Therefore, there is no problem in shortening the overall work time.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 4 (a) to (f) show an embodiment of a semiconductor device test apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view thereof, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a pallet, and FIG. The figure is also a front view, FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (f) are schematic plan views of the test apparatus shown for explaining the operation, and FIGS. 5 to 7 show conventional test apparatuses for semiconductor devices. 5 is a schematic front view of the same, FIG. 6 is a side view of FIG. 5 as viewed from A, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of FIG. 21 …… Test section, 22 …… Supply section, 23 …… Discharge section, 24 ……
Transport robot, 25 ... pallet, 26 ... socket, 27 ...
… Electrodes, 29 …… Semiconductor devices, 30 …… IC tubes, 31 ……
Supply robot, 32 …… turntable, 33 …… contact mechanism, 35 …… IC tube, 36 …… discharging robot.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of sets of pallets having a plurality of sockets for accommodating semiconductor devices on the surface and electrodes electrically conducting to the outside on the bottom, and a supply for supplying semiconductor devices before testing to these pallets. A supply unit equipped with a robot, a test unit equipped with a contact mechanism for contacting a contact with the electrode to electrically test a semiconductor device in a pallet, and a tested semiconductor device taken out from the pallet and discharged into a tube. A discharging unit provided with a discharging robot, and a transfer robot that circulates and conveys the pallet in a normal route of returning from the supplying unit to the supplying unit through the testing unit and the discharging unit are provided, and the pallet is mounted on the testing unit. A semiconductor device characterized in that a table driven by a driving device is provided so that the pallet moves between a position corresponding to the contact mechanism and a position not corresponding to the contact mechanism. Test equipment of the device.