KR102674152B1 - Handler for testing electronic devices - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a handler for testing electronic components that supports testing of electronic components.
A handler for testing electronic components according to the present invention includes at least one test chamber capable of accommodating electronic components therein; a main body in which the test chamber is installed and coupled to a tester having a test board with a test socket installed; and an elevator that elevates the test chamber relative to the main body to bring in electronic components to be tested into the test chamber or to take out electronic components that have been tested from the test chamber. Includes.
According to the present invention, it is possible to produce a small and inexpensive electronic component testing handler suitable for testing small quantities of electronic components.

Description

Handler for testing electronic components {HANDLER FOR TESTING ELECTRONIC DEVICES}

The present invention relates to a handler for testing electronic components.

When electronic components such as semiconductor devices are produced, they are tested by a tester and then divided into good and defective products and only the good products are shipped.

The electrical connection between the tester and electronic components and the creation of the environment required for appropriate testing are made by a handler for electronic component testing (hereinafter abbreviated as 'handler'). Handlers are manufactured in various forms depending on the type of electronic components or test environment, and have been proposed through Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0079701, 10-2014-0147902, and Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0709114.

The handler includes a loading device, a soak chamber, a test chamber, a connection device, a desoak chamber, an unloading device, and multiple transfer devices.

The loading device loads the electronic components to be tested loaded on the customer tray onto the test tray at the loading position.

The soak chamber is provided to apply thermal stimulation to the electronic components loaded on the test tray from the loading position. Produced electronic components are sometimes tested at room temperature, but because it is necessary to consider the thermally harsh environment of use, they are usually tested at high or low temperatures. A soak chamber is provided to apply this thermal stimulation.

The test chamber provides a space where electronic components loaded on test trays that have passed through the soak chamber can be tested. For this purpose, the tester is connected to the test chamber side.

The connection device pressurizes the electronic components of the test tray at the test position in the test chamber toward the test socket of the tester so that the electronic components can be electrically connected to the test socket.

The desoak chamber is provided to remove thermal stimulation from electronic components loaded on the test tray from the test chamber. Therefore, electronic components from which thermal stimulation has been removed within the desoak chamber can be properly unloaded by the unloading device.

The unloading device unloads electronic components from the test tray that has come to the unloading position and moves them to an empty customer tray.

Multiple transport devices transport the test tray along a closed circular path leading to the loading position via a loading position, a testing position, and an unloading position.

The handler with the above structure has evolved to enable testing of large quantities of electronic components as quickly as possible by automating almost all tasks, including loading electronic components into a test tray and unloading electronic components from the test tray. It has been done. Accordingly, test trays have also been enlarged to accommodate more electronic components, and furthermore, electronic components loaded on multiple test trays can be tested together, greatly improving processing capacity.

Meanwhile, depending on the type of electronic component, only small quantities may be produced, and in other cases, only small quantities may be needed for research purposes in universities or corporate research institutes. Even in this case, using the aforementioned handler has the following inconveniences or problems.

First, electronic components are placed on a customer tray and supplied to the handler, and the handler who receives them transfers the test tray, which requires long automated tasks ranging from the loading process by the loading device to the unloading process by the unloading device. Processing time becomes longer.

Second, the scale of the equipment is large because it is equipped with a soak chamber, a de-soak chamber, a connection device, and a test tray, and many parts for automation are applied, so the production cost and space occupancy are very high.

Therefore, it is inappropriate to use the above handler for research purposes in research institutes, etc.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a handler that can support testing of electronic components that are produced in small quantities or that require only small quantities for research purposes.

A handler for testing electronic components according to the present invention includes at least one test chamber capable of accommodating electronic components therein; a main body in which the test chamber is installed and coupled to a tester having a test board with a test socket installed; and an elevator that elevates the test chamber relative to the main body to bring in electronic components to be tested into the test chamber or to take out electronic components that have been tested from the test chamber. Includes.

a rotator capable of rotating the test chamber in an elevated state by the elevator; It further includes.

a piping device for supplying low-temperature gas into the test chamber to maintain the inside of the test chamber at a low temperature; It further includes.

The piping device includes a first connection pipe that is fixedly installed on the test chamber side and moves up and down as the test chamber goes up and down; A first coupling member installed on the first connection pipe side; a second connection pipe fixedly installed on the main body; and a second coupling member installed on the second connection pipe side and capable of being in close contact with or separate from the first coupling member. It includes: the first coupling member and the second coupling member are brought into close contact with each other as the test chamber descends, so that the low-temperature gas can go to the first connection pipe through the second connection pipe. and forms a stable flow path connecting the second connection pipe.

an elastic member that elastically supports the first coupling member so that the first coupling member can move somewhat in an up and down direction; It further includes.

The piping device includes a corrugated pipe to enable bending and restoration due to external force or thermal contraction or thermal expansion.

A coupling device for coupling the test board to the main body; It further includes, the coupling device is provided to move forward and backward so as to narrow or widen the gap between both ends of the test board or to release the locking device, and includes a pair of locking devices having a driving protrusion that receives a driving force for advancing and retreating. absence; It is provided to move in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the locking member, and the driving groove into which the driving protrusion can be inserted is formed at an angle, so that the driving protrusion slides along the inclination of the driving groove due to the movement of the driving protrusion. A pair of driving members in which the pair of locking members advances and retreats; and a moving source that provides a moving force to move the pair of driving members. Includes.

According to the present invention, the following effects are achieved.

First, processing time is shortened because loading, unloading, and transfer operations are all eliminated.

Second, since the component parts and test trays for the electrical connection between electronic components and the tester, as well as the above loading, unloading, and transfer operations, are omitted, not only does the equipment become smaller, but the production cost and space occupancy decrease. It can be optimized for use in laboratories with narrow spaces.

Third, since there is no need to install a separate door to bring electronic components into or out of the test chamber, the airtightness of the insulation is maintained and the production cost can be further reduced.

1 to 3 are schematic perspective views of a handler for testing electronic components according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams of the piping device applied to the handler of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the coupling device applied to the handle rung of Figure 1.
Figure 7 is a conceptual diagram of a test socket provided in a tester to aid understanding of the present invention.

Preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but identical components will be assigned the same reference numerals, and for brevity of explanation, descriptions of overlapping or substantially identical components will be omitted or compressed as much as possible.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a handler (HR, hereinafter abbreviated as 'handler') for testing electronic components according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The handler (HR) according to this embodiment includes a test chamber 100, a main body 200, an elevator 300, a rotator 400, a piping device 500, a heating device 600, a convection fan 700, and a combination thereof. Includes device 800.

The test chamber 100 can accommodate electronic components therein. This test chamber 100 has a structure in which both the top and sides are closed except for the bottom, which is in close contact with the main body 200, and is not provided with a separate door. In this embodiment, the handler (HR) is provided with only one test chamber 100, but depending on the implementation, multiple test chambers 100 may be provided in one main body 200. In this case, multiple test chambers 100 may be provided. The main body 200 may be expanded so that it can be installed.

A test chamber 100 is installed in the main body 200 to be able to lift and rotate, and is coupled to a tester. Here, the connection between the main body 200 and the tester (TESTER) is achieved by combining the test board (TB) in the tester (TESTER) and the main body 200. The test board (TB) is equipped with a test socket (TS) that can be electrically connected to electronic components. The connection between the main body 200 and the test board (TB) will be explained later.

The elevator 300 elevates the test chamber 100 relative to the main body 200.

If the test chamber 100 rises, as shown in FIG. 2, a gap occurs between the test chamber 100 and the main body 200, and the test board (TB) coupled to the main body 200 is exposed to the operator. , the operator can supply the electronic components to be tested to the test socket (TS).

And, if the test chamber 100 is lowered, the lower end of the test chamber 100 is in close contact with the main body 200 as shown in FIG. 1, and the interior of the test chamber 100 is sealed, and in this state, the test chamber 100 Work is done to create the interior to the required temperature environment. Accordingly, the electronic components supplied to the test socket TS located inside the sealed test chamber 100 are assimilated to the temperature environment formed inside the test chamber 100.

The rotator 400 rotates the test chamber 100 in an elevated state by the elevator 300. By rotating the test chamber 100 in this way, as shown in FIG. 3, it becomes much easier for the operator to supply electronic components to the test socket (TS) or retrieve electronic components from the test socket (TS). This rotator 400 may have a drive source 410 to enable self-driving as in this embodiment, but it can also be sufficiently considered to be provided so that it can be rotated manually by an operator.

For reference, the rotator 400 may be omitted if the height of the test chamber 100 is sufficient. However, since the ceiling height of the laboratory is significantly lower than that of a general factory, it is not easy to secure a smooth work space just by raising the test chamber 100. In addition, rather than the worker extending his arm to supply or retrieve electronic components to the test socket (TS), the test chamber 100 is evaded by a certain angle using the rotator 400 to remove the electronic components. It is easier to supply to or retrieve from a test socket (TS). In addition, various heavy objects may be installed inside the test chamber 100, and placing such heavy objects above and working below them raises the possibility of accidents such as falling heavy objects or injuries caused by workers unconsciously raising their heads. It is dangerous because Therefore, it is desirable to provide a rotator 400 capable of rotating the test chamber 100 as in this embodiment.

The piping device 500 is provided to maintain a low temperature inside the test chamber 100 by supplying low-temperature LN2 gas into the test chamber 100. However, according to the present invention, because the test chamber 100 is lifted or rotated, it is difficult to configure the individual pipes forming the piping device 500 to be integrally coupled. Of course, you can consider using piping made of flexible material, but even if it is a flexible material, it can withstand up to 70 degrees, but it loses flexibility at temperatures below that, and there is a risk of damage when the bending force is somewhat excessive. In addition, it is quite difficult to manufacture and purchase flexible pipes that can withstand temperatures below 70 degrees, and its stability is also difficult to guarantee. Therefore, as referred to in FIGS. 4 and 5, the piping device 500 in this embodiment includes a spray pipe 511, a corrugated pipe 512, a first connection pipe 513, a first coupling member 514, It is configured to include an elastic spring 515, a first installation member 516, a second connection pipe 523, a second coupling member 524, and a second installation member 526. Here, the injection pipe 511, the corrugated pipe 512, the first connection pipe 513, the first coupling member 514, the elastic spring 515, and the first installation member 516 are located on the test chamber 100 side. It is fixed and goes up and down together as the test chamber 100 goes up and down, and the second connection pipe 523, the second coupling member 524, and the second installation member 526 are fixed to the main body 200 side.

One side of the injection pipe 511 is exposed to the inside of the test chamber 100, and the other side is coupled to the corrugated pipe 512.

One side of the corrugated pipe 512 is coupled to the other side of the spray pipe 511, and the other side is coupled to the first connection pipe 513. This corrugated pipe 512 is provided to compensate for deformation due to thermal expansion or thermal contraction in the overall piping structure or the rise of the first connection pipe 513, which will be explained later, and is bent to have a difference of about 3 mm from the straight line. It's enough if you can lose.

One side of the first connection pipe 513 is coupled to the other side of the corrugated pipe 512, and a first coupling member 514 is coupled to the end of the other side (lower side in the drawing). If necessary, this first connection pipe 513 may have an 'ㄱ' shape with a gently curved middle end as in the present embodiment.

The first coupling member 514 is formed with a first coupling hole (JH ₁ ) penetrating in the vertical direction, and the other end of the first connection pipe 513 is inserted into the first coupling hole (JH ₁ ). It is coupled to the first coupling member 514. In addition, the lower part of the first coupling hole (JH ₁ ) is designed to become wider as it moves downward, so that when the test chamber 100 is lowered, the first coupling member 514 and the second coupling member 524 are connected to each other. It is designed to be stable and properly combined.

The elastic spring 515 is provided as an elastic member that applies downward elastic force to the first coupling member 514. The first coupling member 514 is elastically supported to be elastically pressed downward by the elastic spring 515, thereby enabling the first coupling member 514 to move up and down and return to some extent.

The first installation member 516 is fixedly installed in the test chamber 100 and has a first installation space IS ₁ therein. The first installation member 516 is preferably made of a material with good insulation properties, and the above-mentioned spray pipe 511, corrugated pipe 512, and first connection pipe 513 are connected to the first installation member 516. , the first coupling member 514 and the elastic spring 515 are fixedly installed.

The second connection pipe 523 is provided to send LN2 gas coming from an LN2 gas supplier (not shown) through the supply pipe (SP) to the first connection pipe 513, and is fixedly installed on the main body 200. .

The second coupling member 524 is formed with a second coupling hole (JH ₂ ) penetrating in the vertical direction. The end of one side (upper side in the drawing) of the second connection pipe 523 is a second coupling hole (JH _{2 )} . ) is coupled to the second coupling member 524 in the form of being inserted into the. In addition, the upper end of the second coupling member 524 is designed to become narrower as it moves upward, so that the upper end of the second coupling member 524 is located at the lower end of the first coupling hole (JH ₁ ), which becomes wider as it moves downward. It is designed to be inserted. Therefore, when the test chamber 100 is lowered, the first coupling member 514 is lowered as shown in FIG. 4 and the upper end of the second coupling member 524 is in the first coupling hole (JH ₁ ) of the first coupling member 514. As it is inserted into the lower part, the first coupling member 514 and the second coupling member 524 come into close contact with each other, so that LN2 gas can go to the first connection pipe 513 through the second connection pipe 523. A stable flow path is formed. At this time, the elastic spring 515 maintains close contact between the first coupling member 514 and the second coupling member 524 by strongly elastically pressing the first coupling member 514 downward. Of course, as shown in Figure 5, when the test chamber 100 rises, the first coupling member 514 and the second coupling member 524 are separated from each other and fall, thereby forming the first connection pipe 514 and the second connection pipe 524. ) is broken.

The second installation member 526 is fixedly installed in the main body 200 and has a second installation space IS ₂ therein. This second installation member 526 is also preferably made of a material with good insulation properties, and the above-mentioned second connection pipe 523 and second coupling member 524 are fixedly installed on the second installation member 526. .

The heating device 600 is provided to create a high temperature environment inside the test chamber 100.

The convection fan 700 forcibly creates a convection phenomenon inside the test chamber 100, creating an even temperature environment throughout the inside of the test chamber 100 due to the LN2 gas coming through the heating device 600 or the piping device 500. to have.

The coupling device 800 couples the test board (TB) to the main body 200. To this end, as shown in FIG. 6, the coupling device 800 includes a pair of locking members 811 and 812, a pair of driving members 821 and 822, and a pair of moving sources 831 and 832.

A pair of locking members 811 and 812 is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat so that the gap between them narrows or widens in order to lock or release the locking of both ends of the test board TB. To this end, the pair of locking members 811 and 812 each have a locking protrusion (HP) protruding in a direction facing each other, and a driving protrusion (DP) that receives a driving force for advancing and retreating. Therefore, when the driving force comes through the driving protrusion DP, as referenced in the comparison between FIGS. 4 and 5, the pair of locking members 811 and 812 advance and retreat in a direction that approaches or moves away from each other, and accordingly, the locking members 811, 812) hangs or unblocks the test board (TB).

A pair of driving members 821 and 822 are provided to advance and retreat a pair of locking members 811 and 812, respectively. A pair of driving members (821, 822) is provided to move in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction in which the pair of locking members (811, 812) advances and retreats, and has a driving hole (DH) into which the driving protrusion (DP) can be inserted. ) is formed. Here, the driving hole DH is formed at an angle, so that the driving protrusion DP slides along the slope of the driving groove DH due to its movement, thereby causing the pair of locking members 811 and 812 to advance and retreat.

The moving sources 531 and 532 provide moving force to move the pair of driving members 521 and 522. In this embodiment, the moving sources 531 and 532 are provided with two cylinders for moving the pair of driving members 521 and 522, respectively. However, depending on the implementation, one cylinder is used to move the pair of driving members 521. , 522) may be implemented to move together, or may be implemented with other driving means such as a motor.

In addition to the above configurations, the handler (HR) according to the present invention includes a blowing fan to prevent condensation or freezing in the supply pipe (SP), a first installation space (IS ₁ ) and a second installation space (IS _2). ), a spray pipe for spraying dry air and a dry air supplier may be additionally provided to prevent condensation or freezing from occurring on the surface.

Meanwhile, the handler (HR) according to the present invention does not have a separate means for electrically connecting the electronic component and the test socket (TS). Therefore, as shown in the conceptual diagrams of Figures 7 (a) and (b), the test socket (TS) has a fixture (FD) for fixing the electronic component (D). When supplying electronic components (D) to the test socket (TS) or recovering electronic components (D) from the test socket (TS), the worker manually operates the fixture (FD), resulting in the state shown in (b) of Figure 7. As shown, the fixation state by the fixture (FD) is released. Of course, after the operator supplies the electronic component (D) to the test socket (TS) or retrieves the electronic component from the test socket (TS), the operating state of the fixture (FD) is as shown in (a) of FIG. By releasing, the fixer (FD) is brought into a state of fixing the electronic component (D). At this time, when the operation state of the fixture (FD) is released while the electronic component (D) is supplied to the test socket (TS), the fixture (FD) moves the electronic component (D) as shown in (a) of FIG. 7. ) is pressed, so that the terminal (T ₁ ) of the electronic component (D) and the terminal (T ₂ ) of the test socket (TS) are electrically connected to each other.

We continue to explain how the above handler (HR) operates.

First, the tester and main body 200 are initially combined. The joining operation of the tester (TESTER) and the main body 200 is ultimately completed by operating the coupling device 800 to couple the test board (TB) to the main body 200. Afterwards, the elevator 300 is operated to raise the test chamber 100, and the rotator 400 is operated to rotate the test chamber 100. In this state, the operator operates the fixture (FD) to supply the electronic component (D) to be tested to the test socket (TS), and then releases the operating state of the fixture (FD). Next, the rotator 400 is operated in reverse, and the elevator 300 is also operated in reverse to lower the test chamber 100. Accordingly, as the test chamber 100 is lowered, the test board (TB) is sealed by the test chamber 100, and the first coupling member 514 and the second coupling member 524 are in strong contact with each other to test the LN2 gas. A flow path for supplying the inside of the chamber 100 is connected. Once the preliminary preparation is completed in this way, the operator inputs a test command, and according to the command, the handler (HR) creates the internal temperature environment of the test chamber 100 to the required temperature environment. If it is a high temperature test, the heating device 600 is operated, and if it is a low temperature test, LN2 gas is supplied into the test chamber 100. By doing this, when the inside of the test chamber 100 (more precisely, the temperature of the electronic component) reaches a temperature set for an appropriate test, the electronic component D is tested by the tester.

As described above, the specific description of the present invention has been made by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, but since the above-described embodiments are only explained by referring to preferred examples of the present invention, the present invention is limited to the above-mentioned examples. It should not be understood as limited, and the scope of rights of the present invention should be understood as the scope of the claims and equivalents described later.

HR: Handler for electronic component testing
100: Test chamber
200: main body
300: elevator
400: Rotator
500: Piping device
512: Corrugated pipe 513: First connection pipe
514: first coupling member 515: elastic spring
523: second connection pipe 524: second coupling member 800: coupling device
811, 812: Locking member
821, 822: driving member
831, 832: Lee Dong-won

Claims (7)

At least one test chamber capable of accommodating electronic components therein;
a main body in which the test chamber is installed and coupled to a tester having a test board with a test socket installed;
an elevator that elevates the test chamber relative to the main body to bring in electronic components to be tested into the test chamber or to take out electronic components that have been tested from the test chamber; and
It includes a piping device for supplying low-temperature gas to the interior of the test chamber to maintain the interior of the test chamber at a low temperature,
The piping device is
a first connection pipe that is fixedly installed on the test chamber side and moves up and down as the test chamber goes up and down;
A first coupling member installed on the first connection pipe side;
a second connection pipe fixedly installed on the main body; and
a second coupling member installed on the second connection pipe and capable of being in close contact with or separate from the first coupling member; Includes,
The first coupling member and the second coupling member are brought into close contact with each other by the lowering of the test chamber so that low-temperature gas can go to the first connection pipe through the second connection pipe. Forming a stable flow path connecting connecting pipes
Handler for testing electronic components. According to claim 1,
a rotator capable of rotating the test chamber in an elevated state by the elevator; containing more
Handler for testing electronic components. delete delete According to claim 1,
an elastic member that elastically supports the first coupling member so that the first coupling member can move somewhat in an up and down direction; containing more
Handler for testing electronic components. According to claim 1,
The piping device includes corrugated piping to enable bending and restoration due to external force or thermal contraction or thermal expansion.
Handler for testing electronic components. At least one test chamber capable of accommodating electronic components therein;
a main body in which the test chamber is installed and coupled to a tester having a test board with a test socket installed;
an elevator that elevates the test chamber relative to the main body to bring in electronic components to be tested into the test chamber or to take out electronic components that have been tested from the test chamber;
a piping device for supplying low-temperature gas into the test chamber to maintain the inside of the test chamber at a low temperature; and
Includes a coupling device for coupling the test board to the main body,
The coupling device is,
A pair of locking members that can advance and retreat so that the gap between them narrows or widens in order to lock or unlock both ends of the test board, and have a driving protrusion that receives a driving force for advancing and retreating;
It is provided to move in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the locking member, and the driving groove into which the driving protrusion can be inserted is formed at an angle, so that the driving protrusion slides along the inclination of the driving groove due to the movement of the driving protrusion. A pair of driving members in which the pair of locking members advances and retreats; and
a moving source that provides a moving force to move the pair of driving members; containing
Handler for testing electronic components.

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