KR20050066312A - Handler for testing module ic and method for operating the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a module IC test handler, which enables to effectively test eight or more module ICs at once while minimizing changes in the handler structure.

A method of operating the module IC test handler of the present invention for this purpose includes the steps of: a) a transfer robot picking up at least eight module ICs of the loading unit and connecting them to the test socket; b) the transfer robot picks up at least eight module ICs to be tested by the loading unit and sits in each slot of the loading buffer to wait; c) the transfer robot picks up the tested module IC of the test socket and sits in each slot of the unloading buffer to wait; d) the transfer robot picks up the module IC of the loading buffer to be tested and connects it to the test socket; e) the transfer robot picking up the tested module IC of the unloading buffer and sorting and loading the unloaded part according to the test result; f) sequentially repeating steps b through e until all of the module ICs of the loading unit have been tested.

Description

Handler for Testing Module IC And Method for Operating the Same}

The present invention relates to a handler used to test a module IC (Module IC), module IC test handler that improves the test productivity by testing a larger number of module IC at a time without complicating the configuration of the handler And a method of operation thereof.

In general, module ICs constitute an independent circuit by soldering and fixing a plurality of ICs and other elements on a single board. The module ICs play an important role among various components mounted on a computer motherboard. Because of this, after the production, it must go through the process of checking its abnormal condition before shipping.

The module IC test handler is a device that performs a test by automatically connecting these module ICs to a socket of a test equipment called a tester, and sorts according to the test results.

The conventional module IC test handler performs a test by transferring and connecting an untested module IC to a test socket using a loading picker head that can fix four module ICs at a time. The unloaded picker head, which holds four module ICs, is used to separate the tested module ICs from the test sockets and sort them into the corresponding trays according to the test results.

However, in recent years, the development of TESTER technology has increased the number of module ICs that can be tested at one time from four (4) to eight (8) or more. In order to cope with this, structural modification of the module IC test handler may be performed. However, in this case, there is a problem in that the cost of equipment is increased due to the cost and effort for structural modification and production.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a module IC test handler capable of effectively testing a plurality of module ICs at once while minimizing changes in the conventional handler structure.

According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, the loading unit for loading and waiting for the module IC to be tested; A test head unit having a plurality of test sockets installed while the module IC is electrically connected; A loading buffer having a module IC seating slot equal to or larger than the number of test sockets, and waiting for module ICs to be tested to be transferred to the loading unit; An unloading buffer having a module IC seating slot equal to or larger than the number of test sockets, and having the module ICs tested in the test head placed and waiting; An unloading unit in which the tested module ICs transferred from the unloading buffer are classified and loaded according to a test result; A module IC test handler having a plurality of pickers for fixing and releasing a module IC, including a picker head for transferring module ICs between the loading unit, the loading buffer, the unloading buffer, the test head unit, and the unloading unit. Is provided.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the picker heads are movable independently of each other and are composed of a first picker head and a second picker head each having at least four pickers.

And, according to another aspect of the invention, a) the step of the transfer robot picking up the module IC of the loading unit equal to the number of the test socket and connecting to the test socket; b) the transfer robot seats the module IC to be tested in the loading unit in the same number as the number of test sockets in each slot of the loading buffer; c) the transfer robot picks up the tested module IC of the test socket and sits in each slot of the unloading buffer to wait; d) the transfer robot picks up the module IC of the loading buffer to be tested and connects it to the test socket; e) the transfer robot picking up the tested module IC of the unloading buffer and sorting and loading the unloaded part according to the test result; f) There is provided a method of operating a module IC test handler comprising the steps of sequentially repeating the steps b to e until the testing of all the module IC of the loading unit is completed.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of the configuration and operation method of the module IC test handler according to the present invention will be described in detail.

1 shows a configuration of an embodiment of a module IC test handler according to the present invention, and a loading stacker in which trays T in which module ICs M to be tested are stacked are stacked on one side of the front part of the handler body 1. (2) and a loading standby part 4, in which the uppermost tray of the loading stacker 2 is drawn out and waiting, is disposed, and on the other side of the handler main body 1, a tray for storing the tested module goods of good quality The unloading stacker 3 on which the stacks are loaded and the unloading standby section 5 on which the tray for storing the tested good quality module IC is placed before being loaded on the unloading stacker 3 are arranged.

The loading stacker 2 and the unloading stacker 3 are provided with an elevator (not shown) for elevating the trays step by step.

In addition, a loading buffer 7 for temporarily waiting for the module ICs to be tested and an unloading buffer 8 for temporarily waiting for the tested module ICs are installed side by side on the rear side of the loading standby unit 4.

Here, the loading buffer 7 and the unloading buffer 8 are formed with eight slots 7a and 8a, respectively, so that eight module ICs can be seated in an upright state. The unloading buffer 8 In addition, a plurality of temporary slots may be additionally formed so that the module ICs of the non-good grades of the tested module ICs may be separated from the good ones and temporarily waited.

On the other hand, a reject unloading stacker 6 is disposed at the rear side of the unloading standby part 5 to classify and load the module ICs M, which are determined as a grade other than good quality, by each grade.

In the rearmost position of the main body 1, a test head 9 having eight test sockets 10 for testing is arranged while the module IC to be tested is electrically connected. The test head 9 is a kind of interface electrically connected to a tester TESTER (not shown).

On the upper side of the main body 1, each of the components, that is, the loading standby portion 4 and the loading buffer 7, the unloading buffer, the test head portion 9, the unloading stacker (3), and reject unloading Two first picker heads 11 and a second picker head 12 for transporting the module IC to the loading stacker 6 are installed to be horizontally movable in the front, rear, left and right directions.

Here, the first picker head 11 and the second picker head 12 are provided with four pickers 11a and 12a for fixing and releasing the module ICs, respectively, and are installed in the left and right directions of the main body 1. The movable rails 13 are movable independently of each other. The movable rail 13 is coupled to the fixed rail 14, which is provided at both ends of the main body 1 in the front-rear direction, and is movable along the fixed rail 14 in the front-rear direction.

Means for horizontally reciprocating the first and second picker heads 11 and 12 along the movable rails 13 and horizontally reciprocating the movable rails 13 along the fixed rails 14 are linear motors. Or it may be configured using a known linear motion system such as a ball screw, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The operation method of the module IC test handler configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

When the worker loads the trays containing the module ICs to be tested in the loading stacker 2 and starts the handler, a separate tray extractor draws the uppermost tray of the loading stacker 2 into the loading standby part 4. .

Subsequently, the first and second picker heads 11 and 12 move on the loading standby part 4 to pick up eight module ICs M, and then move to the test head part 9 to test socket 10. Electrical performance test.

While the test is performed in the test head unit 9, the first and second picker heads 11 and 12 move to the loading standby unit 4 to pick up eight new module ICs M to be tested and load the loading buffer 7 ) Is placed in each slot (7a) of, and then waits immediately above the test head section (9).

When the test is completed in the test head unit 9, the first and second picker heads 11 and 12 pick up the tested module IC M from the test socket 10 and transfer the picked-up module IC M to the unloading buffer 8. Then, it moves back to the loading buffer 7 to pick up the new module ICs to be tested, and moves to the test head 9 to connect the module ICs to the test socket 10.

Then, the first and second picker heads 11 and 12 move to the unloading buffer 8 again to pick up the tested module ICs, and according to the test result, the good module ICs M are unloaded waiting portions 5. Sorting operation to store in a tray (T), and to receive a grade other than good, for example re-inspection or defective module IC (M) in the tray (T) of the reject unloading stacker (6) for each grade Do this.

When the sorting operation is completed, the first and second picker heads 11 and 12 move to the loading standby part 4 again to pick up eight new module ICs M, and move to the loading buffer 7 to module ICs. It is seated on the loading buffer (7) to wait, and then moved to the upper test head section 9 to prepare to receive the tested module IC.

Then, the first and second picker heads 11 and 12 transfer the tested module ICs to the unloading buffer 8 as described above, and connect the new module ICs on the loading buffer 7 to the test socket 10. After sorting and storing the tested module ICs on the unloading buffer 8 in the unloading stacker 3 for each test result, the new module ICs are picked up again from the loading standby unit 4. After the transfer onto the loading buffer 7, a series of processes waiting on the test head 9 is repeatedly performed.

The module IC handler of the above-described embodiment transfers 8 module ICs to the loading buffer 7 at a time while the first and second picker heads 11 and 12 move together. However, the first picker head 11 is different from the first picker head 11. 4 module ICs on the loading standby part 4 are picked up and placed on the loading buffer 7, and then the second picker head 12 moves to the loading standby part 4 to pick up the 4 module ICs again and load the loading buffer. (7) may be placed on.

In this case, since the interference of peripheral components is less affected than when moving the first and second picker heads 11 and 12 together, the overall size of the equipment can be reduced, and the loading picker head and the unloading picker head of the existing handler are reduced. There is also an advantage that can be used as is without structural change.

Of course, as described above, the first and second picker heads 11 and 12 may not be separated, but may be configured as a picker head integrated into one having eight or more pickers.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively test a plurality of module ICs at a time in the test socket while minimizing structural changes in the overall configuration of the handler, thereby significantly improving test efficiency with a minimum cost increase.

1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a module IC test handler according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the module IC test handler of Figure 1

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

1 main body 2 loading stacker

3: unloading stacker 4: loading waiting

5: unloading standby part 6: reject unloading stacker

7: Loading Buffer 8: Unloading Buffer

9: test head 10: test socket

11, 12: first and second picker heads 11a, 12a: picker

Claims (5)

A loading unit for loading and waiting for the module IC to be tested; A test head unit having a plurality of test sockets installed while the module IC is electrically connected; A loading buffer having a module IC seating slot equal to or larger than the number of test sockets, and waiting for module ICs to be tested to be transferred to the loading unit; An unloading buffer having a module IC seating slot equal to or larger than the number of test sockets, and having the module ICs tested in the test head placed and waiting; An unloading unit in which the tested module ICs transferred from the unloading buffer are classified and loaded according to a test result; A module IC test handler having a plurality of pickers for fixing and releasing a module IC, including a picker head for transferring module ICs between the loading unit, the loading buffer, the unloading buffer, the test head unit, and the unloading unit. . The module IC test handler of claim 1, wherein the picker heads are movable independently of each other, and each of the picker heads includes a first picker head and a second picker head having at least four pickers. The unloading stacker of claim 1, wherein the unloading unit includes a good quality unloading stacker in which module ICs determined as good quality are received, and a reject unloading stacker in which module ICs determined to be non-good quality test result is received. A modular IC test handler. a) the transport robot picking up the number of module ICs of the loading unit equal to the number of test sockets and connecting them to the test sockets; b) the transfer robot seats the module IC to be tested in the loading unit in the same number as the number of test sockets in each slot of the loading buffer; c) the transfer robot picks up the tested module IC of the test socket and sits in each slot of the unloading buffer to wait; d) the transfer robot picks up the module IC of the loading buffer to be tested and connects it to the test socket; e) the transfer robot picking up the tested module IC of the unloading buffer and sorting and loading the unloaded part according to the test result; and f) sequentially repeating steps b through e until all of the module ICs of the loading unit have been tested. 5. The operation of the module IC test handler according to claim 4, wherein the transfer robot transfers the module IC of the loading unit to the loading buffer in step b by the transfer robot transferring the module IC twice. Way.