Fine-pitch semiconductor device testing apparatus and fine-pitch semiconductor device testing method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fine-pitch semiconductor device testing apparatus. The apparatus includes a testing connector including a plurality of testing sockets each including a plurality of conductive sections; a connector transfer unit holding and transferring the testing connector; a semiconductor transfer unit holding and transferring a semiconductor device; a testing board applying a testing signal to the plurality of testing sockets; a first camera photographing a plurality of pads of the testing board and the plurality of conductive sections of the plurality of testing sockets; a second camera photographing terminals of the semiconductor device and the plurality of conductive sections of the plurality of testing sockets; and a control unit receiving image data of the plurality of conductive sections, the terminals, and the plurality of pads from the first camera and the second camera, and controlling positions of the terminals, the plurality of conductive sections, and the plurality of pads to match. The present invention also relates to a fine-pitch semiconductor device testing method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for testing a fine-pitch semiconductor device, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for testing a fine-pitch semiconductor device having terminals configured with fine pitch to determine whether the semiconductor device is defective. Background Technology

[0002] In testing processes that determine whether components, such as manufactured semiconductor devices, are defective, test connectors are placed between the component and the test equipment. Test connectors are used to electrically connect the component to the test equipment to determine whether the component is defective based on the current flowing between the component and the test equipment.

[0003] If the terminals of the component under test are made to contact the pads of the test equipment directly without any test connector in between, the pads of the test equipment may wear or be damaged due to repeated test processes, and the test equipment may therefore need to be completely replaced.

[0004] In test connectors known in the prior art, a pin assembly with multiple probe pins is coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0005] Figure 1 A probe card (100) for testing fine-pitch semiconductor devices in the prior art is shown. See also Figure 1 The probe card (100) has the following structure: a pin assembly having multiple conductive segments (such as probe pins (101)) exhibiting conductivity in the vertical direction is coupled to a PCB 102, and the probe pins (101) are configured to contact the terminals of a semiconductor element and push the terminals of the semiconductor element with constant pressure. In this case, the probe card (100) transmits a test signal to the semiconductor element to check the operation of the semiconductor element and determine whether the semiconductor element is being tested.

[0006] See Figure 2 The probe pin (101) is made of metal and when the probe pin (101) is pressed by constant pressure, the probe pin (101) bends slightly in the horizontal direction and generates a stroke.

[0007] See Figure 3 When the metal probe pins press against the terminals (110) of the semiconductor element to detect the semiconductor element, the terminals (110) of the semiconductor element may be damaged (deformed) because the metal probe pins have high hardness.

[0008] Furthermore, in recent years, probe pin pitch has been set to 200 micrometers or less to test semiconductor devices with terminals finely configured at a pitch of 200 micrometers or less. In this case, the pin assembly is fixed to the PCB of the probe card using pins. However, this approach accumulates tolerances for the pin holes in the pin assembly and the mounting holes on the PCB, and increasing manufacturing precision to reduce these tolerances can increase the cost of manufacturing semiconductor testing equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Technical issues

[0010] The objective of this invention is to address the problems mentioned above, and more specifically, to provide an apparatus and method for testing high-reliability fine-pitch semiconductor devices by making terminals, pads, and conductive segments contact each other through a one-to-one matching process.

[0011] Another technical objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for performing precise electrical tests on a fine-pitch semiconductor element by aligning a test socket, a fine-pitch semiconductor element, and a test board with each other using image data obtained by a camera through terminals, pads, and conductive sections.

[0012] Another technical objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for testing fine-pitch semiconductor devices by configuring multiple test sockets in a test connector and using the test sockets sequentially to improve the lifespan of the test sockets.

[0013] Another technical objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for testing fine-pitch semiconductor elements by using a test socket with a highly flexible conductive section to prevent damage to the pads or terminals.

[0014] Solution to the problem

[0015] To achieve the objectives described above, the present invention provides an apparatus for electrically testing fine-pitch semiconductor elements by electrically connecting them to a test board, the apparatus comprising:

[0016] The test connector includes multiple test sockets, each containing multiple conductive segments that extend vertically and are configured to be electrically connected to fine-pitch semiconductor elements.

[0017] Connector delivery unit, configured to hold and deliver test connectors;

[0018] A semiconductor transmission unit is configured to hold and transmit fine-pitch semiconductor elements.

[0019] The test board includes multiple pads disposed on the upper surface of the test board and configured to be connected to multiple conductive sections respectively. The test board is configured to contact multiple test sockets and apply test signals to the multiple test sockets.

[0020] A first camera is positioned above the test board and oriented to face the upper surface of the test board. The first camera is configured to photograph multiple conductive sections of multiple pads and multiple test sockets on the test board.

[0021] A second camera, positioned and oriented to face the lower surface of multiple test sockets, is configured to photograph the terminals of the fine-pitch semiconductor devices and multiple conductive sections of the multiple test sockets; and

[0022] The control unit is configured to measure the position coordinates of the test board, multiple test sockets, and fine-pitch semiconductor elements by receiving image data of multiple conductive sections, terminals, and multiple pads from the first camera and the second camera, and to control the connector transfer unit and the semiconductor transfer unit to align the positions of the terminals, multiple conductive sections, and multiple pads with each other.

[0023] In the device, the first camera may be an upper camera mounted above the test board, and the second camera may be a lower camera mounted below the multiple test sockets.

[0024] In the device, the control unit can be configured to control the connector delivery unit by using the position coordinates of multiple pads on the test board and the position coordinates of the lower portions of multiple conductive sections of multiple test sockets, so that the multiple pads and multiple conductive sections can make contact with each other through one-to-one matching.

[0025] In the device, the control unit can be configured to control the semiconductor transfer unit by using the position coordinates of the terminals of the fine-pitch semiconductor element and the position coordinates of the upper portions of the multiple conductive sections of the multiple test sockets, so that the terminals and the multiple conductive sections make contact with each other through one-to-one matching.

[0026] In the device, some of the multiple test sockets can be used in test positions for electrical testing of fine-pitch semiconductor devices, and the remaining of the multiple test sockets can be configured in standby positions.

[0027] In the device, when the resistance of the test socket located at the test position is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the control unit can be configured to determine that the test socket located at the test position has reached the end of its service life, and move one of the test sockets located in the standby position to the test position to perform an electrical test.

[0028] In the device, multiple conductive sections of each of the multiple test sockets can be set up by vertically arranging multiple conductive particles in an elastic insulating material.

[0029] In the device, insulating sections can be arranged around multiple conductive sections to support the multiple conductive sections and to insulate the multiple conductive sections from each other.

[0030] In the device, multiple conductive sections of each of the multiple test sockets can be spring-loaded pins or metal wires extending in the vertical direction.

[0031] In the device, the test connector may further include a frame in which multiple receptacles are formed, and multiple test receptacles may be respectively coupled to the multiple receptacles of the frame.

[0032] The device may include a connector tray that can accommodate multiple test connectors, and when a test connector has reached the end of its service life, the test connector may be replaced by another test connector via a connector transfer unit.

[0033] To achieve the objectives described above, the present invention provides an apparatus for electrically testing fine-pitch semiconductor elements by electrically connecting them to a test board, the apparatus comprising:

[0034] The test connector includes multiple test sockets, each containing multiple conductive segments that extend vertically and are configured to be electrically connected to fine-pitch semiconductor elements.

[0035] Connector delivery unit, configured to hold and deliver test connectors;

[0036] A semiconductor transmission unit is configured to hold and transmit fine-pitch semiconductor elements.

[0037] The test board includes multiple pads configured to be connected to multiple conductive sections respectively, and the test board is configured to contact multiple test sockets and apply test signals to the multiple test sockets.

[0038] A position detection component for photographing multiple conductive sections, terminals of fine-pitch semiconductor elements, and multiple pads of the test board in each of a plurality of test sockets; and

[0039] The control unit is configured to control the connector transmission unit and the semiconductor transmission unit by using image data detected by the position detection component, so that multiple conductive sections, terminals and multiple pads are matched with each other in a one-to-one manner.

[0040] In the device, some of the multiple test sockets can contact multiple pads of the test board at the test position, and when the resistance of the test socket placed at the test position is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit can be configured to determine that the test socket has reached the end of its service life and control the connector transfer unit to move another test socket to the test position.

[0041] In the device, when another test socket moves to the test position to replace the test socket that has reached the end of its service life, the control unit can be configured to measure the position coordinates of multiple conductive sections by using a position detection component and control the connector delivery unit to align the terminals with multiple pads.

[0042] To achieve the objectives described above, the present invention provides a method for performing electrical testing by moving a semiconductor element to a test socket, the method comprising the steps of: (a) measuring the position of a pad on a test board; (b) measuring the position of an upper portion of a conductive section of a test connector by moving a test connector toward the test board; (c) measuring the position of a lower portion of a conductive section of the test connector; (d) measuring the position of a terminal of the semiconductor element; (e) adjusting the position of the test connector such that the conductive section of the test connector matches the pad on the test board in a one-to-one manner; and (f) adjusting the position of the semiconductor element such that the terminal of the semiconductor element matches the conductive section of the test connector in a one-to-one manner.

[0043] In the method, the test connector may include multiple test sockets to perform electrical tests using any of the multiple test sockets, and during the electrical test, when a test socket has reached the end of its service life, another test socket may be used to repeat steps (b) to (f) to perform the electrical test.

[0044] In this method, when all the multiple test sockets configured in the test connector have reached the end of their service life, the test connector can be replaced with another test connector located in the connector tray.

[0045] In the method, step (a) can be performed by photographing the test board with an upper camera positioned above the test board to face the upper surface of the test board.

[0046] In the method, step (c) can be performed by photographing the lower portion of the conductive section of the test board using a second camera, which is a lower camera positioned below the test board.

[0047] Advantages of this disclosure

[0048] According to the present invention, terminals, pads, and conductive sections are brought into contact with each other through a one-to-one matching process to accurately test fine-pitch semiconductor devices with high reliability.

[0049] According to the present invention, the test socket, semiconductor element and test board use image data captured by a camera to align with each other using terminals, pads and conductive sections, and thus the cost of accurate testing can be reduced.

[0050] According to the present invention, a plurality of test sockets are configured in the test connector, and electrical tests are performed by using the test sockets sequentially, thereby significantly increasing the lifespan of the test sockets and minimizing the cost of replacing the test sockets.

[0051] According to the present invention, a highly elastic conductive section is provided in the test socket, and therefore, the pads or terminals are minimally damaged. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1 This is a plan view of a probe card mounted on a prior art semiconductor test board.

[0053] Figure 2 A side view showing the probe pins mounted on a prior art probe card.

[0054] Figure 3 The diagram shows a plan view of the terminals of a semiconductor element, which are damaged after the semiconductor element has been tested using probe pins made of a metallic material.

[0055] Figure 4 The view schematically illustrates the configuration of a semiconductor testing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 5 This is a view showing an example of a test socket, which is a component of the detailed pitch semiconductor testing apparatus of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 6 This is a view showing another example of a test socket, which is a component of the detailed pitch semiconductor testing apparatus of the present invention.

[0058] Figures 7 to 12 A view showing the operation of the semiconductor testing apparatus of the present invention for performing electrical tests.

[0059] Figure 13 To show Figure 12 A magnified view of part "B".

[0060] Figure 14 A block diagram illustrating the detailed-pitch semiconductor testing apparatus of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 15A flowchart illustrating the method for testing detailed pitch semiconductor devices according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0062] The embodiments disclosed herein are provided as examples for describing the technical concept of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below or the specific description of the embodiments.

[0063] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. All terms used in this disclosure have been chosen for the purpose of more clearly describing the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

[0064] As used in this disclosure, unless otherwise stated in a phrase or sentence containing the term, terms such as “comprising,” “including,” and “having” should be understood as opening terms implying the possibility of including other embodiments.

[0065] Unless specifically mentioned, terms in the singular form may include plural forms, and the same applies to terms in the singular form in the claims.

[0066] Terms such as “first” and “second” are used in this disclosure to distinguish multiple components from one another, and do not limit the order or importance of the components.

[0067] In this disclosure, it should be understood that when a component is referred to as “coupled” or “connected” to another component, the component may be directly coupled or connected to another component or any other component may be inserted between the two components.

[0068] In this disclosure, the direction indicated by the term "upward" is based on the orientation of the test socket relative to the test board, and the direction indicated by the term "downward" refers to the opposite direction of upward. In this disclosure, it should be understood that the direction indicated by the term "vertical" includes both upward and downward directions, and does not refer to only one of them.

[0069] Embodiments will be described with reference to examples shown in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, similar reference numerals denote similar components. Furthermore, in the following description of the embodiments, overlapping descriptions of identical or corresponding components may be omitted. However, even if the description of some components is omitted from the description of some embodiments, it is not intended that such components are not included in the embodiments.

[0070] The embodiments described below and the examples shown in the accompanying drawings relate to an apparatus for testing semiconductor devices by electrically connecting semiconductor components to a test board. According to embodiments, the semiconductor testing apparatus can be used to electrically connect test equipment to the device under test. For example, according to embodiments, the semiconductor testing apparatus can be used to test the device in the post-processing stage of the device manufacturing process. During the testing process, the device under test can be operated while an electrical signal is applied to the device, and thus it can be determined whether the device is defective. In embodiments, the testing examples using test sockets are not limited to aging tests.

[0071] Figure 4 An application example of the detailed pitch semiconductor testing apparatus (10) according to the embodiment is shown. Figure 4 The diagram schematically shows a test socket (22), a test board (50) on which the test socket (22) is disposed, and a semiconductor element (80) to be in contact with the test socket (22). Figure 4 The shapes shown are merely examples.

[0072] like Figure 13 As shown, according to an embodiment, a test socket (22) may be disposed between the test board (50) and the semiconductor element (80). For testing of the semiconductor element (80), with the test socket (22) disposed in the test area of ​​the test board (50), the test socket (22) may be made to contact each of the semiconductor elements (80) to electrically connect the test board (50) to the semiconductor element (80). The semiconductor element (80) may be tested using the test board (50) via the test socket (22).

[0073] The semiconductor element (80) may be, but is not limited to, a semiconductor package. The term "semiconductor element" refers to a package in which a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) chip, multiple lead frames, and multiple terminals (81) are encapsulated in a hexahedral shape using resin material. The semiconductor IC chip may be a memory IC chip or a non-memory IC chip. As terminals (81), pins, solder balls, microbumps, or similar components may be used. Figure 4 Each of the semiconductor elements (80) shown may have a plurality of hemispherical terminals (81) on its lower side (see reference). Figure 13 ).

[0074] The test board (50) can be configured to perform electrical tests on semiconductor devices. The test board (50) may have multiple pads (51) for outputting electrical signals and receiving response signals. The terminals (81) of the semiconductor device (80) can be electrically connected to the corresponding pads (51) of the test board (50) via test sockets (22). That is, the test sockets (22) can electrically connect the terminals (81) of the semiconductor device (80) to the corresponding pads (51) of the test board (50) in the vertical direction (VD) to allow the transmission of electrical test signals and response signals between the terminals (81) and the test board (50).

[0075] The detailed-pitch semiconductor testing apparatus (10) of the present invention will now be described in more detail.

[0076] The detailed pitch semiconductor testing apparatus (10) of the present invention includes a test connector (20), a connector transfer unit (30), a semiconductor transfer unit (40), a test board (50), a position detection component (60), and a control unit (70).

[0077] Test connectors (20) can be mounted on test board (50), and semiconductor components (80) can be placed on test connectors (20). Each of the test connectors (20) may be provided with a plurality of test sockets (22). Specifically, each of the test connectors (20) may include: a frame (21) in which a plurality of socket holes (211) are formed; and a plurality of test sockets (22) integrally coupled to the plurality of socket holes (211) of the frame (21).

[0078] The frame (21) that can firmly support multiple test sockets (22) has a rectangular flat plate shape and is formed of a metallic or non-metallic material. Examples of metallic materials include iron, nickel, cobalt, stainless steel, titanium, tungsten, and their alloys. Examples of non-metallic materials include composite resin materials, which are prepared by mixing a resin material with high mechanical strength (such as polyimide resin, polyester resin, aramid resin, polyamide resin, and epoxy resin) with: fiber-reinforcing materials, such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, silica optical fiber, and boron nitride fiber; nanotubes or nanowires, such as carbon nanotubes, silicon nanowires, and boron nitride nanotubes; or inorganic fillers, such as graphene, silica, boron nitride, and alumina. However, in terms of low linear coefficient of thermal expansion, non-metallic materials may preferably be: polyimide resin; composite resin materials, such as epoxy resin reinforced with glass fiber; or composite resin materials, such as epoxy resin mixed with boron nitride as a filler.

[0079] Each of the test connectors (20) has multiple test sockets (22) for performing electrical tests, such that when one test socket (22) reaches the end of its service life, another test socket (22) can be used, and thus the time required for replacement can be significantly reduced.

[0080] Additionally, the test connector (20) can be housed in a connector tray (90) positioned close to the test board (50). The connector tray (90) is a storage box with storage space for accommodating the test connector (20). Since the connector tray (90) is positioned close to the test board (50), when it is necessary to replace a test connector (20) that has reached the end of its service life, the connector transfer unit (30) can place the test connector (20) in the connector tray (90) and remove the new test connector (20) from the connector tray (90) for use in performing electrical tests with the new test connector (20).

[0081] Test sockets (22) are inserted into socket holes (211) of the frame (21) and used to perform electrical tests. Test sockets (22) may be coupled to the frame (21), and one or more of the test sockets (22) may be positioned in the test area of ​​the test board (50) to perform electrical tests. Other test sockets (22) not positioned in the test area may be in the standby area and await testing. Specifically, the test area is the area of ​​the test board (50) in which pads (51) are provided and electrical signals are applied, and the standby area is the area of ​​the test board (50) in which pads (51) are not provided and no electrical signals are applied.

[0082] When the test yield decreases during electrical testing in the test area (resistance of the conductive section (221) increases), electrical testing can be performed by moving another test socket (22) from the standby area to the test area.

[0083] The test socket (22) can each be an anisotropic conductive sheet with a conductive section (221) and an insulating section (222).

[0084] A large portion of the anisotropic conductive sheet may be formed of an elastic polymer material, and the anisotropic conductive sheet may be elastic in both the vertical (VD) and horizontal (HD) directions. When a downward force is applied to the anisotropic conductive sheet in the vertical (VD) direction, the anisotropic conductive sheet may elastically deform in both the downward and horizontal (HD) directions. Such a force may be applied when a pusher presses against the anisotropic conductive sheet against the semiconductor element (80). Due to the force, the terminals (81) of the semiconductor element (80) and the anisotropic conductive sheet may come into contact with each other in the vertical (VD) direction, and the anisotropic conductive sheet may also come into contact with the pad (51) of the test plate (50) in the vertical (VD) direction. When the force is removed, the anisotropic conductive sheet may return to its original shape.

[0085] The anisotropic conductive sheet may include multiple conductive segments (221), and the conductive segments (221) may contact the terminals (81) of the semiconductor element (80) and the corresponding pads (51) of the test plate (50) in the vertical direction (VD) for electrical connection therebetween. The upper end of the conductive segment (221) may contact the terminals (81) of the semiconductor element (80), and the lower end of the conductive segment (221) may contact the upper end of the pad (51). Therefore, the conductive segment (221) may conduct electricity in the vertical direction between the pad (51) and the terminal (81) corresponding to the conductive segment (221). Therefore, the test signal of the test board (50) can be transmitted to the semiconductor device (80) via the pad (51) and conductive section (221) of the test board (50), and the response signal of the semiconductor device (80) can be transmitted from the terminal (81) to the test board (50) via the conductive section (221) and the pad (51) of the test board (50).

[0086] Each of the conductive segments (221) may have a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction (VD). The diameter of the middle portion of the cylindrical shape may be smaller than the diameters of the upper and lower ends of the cylindrical shape. The planar configuration of the conductive segments (221) may vary depending on the planar configuration of the terminals (81) of the semiconductor element (80). In an embodiment, the conductive segments (221) may be configured in a pair of matrix shapes, but the configuration of the conductive segments (221) is not limited thereto.

[0087] In this embodiment, the insulating section (222) of the anisotropic conductive sheet separates and insulates the conductive sections (221) from each other in the horizontal direction (HD). The insulating section (222) may form a rectangular elastic region of the anisotropic conductive sheet. The conductive sections (221) are separated and insulated from each other in the horizontal direction (HD) by the insulating section (222) at regular or irregular intervals. The insulating section (222) is formed as a single elastic body, and the conductive sections (221) are positioned within the insulating section (222) in the thickness direction (vertical direction (VD)) of the insulating section (222).

[0088] An insulating section (222) formed of an elastic material maintains the shape of the conductive section (221). The insulating section (222) may be formed of an elastic polymer material and may be elastic in both the vertical (VD) and horizontal (HD) directions.

[0089] Specifically, the insulating section (222) can be formed from a cured polysiloxane rubber material. For example, the insulating section (222) can be formed by injecting liquid polysiloxane rubber material into a molded grain and curing the liquid polysiloxane rubber material in the molded grain. Examples of liquid polysiloxane rubber materials used to form the insulating section (222) may include additive-curing liquid polysiloxane rubber, condensation-curing liquid polysiloxane rubber, and liquid polysiloxane rubber having vinyl or hydroxyl groups. Specific examples of liquid polysiloxane rubber may include dimethyl polysiloxane rubber, methyl vinyl polysiloxane rubber, and methyl phenyl vinyl polysiloxane rubber. In addition, the silicone rubber material used to form the insulating section (222) may have high heat resistance, so that the test socket (22) can be used for aging tests according to the embodiments.

[0090] Each of the conductive segments (221) contains multiple conductive particles that are in conductive contact with each other in the vertical direction (VD). The conductive particles may have a spherical shape, a columnar shape, a fibrous shape, a flat shape, or a strip shape. The conductive particles may be formed by coating the surface of the core particles with a highly conductive metal. The core particles may be formed of a metallic material (such as iron, nickel, or cobalt) or a resilient resin material. The highly conductive metal used to coat the surface of the core particles may be gold, silver, copper, rhodium, platinum, chromium, or the like. The conductive path of each of the conductive segments (221) is formed by conductive particles that are in contact with each other in the vertical direction (VD) or the horizontal direction (HD) for conducting electricity in the vertical direction (VD). For example, the conductive particles may be maintained in the shape of each of the conductive segments (221) due to the resilient polymer material of the insulating segment (222).

[0091] Furthermore, the test socket (22) of the present invention is not limited to anisotropic conductive sheets. For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, a spring-loaded ejector pin (24) can be used. The spring-loaded ejector pin (24) is inserted into a housing (23) having a plurality of insertion holes therein, and each of the spring-loaded ejector pins (24) includes: a cylindrical tube; an upper lead (241) configured to protrude from and retract into the upper portion of the tube; a lower lead (243) configured to protrude from and retract into the lower portion of the tube; and a spring (242) disposed between the upper lead (241) and the lower lead (243). The spring (242) is configured such that when a terminal (81) of a semiconductor element (80) contacts the upper lead (241), the spring (242) can absorb impact forces. The electrical signal applied via the pad (51) is transmitted to the terminal (81) of the semiconductor element (80) via the lower pin (243), spring (242), and upper pin (241). Furthermore, the test socket (22) is not limited to this. For example, a bent metal wire or various other components can be used as the conductive section (221).

[0092] The connector delivery unit (30) is configured to hold and deliver the test connector (20). Specifically, the connector delivery unit (30) includes: a first arm (31) movable in the X, Y, and Z directions; and a holder (32) disposed at the end of the first arm (31) and rotatable about the vertical direction (VD) (rotatable in the Z' direction). Thus, the connector delivery unit (30) is movable in the X, Y, Z, and Z' directions. The first arm (31) includes an X-axis arm (311), a Y-axis arm (312), and a Z-axis arm (313), and is therefore movable in three dimensions. The holder (32) is disposed at the front end of the Y-axis arm (312) and rotatable in the Z' direction, while holding the test connector (20) in the correct orientation.

[0093] The connector transfer unit (30) is connected to the control unit (70), so that the connector transfer unit (30) can transfer the test connector (20) to the test board (50) or to the upper side of the lower camera under the control of the control unit (70). In addition, the test connector (20) that has reached the end of its service life can be transferred to the connector tray (90) through the connector transfer unit (30).

[0094] The semiconductor transfer unit (40) is configured to pull and transfer the semiconductor element (80) by suction. Specifically, the semiconductor transfer unit (40) includes: a second arm (41) movable in the X, Y, and Z directions; and a suction unit (42) disposed at the end of the second arm (41) and rotatable about the vertical direction (VD) (rotatable in the Z' direction). Therefore, the semiconductor transfer unit (40) can move in the X, Y, Z, and Z' directions. The second arm (41) includes an X-axis arm (411), a Y-axis arm (412), and a Z-axis arm (413), and is therefore movable in three dimensions. The suction unit (42) is disposed at the front end of the Z-axis arm (413) and rotatable in the Z' direction, while holding the semiconductor element (80) by suction.

[0095] The semiconductor transfer unit (40) is connected to the control unit (70), and therefore, under the control of the control unit (70), the semiconductor transfer unit (40) can transfer the semiconductor element (80) to the test socket (22) or transfer the semiconductor element (80) to the upper side of the lower camera (second camera), so that the lower camera can capture images of the terminals (81) of the semiconductor element (80). In addition, after electrical testing, the semiconductor element (80) can be transferred to the semiconductor tray (91) via the semiconductor transfer unit (40).

[0096] The position detection component (60) is configured to capture images of the positions of the terminal (81), the pad (51), and the conductive section (221), and is connected to the control unit (70) for measuring their position coordinates. The position detection component (60) includes a first camera (61) and a second camera (62).

[0097] A first camera (61) is positioned from the upper side of the test board (50) toward the upper surface of the test board (50) and is used to capture images of the pad (51) of the test board (50) and the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22). The first camera (61) is positioned above the pad (51) of the test board (50) and is configured to acquire image data of the pad (51) of the test board (50). Specifically, the first camera (61) is an upper camera, which is positioned above the test board (50) to capture images of the pad (51) of the test board (50) and also captures images of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22) of the test connector (20), which is conveyed to the test area by the connector conveying unit (30).

[0098] The image of the pad of the test board (50) and the image of the upper side of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22) (the images are captured by the first camera (61)) are transmitted to the control unit (70) so that the control unit (70) can generate the position coordinates of the pad (51) and the conductive section (221).

[0099] A second camera (62) is positioned adjacent to the test board (50) and configured to capture images from the lower side in an upward direction. The second camera (62) can be positioned to face the lower surface of the test socket (22) and capture images of the lower surface of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22). In addition, the second camera (62) can capture images of the terminals (81) of a semiconductor element (80) that is pulled and conveyed by a semiconductor transfer unit (40).

[0100] Specifically, the second camera (62) can be a lower camera positioned near the test board (50) below the test board (50). When the first camera (61) captures an image of the upper part of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22), and the connector transfer unit (30) transfers the test socket (22) to one side of the second camera (62), the second camera (62) can capture an image of the lower side of the test socket (22). When the semiconductor transfer unit (40) transfers a semiconductor element (80) to one side of the second camera (62) after the second camera (62) captures an image of the lower side of the test socket (22), the second camera (62) captures an image of the terminal (81) disposed on the lower surface of the semiconductor element (80).

[0101] The image of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22) and the image of the terminal (81) of the semiconductor element (80) (the images are captured by the second camera (62)) are transmitted to the control unit (70) so that the control unit (70) can generate the position coordinates of the conductive section (221) and the terminal (81).

[0102] The control unit (70) is connected to the connector transfer unit (30), the semiconductor transfer unit (40), the test board (50), the first camera (61), and the second camera (62) to control the connector transfer unit (30), the semiconductor transfer unit (40), the test board (50), the first camera (61), and the second camera (62).

[0103] Specifically, the control unit (70) can be connected to the connector delivery unit (30) to precisely control the position of the test connector (20), and can be connected to the semiconductor delivery unit (40) to precisely control the position of the semiconductor element (80).

[0104] In addition, the control unit (70) can be connected to the first camera (61) to accurately obtain the position coordinates of the pad (51) of the test board (50) and the position coordinates of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22) by using the image data transmitted from the first camera (61).

[0105] The control unit (70) can be connected to the second camera (62) and can receive image data from the second camera (62) to obtain the position coordinates of the lower part of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22) and the position coordinates of the terminal (81) of the semiconductor element (80) to be tested.

[0106] Additionally, the control unit (70) can be connected to the test board (50) to determine if the semiconductor element (80) is defective or to check for a decrease in test yield (increased resistance in the conductive section (221)). Specifically, when a decrease in test yield is determined to have occurred, the test socket (22) located in the test area can be replaced with another test socket (22) under the control of the control unit (70). Specifically, in the test connector (20), a test socket (22) that has reached the end of its service life can be replaced with another test socket (22) that has not yet reached the end of its service life to perform electrical testing.

[0107] The operational effects of the fine-pitch semiconductor testing apparatus (10) of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0108] Figure 7 The image shows the state of the pad (51) of the test board (50) being photographed by a first camera (61). The first camera (61), located above the test board (50), captures an image of the pad (51) situated within the test area of ​​the test board (50), and then transmits the image data to a control unit (70) so that the position coordinates of the pad (51) can be measured. Figure 15 (S100 in the middle).

[0109] Figure 8 The image shows the upper portion of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22) being photographed by the first camera (61). The connector transfer unit (30) removes any of the test connectors (20) from the connector tray (90) and then places one of the test sockets (22) of the test connector (20) in the test area. Next, the first camera (61) captures an image of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22) placed in the test area. After capturing the image of the upper portion of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22), the first camera (61) transmits the image data to the control unit (70), allowing the control unit (70) to measure the position coordinates of the upper portion of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22). Figure 15 (S200 in the middle).

[0110] Figure 10The image shows the upper portion of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22) being photographed by the second camera (62). After acquiring the image of the upper portion of the conductive section (221), the connector transfer unit (30) moves the test connector (20) to a position directly above the second camera (62), allowing the second camera (62) to capture an image of the lower portion of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22). After acquiring the image of the lower portion of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22), the second camera (62) transmits the image data to the control unit (70), allowing the control unit (70) to measure the position coordinates of the lower portion of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22). Figure 15 (S300 in the middle).

[0111] See Figure 11 The test connector (20) that measures the position coordinates of the upper and lower portions of the conductive section (221) moves to the upper side of the test board (50), and at the same time moves the semiconductor element (80) to the upper side of the second camera (62) via the semiconductor transfer unit (40) to capture an image of the terminal (81) of the semiconductor element (80).

[0112] Specifically, the semiconductor element (80) is moved to the imaging position of the second camera (62) via the semiconductor transmission unit (40) to capture images of the terminals (81) of the semiconductor element (80). The image data of the terminals (81) of the semiconductor element (80) obtained by the second camera (62) is transmitted to the control unit (70) to obtain the position coordinates of the terminals (81) of the semiconductor element (80). Figure 15 (S400 in the middle).

[0113] Furthermore, based on the position coordinates of the pad (51) of the test board (50) and the lower part of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22), the control unit (70) determines the positional offset between the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22) and the pad (51) of the test board (50). These position coordinates are measured using image data obtained from the first camera (61) and the second camera (62), and the control unit (70) precisely controls the position of the connector delivery unit (30) based on the information regarding the positional offset. Based on the position coordinates of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22) and the pad (51) of the test board (50), the control unit (70) determines the position coordinates of the conductive section (221) and the pad (51) aligned with each other in the horizontal direction (HD), and then precisely moves the connector delivery unit (30). Figure 15 (S500 in the middle).

[0114] See Figure 12 After placing the semiconductor element (80) on the test socket (22), the position of the semiconductor element (80) is precisely adjusted. Figure 15 (S600 in the middle).

[0115] Specifically, the coordinates of the upper portion of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22) and the coordinates of the terminals (81) of the semiconductor element (80) are measured based on image data transmitted from the first camera (61) and the second camera (62); the position offset is calculated by comparing the measured coordinates of the upper portion of the conductive section (221) with the coordinates of the terminals (81); and the positions of the test socket (22) and the semiconductor element (80) are aligned with each other by precisely operating the semiconductor transfer unit (40) based on the position offset. More specifically, after checking the position coordinates of the terminals (81) of the semiconductor element (80) and the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22) at the same position in the horizontal direction (HD), the semiconductor transfer unit (40) is precisely moved.

[0116] Subsequently, the semiconductor element (80) is pushed to press the terminal (81) of the semiconductor element (80) against the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22) in the vertical direction (VD) to obtain a conductive state, and then an electrical signal is applied from the test board (50) to the semiconductor element (80) via the conductive section (221) to perform an electrical test. Figure 15 (S700 in the middle).

[0117] After electrical testing, the semiconductor element (80) is transferred to the semiconductor tray (91) via the semiconductor transfer unit (40), and then another semiconductor element (80) is electrically tested.

[0118] During electrical testing, a decrease in test yield may occur, such as an increase in the resistance of the conductive section (221) of the test socket (22), and the test socket (22) may then be determined to have reached the end of its service life. In this case, the control unit (70) performs electrical testing by replacing the test socket (22) with another test socket (22). Specifically, the new test socket (22) placed in the standby area can be moved to the test area, and the coordinates of the upper portion of the conductive section (221) of the new test socket (22) can be measured using the first camera (61), and the new test socket (22) can be moved toward the second camera (62) to measure the coordinates of the lower portion of the conductive section (221) of the new test socket (22). Thereafter, electrical testing can be performed after the coordinates of the terminals (81) of the semiconductor element (80) under test are aligned.

[0119] When using all the test sockets (22) provided in the test connector (20), move the test connector (20) to the connector tray (90) and place it in the connector tray (90), and remove the new test connector (20) from the connector tray (90). Then, perform the operations described above (such as position identification) again to perform electrical testing using the new test connector (20).

[0120] According to the present invention, the fine-pitch semiconductor testing apparatus (10) uses data obtained by optical components (such as a first camera (61) and a second camera (62)) and a precision axial motor drive to perform offset control to accurately test fine-pitch semiconductor elements (80) without measurement, such as tolerance control of test sockets (22) and test boards (50), thereby making it possible to perform high-precision testing at low cost.

[0121] In addition, multiple test sockets (22) are provided in each test connector (20), and when any of the test sockets (22) has reached the end of its service life, another test socket (22) is moved to the test area to perform electrical testing. Therefore, the lifespan of the test sockets can be increased, and the time required for testing can be significantly reduced.

[0122] Furthermore, a connector tray (90) accommodating multiple test connectors (20) is placed in the fine-pitch semiconductor testing apparatus (10), and the initially supplied multiple test connectors (20) can be automatically replaced with each other. Therefore, the downtime of the fine-pitch semiconductor testing apparatus (10) required to replace the test connectors (20) can be significantly reduced, and thus the operating rate of the fine-pitch semiconductor testing apparatus (10) can be increased.

[0123] Although the embodiments described above provide examples of upper and lower cameras as position detection components, the invention is not limited thereto, and left and right cameras can be added or used instead of the upper and lower cameras. That is, the upper and left cameras can be used together, or the lower and right cameras can be used together. Furthermore, if necessary, all upper, lower, and left cameras can be used together.

[0124] In the embodiments described above, the connector conveying unit and the semiconductor conveying unit are described as being movable in the X, Y, Z, and Z' directions, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the connector conveying unit and the semiconductor conveying unit may be movable in two dimensions, or may be linearly movable and rotatable along and about various axes.

[0125] Furthermore, although the camera is described as an example of an optical component in the embodiments described above, the invention is not limited thereto, and various components may be used, as long as they are capable of accurately measuring the position coordinates of the conductive sections, terminals, and pads.

[0126] Furthermore, the test method described above is merely an example, and the order of operations can be varied. For instance, the operations of measuring the position of the upper portion of the conductive section, measuring the position of the lower portion of the conductive section, measuring the position of the semiconductor element's terminals, adjusting the position of the test connector, and adjusting the position of the semiconductor element may not be performed sequentially, but can be performed in different orders. For example, after adjusting the position of the test connector, the position of the semiconductor element's terminals can be measured.

[0127] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, the invention is not limited to the embodiments or their equivalents, and various modifications may be made therein without departing from the technical spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for electrically testing a fine-pitch semiconductor element by electrically connecting the fine-pitch semiconductor element to a test board, the apparatus comprising: A test connector includes a plurality of test sockets, each comprising a plurality of conductive segments extending in a vertical direction and configured to be electrically connected to the fine-pitch semiconductor element having a plurality of terminals formed on a lower surface. A connector delivery unit is configured to hold and deliver the test connector. A semiconductor transmission unit is configured to hold and transmit the fine-pitch semiconductor element; The test board includes a plurality of pads disposed on the upper surface of the test board and configured to be connected to the plurality of conductive sections respectively. The test board is configured to contact the plurality of test sockets and apply test signals to the plurality of test sockets. A first camera is positioned above the test board and oriented to face the upper surface of the test board. The first camera is configured to photograph the plurality of conductive sections of the plurality of pads and the plurality of test sockets of the test board. A second camera is positioned and oriented to face the lower surface of the plurality of test sockets, and the second camera is configured to photograph the terminals of the fine-pitch semiconductor elements and the plurality of conductive sections of the plurality of test sockets; as well as The control unit is configured to measure the position coordinates of the test board, the multiple test sockets, and the multiple fine-pitch semiconductor elements by receiving image data from the first camera and the second camera of the multiple conductive segments, the terminals, and the multiple pads, and to control the connector transfer unit and the semiconductor transfer unit to align the positions of the terminals, the multiple conductive segments, and the multiple pads with each other. The control unit is configured to control the connector delivery unit by using the upper position coordinates of the plurality of pads on the test board and the lower position coordinates of the lower portions of the plurality of conductive sections of the plurality of test sockets, such that the plurality of pads and the plurality of conductive sections make contact with each other through a one-to-one matching. The control unit is configured to control the semiconductor transfer unit by using the lower position coordinates of the terminals of the fine-pitch semiconductor element and the upper position coordinates of the upper portions of the multiple conductive sections of the multiple test sockets, such that the terminals and the multiple conductive sections are in contact with each other through a one-to-one matching.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first camera is an upper camera disposed above the test plate, and the second camera is a lower camera disposed below the plurality of test sockets.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein some of the plurality of test sockets are used in test positions for electrical testing of fine-pitch semiconductor elements, and the remaining portions of the plurality of test sockets are configured in standby positions.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein when the resistance of the test socket located at the test position is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the control unit is configured to determine that the test socket located at the test position has reached the end of its service life, and moves one of the test sockets located at the standby position to the test position to perform an electrical test.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of test sockets has a plurality of conductive sections formed by vertically arranging a plurality of conductive particles in an elastic insulating material.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein insulating sections are disposed around the plurality of conductive sections to support the plurality of conductive sections and to insulate the plurality of conductive sections from each other.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive segments of each of the plurality of test sockets are spring-loaded pins or metal wires extending in the vertical direction.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the test connector further comprises a frame in which a plurality of receptacle holes are formed, and the plurality of test receptacles are respectively coupled to the plurality of receptacle holes of the frame.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a connector tray is provided for accommodating a plurality of test connectors, and When the test connector has reached the end of its service life, the test connector is replaced with another test connector via the connector transfer unit.

10. An apparatus for electrically testing a fine-pitch semiconductor element by electrically connecting the fine-pitch semiconductor element to a test board, the apparatus comprising: A test connector includes a plurality of test sockets, each comprising a plurality of conductive segments extending in a vertical direction and configured to be electrically connected to the fine-pitch semiconductor element having a plurality of terminals formed on a lower surface. A connector delivery unit is configured to hold and deliver the test connector. A semiconductor transmission unit is configured to hold and transmit the fine-pitch semiconductor element; The test board includes multiple pads configured to be connected to the multiple conductive segments respectively, and the test board is configured to contact the multiple test sockets and apply test signals to the multiple test sockets. A position detection component is used to detect the position of the plurality of conductive segments of each of the plurality of test sockets, the terminals of the fine-pitch semiconductor elements, and the plurality of pads of the test board; as well as The control unit is configured to control the connector delivery unit and the semiconductor delivery unit by using position data detected by the position detection component, such that the plurality of conductive segments, the terminals, and the plurality of gaskets are matched one-to-one with each other. The control unit is configured to control the connector delivery unit by using the upper position coordinates of the plurality of pads on the test board and the lower position coordinates of the plurality of conductive sections of the plurality of test sockets, such that the plurality of pads and the plurality of conductive sections make contact with each other through a one-to-one matching. The control unit is configured to control the semiconductor transfer unit by using the lower position coordinates of the terminals of the fine-pitch semiconductor element and the upper position coordinates of the upper portions of the multiple conductive sections of the multiple test sockets, such that the terminals and the multiple conductive sections are in contact with each other through a one-to-one matching.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein some of the plurality of test sockets are in contact with the plurality of pads of the test board at a test position, and when the resistance of the test socket located at the test position is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit is configured to determine that the test socket has reached the end of its service life and control the connector transfer unit to move another test socket to the test position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein when the other test socket is moved to the test position to replace the end-of-life test socket, the control unit is configured to measure the position coordinates of the plurality of conductive segments by using the position detection member and to control the connector delivery unit to align the terminals with the plurality of pads.

13. A method for performing electrical testing by moving a semiconductor element to a test board, the method comprising the steps of: (a) The upper position coordinates of a plurality of pads of a test board are measured by using a first camera, which is positioned above the test board and oriented to face the upper surface of the test board; (b) The upper position coordinates of the upper portion of a plurality of conductive sections of the test connector are measured by moving the test connector toward the test board using the first camera; (c) Measure the lower position coordinates of the lower portion of a plurality of conductive sections of the test connector by using a second camera, the second camera being positioned and oriented to face the lower surface of the plurality of test connectors; (d) Measuring the lower position coordinates of a plurality of terminals of the semiconductor element using the second camera; (e) Adjust the position of the test connector so that the lower position coordinate of the conductive section of the test connector matches the upper position coordinate of the pad of the test board in a one-to-one manner. as well as (f) Adjust the position of the semiconductor element such that the lower position coordinate of the terminal of the semiconductor element matches the upper position coordinate of the conductive section of the test connector in a one-to-one manner.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the following steps: (g) The semiconductor device is electrically tested by applying an electrical signal from the test board to the test socket.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the test connector includes a plurality of test sockets for performing the electrical test using any one of the plurality of test sockets, and during the electrical test, when the test socket has reached the end of its service life, another test socket is used to repeat steps (b) to (f) to perform the electrical test.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein when all of the plurality of test sockets configured in the test connector have reached the end of their service life, the test connector is replaced with another test connector disposed in the connector tray.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein step (a) is performed by photographing the test board with an upper camera positioned above the test board to face the upper surface of the test board.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein step (c) is performed by photographing the lower portion of the conductive section of the test board with a second camera, the second camera being a lower camera positioned below the test board.

Images