Magnetic retention replaceable cylinder assembly for picking up and placing test head unit

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a magnetic retention replaceable contact plate assembly. A magnetic retention replaceable contact plate assembly includes a contact chuck interface. The contact chuck is configured to physically mate with a device under test (DUT). The magnetic retention replaceable contact plate assembly also includes a DUT layout unit interface (DLU). The DLU is configured to be coupled to the plurality of magnetically retained replaceable contact plate assemblies and to the semiconductor manipulator unit. The DLU is configured to move the DUT in a test environment, and the magnetic retention replaceable contact plate assembly is configured to be magnetically attached to the DLU.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 417,467, filed on Oct. 19, 2022, by Sherman et al. (Attorney Docket No. ATSY-0116-00.00US), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of integrated circuit manufacturing and testing. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for testing integrated circuit products using automated robotic transport and manipulation mechanisms, including pick-and-place machines and / or robots. Background Art

[0004] During the manufacturing process, it is a common operation to perform environmental and electrical tests on packaged or unpackaged integrated circuits. Typically, in such tests, integrated circuit devices are subjected to electrical tests, such as “test mode,” to confirm functionality, while also being subjected to environmental stress. For example, during electrical testing, the integrated circuit is heated and / or cooled to its specification limits. In some cases, e.g., for qualification testing, the integrated circuit may be subjected to stress beyond its specifications, e.g., to determine failure points and / or to establish a “guard band” on its environmental specifications.

[0005] Traditionally, such testing involves placing one or more integrated circuits and their associated (multiple) test interfaces and support hardware into an environmental chamber or other tester. The environmental chamber will heat and / or cool the integrated circuit under test (known as or referred to as the device under test or “DUT”), and subject the test interfaces and support hardware to the desired test temperature.

[0006] Some test systems employ automated robotic manipulators to move integrated circuits from a source “tray” or “board” to the tester and test environment. These manipulators typically utilize pick-and-place heads that grasp and move the integrated circuit under test. The pick-and-place heads are also referred to as “pad” units or “pad” heads.

[0007] Figure 1Shows a pick - and - place head 10 of the prior art, which includes a cylinder portion 14 locked to a block portion 12 by bolts 16. The block portion 12 mates with a manipulator (not shown). Bolts 18 and 16 fix the components by attaching bolt 18 to the manipulator. The chuck 10 is generally downward during use with the suction cup 25 pointing downward to mate with and grasp the DUT. This cylinder 14 needs to be replaced to match the physical characteristics of the DUT. Thus, for example, for each different type of DUT, the cylinder needs to be frequently replaced. The manipulator generally contains an array of chucks, such as x16, so multiple heads need to be replaced each time there is a changeover. When installed in the manipulator, there is not much clearance between the bottom of the suction cup 25 of the head 10 and the tray or board on which the DUT is sourced. This low amount of clearance resulting from the cylinder 14 fixed to the block portion 12 by bolts 16 makes it difficult for technicians to replace the cylinder 14. Often due to this difficulty, technicians will, for example, through bolt 18, replace the entire chuck unit 10 rather than just the cylinder unit 14. It would be advantageous to provide a more efficient and simpler way to replace the cylinder portion of the pick - and - place head 10. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide a magnetically - held replaceable contact - plate assembly. The magnetically - held replaceable contact - plate assembly includes a contact - chuck interface. The contact chuck is configured to physically mate with a device under test (DUT). The magnetically - held replaceable contact - plate assembly further includes a DUT layout unit interface (DLU). The DLU is configured to couple to a plurality of magnetically - held replaceable contact - plate assemblies and to a semiconductor manipulator unit. The DLU is configured to move the DUT in a test environment, and the magnetically - held replaceable contact - plate assembly is configured to magnetically attach to the DLU.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a pick - and - place test head includes: a block assembly for physically or electrically mating with a manipulator of a test system, wherein the block assembly includes a first interface region that includes a recessed collar and a first plurality of magnets; and a removable cylinder assembly operable to removably attach to the block assembly. The removable cylinder assembly is operable to attach to and pick up an integrated - circuit device under test and includes a second interface region that includes a compression collar and a second plurality of magnets, wherein when the first interface region is closely adjacent to the second interface region under the action of magnetic forces from the first plurality of magnets and the second plurality of magnets, the removable cylinder assembly and the block assembly are firmly attached.

[0010] Embodiments include the above and further include wherein the removable cylinder assembly further includes a pneumatic control piston and a suction cup coupled to one end of the piston. The suction cup is for attaching to and fixing the integrated - circuit device under test.

[0011] The embodiments include the above, and further include those in which the recessed collar and the extrusion collar cooperate when the removable cylinder assembly and the block assembly are firmly attached together.

[0012] The embodiments include the above, and further include those in which the removable cylinder assembly is operable to be removed from the block assembly when firmly attached to the block assembly by manual force application and manual operation means without using any tools.

[0013] The embodiments include the above, and further include those in which the manual operation means includes rotation of the removable cylinder assembly relative to the block assembly.

[0014] The embodiments include the above, and in which the magnetically held replaceable contact plate assembly further includes a vacuum port for transferring vacuum from the DLU to the contact chuck to hold the DUT.

[0015] The embodiments include the above, and in which the magnetically held replaceable contact plate assembly is further configured to provide conformity between the positioning of the contact chuck to the DLU.

[0016] The embodiments include the above, and in which the magnetically held replaceable contact plate assembly is further configured to conduct heat energy from the contact chuck to the DLU.

[0017] The embodiments include the above, and in which the magnetically held replaceable contact plate assembly is further configured to be attached to the DLU without using tools.

[0018] The embodiments include the above, and in which the magnetically held replaceable contact plate assembly is further configured to apply a force to the contact chuck to hold the DUT in the slot.

[0019] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a test system for testing an integrated circuit device under test (DUT), the test system includes a computerized tester for applying test vectors to the DUT and analyzing the resulting results. The test system further includes: an automated robotic manipulator for automatically moving the DUT from a source tray to the tester; a contact chuck operable to attach to and pick up the DUT from the source tray; and a magnetically held replaceable contact plate assembly configured to be firmly coupled to the contact chuck. The magnetically held replaceable contact plate assembly is configured to be magnetically coupled to the automated robotic manipulator.

[0020] The embodiments include the above, and in which the contact chuck is configured to hold the DUT using the vacuum provided by the magnetically held replaceable contact plate assembly via the automated robotic manipulator.

[0021] Embodiments in accordance with the present invention include a test system for testing an integrated circuit device under test (DUT), the test system including: a computerized tester for applying test vectors to the DUT and analyzing the resulting results; an automated robotic manipulator for automatically moving the DUT from a source tray to the tester; and a pick-and-place test head rigidly coupled to the automated robotic manipulator, the pick-and-place test head operable to attach to and pick up a DUT from among the DUTs in the source tray. The pick-and-place test head includes a block assembly for physically mating with the automated robotic manipulator, wherein the block assembly includes: a first interface area including a recessed collar, a first plurality of magnets; and a removable cylinder assembly operable to removably attach to the block assembly. The removable cylinder assembly includes a second interface area including a compression collar and a second plurality of magnets, wherein the removable cylinder assembly and the block assembly are rigidly attached when the first interface area is in close proximity to the second interface area under the action of magnetic forces from the first plurality of magnets and the second plurality of magnets.

[0022] Embodiments include the above and further include: a pneumatic control piston; and a suction cup coupled to one end of the piston, the suction cup for attaching to and securing the integrated circuit device under test.

[0023] Embodiments include the above and further include wherein the recessed collar and the compression collar mate when the removable cylinder assembly and the block assembly are rigidly attached together.

[0024] Embodiments include the above and further include wherein the removable cylinder assembly is operable to be removed from the block assembly when rigidly attached to the block assembly without using any tools by manual force application and manual operation means.

[0025] Embodiments include the above and further include wherein the manual operation means includes rotation of the removable cylinder assembly relative to the block assembly.

[0026] Embodiments in accordance with the present invention include the above and include a pick-and-place test head including: a block assembly plate for physically mating in a removable manner with a manipulator of the test system, wherein the block assembly plate includes an interface area for removably coupling to the manipulator, and wherein the interface area includes a first plurality of magnets; and an array of cylinder assemblies operable to attach to the block assembly plate in an attached manner, and wherein each cylinder assembly of the array is operable to attach to and pick up a corresponding integrated circuit device under test, wherein the block assembly plate and the manipulator are rigidly attached when the interface area of the plate is in close proximity to the manipulator under the action of magnetic forces from the interface area.

[0027] The embodiments include the above, and further include that each cylinder assembly of the array further includes a pneumatic control piston and a suction cup, the suction cup is coupled to one end of the piston, and the suction cup is used to attach to and fix the integrated circuit device under test.

[0028] The embodiments include the above, and further include: a first plate and a second plate, wherein the first plate is operable to cooperate with the array, and wherein the second plate is operable to removably cooperate with the manipulator and includes a magnet and orientation features; and a distribution feature for distributing pneumatic pressure to each cylinder assembly of the array.

[0029] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a pick-and-place test head includes: a block unit configured to cooperate with a test system manipulator; and a removable cylinder assembly configured to removably cooperate with the block unit and configured to firmly hold the device under test, wherein the removable cylinder is magnetically attached to the block unit.

[0030] The embodiments include the above, and further include that the removable cylinder assembly is configured to rotate into a locked configuration fixed by the features of the block unit.

[0031] The embodiments include the above, and further include that both the block unit and the removable cylinder assembly include retaining magnets.

[0032] According to a method embodiment of the present invention, a method for replacing a cylinder assembly of a pick-and-place head includes: first, rotating a first cylinder assembly of the pick-and-place head first to unlock the first cylinder assembly of the pick-and-place head without using a tool; removing the first cylinder assembly of the pick-and-place head from the block unit, placing a second cylinder assembly of the pick-and-place head against the block unit; and rotating the second cylinder assembly of the pick-and-place head second to a locked position aligned with the block unit.

[0033] The embodiments include the above, and further include that the first rotation misaligns the retaining magnet of the pick-and-place head.

[0034] The embodiments include the above, and further include that the second rotation aligns the retaining magnet of the pick-and-place head to fix the second cylinder assembly to the block unit.

[0035] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a pick-and-place test head system includes: a block assembly; a first cylinder assembly configured to be removed from the block assembly using manual force and without using a tool; and a second cylinder assembly configured to be attached to the block assembly using manual force and without using a tool.

[0036] The embodiments include the above, and further include that removing the first cylinder assembly includes rotating the first cylinder assembly.

[0037] The embodiments include the above, and also include where attaching the first cylinder assembly includes rotating the second cylinder assembly into a locked position on the block assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The drawings incorporated in and forming a part of this specification are used to illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of the invention. Unless otherwise noted, the dimensions are exemplary and the drawings may not be drawn to scale.

[0039] Figure 1 A pick-and-place test head of the prior art is shown, where the cylinder assembly is firmly attached to the block assembly by bolts.

[0040] Figure 2 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 An exemplary test head according to an embodiment of the invention is shown, where the cylinder member rotates to facilitate locking and unlocking of the cylinder portion from the block portion without using tools.

[0041] Figure 6A and Figure 6B An exemplary magnet and its position on a plate according to an embodiment of the invention are shown, where the plate surrounds a collar indentation on the cylinder portion of the pick-and-place test head.

[0042] Figure 7A and Figure 7B An exemplary magnet and its position on a plate according to an embodiment of the invention are shown, where the plate surrounds a collar on the block portion of the pick-and-place test head.

[0043] Figure 8 An exemplary test head of an embodiment of the invention is shown, which is mounted in a manipulator of a test system having an automated manipulation mechanism.

[0044] Figure 9A More specifically, an exemplary exploded view of the assembly of the block member and the cylinder member of the test head is shown according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0045] Figure 9B and Figure 9C An exemplary manual rotation method is shown, which is used to mount and remove the cylinder member to and from the block member of the test head of an embodiment of the invention without any tools or other mechanisms.

[0046] Figure 10A A PNP head of a prior art design is shown.

[0047] Figure 10B and Figure 10C An exemplary PNP test head is shown according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0048] Figure 11 According to an embodiment of the present invention, a detailed exemplary diagram of a cylinder component of a PNP test head is shown.

[0049] Figure 12 According to an embodiment of the present invention, a detailed exemplary diagram of a block component of a PNP test head is shown.

[0050] Figure 13A A top perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which a two-dimensional cylinder component array is attached to a common block "plate", and the block plate is magnetically attached to a manipulator system.

[0051] Figure 13B A bottom perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which a two-dimensional cylinder component array is attached to a common block "plate", and the block plate is magnetically attached to a manipulator system.

[0052] Figure 13C Shows Figure 13A the internal features of the block plate component of the embodiment of

[0053] Figure 13D A top perspective view and a bottom perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention are shown, in which a one-dimensional cylinder component array is attached to a common block "plate", and the block plate is magnetically attached to a manipulator system. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0054] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. While the present invention will be described in conjunction with these embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the present invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. In addition, in the following detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention.

[0055] Some of the portions detailed below are presented in the form of program, steps, logic blocks, processes, and other symbolic representations of operations on data bits that can be executed on a computer memory. These descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing art to most effectively convey the substance of their work to other technicians in the field. A program, computer-executed steps, logic block, process, etc., are herein and generally considered a self-consistent sequence of steps or instructions that lead to a desired result. These steps are those that require physical manipulation of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transmitted, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated in a computer system. Sometimes, for reasons of generality in principle, it has proven convenient to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, data, etc.

[0056] However, it should be remembered that all these and similar terms are associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless otherwise clearly stated, as will be apparent from the following discussion, it should be understood that in the present invention, the use of terms such as "testing" or "heating" or "maintaining temperature" or "bringing" or "capturing" or "storing" or "reading" or "analyzing" or "generating" or "parsing" or "receiving" or "selecting" or "determining" or "displaying" or "presenting" or "calculating" or "sending" or "accepting" or "reducing" or "detecting" or "setting" or "accessing" or "placing" or "testing" or "forming" or "installing" or "removing" or "terminating" or "stopping" or "coating" or "processing" or "performing" or "generating" or "adjusting" or "creating" or "executing" or "continuing" or "indexing" or "translating" or "working out" or "measuring" or "collecting" or "running", etc., refers to the actions and processes of a computer system or similar electronic computing device, or actions and processes under its control, which manipulate and transform data represented as physical (electronic) quantities in the registers and memories of the computer system into other data similarly represented as physical quantities in the memories or registers of the computer system or other such information storage, transmission, or display devices.

[0057] The meaning of "non-transitory computer-readable medium" should be construed to exclude only those types of transitory computer-readable media that are determined to be outside the scope of patentable subject matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101 in In re Nuijten, 500 F.3d 1346, 1356 - 57 (Fed. Cir. 2007). The use of this term should be understood to exclude only the propagation of transitory signals themselves from the scope of the claims and not to waive the right to all standard computer-readable media that are more than just the propagation of transitory signals themselves.

[0058] Magnetic holding replaceable cylinder assembly for pick and place test head unit

[0059] Figure 2 Shows an exemplary embodiment of a pick-and-place (PNP) test head 100 according to the present invention. The test head 100 includes a block assembly 112 removably coupled to a removable cylinder assembly 114. A bolt 155 firmly couples the head 100 to a robotic manipulator (not shown). Generally, the robotic manipulator moves the test head in the X and Y directions to place the test head 100 above a device under test ("DUT"). Inside the cylinder 114 is a pneumatically controlled piston, and coupled to one end of the piston is a suction cup 410 for mating with and firmly attaching to an integrated circuit device under test. The bolt 160 is optional and serves as an auxiliary retaining device for the cylinder assembly 114 to the block assembly 112. As Figure 2 shown, the cylinder assembly 114 is inserted into the block assembly 112 and rotated to firmly attach or lock to the block assembly 112. For example, as will be described in connection with Figure 3 , Figure 5 , Figure 6A and Figure 6B further described, rotation aligns a plurality of magnets to provide a holding force to hold the cylinder assembly 114 to the block assembly 112. The illustrated direction of rotation for attachment, such as clockwise, is exemplary. When the components are rotationally aligned, the magnets mounted on both the assembly 112 and the assembly 114 provide an attachment force between the two components.

[0060] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a reduced number of magnets can be aligned before rotation for attachment and / or after rotation for removal. This reduced number of magnets can provide a smaller holding force to assist in positioning the cylinder assembly, for example, such that the cylinder assembly does not fall before rotating to its final "locked" position.

[0061] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cylinder assembly 114 to the block assembly 112 can comprise a non-magnetic material. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cylinder assembly 114 to the block assembly 112 can comprise a corrosion-resistant material. Exemplary materials include, for example, austenitic (non-magnetic) stainless steel and / or aluminum.

[0062] Figure 3 According to an embodiment of the present invention, an exemplary cross-section of the interface between the block assembly 112 and the cylinder 114 assembly of the PNP test head 100 is shown. The interface includes a plurality of, for example, 4, magnets 212 that can provide a fixing force between the components when the components are aligned.

[0063] Figure 4 According to an embodiment of the present invention, an exemplary assembled PNP test head 100 is shown.

[0064] Figure 5According to an embodiment of the present invention, an exemplary cross-sectional view of the interface between the block 112 and the cylinder 114 assembly is shown with the magnets of the interface of the block assembled and aligned, and the magnets of the interface of the block are aligned with the magnets of the interface of the cylinder. In this arrangement, the cylinder assembly 114 can be easily removed from the block assembly 112 by simply manually twisting and manually pulling the cylinder assembly 114 to replace the assembly 114. No tools or special equipment are required for the removal or installation of the cylinder assembly 114 to the block assembly 112. The installation and removal of the cylinder assembly 114 only require manual force application and operation.

[0065] Figure 6A and Figure 6B According to an embodiment of the present invention, an exemplary exploded view and an assembled view of the attachment interface end of the removable cylinder assembly 114 are shown, in which the magnets 212 installed therein are exposed. Although any number of magnets can be used, only 4 are shown as an example. An exemplary squeeze collar 117 containing a pneumatic control piston is also shown. The magnets 212 are installed within the interface plate 150.

[0066] Figure 7A and Figure 7B According to an embodiment of the present invention, an exploded view and an assembled view of the exemplary attachment interface end of the block assembly 112 are shown, in which the magnets 212 installed therein are exposed. Although any number of magnets can be used, only 4 are shown as an example. An embedded or recessed collar 119 that mates with the squeeze collar 117 ( Figure 6A ) is also shown.

[0067] Figure 8 According to an embodiment of the present invention, an exemplary manipulator 300 is shown, on which a plurality of individual PNP test heads 100 arranged in a head array are mounted. As shown, when mounted on the manipulator 300, the cylinder assembly of each test head points downward.

[0068] Figure 9A is an exemplary exploded view of the test head 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Bolts or screws 155 are used to fix the test head 100 to the manipulator 300. The block assembly 112 is shown. A pneumatic control piston 315 is also shown, which is controlled by the gas pressure supplied from the manipulator 300 and passing through the block assembly 112. An optional auxiliary holding device 160 is also shown. The piston 315 is seated within the cylinder assembly 114. A suction cup 410 assembled at one end of the piston 315 is also shown.

[0069] Figure 9B and Figure 9C According to an embodiment of the present invention, an exemplary twist for the installation and removal of the cylinder assembly 114 from the block assembly 112 is shown.

[0070] Figure 10A, Figure 10B and Figure 10C illustrate the periodic replacement of the cylinder assembly to accommodate different sizes of DUTs. In the prior art assembly shown in Figure 10A , the test cell operator would replace the entire test head 10 to change the size of the suction cups used. In an exemplary x16 pad unit system, which utilizes 16 loaders and 16 unloaders PNP heads or "pad" units, this means that 32 screws need to be unloaded and reinstalled during replacement. As shown in Figure 10C , using an embodiment of the present invention, when the test cell operator needs to swap the PNP test head for a different size, only the cylinder assembly 114 needs to be swapped out. This means that the test cell operator only needs to purchase the pad unit cylinder assembly when swapping the PNP head unit size. The interchange of the PNP units is completely tool - free. For example, on the same x16 system, since no screws are involved in the swap, the technician will spend less than 1 / 3 of the time swapping the magnetic pad units.

[0071] Figure 11 An exemplary schematic design of the replaceable cylinder assembly 114 is shown according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 12 An exemplary schematic design of the block assembly 112 is shown according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] Figure 13A Another embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which an array of cylinder components 114a is attached to a common block "plate" (212a and 212b), and the plate is magnetically attached to the manipulator system. The plate "212ab" is assembled by two plates 212a and 212b as shown. This embodiment facilitates the quick replacement of the entire array 114a of cylinder components 114, along with the detachment of the plate of the common plate to which all its connections were made. As shown in the top perspective view, the array of cylinder components 114a are each individually attached to the common block plate 212a that mates with the top plate 212b. The common block plate 212ab provides all the functions of a single block component 112 (e.g., see Figure 9A ) to each cylinder component, see Figure 13C for the through - feature 715 for this distribution mechanism. Figure 13A The magnets 615 mounted on the top plate 212b in

[0073] Figure 13B are used to couple the assembled common block plate 212ab to the manipulator system, where the alignment features 620 assist in the orientation and alignment of the manipulator. The common block plate 212ab can be slightly pulled down and separated from the manipulator system with a pressure of about 2 pounds or greater. This action can effectively remove the entire array 114a of cylinder components from the system simultaneously and is efficient for the maintenance and reconfiguration operations of the tester. Figure 13A The top perspective view and bottom perspective view of the assembled plate embodiment of

[0074] Figure 13C shows the Figure 13A distribution characteristics within the common block board of the embodiment of

[0075] Figure 13D shows an embodiment similar to Figure 13A but each removable common block board has a single array of cylinder components.

[0076] Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide systems and methods for a replaceable cylinder assembly utilizing magnetic coupling in a PNP test head. Although the present invention has been shown and described with respect to certain exemplary embodiments, equivalent changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification and the drawings. In particular, for the various functions performed by the above components (assemblies, devices, etc.), unless otherwise specified, the terminology used to describe such components (including references to "means") is intended to correspond to any component that performs the specified function of the component (e.g., functionally equivalent), even if not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure that performs the functions of the exemplary embodiments shown herein of the present invention. Further, although a particular feature of the present invention may be disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more features of other embodiments, which may be desirable and advantageous for any given or specific application.

[0077] Accordingly, various embodiments of the present invention are described. Although the present invention has been described by way of specific embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention should not be construed as being limited by these embodiments, but rather should be interpreted in accordance with the following claims.

Claims

1. A pick and place test head, comprising: a block assembly for physically or electrically mating with a manipulator of a test system, wherein the block assembly includes a first interface area that includes: a recessed collar; and a first plurality of magnets; and a removable cylinder assembly operable to removably attach to the block assembly, and wherein the removable cylinder assembly is operable to attach to and pick up an integrated circuit device under test, and includes a second interface area that includes: a compression collar and a second plurality of magnets, wherein when the first interface area is closely adjacent to the second interface area under the action of magnetic forces from the first plurality of magnets and the second plurality of magnets, the removable cylinder assembly and the block assembly are firmly attached.

2. The pick and place test head according to claim 1, wherein, the removable cylinder assembly further includes: a pneumatically controlled piston; and a suction cup coupled to one end of the piston, the suction cup for attaching to and fixing the integrated circuit device under test.

3. The pick and place test head according to claim 1, wherein, the recessed collar and the compression collar cooperate when the removable cylinder assembly and the block assembly are firmly attached together.

4. The pick and place test head according to claim 3, wherein, the removable cylinder assembly is operable to be removed from the block assembly when firmly attached to the block assembly without using any tools by manual force application and manual operation means.

5. The pick and place test head according to claim 3, wherein, the manual operation means includes rotation of the removable cylinder assembly relative to the block assembly.

6. A test system for testing an integrated circuit device under test (DUT), the test system comprising: a computerized tester for applying test vectors to the DUT and analyzing the resulting results; an automated robotic manipulator for automatically moving the DUT from a source tray to the tester; and a pick and place test head firmly coupled to the automated robotic manipulator, the pick and place test head operable to attach to and pick up the DUT from the source tray, wherein the pick and place test head includes: a block assembly for physically mating with the automated robotic manipulator, wherein the block assembly includes a first interface area that includes: a recessed collar; and a first plurality of magnets; and a removable cylinder assembly operable to removably attach to the block assembly, and wherein the removable cylinder assembly includes a second interface area that includes: a compression collar and a second plurality of magnets, wherein when the first interface area is closely adjacent to the second interface area under the action of magnetic forces from the first plurality of magnets and the second plurality of magnets, the removable cylinder assembly and the block assembly are firmly attached.

7. The test system according to claim 6, wherein, the removable cylinder assembly further includes: a pneumatically controlled piston; and A suction cup, which is coupled to one end of the piston, and the suction cup is used to attach to and fix the integrated circuit device under test.

8. The test system according to claim 6, wherein, the recessed collar and the pressing collar cooperate when the detachable cylinder assembly and the block assembly are firmly attached together.

9. The test system according to claim 8, wherein, the detachable cylinder assembly is operable to be removed from the block assembly when firmly attached to the block assembly by manual force application and manual operation means without using any tools.

10. The test system according to claim 8, wherein, the manual operation means includes rotation of the detachable cylinder assembly relative to the block assembly.

11. A pick-and-place test head, comprising: A block component board, which is used to physically cooperate with the manipulator of the test system in a detachable manner, wherein the block component board includes an interface area for detachably coupling to the manipulator, and wherein the interface area includes a first plurality of magnets; and An array of cylinder assemblies, which is operable to be attached to the block component board in an attached manner, and wherein each cylinder assembly of the array is operable to attach to and pick up a corresponding integrated circuit device under test, wherein when the interface area of the board is closely adjacent to the manipulator under the action of the magnetic force from the interface area, the block component board and the manipulator are firmly attached.

12. The pick-and-place test head according to claim 11, wherein, each cylinder assembly of the array further includes: A pneumatic control piston; and A suction cup, which is coupled to one end of the piston, and the suction cup is used to attach to and fix the integrated circuit device under test.

13. The pick-and-place test head according to claim 11, wherein, the block component board includes: A first board and a second board, wherein the first board is operable to cooperate with the array, and wherein the second board is operable to detachably cooperate with the manipulator and includes magnets and orientation features; and A distribution feature, which is used to distribute pneumatic pressure to each cylinder assembly of the array.

14. A pick-and-place test head, which comprises: A block unit, which is configured to cooperate with the test system manipulator; and A detachable cylinder assembly, which is configured to detachably cooperate with the block unit and is configured to firmly hold the device under test, wherein the detachable cylinder is magnetically attached to the block unit.

15. The pick-and-place test head according to claim 14, wherein, the detachable cylinder assembly is configured to rotate into a locked configuration fixed by the features of the block unit.

16. The pick-and-place test head according to claim 14, wherein, both the block unit and the detachable cylinder assembly include holding magnets.

17. The pick-and-place test head according to claim 14, wherein, only one of the block unit and the detachable cylinder assembly includes a holding magnet.

18. A pick-and-place test head system, which comprises: A block component; A first cylinder assembly, which is configured to be removed from the block component using manual force application and without using tools; and A second cylinder assembly configured to be attached to the block assembly using manual force and without the use of tools.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein, removing the first cylinder assembly includes rotating the first cylinder assembly.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein, attaching the first cylinder assembly includes rotating the second cylinder assembly into a locked position on the block assembly.

Images