A distributed temperature test chamber
By designing a distributed temperature test chamber, the problems of poor temperature uniformity and high energy consumption in traditional test chambers are solved, achieving higher temperature uniformity and consistency of test results, making it suitable for high-frequency and variable testing of semiconductor integrated circuits.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- 上海华岭申瓷集成电路有限责任公司
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-09
AI Technical Summary
Traditional temperature test chambers suffer from poor temperature uniformity, high energy consumption, and inconsistent test results, which are particularly evident in semiconductor integrated circuit testing. Existing improvement solutions have failed to effectively address these issues.
The distributed temperature test chamber design incorporates multiple partitions and heating and air supply components inside the chamber, along with symmetrical air ducts and temperature detectors, to achieve closed-loop regulation and refined zone control, ensuring uniform airflow distribution and temperature uniformity.
It improves temperature uniformity within the test chamber, reduces energy consumption, enhances the consistency of test results, and supports flexible configuration and high-frequency, variable hybrid power chip testing.
Smart Images
Figure CN224332184U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of chip testing equipment technology, and in particular to a distributed temperature test chamber. Background Technology
[0002] HTOL (High Temperature Operational Life) testing is an important method for evaluating the lifespan and stability of chips under high-temperature environments. It is also known as high-temperature operational life testing or aging testing. In simple terms, HTOL can be understood as a testing method that "accelerates the aging" of chips. Just as people become fatigued after working in high-temperature environments for extended periods, this test simulates the state of a chip operating for several years or even longer by subjecting it to continuous operation at high temperatures (e.g., 125°C) and high voltage for hundreds of hours, thus quickly exposing potential defects. HTOL is a core aspect of electronic product quality control, directly affecting the stability and lifespan of products in actual use. It is particularly crucial for high-temperature sensitive fields such as consumer electronics and industrial equipment, and is considered an essential testing item.
[0003] When conducting HTOL tests on semiconductor integrated circuits, there are typically two temperature control methods: contact conduction temperature control is used for high-power integrated circuits, while temperature control via the environment is achieved using a temperature test chamber for low-power integrated circuits. Traditional temperature test chambers usually employ a single-temperature zone design, achieving temperature control through global heating or cooling, which presents the following problems:
[0004] 1. Poor temperature uniformity: The temperature uniformity is poor (±4℃), and it is significantly affected by dead air angles.
[0005] 2. High energy consumption. In order to ensure that the minimum temperature point can reach the predetermined test stress, it is necessary to increase the output, resulting in a higher temperature at the highest temperature point inside the chamber.
[0006] 3. Poor consistency of results: Since semiconductor integrated circuits are small in size, the number of tests conducted at one time is usually hundreds or even thousands. Poor temperature uniformity will cause differences in the temperature stress borne by each integrated circuit, resulting in poor consistency of test results.
[0007] Existing improvement solutions (such as multi-vent design) only improve the local structure of the test chamber, and still rely on a single sensor for feedback, which cannot solve the above problems. Utility Model Content
[0008] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of current temperature test chambers, this utility model provides a distributed temperature test chamber, which can improve the temperature uniformity in the test chamber and reduce energy consumption.
[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this utility model adopt the following technical solutions:
[0010] A distributed temperature test chamber includes a chamber body, partitions, and a heating and air supply assembly. The chamber body includes an external air inlet and several partitions spaced apart inside, forming several independent test areas. Each independent test area is equipped with an internal air outlet and a temperature detector. The external air inlet connects to each internal air outlet. The heating and air supply assembly is located between the external air inlet and the internal air outlet. An air outlet regulating valve is installed at each internal air outlet. The upper surface of each partition is a load-bearing area, with a partition air inlet on its side connecting to the internal air outlet. The partition is hollow inside, forming a partition air duct. The lower surface of the partition has a partition air outlet connected to the partition air duct. A return air inlet is provided on the side wall of the chamber, and a return air duct is provided inside the side wall of the chamber, connecting to the heating and air supply assembly. A pressure relief port is provided at the bottom of the chamber. The pressure relief port is equipped with a pressure relief valve. The chamber also includes a control unit. The air outlet regulating valve and the temperature detector are connected to the control unit.
[0011] According to one aspect of this utility model, the air outlet inside the box is located on the back panel of the box; the return air outlet is symmetrically arranged on the left and right side panels of the box.
[0012] According to one aspect of this utility model, the air inlet of the shelf is located on the rear side of the shelf partition, and pressure equalization seams are provided between the left side, right side and front side of the shelf partition and the inner wall of the box; the air outlet of the shelf is arrayed.
[0013] According to one aspect of this utility model, the temperature detector is disposed below the partition plate.
[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, the housing includes an electrically insulating door device; the electrically insulating door device remains closed when energized and opens when the power is off.
[0015] According to one aspect of this utility model, a mechanical over-temperature protection device is provided inside the chamber; the mechanical over-temperature protection device includes a thermistor and a mechanical linkage mechanism; the mechanical linkage mechanism is connected to the power supply of the test chamber.
[0016] According to one aspect of this utility model, the partition is provided with a material identification system for identifying the model of the chip to be tested.
[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, the partition plate is detachably connected to the housing.
[0018] According to one aspect of this utility model, a heat exchanger is provided near the pressure relief port; a temporary storage area is provided at the heat exchanger.
[0019] Advantages of this utility model:
[0020] The improved airflow design features air inlets and outlets on the partitions, with hollow air ducts inside the partitions. The symmetrical design of these ducts facilitates uniform air distribution and stable circulation, avoiding localized eddies or dead zones. Closed-loop regulation enables single-layer temperature control, while fine-grained zone adjustment achieves temperature equilibrium. This results in faster temperature control response, making it more suitable for high-frequency, variable-power chip testing scenarios. The temperature gradient within the test chamber is further reduced, leading to higher temperature uniformity, improved test result consistency, and increased thermal efficiency, thus reducing energy consumption. The system is low-cost and highly versatile, allowing for flexible configuration to support mixed testing of different chip models. Attached Figure Description
[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0022] Figure 1 This is a half-sectional structural diagram of a distributed temperature test chamber according to the present invention.
[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the partition plate described in this utility model. Figure 1 ;
[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the partition plate described in this utility model. Figure 2 .
[0025] Illustration: 1. Cabinet; 11. Return air inlet; 12. Return air duct; 2. Shelf partition; 21. Load-bearing area; 22. Shelf air inlet; 23. Shelf air outlet; 3. Temperature sensor. Detailed Implementation
[0026] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.
[0027] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3As shown, a distributed temperature test chamber includes a chamber body 1, partitions 2, and a heating and air supply assembly. The chamber body 1 includes an external air inlet, and several partitions 2 are spaced apart inside, forming several independent test areas. Each independent test area is equipped with an internal air outlet and a temperature detector 3. The external air inlet is connected to each internal air outlet. The heating and air supply assembly is located between the external air inlet and the internal air outlet. An air outlet regulating valve is provided at each internal air outlet. The upper surface of the partitions 2 is a load-bearing area 21. The box 1 has a shelf air inlet 22 on its side that connects to the air outlet inside the box. The box 1 is hollow inside to form a shelf air duct. The box 1 has a shelf air outlet 23 on its lower surface. The shelf air outlet 23 is connected to the shelf air duct. The box 1 has a return air inlet 11 on its side wall. The box 1 has a return air duct 12 inside its side wall that connects to the heating and air supply assembly. The box 1 has a pressure relief port at the bottom. The pressure relief port is equipped with a pressure relief valve. The box 1 also includes a control unit. The air outlet regulating valve and the temperature detector 3 are connected to the control unit.
[0028] In this embodiment, the air outlet inside the box is located on the back panel of the box body 1; the air inlet 22 of the shelf is located on the rear side of the shelf partition 2, and the left side, right side and front side of the shelf partition 2 are provided with pressure equalization seams between them and the inner wall of the box body 1 (the width of the seams is small, which can maintain the uniform air pressure inside the box body 1 and will not cause convection between the layers); the return air inlet 11 is symmetrically arranged on the left and right side panels of the box body 1.
[0029] The external air inlet, the internal air outlet, the shelf air inlet 22, and the shelf air outlet 23 all adopt a symmetrical design, which can avoid local eddies or airflow short-circuiting caused by structural asymmetry, making the airflow inside the box 1 more uniform and reducing the temperature gradient in the same space. The temperature non-uniformity coefficient can be reduced by 30% to 40%. At the same time, the symmetrical structure of the box 1 can balance the difference in heat transfer coefficient of the six walls, reduce the temperature deviation caused by local heat leakage or floor cooling, and avoid low-speed airflow in four zones. The shelf air outlet 23 is arrayed, specifically it can be set in a honeycomb pattern, which can ensure that the airflow uniformly covers the test chip on the lower layer.
[0030] When the test chamber is working, the chamber 1 contains a stable circulating hot airflow. A pressure relief port is set at the bottom of the chamber 1 and connected to a pressure relief valve, which can maintain a slightly positive pressure environment inside the chamber 1, increase air recirculation, further eliminate airflow dead zones, and at the same time, minimize the risk of burns to personnel caused by the hot air released from the chamber 1, thus improving safety.
[0031] When the test chamber is operating normally, the heating and air supply component draws air from the external air inlet, heats it, and sends it to each layer of partition 2 through the air outlet inside the chamber. It is converted into a downward uniform airflow that blows onto the chip to be tested on the surface of the lower partition 2. Then, it enters the return air duct 12 from the return air inlets 11 on both sides of the chamber 1 and returns to the heating and air supply component for reheating and continued circulation. Due to the positive pressure environment inside the chamber 1, the above circulation process can proceed smoothly. The airflow can flow through all parts of the chamber 1, thereby heating all parts of the chamber 1 evenly. Combined with the temperature detection of each layer of temperature detectors 3, the air outlet regulating valve is dynamically adjusted to minimize the temperature gradient inside the chamber 1 and ensure uniform temperature everywhere.
[0032] The housing 1 includes an electrically holding door device; the electrically holding door device remains closed when energized and opens after power failure to ensure safety; in this embodiment, the electrically holding door device can be an electromagnetic door, after power failure the magnetic force of the electromagnet disappears, the door loses the force to maintain closure, and the door can open naturally under the slight positive pressure inside the housing 1.
[0033] In this embodiment, the temperature detector 3 uses a PTC temperature sensor, which is a thermistor device based on semiconductor materials. It has the advantages of self-protection capability, fast response, no cold junction compensation (absolute temperature can be measured directly without compensation circuit), adaptability to harsh environments, low cost, and wide threshold adjustment range, thus meeting the technical requirements of the test chamber described in this application.
[0034] Furthermore, a mechanical over-temperature protection device is installed inside the chamber 1. This device includes a thermistor and a mechanical linkage mechanism. The mechanical linkage mechanism is connected to the power supply of the test chamber. When the temperature reaches the threshold of the thermistor, its physical properties change, causing the connected mechanical linkage mechanism to activate and cut off the power supply. In this embodiment, the mechanical over-temperature protection device can use a magnetically controlled temperature switch. Its main components include a ferromagnetic material and a reed switch. When the ferromagnetic material has strong magnetism at lower temperatures, it can attract the reed switch to close. When the temperature exceeds the Curie point temperature of the ferromagnetic material, the magnetism disappears, the reed switch opens, and the power supply to the test chamber is disconnected. Specifically, the Curie point temperature of the ferromagnetic material varies depending on the formulation and can be selected according to actual needs. This type of device does not rely on a power supply and is independent of the test chamber's control unit, providing protection in emergency situations.
[0035] The partition 2 is equipped with a material identification system for automatically identifying the model of the chip to be tested, and working with the control unit to set the parameters of the test chamber. In practical applications, the material identification system adopts an image recognition scheme (such as scanning the code with a camera or reading the model information by recognizing the silkscreen on the chip surface) or an RFID tag identification scheme.
[0036] In practical applications, the chip to be tested is not placed on the upper surface of the partition 2, which is the topmost layer in the housing 1. The temperature detector 3 can be set below the partition 2 to monitor the temperature change of the space below. Correspondingly, when using image recognition technology to read the chip model, the camera can be set below the partition 2 to facilitate the acquisition of information about the chip placed on the surface of the lower partition 2.
[0037] The partition 2 is detachably connected to the housing 1, facilitating quick disassembly and reassembly. During use, it can be freely combined and flexibly configured according to testing needs (the test base and peripheral circuits of different chip models are different and can be combined according to testing needs); each partition 2 is equipped with a communication interface and power slot, and the control unit automatically identifies the topology and control strategy of the partition 2; a sealing device is set at the joint between the partition 2 and the housing 1 to ensure airtightness and prevent turbulence.
[0038] Furthermore, a heat exchanger is installed near the pressure relief port to recover and utilize the waste heat emitted by the test chamber; if a temporary storage area is set at the heat exchanger, it can be used to temporarily store the chip to be tested and preheat it, reduce the temperature difference between the chip to be tested and the set temperature, reduce the heating time in the test chamber, improve energy utilization and test efficiency.
[0039] In actual use, the test parameters for each independent test area are set according to the model of the chip to be tested;
[0040] The control unit adjusts the opening of the air outlet regulating valve of the corresponding independent test area according to the test parameters of each independent test area and the temperature information collected by the temperature detector 3; single-layer temperature control is achieved through closed-loop regulation, and temperature balance is achieved through fine-grained zoning regulation, which reduces the temperature difference in the test chamber, improves the temperature uniformity in the test chamber, improves the consistency of test results, and also improves the utilization rate of thermal energy and reduces energy consumption.
[0041] Each independent test zone is set with a separate temperature threshold. When the temperature of an independent test zone exceeds its temperature threshold, the air outlet regulating valve of that independent test zone is closed or the power is turned off.
[0042] In practical applications, the test chamber is also equipped with environmental sensors to monitor environmental parameters inside and outside the test chamber, such as ambient temperature, air pressure, and air humidity.
[0043] The control unit uses a PID algorithm to adjust the opening of the air outlet regulating valve in each independent test zone;
[0044] Furthermore, the control unit uses deep learning algorithms to analyze historical temperature data, environmental parameters, and chip power consumption trends to predict future temperature fluctuations. Based on the prediction results, it adjusts PID parameters to reduce overshoot and hysteresis, and improves the response frequency of temperature regulation, making it more suitable for high-frequency, variable mixed power chip testing scenarios.
[0045] Furthermore, deep learning models (such as LSTM neural networks) can be used to optimize model parameters based on long-term operating data, thereby improving the generalization ability to test scenarios for different chip types. In addition, deep learning models such as LSTM neural networks can be used to build equipment health models, predict equipment component failures in advance, and improve maintenance efficiency.
[0046] When setting test parameters according to the chip model, the control unit automatically identifies the model of the chip to be tested through the material identification system on the partition 2.
[0047] Advantages of this utility model:
[0048] The improved airflow design features air inlets and outlets on the partitions, with hollow air ducts inside the partitions. The symmetrical design of these ducts facilitates uniform air distribution and stable circulation, avoiding localized eddies or dead zones. Closed-loop regulation enables single-layer temperature control, while fine-grained zone adjustment achieves temperature equilibrium. This results in faster temperature control response, making it more suitable for high-frequency, variable-power chip testing scenarios. The temperature gradient within the test chamber is further reduced, leading to higher temperature uniformity, improved test result consistency, and increased thermal efficiency, thus reducing energy consumption. The system is low-cost and highly versatile, allowing for flexible configuration to support mixed testing of different chip models.
[0049] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A distributed temperature test chamber comprising a cabinet, a tiered shelf, and a heating and air supply assembly, wherein, The enclosure includes an external air inlet, and several partitions are spaced apart inside to form several independent testing areas. Each independent testing area is equipped with an internal air outlet and a temperature detector. The external air inlet connects to each internal air outlet. A heating and air supply assembly is located between the external air inlet and the internal air outlet. An air outlet regulating valve is installed at each internal air outlet. The upper surface of each partition is a load-bearing area, with a partition air inlet on its side connecting to the internal air outlet. The partition is hollow inside to form a partition air duct, and its lower surface is equipped with a partition air outlet. The partition air outlet is connected to the partition air duct. A return air inlet is provided on the side wall of the enclosure, and a return air duct is provided inside the side wall of the enclosure, connecting to the heating and air supply assembly. A pressure relief port is provided at the bottom of the enclosure. The pressure relief port is equipped with a pressure relief valve. The enclosure also includes a control unit. The air outlet regulating valve and the temperature detector are connected to the control unit.
2. The distributed temperature test chamber of claim 1, wherein, The air outlet inside the box is located on the back panel of the box; the return air inlets are symmetrically arranged on the left and right side panels of the box.
3. The distributed temperature test chamber of claim 2, wherein, The air inlet of the shelf is located on the rear side of the shelf partition, and pressure equalization seams are provided between the left side, right side and front side of the shelf partition and the inner wall of the box; the air outlet of the shelf is arrayed.
4. The distributed temperature test chamber of claim 1, wherein, The temperature detector is located below the partition.
5. The distributed temperature test chamber of claim 1, wherein, The enclosure includes an electric holding box door device; the electric holding box door device remains closed when energized and opens when the power is off.
6. The distributed temperature test chamber of claim 5, wherein, The chamber is equipped with a mechanical over-temperature protection device; the mechanical over-temperature protection device includes a thermistor and a mechanical linkage mechanism; the mechanical linkage mechanism is connected to the power supply of the test chamber.
7. The distributed temperature test chamber of claim 1, wherein, The partition is equipped with a material identification system for identifying the model of the chip to be tested.
8. The distributed temperature test chamber of claim 1, wherein, The partition is detachably connected to the box body.
9. The distributed temperature test chamber of claim 1, wherein, A heat exchanger is located near the pressure relief port; a temporary storage area is located at the heat exchanger.