Chip carrier loading and unloading device and chip testing system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of chip carrier's feeding and discharging equipment and chip testing system, it is related to semiconductor chip testing technical field, and wherein, feeding and discharging equipment includes rack, transfer mechanism, two positioning mechanisms and two material boxes, rack both sides are provided with feeding and discharging station;Two positioning mechanisms are set in the top of rack;Two material boxes are set in the top of two positioning mechanisms one by one corresponding;Transfer mechanism is installed in rack and between two positioning mechanisms, transfer mechanism is provided with pick-and-place assembly, transfer mechanism is used to take out chip carrier in material box by pick-and-place assembly and is transferred to corresponding positioning mechanism to be positioned, and chip carrier after positioning is transferred to feeding and discharging station;Transfer mechanism is also used to transfer chip carrier of feeding and discharging station to positioning mechanism to be positioned by pick-and-place assembly, and chip carrier after positioning is placed in material box.The utility model's feeding and discharging equipment can realize automatic feeding and discharging, and feeding and discharging efficiency is higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor chip testing technology, and in particular to a chip carrier loading and unloading device and a chip testing system. Background Technology

[0002] Semiconductor chips are an indispensable part of modern electronic devices, serving as miniature devices that realize various electronic functions. The pads (padded contacts) on these chips play a crucial role in circuit design. They provide electrical connections and mechanical support, enabling the chip to transmit signals and energy with external circuits. Therefore, after chip manufacturing, the pads need to be tested to determine the chip's quality. Currently, the equipment used for testing pads is a probe tester. However, the chips to be tested must be manually loaded onto the probe tester, tested, and then manually unloaded, repeating this process to complete the testing of each chip. This not only consumes manpower and increases the intensity of manual labor, but also results in low loading and unloading efficiency due to the influence of manual handling. Utility Model Content

[0003] The main purpose of this utility model is to propose a chip carrier loading and unloading device and a chip testing system, which aims to solve the technical problems of existing manual loading and unloading, which consumes manpower and has low efficiency.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model proposes a chip carrier loading and unloading device, wherein the chip carrier carries chips, and the loading and unloading device includes:

[0005] The frame has loading and unloading stations on both sides along the first direction;

[0006] Two positioning mechanisms are provided, spaced apart on the top of the frame along a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other, and the positioning mechanisms are used to position the chip carrier.

[0007] Two material boxes are respectively disposed on the top of the two positioning mechanisms, and each material box is used to place the chip carrier;

[0008] A transfer mechanism is installed on the frame and located between the two positioning mechanisms. The transfer mechanism is equipped with a pick-and-place component. The transfer mechanism is used to pick up the chip carrier in any of the material boxes through the pick-and-place component and transfer it to the corresponding positioning mechanism for positioning, and then transfer the positioned chip carrier to any of the loading / unloading stations. The transfer mechanism is also used to transfer the chip carrier at the loading / unloading station to any of the positioning mechanisms for positioning through the pick-and-place component, and then place the positioned chip carrier in the corresponding material box.

[0009] In one embodiment, the positioning mechanism includes a mounting box and a positioning platform installed inside the mounting box. The mounting box has a first opening on the side facing the transfer mechanism, and two material boxes are correspondingly arranged on the top of the two mounting boxes. The first opening is used for the pick-and-place component to enter and exit the mounting box.

[0010] The positioning platform is used to support the chip carrier. The mounting box is provided with telescopic drive members and push rods on both sides along the first direction. The push rods are connected to the output shafts of the corresponding telescopic drive members and are located above the positioning platform. Each telescopic drive member is used to drive the corresponding push rod to move along the first direction so that the two push rods cooperate with each other to position the chip carrier carried on the positioning platform.

[0011] In one embodiment, the mounting box is provided with a support block and a rotary drive component disposed on one side of the support block. A rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the support block, and the top of the rotating shaft is connected to the bottom of the positioning platform. The rotary drive component is used to drive the rotating shaft to rotate, thereby driving the positioning platform and the chip carrier carried on the positioning platform to rotate.

[0012] In one embodiment, the material box forms a material release space, the material release space having a plurality of material release areas for placing the chip carrier, and the plurality of material release areas are arranged vertically at intervals. The side of the material box facing the transfer mechanism has a second opening, the second opening being used for the pick-and-place component to enter and exit the material release space.

[0013] In one embodiment, the material box includes two support plates spaced apart along the first direction, forming the material feeding space between the two support plates; each of the two support plates has a plurality of grooves spaced apart along the vertical direction on opposite sides, and a material feeding area is formed between two corresponding grooves on the two support plates; the chip carrier located in the material feeding area extends into the two corresponding grooves at both ends along the first direction and is supported on the bottom wall of the groove.

[0014] In one embodiment, the transfer mechanism further includes:

[0015] A lifting and rotating drive component is mounted on the frame and located between the two positioning mechanisms;

[0016] A support platform is disposed on top of the lifting and rotating drive component;

[0017] A translation component is installed on the top of the support platform, and a pick-and-place component is disposed at one end of the translation component. The lifting and rotating drive is used to drive the support platform and the translation component to lift and rotate relative to the frame, and the translation component is used to drive the pick-and-place component to translate relative to the support platform.

[0018] In one embodiment, a slide rail is provided on the top of the support platform, the translation component includes a support plate and a translation drive, one end of the support plate is slidably engaged with the slide rail via a slider, and the pick-and-place component is disposed at the end of the support plate away from the slider; the translation drive is disposed at the bottom of the support platform, and the translation drive is used to drive the slider to slide along the slide rail.

[0019] In one embodiment, the top of the support platform is provided with two slide rails spaced apart. The number of translation components is the same as the number of slide rails and is provided in a one-to-one correspondence. Both support plates slide in cooperation with the corresponding slide rails through a slider. The two support plates are arranged vertically spaced apart, and each of the two support plates is provided with a pick-and-place component at the end away from the slider.

[0020] One of the pick-and-place components is used to remove the chip carrier from any of the material boxes and transfer it to the corresponding positioning mechanism for positioning, and then transfer the positioned chip carrier to any loading / unloading station; the other pick-and-place component is used to transfer the chip carrier from the loading / unloading station to the corresponding positioning mechanism for positioning, and then place the positioned chip carrier into the corresponding material box.

[0021] In one embodiment, the pick-and-place assembly includes a connecting block and two support arms. The connecting block is connected to the end of the support plate away from the slider, and the two support arms are spaced apart on the side of the connecting block away from the support plate. The two support arms are used to support the chip carrier.

[0022] This utility model also proposes a chip testing system, including:

[0023] The loading and unloading equipment is a chip carrier loading and unloading equipment as described above;

[0024] Two probe testers are respectively arranged on both sides of the loading and unloading equipment along the first direction and correspond one-to-one with the two loading and unloading stations. Each probe tester has a wafer support platform, which can receive the chip carrier transferred to the corresponding loading and unloading station. The probe testers are used to test the chips on the chip carriers supported on the wafer support platform.

[0025] The chip carrier loading and unloading equipment of this utility model has loading and unloading stations on both sides of the frame, so that probe testers can be set on both sides of the frame. Therefore, the loading and unloading equipment can automatically load and unload two probe testers in sequence at the two loading and unloading stations. During the testing period after loading one probe tester, it can continue to load the other probe tester, thereby reducing the waiting time of the loading and unloading equipment and improving the loading, unloading and chip testing efficiency. Secondly, by setting two material boxes on the rack, after all the chips in one material box have been tested, the loading and unloading equipment can directly transfer the chip carriers in the other material box to the loading and unloading station for testing by an external probe tester. This greatly reduces the loading and unloading downtime and improves loading and unloading efficiency. Furthermore, two positioning mechanisms are set on the top of the rack, with each material box corresponding to one of these mechanisms. When the pick-and-place component removes the chip carriers from the material box, there is no need to significantly adjust the position of the pick-and-place component. The transfer mechanism quickly moves the chip carriers from the material box to the positioning mechanism below the material box for positioning, improving overall loading efficiency. The positioning mechanism also improves the accuracy of the chip carriers' transfer to the loading and unloading station, facilitating accurate and reliable testing by the probe tester.

[0026] Furthermore, after the chip testing on the chip carrier is completed, the chip carrier is moved to the positioning mechanism for positioning via a transfer mechanism. After positioning, the attitude and position of the chip carrier are adjusted to facilitate its return to the material box for collection, thereby achieving automatic unloading of the tested chips. Compared with the manual loading and unloading methods in the prior art, the loading and unloading equipment of this utility model can perform mechanized and automated loading and unloading, reducing the need for manpower, alleviating the intensity of manual labor, and can automatically load and unload two external probe testing machines, resulting in higher loading and unloading efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art 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 the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip carrier loading and unloading device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the positioning mechanism and the material box in the loading and unloading equipment of the chip carrier provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0032] Figure 5 A partial structural schematic diagram of the positioning mechanism in the loading and unloading equipment of the chip carrier provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0033] Figure 6 A partial structural schematic diagram of the transfer mechanism in the loading and unloading equipment of a chip carrier provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0034] Figure 7 A partial structural schematic diagram of the transfer mechanism in the loading and unloading equipment of the chip carrier provided in an embodiment of the present utility model, viewed from another perspective;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip testing system provided in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0037] 100. Loading and unloading equipment; 1. Frame; 11. Wheels; 2. Positioning mechanism; 21. Mounting box; 211. First opening; 22. Positioning platform; 23. Telescopic drive component; 24. Push rod; 25. Support block; 251. Rotating shaft; 26. Rotation drive component; 27. Guide rail; 3. Material box; 31. Support plate; 311. Groove; 32. Discharge space; 33. Second opening; 4. Transfer mechanism; 41. Picking and placing assembly; 41 1. Connecting block; 412. Support arm; 42. Lifting and rotating drive component; 43. Support platform; 431. Slide rail; 432. Support frame; 4321. Support rod; 433. Telescopic cylinder; 434. Receiving block; 435. Receiving plate; 44. Translation assembly; 441. Support plate; 442. Slider; 443. Translation drive component; 444. Drive sprocket; 445. Driven sprocket; 446. Chain; 45. Several sensors;

[0038] 200. Chip testing system; 201. Probe testing machine;

[0039] 300. Chip carrier.

[0040] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0041] 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 scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0042] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this utility model involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0043] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0044] This utility model proposes a loading and unloading device 100 for a chip carrier 300.

[0045] Please see Figure 1In one embodiment of this utility model, the chip carrier 300 has a loading / unloading device 100. The chip carrier 300 carries chips. The loading / unloading device 100 includes a frame 1, a transfer mechanism 4, two positioning mechanisms 2, and two material boxes 3. The frame 1 has loading / unloading stations on both sides along a first direction. The two positioning mechanisms 2 are spaced apart on the top of the frame 1 along a second direction, with the first direction and the second direction perpendicular to each other. The positioning mechanisms 2 are used to position the chip carrier 300. The two material boxes 3 are correspondingly arranged on the top of the two positioning mechanisms 2, and each material box 3 is used to place chips. A chip carrier 300 is provided; a transfer mechanism 4 is installed on the frame 1 and located between two positioning mechanisms 2. The transfer mechanism 4 is provided with a pick-and-place component 41. The transfer mechanism 4 is used to pick up the chip carrier 300 in any material box 3 through the pick-and-place component 41 and transfer it to the corresponding positioning mechanism 2 for positioning, and then transfer the positioned chip carrier 300 to any loading / unloading station; the transfer mechanism 4 is also used to transfer the chip carrier 300 at the loading / unloading station to any positioning mechanism 2 for positioning through the pick-and-place component 41, and then place the positioned chip carrier 300 in the corresponding material box 3.

[0046] In this invention, the loading and unloading equipment 100 of the chip carrier 300 has loading and unloading stations on both sides of the frame 1, so that probe testers 201 can be installed on both sides of the frame 1. Therefore, the loading and unloading equipment 100 can automatically load and unload two probe testers 201 sequentially at the two loading and unloading stations. During the testing period after loading one probe tester 201, it can continue to load the other probe tester 201, thereby reducing the waiting time of the loading and unloading equipment 100 and improving the loading, unloading and chip testing efficiency. Secondly, by setting two material boxes 3 on the rack 1, after all the chips in one material box 3 have been tested, the loading and unloading equipment 100 can directly transfer the chip carrier 300 in the other material box 3 to the loading and unloading station for testing by the external probe tester 201. This greatly reduces the loading and unloading downtime of the loading and unloading equipment 100 and improves loading and unloading efficiency. Furthermore, two positioning mechanisms 2 are set on the top of the rack 1, and the material boxes 3 are positioned on the top of the positioning mechanisms 2. When the pick-and-place component 41 takes out the chip carrier 300 from the material box 3, there is no need to significantly adjust the position of the pick-and-place component 41. The transfer mechanism 4 can quickly move the chip carrier 300 in the material box 3 to the positioning mechanism 2 below the material box 3 for positioning, thereby improving the overall loading efficiency. The positioning by the positioning mechanism 2 also improves the positional accuracy of the chip carrier 300 when it is transferred to the loading and unloading station, so that the probe tester 201 can perform accurate testing, making it more reliable.

[0047] Furthermore, after the chip testing on the chip carrier 300 is completed, the chip carrier 300 is moved to the positioning mechanism 2 for positioning via the transfer mechanism 4. After positioning, the attitude and position of the chip carrier 300 are adjusted to facilitate its return to the material box 3 for collection, thereby achieving automatic unloading of the tested chips. Compared with the manual loading and unloading method in the prior art, the loading and unloading equipment 100 of this utility model can perform automatic loading and unloading, reducing the need for manpower, and can also achieve automatic loading and unloading of two external probe testing machines 201, resulting in higher loading and unloading efficiency.

[0048] Furthermore, the material box 3 is detachably connected to the corresponding positioning mechanism 2. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, each chip carrier 300 inside the material box 3 carries a chip. After all the chips in the material box 3 have been tested, the material box 3 is replaced manually.

[0049] Understandably, in this embodiment, the chip carriers 300 within the same cassette 3 can be loaded onto any loading / unloading station, meaning they can be loaded onto any external probe testing machine 201 for testing. After testing, the chip carriers 300 are removed from the loading / unloading station via the clamping mechanism on the transfer mechanism 4, and can then be placed into any cassette 3. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cassette 3 can simultaneously contain both tested and untested chips. Preferably, one cassette 3 is used to collect chips that fail the test, and the other cassette 3 is used to collect chips that pass the test.

[0050] It should be noted that the first direction is Figure 1 The front and back directions, the second direction is Figure 1 The left and right directions are in the middle, and the vertical direction is... Figure 1 The up and down directions in the middle.

[0051] Furthermore, the bottom of the frame 1 is provided with wheels 11 to facilitate the movement and adjustment of the position of the loading and unloading equipment 100.

[0052] Please combine Figure 1 and Figure 7 Furthermore, the transfer mechanism 4 is also equipped with several sensors 45, which are used to acquire the quantity and position information of the chip carriers 300 placed in the material box 3.

[0053] In this embodiment, by setting several sensors 45 on the transfer mechanism 4, when the transfer mechanism 4 drives the pick-and-place component 41 to align with one of the material boxes 3, the sensors 45 can obtain the number and position of the chip carriers 300 in the material box 3. This allows for the determination of the presence of chip carriers 300 and the number and position of chips. Based on the quantity and position information, the transfer mechanism 4 can be better controlled to accurately load and unload the chip carriers 300. Understandably, based on the quantity information, the number of times the transfer mechanism 4 loads and unloads can be determined; based on the position information, the transfer mechanism 4 can be precisely controlled to drive the pick-and-place component 41 to accurately pick up and place the chip carriers 300.

[0054] It should be noted that the multiple sensors 45 can upload the acquired quantity and position information to a control terminal, which then controls the transfer mechanism 4 to operate based on the quantity and position information. This control terminal can be the control terminal of the loading / unloading equipment itself, or it can be an external control terminal, such as a PLC control system. The aforementioned information transmission and interaction methods, the choice of control terminal, the processing logic of the quantity and position information by the control terminal, and the control logic for controlling the operation of the transfer mechanism 4 can all be implemented using existing technologies.

[0055] It should also be noted that the multiple sensors 45 can be reflective sensors from existing technologies, such as proximity position sensors.

[0056] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, the positioning mechanism 2 includes a mounting box 21 and a positioning platform 22 installed in the mounting box 21. The mounting box 21 has a first opening 211 on the side facing the transfer mechanism 4. Two material boxes 3 are correspondingly arranged on the top of the two mounting boxes 21. The first opening 211 is used for the loading and unloading assembly 41 to enter and exit the mounting box 21. The positioning platform 22 is used to receive the chip carrier 300. The mounting box 21 is provided with telescopic drive members 23 and push rods 24 on both sides along the first direction. The push rods 24 are connected to the output shaft of the corresponding telescopic drive members 23 and are located above the positioning platform 22. Each telescopic drive member 23 is used to drive the corresponding push rod 24 to move along the first direction so that the two push rods 24 cooperate with each other to position the chip carrier 300 carried on the positioning platform 22.

[0057] In this embodiment, the positioning mechanism 2 includes a mounting box 21 and a positioning platform 22. The mounting box 21 has a first opening 211 on the side facing the transfer mechanism 4. The transfer mechanism 4 can drive the pick-and-place component 41 to enter the mounting box 21 through the first opening 211, thereby placing the chip carrier 300 on the positioning platform 22. After positioning, the pick-and-place component 41 drives the chip carrier 300 out of the mounting box 21 through the first opening 211. By providing telescopic drive members 23 and push rods 24 on both sides of the mounting box 21 along the first direction, and positioning the push rods 24 above the positioning platform 22, the telescopic drive members 23 can drive the push rods 24 to move, thereby pushing the chip carrier 300 on the positioning platform 22. This allows for adjustment of the chip position on the chip carrier 300, ensuring the accuracy of subsequent chip testing.

[0058] It should be noted that the telescopic drive component 23 and the cylinder are based on existing technology.

[0059] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 5 In one embodiment, the mounting box 21 is provided with a support block 25 and a rotation drive 26 disposed on one side of the support block 25. A rotating shaft 251 is rotatably connected to the support block 25, and the top of the rotating shaft 251 is connected to the bottom of the positioning platform 22. The rotation drive 26 is used to drive the rotating shaft 251 to rotate, so as to drive the positioning platform 22 and the chip carrier 300 carried on the positioning platform 22 to rotate.

[0060] In this embodiment, by setting a rotation drive 26 and a rotating shaft 251 on the support block 25, the rotation drive 26 drives the rotating shaft 251 to rotate, thereby driving the chip carrier 300 to rotate, thereby further adjusting the orientation of the chip on the chip carrier 300, so as to improve the accuracy of subsequent chip testing.

[0061] Specifically, the output shaft of the rotary drive 26 is connected to the rotating shaft 251 via a synchronous belt. It should be noted that the rotary drive 26 can be a drive motor as used in the prior art.

[0062] Please see Figure 5 Furthermore, the mounting box 21 is also provided with a guide rail 27 and a lifting drive (not shown in the figure). The guide rail 27 extends vertically, the support block 25 slides with the guide rail 27, and the lifting drive is used to drive the support block 25 to move vertically relative to the guide rail 27.

[0063] Understandably, by setting the guide rail 27, the support block 25 slides with the guide rail 27, and the lifting drive can drive the support block 25 to rise and fall. When the pick-and-place component 41 picks and places the chip carrier 300 on the positioning platform 22, the lifting drive first drives the positioning platform 22 to fall, so as to avoid the two push rods 24 from interfering with the pick-and-place component 41 and affecting the loading and unloading. When it is necessary to position the chip carrier 300, the lifting drive drives the positioning platform 22 to rise, so that the push rods 24 can abut against the chip carrier 300 on the positioning platform 22.

[0064] It should be noted that the lifting drive component can be a cylinder, hydraulic cylinder, or other existing technology.

[0065] Please see him Figure 2 and Figure 3 In one embodiment, the material box 3 forms a material release space 32, which has a plurality of material release areas for placing chip carriers 300, and the plurality of material release areas are arranged vertically at intervals. The side of the material box 3 facing the transfer mechanism 4 has a second opening 33, which is used for the pick-and-place assembly 41 to enter and exit the material release space 32.

[0066] In this embodiment, by vertically spacing multiple feeding zones within the material box 3, more chip carriers 300 can be placed. A gap exists between any two adjacent chip carriers 300 placed within the material box 3, allowing the pick-and-place component 41 to extend into and pick up any chip carrier 300. Both material boxes 3 have a second opening 33 on the side facing the transfer mechanism 4. When the pick-and-place component 41 picks up or places a chip carrier 300, it can enter and exit the feeding space 32 through the second opening 33, thereby removing a chip carrier 300 from any feeding zone or placing a chip carrier 300 in an empty feeding zone.

[0067] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the chip carriers 300 are all placed horizontally inside the material box 3 to prevent the chips from falling off the chip carriers 300.

[0068] Please see Figure 3 In one embodiment, the material box 3 includes two support plates 31 spaced apart along a first direction, forming a material feeding space 32 between the two support plates 31; each of the two support plates 31 has a plurality of grooves 311 spaced apart along a vertical direction on opposite sides, and a material feeding area is formed between two corresponding grooves 311 on the two support plates 31; the chip carrier 300 located in the material feeding area extends into the corresponding two grooves 311 at both ends along the first direction and is supported on the bottom wall of the groove 311.

[0069] In this embodiment, by providing multiple vertically spaced grooves 311 on opposite sides of the two support plates 31, and having both ends of the chip carrier 300 extend into the corresponding grooves 311 and be supported on the bottom wall of the groove, a stable support can be provided for the chip carrier 300. This design ensures that the chip carrier 300 will not easily slide or shift during storage and transportation, thus enhancing stability.

[0070] Each slide extends along the second direction. When the pick-and-place component 41 picks up and places the chip carrier 300, it moves the chip carrier 300 out of the discharge space 32 along the slide. When placing the chip carrier 300, the pick-and-place component 41 first aligns the two ends of the chip carrier 300 with the two slides, and then moves the chip carrier 300 into the discharge space 32.

[0071] Specifically, the distance between the top and bottom walls of the groove 311 is greater than the thickness of the chip carrier 300. When picking up or placing the chip carrier 300, the chip carrier 300 is first raised by a certain distance so that the chip carrier 300 does not come into contact with the top and bottom walls of the groove 311 and thus does not generate friction, making it easy to pick up or place the chip carrier 300.

[0072] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 In one embodiment, the transfer mechanism 4 further includes a lifting and rotating drive 42, a support platform 43, and a translation component 44; the lifting and rotating drive 42 is mounted on the frame 1 and located between the two positioning mechanisms 2; the support platform 43 is disposed on the top of the lifting and rotating drive 42; the translation component 44 is mounted on the top of the support platform 43, and the pick-and-place component 41 is disposed at one end of the translation component 44. The lifting and rotating drive 42 is used to drive the support platform 43 and the translation component 44 to lift and rotate relative to the frame 1, and the translation component 44 is used to drive the pick-and-place component 41 to translate relative to the support platform 43.

[0073] In this embodiment, by setting up a lifting and rotating drive 42 and a support platform 43, the lifting and rotating drive 42 can drive the support platform 43 to rise and fall relative to the frame 1, and can also drive the support platform 43 to rotate, thereby driving the translation component 44 located on the support platform 43 to rotate. The pick-and-place component 41 is set at one end of the translation component 44, so the pick-and-place component 41 also changes its orientation with the rotation of the support platform 43. Through the lifting and rotating drive 42, the pick-and-place component 41 can ultimately be driven to face any material box 3, positioning mechanism 2 and loading / unloading station, and through the translation mechanism, the pick-and-place component 41 can be driven to translate, thereby entering and exiting the material box 3, mounting box 21, etc. to realize the pick-and-place chip carrier 300. The structure is simple and flexible.

[0074] Understandably, the translation component 44 only drives the pick-and-place component 41 to translate when it is facing the material box 3, the positioning mechanism 2, or the loading / unloading station, that is, to translate in the front-back or left-right direction. It should be noted that the lifting and rotating drive component 42 can be a combination of a cylinder and a drive motor as used in the prior art.

[0075] In one embodiment, a slide rail 431 is provided on the top of the support platform 43, and the translation component 44 includes a support plate 441 and a translation drive 443. One end of the support plate 441 is slidably engaged with the slide rail 431 through a slider 442. The pick-and-place component 41 is disposed at the end of the support plate 441 away from the slider 442. The translation drive 443 is disposed at the bottom of the support platform 43 and is used to drive the slider 442 to slide along the slide rail 431.

[0076] In this embodiment, by providing a slide rail 431 on the top of the support platform 43, and the support plate 441 slidingly engaging with the slide rail 431 via a slider 442, a gap is created between the support plate 441 and the support platform 43, which facilitates the translation of the support plate 441 relative to the support platform 43. When the support platform 43 rotates, the slide rail 431 changes direction accordingly. The translation drive 443 drives the slider 442 to slide along the slide rail 431, thereby causing the support plate 441 and the pick-and-place assembly 41 on the support plate 441 to translate.

[0077] Furthermore, a drive sprocket 444 is provided on the output shaft of the translation drive 443, and a driven sprocket 445 is provided on the end of the support platform 43 away from the translation drive 443. A chain 446 is wound around the drive sprocket 444 and the driven sprocket 445, and the slider 442 is connected to the chain 446. Understandably, when the output shaft of the translation drive 443 rotates, it drives the slider 442 to move on the slide rail 431 via the chain 446. The translation drive 443 can be a drive motor as used in the prior art.

[0078] In one embodiment, two slide rails 431 are spaced apart on the top of the support platform 43. The number of translation components 44 is the same as the number of slide rails 431 and they are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. Both support plates 441 are slidably engaged with the corresponding slide rails 431 through a slider 442. The two support plates 441 are arranged vertically at intervals. Each end of the two support plates 441 away from the slider 442 is provided with a pick-and-place component 41. One pick-and-place component 41 is used to pick up the chip carrier 300 in any material box 3 and transfer it to the corresponding positioning mechanism 2 for positioning, and then transfer the positioned chip carrier 300 to any loading / unloading station. The other pick-and-place component 41 is used to transfer the chip carrier 300 from the loading / unloading station to the corresponding positioning mechanism 2 for positioning, and then place the positioned chip carrier 300 in the corresponding material box 3.

[0079] In this embodiment, two pick-and-place components 41 are provided. One component is used to remove the chip carrier 300 from the material box 3 and transfer it to the positioning mechanism 2 for positioning. The other component is used to transfer the tested chip carrier 300 from the loading / unloading station back to the material box 3. Understandably, during unloading, the lifting and rotating drive 42 drives one of the pick-and-place components 41 to align with the loading / unloading station. Then, the translation mechanism drives the pick-and-place component 41 to move to the loading / unloading station to remove the chip carrier 300. After that, the translation mechanism drives the pick-and-place component 41 to retract. Then, the lifting and rotating drive 42 drives the other pick-and-place component 41 to align with the loading / unloading station. Then, the translation mechanism drives the pick-and-place component 41 to move to place the chip carrier 300 on it at the loading / unloading station. This enables fast loading / unloading at the loading / unloading station, which is more efficient and allows for continuous testing of the probe tester 201, effectively reducing the waiting time of the probe tester 201. When the pick-and-place components 41 are facing the material box 3, one of the pick-and-place components 41 takes out a chip carrier 300 carrying the chip to be tested, while the other pick-and-place component 41 puts back the chip carrier 300 carrying the chip after testing.

[0080] As can be seen, in this embodiment, one of the pick-and-place components 41 is used for loading, while the other pick-and-place component 41 is used for unloading, thereby achieving continuous loading and unloading with higher efficiency.

[0081] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 7 In one embodiment, the pick-and-place assembly 41 includes a connecting block 411 and two support arms 412. The connecting block 411 is connected to the end of the support plate 441 away from the slider 442. The two support arms 412 are spaced apart on the side of the connecting block 411 away from the support plate 441. The two support arms 412 are used to support the chip carrier 300.

[0082] In this embodiment, two support arms 412 for receiving the chip carrier 300 are provided. During loading, the lifting and rotating drive 42 first moves the pick-and-place assembly 41 to the position of the chip carrier 300 to be removed. Then, the translation mechanism moves the pick-and-place assembly 41 to translate so that the two support arms 412 are below the chip carrier 300 to be removed. Then, the lifting and rotating drive 42 moves the support arm 412 up a certain distance, thereby raising the chip carrier 300 to a certain height, so that there is no friction between the chip carrier 300 and the groove 311. Then, the translation mechanism moves the pick-and-place assembly 41 back. If the other pick-and-place assembly 41 is carrying the chip carrier 300, the lifting and rotating drive will also move the other pick-and-place assembly 41 to align with the material box 3, so that the translation mechanism moves the pick-and-place assembly 41 to put the chip carrier 300 back into the material box 3. Afterward, the lifting and rotating drive 42 moves the pick-and-place assembly 41 down to align with the positioning mechanism 2. The positioning platform 22 descends, and then the translation mechanism drives the pick-and-place component 41 to translate, thereby placing the chip carrier 300 taken from the material box 3 onto the positioning platform 22 and then retracting it. The positioning platform 22 rises, and the rotary drive component 26 and the push rod 24 move to position the chip carrier 300 on it. After positioning, the positioning platform 22 descends, and the translation mechanism drives the two support arms 412 of the pick-and-place component 41 to extend under the chip carrier 300, lifting the chip carrier 300 a certain distance and bringing it out of the mounting box 21. Finally, the lifting and rotating drive component 42 is adjusted to align the pick-and-place component 41, which does not carry the chip carrier 300, with the loading and unloading station. The translation mechanism drives the pick-and-place component 41 to translate to the loading and unloading station to first remove the chip carrier 300. Then, the pick-and-place component 41 is retracted. The lifting and rotating drive component 42 is adjusted to align the other pick-and-place component 41 with the loading and unloading station, and the translation mechanism drives it to place the chip carrier 300 on it at the loading and unloading station.

[0083] Therefore, by setting two support arms 412 to support the chip carrier 300, compared with other methods of using clamps to pick up the chip carrier 300, the chip carrier 300 is less likely to be deformed, thereby further avoiding damage to the chip on it and improving reliability.

[0084] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 7 Furthermore, a support frame 432 is also provided on the support platform 43. The support frame 432 includes a support rod 4321 located above the support plate 441. Two telescopic cylinders 433 are spaced apart at the bottom of the support rod 4321. A receiving block 434 is provided at the output end of each telescopic cylinder 433. A receiving plate 435 is provided on the side of the receiving block 434 facing the pick-and-place component 41. The telescopic cylinder 433 is used to drive the receiving block 434 to move relative to the support rod 4321.

[0085] Understandably, by setting up a support frame 432, and installing a telescopic cylinder 433 and a receiving block 434 on the support frame 432, when the pick-and-place component 41 places the chip carrier 300 into the material box 3, the telescopic cylinder 433 drives the receiving block 434 to move horizontally, so that the receiving block 434 corresponds to one of the material release areas. Then, by moving the pick-and-place component 41 horizontally, the chip carrier 300 on the pick-and-place component 41 moves along the top of the receiving plate 435, so as to accurately enter the corresponding material release area. The two receiving plates 435 can be regarded as an intermediate bridge. The receiving plates 435 support the chip carrier 300, avoiding the chip carrier 300 from sagging due to excessive weight, which would prevent it from being accurately placed back into the material box 3, thus improving reliability.

[0086] Specifically, the upper pick-and-place component 41 is used for unloading, and the lower pick-and-place component 41 is used for loading.

[0087] Please see Figure 8 The present invention also proposes a chip testing system 200, including a loading and unloading device 100 for a chip carrier 300 and two probe testers 201. The two probe testers 201 are respectively disposed on both sides of the loading and unloading device 100 along a first direction and correspond one-to-one with two loading and unloading stations. Each probe tester 201 has a wafer support platform capable of receiving the chip carrier 300 transferred to the corresponding loading and unloading station. The probe tester 201 is used to test the chip on the chip carrier 300 supported on the wafer support platform. The specific structure of the loading and unloading device 100 for the chip carrier 300 is as described in the above embodiments. Since the chip testing system 200 adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0088] In this system, two probe testing machines 201 can be alternately loaded and unloaded by a single loading and unloading device 100, which saves costs and reduces the waiting time of the loading and unloading device 100, resulting in high loading and unloading efficiency.

[0089] Furthermore, a barcode scanning mechanism is also provided on the carrier platform. This mechanism scans the chips on the chip carrier 300 on the pick-and-place component 41, thereby sending the barcodes to the probe tester 201. The probe tester 201 then loads the chips, thus entering the test preparation stage. It should be noted that the interaction between the barcode scanning mechanism and the probe tester 201 is implemented using existing technology. When the wafer carrier 300 is received by the wafer support platform, the platform moves it to the position of the probe, thereby testing the PAD points of the chip through the probe. After the test is completed, the wafer support platform moves the chip carrier 300 to the loading / unloading station.

[0090] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the technical concept of the present utility model and the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A chip carrier loading and unloading device, characterized in that, The chip carrier carries chips, and the loading and unloading equipment includes: The frame has loading and unloading stations on both sides along the first direction; Two positioning mechanisms are provided, spaced apart on the top of the frame along a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other, and the positioning mechanisms are used to position the chip carrier. Two material boxes are respectively disposed on the top of the two positioning mechanisms, and each material box is used to place the chip carrier; A transfer mechanism is installed on the frame and located between the two positioning mechanisms. The transfer mechanism is equipped with a pick-and-place component. The transfer mechanism is used to pick up the chip carrier in any of the material boxes through the pick-and-place component and transfer it to the corresponding positioning mechanism for positioning, and then transfer the positioned chip carrier to any of the loading / unloading stations. The transfer mechanism is also used to transfer the chip carrier at the loading / unloading station to any of the positioning mechanisms for positioning through the pick-and-place component, and then place the positioned chip carrier in the corresponding material box.

2. The chip carrier loading and unloading equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning mechanism includes a mounting box and a positioning platform installed inside the mounting box. The mounting box has a first opening on the side facing the transfer mechanism, and two material boxes are correspondingly arranged on the top of the two mounting boxes. The first opening is used for the pick-and-place component to enter and exit the mounting box. The positioning platform is used to support the chip carrier. The mounting box is provided with telescopic drive members and push rods on both sides along the first direction. The push rods are connected to the output shafts of the corresponding telescopic drive members and are located above the positioning platform. Each telescopic drive member is used to drive the corresponding push rod to move along the first direction so that the two push rods cooperate with each other to position the chip carrier carried on the positioning platform.

3. The chip carrier loading and unloading equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The mounting box contains a support block and a rotary drive component located on one side of the support block. A rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the support block, and the top of the rotating shaft is connected to the bottom of the positioning platform. The rotary drive component is used to drive the rotating shaft to rotate, thereby causing the positioning platform and the chip carrier supported on the positioning platform to rotate.

4. The chip carrier loading and unloading equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The material box forms a material feeding space, which has multiple material feeding areas for placing the chip carrier. The multiple material feeding areas are arranged vertically at intervals. The side of the material box facing the transfer mechanism has a second opening, which is used for the pick-and-place component to enter and exit the material feeding space.

5. The chip carrier loading and unloading equipment as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The material box includes two support plates spaced apart along the first direction, forming the material feeding space between the two support plates; each of the two support plates has a plurality of grooves spaced apart along the vertical direction on opposite sides, and a material feeding area is formed between two corresponding grooves on the two support plates; the chip carrier located in the material feeding area extends into the two corresponding grooves along the first direction and is supported on the bottom wall of the groove.

6. The loading and unloading equipment for a chip carrier as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The transfer mechanism also includes: A lifting and rotating drive component is mounted on the frame and located between the two positioning mechanisms; A support platform is disposed on top of the lifting and rotating drive component; A translation component is installed on the top of the support platform, and a pick-and-place component is disposed at one end of the translation component. The lifting and rotating drive is used to drive the support platform and the translation component to lift and rotate relative to the frame, and the translation component is used to drive the pick-and-place component to translate relative to the support platform.

7. The chip carrier loading and unloading equipment as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The top of the support platform is provided with a slide rail. The translation component includes a support plate and a translation drive component. One end of the support plate is slidably engaged with the slide rail via a slider. The pick-and-place component is located at the end of the support plate away from the slider. The translation drive component is located at the bottom of the support platform and is used to drive the slider to slide along the slide rail.

8. The chip carrier loading and unloading equipment as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The top of the support platform is provided with two slide rails at intervals. The number of translation components is the same as the number of slide rails and is provided in a one-to-one correspondence. Both support plates are slidably engaged with the corresponding slide rails through a slider. The two support plates are arranged vertically at intervals, and each of the two support plates is provided with a pick-and-place component at the end away from the slider. One of the pick-and-place components is used to remove the chip carrier from any of the material boxes and transfer it to the corresponding positioning mechanism for positioning, and then transfer the positioned chip carrier to any loading / unloading station; the other pick-and-place component is used to transfer the chip carrier from the loading / unloading station to the corresponding positioning mechanism for positioning, and then place the positioned chip carrier into the corresponding material box.

9. The loading and unloading equipment for the chip carrier as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The pick-and-place assembly includes a connecting block and two support arms. The connecting block is connected to the end of the support plate away from the slider. The two support arms are spaced apart on the side of the connecting block away from the support plate. The two support arms are used to support the chip carrier.

10. A chip testing system, characterized in that, include: The loading and unloading equipment is the same as the loading and unloading equipment for the chip carrier as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; Two probe testers are respectively arranged on both sides of the loading and unloading equipment along the first direction and correspond one-to-one with the two loading and unloading stations. Each probe tester has a wafer support platform, which can receive the chip carrier transferred to the corresponding loading and unloading station. The probe testers are used to test the chips on the chip carriers supported on the wafer support platform.

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