Inspection equipment

Abstract

An inspection device is disclosed for inspecting the characteristics of an object under test which has a built-in antenna that emits a wireless signal. The inspection device includes a signal probe whose one end contacts a first terminal of the object under test to transmit an inspection signal, a ground probe which contacts a second terminal of the object under test, a probe support portion which supports the signal probe and the ground probe, and a socket block which corresponds to the antenna of the object under test and has a waveguide that penetrates the longitudinal direction of the signal probe in order to measure the wireless signal in a region different from the probe support portion.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection device for inspecting the characteristics of a test object in which an antenna that emits a radio signal is incorporated.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, a patch antenna has been incorporated in a test object, that is, a semiconductor device. Therefore, an inspection device capable of evaluating the characteristics of the built-in antenna of the semiconductor device is required.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] An object of the present invention is to provide an inspection device for inspecting the characteristics of a test object in which an antenna that emits a radio signal is incorporated.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] An inspection device for achieving the above object is provided. The inspection device includes a signal probe whose one end contacts the first terminal of the test object to transmit an inspection signal, a ground probe that contacts the second terminal of the test object, a probe support portion that supports the signal probe and the ground probe, and a socket block that corresponds to the antenna of the test object and has a waveguide that penetrates in the longitudinal direction of the signal probe in a region different from the probe support portion for measuring the radio signal.

[0005] The waveguide may include a shielding wall that protrudes toward the antenna from one surface of the socket block facing the test object.

[0006] The height of the shielding wall may be determined so as to satisfy the loss characteristics of the radio signal when the first terminal and the second terminal of the test object respectively contact the signal probe and the ground probe.

[0007] The shielding wall may include a terminal guide groove that is recessed along the inspection direction to guide the descent of the second terminal during inspection.

[0008] The probe support and the waveguide may be made of a conductive material.

[0009] The probe support portion may be made of an insulating material. The waveguide may be made of a conductive material. The socket block may include a conductive connecting portion that connects the ground probe and the waveguide. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention can reduce inspection time and costs by inspecting not only the electrical characteristics of the object under inspection but also the characteristics of the built-in patch antenna. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a view of the object being inspected from below. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of an inspection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the inspection device. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the socket block from above. [Figure 5] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the socket block from below. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 4. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of region B. [Figure 8] Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of region C. [Figure 9] This figure shows the loss characteristics of wireless signals due to the gap between the bottom surface of the object under inspection and the top surface of the shielding wall. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view of a socket block according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, the inspection apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a view of the inspection object 1 seen from below, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inspection apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the inspection apparatus 100 of FIG. 2.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 1, the inspection object 1 is an object for inspecting electrical characteristics and antenna characteristics, and for example, may be a semiconductor device incorporating a plurality of patch antennas 11. A plurality of terminals 12 protrude in the form of bumps on the bottom surface of the inspection object 1. The plurality of terminals 12 include signal terminals, ground terminals, and power terminals.

[0015] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the inspection apparatus 100 is for inspecting the electrical characteristics and antenna characteristics of the inspection object 1 in FIG. 1, and includes an inspection object insertion block 110, a socket block 120, and a block support portion 130.

[0016] The inspection object insertion block 110 includes an inspection object accommodation portion 111 for accommodating the inspection object 1 for inspection.

[0017] The socket block 120 is supported within the block support portion 130, and as shown in FIG. 2, one surface thereof is exposed to the inspection object accommodation portion 111.

[0018] The block support portion 130 includes a first block support portion 131 and a second block support portion 132. The socket block 120 is sandwiched between the first block support portion 131 and the second block support portion 132.

[0019] The first block support portion 131 includes a first opening 1311 that communicates with the inspection object accommodation portion 111 of the inspection object insertion block 110. The upper probe support portion (1211 in FIG. 4) protruding from one surface of the socket block 120 is accommodated in the first opening 1311.

[0020] The second block support portion 132 includes a second opening 1321. The lower probe support portion (1221 in FIG. 5) protruding from the opposite surface of one surface of the socket block 120 is accommodated in the second opening 1321.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the socket block 120 of FIG. 2 viewed from above, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the socket block 120 of FIG. 2 viewed from below.

[0022] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the socket block 120 includes upper and lower probe support portions 1211 and 1221 that support a plurality of probes, namely, a signal probe 140, a power probe 150, and a ground probe 160. The socket block 120 corresponds to the antenna 11 of the object under test 1 and has a waveguide 124 that penetrates in the longitudinal direction of the signal probe 140 to measure a radio signal in a region different from the upper and lower probe support portions 1211 and 1221.

[0023] The socket block 120 may be made of a conductive material, such as brass. The socket block 120 includes an upper block 121 and a lower block 122.

[0024] The upper block 121 includes an upper probe support portion 1211 and an upper skirt portion 1212.

[0025] The upper probe support portion 1211 supports the upper portions of the signal probe 140, the power probe 150, and the ground probe 160 that respectively correspond to the signal terminal, the ground terminal, and the power terminal of the object under test 1.

[0026] The upper skirt portion 1212 is coupled to the lower skirt portion 1222 described later.

[0027] The lower block 122 includes a lower probe support portion 1221 and a lower skirt portion 1222.

[0028] The lower probe support section 1221 supports the lower parts of the signal probe 140, the ground probe 150, and the power probe 160, respectively.

[0029] The lower skirt portion 1222 is connected to the upper skirt portion 1212.

[0030] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 4, Figure 7 is an enlarged view of region B in Figure 6, Figure 8 is an enlarged view of region C in Figure 4, and Figure 9 is a diagram showing the loss characteristics of the wireless signal due to the gap between the bottom surface of the object under inspection 1 and the top surface of the shielding wall 1241.

[0031] Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the socket block 120 has signal probe holes 1231, power probe hole 1232, and ground probe hole 1233 for supporting the signal probe 140, power probe 150, and ground probe 160, respectively. The signal probe 140 and power probe 150 are supported in a non-contact manner by insulating support members 1251 and 1252 in the signal probe hole 1231 and power probe hole 1232, respectively, while the ground probe 160 is supported in contact with the ground probe hole 1233.

[0032] The socket block 120 includes a first insulating cover member 1253 that covers one end of the signal probe 140 and the power probe 150 on one side, and a second insulating cover member 1254 that covers the other end of the signal probe 140 and the power probe 150 on the opposite side of the same side. The first and second insulating cover members 1253 and 1254 prevent the terminals 12 of the object under test 1 and the terminals 22 of the test circuit board 2 from coming into contact with adjacent conductive probe support parts 1211 and 1221 during testing, thereby preventing short circuits.

[0033] Waveguide 124 has a cross-sectional area corresponding to the size of the patch antenna 11 of the object under test 1 and is formed to penetrate the upper and lower probe support portions 1211 and 1221. Waveguide 124 is a passage through which the radio signal emitted from the patch antenna 11 of the object under test 1 is transmitted to the antenna 21 of the test circuit board 2. In this case, the patch antenna 11 of the object under test 1 is a transmitting antenna, and the antenna 21 of the test circuit board 2 is a receiving antenna.

[0034] Referring to Figures 8 and 9, the waveguide 124 includes a shielding wall 1241 that protrudes from one side of the socket block facing the object under test 1 toward the patch antenna 11 of the object under test 1. In Figure 9, the object under test 1 has terminals 12 protruding from its bottom surface. Therefore, radio signals emitted from the antenna 11 during testing may leak to the outside through a gap corresponding to the protrusion height. Also, external noise may flow in through a gap corresponding to the protrusion height. The shielding wall 1241 can block such gaps to prevent leakage of radio signals and inflow of noise. That is, the height of the shielding wall 1241 may be determined so as to satisfy the radio signal loss characteristics when the terminals of the object under test 1 are in contact with the signal probe 140, power probe 150, and ground probe 160. The radio signal loss characteristics must satisfy an insertion loss of -1 to 0 dB and a return loss of -10 dB or less.

[0035] The height of the shielding wall 1241 must be less than the height of the terminals of the object under inspection 1.

[0036] The shielding wall 1241 includes a terminal guide groove 128 that is recessed along the inspection direction to guide the descent of the terminal 12 adjacent to the antenna 11 during inspection.

[0037] The object under inspection 1 may be damaged by the shielding wall 1241 if its bottom surface comes into direct contact with the upper end of the shielding wall 1241. As shown in Figure 9, the object under inspection 1 must not come into contact with the upper end of the shielding wall 1241 during inspection, and must be separated by a predetermined distance H. The loss characteristics of the wireless signal worsen as the distance H increases.

[0038] Figure 9 shows the insertion loss and return loss when the spacing H is 0 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, and 0.285 mm. When the spacing H is 0.285 mm or less, the insertion loss is -1 to 0 dB and the return loss is -10 dB or less. When the spacing H exceeds 0.285 mm, the loss characteristics cannot be met.

[0039] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a socket block 220 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] The socket block 220 includes an upper block 221 made of insulating material, a lower block 222 made of insulating material, and an intermediate block 223 made of conductive material. The socket block 220 supports a signal probe 140, a power probe 150, a ground probe 160, and a waveguide 224 made of conductive material.

[0041] The upper and lower blocks 221 and 222 support the signal probe 140, power probe 150, and ground probe 160 in contact with each other. The intermediate block 223 is not in contact with the signal probe 140 and power probe 150, but is in contact with the ground probe 160 and waveguide 224. Therefore, the intermediate block 223 acts as a conductive connector that electrically connects the ground probe 160 and waveguide 240.

[0042] Waveguide 224 has a cross-sectional shape that corresponds to the surface shape of the antenna 11 of the object under test 1 and the antenna 21 of the test circuit board 2. Waveguide 224 may be embodied as a conductive tube or a coating film of a conductive material.

[0043] The inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention can reduce inspection time and costs by inspecting not only the electrical characteristics of the object under inspection but also the characteristics of the built-in patch antenna.

[0044] The present invention and its advantages have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and changes are possible, as long as they do not depart from the scope of the invention as described in the appended claims. Therefore, the specification and drawings should be considered more illustrative than limiting. Any such possible modifications should be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An inspection device for inspecting the characteristics of an object under inspection, which has a built-in antenna that emits a wireless signal, A signal probe, one end of which contacts the first terminal of the object under inspection to transmit an inspection signal, A grounding probe that contacts the second terminal of the object under inspection, An inspection apparatus comprising: a probe support portion that supports the signal probe and the ground probe; and a socket block having a waveguide that penetrates the longitudinal direction of the signal probe in order to measure the radio signal in a region different from the probe support portion, corresponding to the antenna of the object under inspection.

2. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide includes a shielding wall protruding toward the antenna from one side of the socket block facing the object to be inspected.

3. The inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the height of the shielding wall is determined such that the loss characteristics of the wireless signal are satisfied when the first terminal and the second terminal of the object under inspection are in contact with the signal probe and the ground probe, respectively.

4. The inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the shielding wall includes a terminal guide groove recessed along the inspection direction to guide the descent of the second terminal during inspection.

5. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the probe support and the waveguide are made of a conductive material.

6. The probe support portion is made of an insulating material. The waveguide is made of a conductive material, The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the socket block includes a conductive connecting portion that connects the grounding probe and the waveguide.

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