Heatable Interposer for Semiconductor Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor device testing methods face challenges in maintaining accurate temperature control during testing, leading to heat sinking effects and inaccuracies due to thermal energy loss or gain through pogo pins, which are costly and inefficient to correct.
Innovation Solution
A heatable interposer is inserted between the pogo pins and the semiconductor device, featuring alternating layers of thermally conductive and insulating materials, with electrically conductive vias and a temperature sensor to control and maintain a stable temperature profile, ensuring accurate temperature correlation with test results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the device is tested at a temperature different from the pogo pin temperature, then temperature-controlled testing can be performed, but thermal energy loss or gain through the pogo pins causes temperature shifts and inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
A heatable interposer is introduced as an intermediary component between the pogo pins and the device under test. The interposer includes a temperature sensor that directly measures the temperature at the interface, and a heater that compensates for thermal losses, thereby mediating the thermal interaction and eliminating temperature shifts caused by direct pogo pin contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The interposer incorporates a temperature sensor that provides real-time feedback on the actual temperature at the pogo pin interface. This feedback signal is used to control a heater element within the interposer, creating a closed-loop system that actively maintains the desired temperature and compensates for thermal drift during testing.
2Temperature
If air is blown across the contactor to correct heat sinking effect, then temperature stabilization can be achieved, but the response time is too long
Solution Approach 1:
The passive thermal management approach of blowing air across the contactor is replaced with an active thermal control system. The interposer uses a heater element and temperature sensor to directly control the temperature at the interface, substituting mechanical convection with controlled thermal conduction and active feedback, thereby achieving faster response times.
3Temperature
If a heating manipulator is used for active thermal control, then temperature control can be achieved, but the cost increases and it depends on package size
Solution Approach 1:
The heating and temperature sensing functions are merged into a single integrated interposer component that sits at the interface between the pogo pins and the device. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate, expensive heating manipulators and reduces the system's dependence on package size, as the interposer is a compact, self-contained unit.
4Temperature
If an additional heater is inserted into the PCB of the tester, then temperature control can be achieved, but board space is consumed and board reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature control functionality is extracted from the PCB and relocated to the interposer component. By removing the heater from the PCB and placing it in the interposer, board space is freed up and the PCB's reliability is improved, as the thermal management functions are now isolated in a separate, dedicated component.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The heatable interposer effectively stabilizes the temperature at the pogo pin ends, reducing temperature inaccuracies and enhancing the reliability of semiconductor device testing by ensuring consistent thermal conditions, thus improving test accuracy and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The first part has alternating horizontal layers of thermally conductive material to equalize temperature throughout the layers' extent
Implementation Method 2
The first part has alternating horizontal layers of thermally conductive material to equalize temperature throughout the layers' extent, and of thermally insulating material
Implementation Method 3
The second part consists of one or more heating layers
Data Source
AI summary
A contactor having the top ends of its pogo pins contacting the leads of a semiconductor device package positioned in a handler at controlled temperature, and the bottom ends of the pogo pins contacting the pads of electrically conducting vias extending vertically through a heatable interposer. The heatable interposer has a first and a second surface and includes alternating horizontal layers of thermally conductive material and thermally insulating material, and further one or more heating layers operable to control a temperature profile from the first to the second surface, including a temperature control at the first surface. The via pads at the second interposer surface are in contact with the printed circuit board of a tester.