Package-on-Package Test Socket with Movable Upper Chip Holder
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for testing package-on-package semiconductor devices are complex, bulky, and inefficient, with the apparatus requiring a lifting and rotating arm, leading to poor test efficiency and high costs.
Innovation Solution
A simplified apparatus comprising a pick-and-place device, test socket, upper chip holder, and main controller, where the upper chip holder is an independent component used only during testing, allowing for a full automatic test process that simplifies the mechanical components and reduces costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a lifting and rotating arm is used to move the upper chip during testing, then the upper chip can be positioned between the pick-and-place device and test socket, but the mechanism becomes complex and bulky, reducing test efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the upper chip holder as a separate, movable component from the fixed mechanical structure. Instead of using a complex lifting and rotating arm to position the upper chip, the upper chip holder is designed to be independently pickable and placeable by the pick-and-place device, removing the need for specialized positioning mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The pick-and-place device is made multi-functional by enabling it to handle both the first package device (lower chip) and the upper chip holder. This universal approach allows one device to perform multiple functions, eliminating the need for separate lifting and rotating arm mechanisms dedicated solely to upper chip positioning
2Adaptability or versatility
If a lifting and rotating arm mechanism is implemented, then the upper chip can be moved to test positions, but the overall apparatus becomes bulky and test efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical lifting and rotating arm system with a pick-and-place based system. The upper chip holder is transferred using the pick-and-place device's picking and placing capabilities, substituting complex mechanical positioning with a more efficient, automated pick-and-place mechanism that improves test efficiency
3Ease of operation
If the upper chip holder is integrated into the test apparatus structure, then positioning is possible, but the apparatus complexity increases and cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the upper chip holder as an independent, separable component rather than integrating it into the fixed apparatus structure. This segmentation allows the upper chip holder to be a standalone element that can be easily manufactured, replaced, or modified without affecting the core test apparatus, thereby reducing overall complexity and manufacturing cost
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an apparatus for testing a package-on-package semiconductor device, mainly comprising a pick-and-place device, a test socket, an upper chip holder, and a main controller. When a first package device is to be tested, the main controller controls the pick-and-place device to load the first package device into the test socket and then controls the pick-and-place device to transfer the upper chip holder and bring the upper chip holder into electrical contact with the first package device on the test socket so that a second package device in the upper chip holder is electrically connected to the first package device for testing. Accordingly, the upper chip holder is an independent component. Only when a test is executed, the pick-and-place device transfers the upper chip holder onto the test socket so that the second package device is electrically connected to the first package device.