High-Voltage Probe Card Gas Control for Arc-Free Stable Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current high-voltage probe card testing systems lack real-time monitoring and control mechanisms for gas pressure and flow rate within the sealed chamber, leading to potential probe damage and test failures due to imbalanced pressure and flow rate conditions.
Innovation Solution
A gas monitoring device is integrated between the external gas supply and the probe card assembly to synchronously monitor and control both pressure and flow rate, ensuring that the system initiates testing only when the gas pressure is adequate and flow rate is within set limits, using a controller and sensor to adjust parameters and trigger alerts or terminate the test if conditions are not met.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-pressure gas is injected into the chamber to enhance gas insulation, then arc prevention is improved, but probe stability deteriorates due to excessive turbulence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing a flow rate regulator to control the gas flow rate parameter. The system dynamically adjusts the gas flow rate to maintain it within a predetermined range, preventing excessive turbulence while ensuring sufficient gas insulation pressure. This resolves the contradiction by finding an optimal balance point between pressure (for arc prevention) and flow rate (for probe stability).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control through a control unit that receives signals from sensors monitoring gas pressure and flow rate. The control unit continuously compares the measured values against predetermined thresholds and adjusts the flow rate regulator accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that gas flow remains within the optimal range, simultaneously achieving arc prevention and probe stability.
2Productivity
If gas flow rate is increased to reduce pressure buildup time, then testing speed is improved, but probe stability deteriorates due to excessive turbulence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes by introducing a flow rate regulator that dynamically adjusts gas flow rate within a predetermined optimal range. This allows the system to achieve sufficient pressure buildup speed for efficient testing while maintaining flow rate low enough to prevent excessive turbulence and probe disturbance, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback control where sensors continuously monitor gas flow rate and pressure, and the control unit adjusts the flow rate regulator to maintain optimal conditions. This ensures that gas is supplied at the highest safe rate that does not cause turbulence, maximizing testing speed while protecting probe stability.
3Reliability
If gas pressure is increased to ensure adequate insulation, then arc prevention is improved, but testing time increases due to slow pressure buildup
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing a flow rate regulator to control gas flow rate within an optimal range. This allows the system to achieve the required insulation pressure more quickly by optimizing the rate at which pressure builds up, rather than using excessively high pressure that would take too long to reach. The balanced approach reduces testing time while ensuring adequate insulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback control with sensors monitoring pressure and flow rate, allowing the control unit to adjust the flow rate regulator to achieve the target pressure as quickly as possible without exceeding safe limits. This optimized control strategy minimizes the time to reach adequate insulation pressure while maintaining safety and stability.
4Device complexity
If no flow rate monitoring is implemented, then device complexity is reduced, but testing reliability deteriorates due to inability to control gas conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by using a single sensor to simultaneously monitor both gas pressure and gas flow rate. This multi-functional sensing approach provides comprehensive control of gas conditions without requiring separate monitoring systems for each parameter, thus improving testing reliability while keeping device complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by using sensors to continuously monitor gas conditions and feeding this information to the control unit, which adjusts the flow rate regulator accordingly. This closed-loop control significantly improves testing reliability by ensuring gas conditions remain within optimal ranges, while the integration of monitoring and control functions keeps overall system complexity acceptable.
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
This approach stabilizes probe operation, reduces test duration, and enhances testing reliability and safety by ensuring proper gas conditions before initiating high-voltage testing.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor connected with the probe card assembly and electrically connected with the controller, to detect the gas pressure value and the gas flow rate value
Implementation Method 2
a sensor connected with the probe card assembly and electrically connected with the controller, to detect the gas pressure value and the gas flow rate value
Implementation Method 3
High-pressure gas is injected into the chamber to enhance the gas insulation effect
Data Source
AI summary
A test system and method for performing high-voltage testing on a device under test (DUT), which provides a gas monitoring device and a control unit of the test system. The high-voltage test probe card system is equipped with synchronized pressure and flow monitoring functionality. A pressure and flow sensor is arranged upstream of a gas space of a probe card assembly, in coordination with the gas monitoring device and the control unit of the test system, thereby forming a complete and closed-loop control mechanism.