Test Handler Soak Chamber Rotator for Tray Posture Change
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing test handlers face challenges in increasing the size of test trays without significantly expanding the overall size of the handler, and in reducing the posture changing and pre-heating/pre-cooling times, especially due to space constraints and the need for longer translation sections for pre-heating/pre-cooling processes.
Innovation Solution
A test handler design that includes a rotator posture-changing unit within the soak chamber for continuous pre-heating/pre-cooling of test trays during posture change and translation, with separate power sources for the rotator and stopper units located outside the soak chamber to prevent environmental impact and ensure efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the test tray is enlarged to carry more devices, then the number of devices tested at a time increases, but the space for changing the posture of the test tray must be three-dimensionally enlarged
Solution Approach 1:
The posture changing unit is installed inside the soak chamber, nesting one functional unit within another. The rotator for changing test tray posture is positioned within the soak chamber volume, allowing the posture changing function to be embedded in the existing chamber space rather than requiring additional external space.
Solution Approach 2:
The test tray posture is changed from horizontal to vertical within the three-dimensional space of the soak chamber. By utilizing vertical space and rotating the tray through different orientations within the chamber volume, the system accommodates larger trays without proportionally increasing the overall handler footprint.
2Quantity of substance
If the side docking type test handler uses an enlarged test tray, then the capacity increases, but the whole size of the test handler must be increased more than the enlarged size of the test tray
Solution Approach 1:
The soak chamber serves multiple functions: it provides the temperature-controlled environment for pre-heating/pre-cooling devices, and simultaneously houses the posture changing unit for rotating the test tray. This multi-functionality allows the chamber to accommodate both the enlarged tray and the posture changing mechanism without requiring separate dedicated spaces for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The posture changing unit is nested within the soak chamber volume, with the rotator positioned inside the chamber. This nesting arrangement allows the system to accommodate larger test trays while minimizing the increase in overall handler size, as the posture changing function is embedded within the existing chamber space.
3Device complexity
If the pre-heating/pre-cooling process is started after the vertical posture change of the test tray, then the sequence is simplified, but the soak chamber must have a relatively long translation section
Solution Approach 1:
The posture changing operation and the pre-heating/pre-cooling process are merged and performed simultaneously within the soak chamber. The rotator changes the test tray posture while the temperature-controlled environment of the soak chamber continuously pre-heats or pre-cools the devices, eliminating the need for sequential operations and reducing the required translation section length.
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-heating/pre-cooling action continues uninterrupted during the posture changing process. The soak chamber maintains its temperature-controlled environment throughout the rotation, ensuring continuous thermal treatment of the devices regardless of the tray's orientation, thus eliminating idle time and reducing the overall process duration.
4Device complexity
If the power source for the rotator is installed inside the soak chamber, then the structure is simplified, but the power source is affected by the environmental conditions inside the chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The power source for the rotator is extracted from the soak chamber environment and installed in the external drive unit positioned outside the chamber. This separation protects the power source from the temperature extremes and humid conditions inside the soak chamber, ensuring reliable operation while the drive mechanism itself remains structurally integrated with the rotator system.
Data Source
AI summary
A test handler is disclosed. A posture changing unit for changing a posture of a test tray on which semiconductor devices have been loaded changes the posture of the test tray in a soak chamber. While the posture of the test tray is changed, the devices can be pre-heated/pre-cooled, thereby reducing the soak chamber length and the pre-heating/pre-cooling time.