Methods of controlling the operation of probe stations and probe stations that perform the methods, the methods including generating and executing a test routine that directs the probe station to electrically test a test subset of a plurality of DUTs and to pre-test a pre-test subset of a plurality of DUTs, which is a subset of the test subset, with a pre-test

US11016121B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• FormFactor, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Sia Choon Beng · Singapore, SG
• David Hess · Gatineau, CA
• Chunyi Yin Leong · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 23, 2019
• Grant date: May 25, 2021
• Expiry date: Oct 3, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R31/2874
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Methods of controlling the operation of probe stations and probe stations that perform the methods. The methods including generating a test routine by constructing a substrate map, receiving a test subset input from a user, and updating the substrate map to incorporate information regarding which devices under test (DUTS) of a plurality of DUTs are in a test subset of a plurality of DUTs. The methods also include receiving a pre-test subset input from the user, wherein the pre-test subset is a subset of the test subset, and updating the substrate map to incorporate information which DUTs of the test subset are in the pre-test subset. The methods further include executing the test routine by moving a probe assembly to each DUT in the test subset, selectively performing a pre-test routine on each DUT that is in the pre-test subset, and electrically testing each DUT in the test subset.