Thermal array with gimbal features and enhanced thermal performance

US11835549B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Advantest Test Solutions, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Gregory Cruzan · Anaheim, US
• Karthik Ranganathan · San Jose, US
• Gilberto Oseguera · San Jose, US
• Joe Koeth · Mesa, US
• Paul Ferrari · San Jose, US
• James Hastings · San Jose, US
• Chee Wah Ho · Fremont, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 26, 2022
• Grant date: Dec 5, 2023
• Expiry date: May 22, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R31/2863
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide testing systems with liquid cooled thermal arrays that can pivot freely in three dimensions allowing surfaces to be brought into even, level, and secure contact, thereby preventing air gaps between surfaces and improving thermal performance. In this way, more DUTs can be tested in parallel within a small test space, overall costs of the test system are reduced, and greater cooling capacity can be provided for testing high-powered devices. Gimbaled mounts are disposed on a bottom surface of individual thermal interface boards (TIBs) of a test system, and/or on top of individual thermal heads of a thermal array (TA) having a common cold plate (or having multiple cold plates).