Apparatus for automatic handling

US5313156A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• ADVANTEST CORPORATION · JP

Inventors

• Mark W. Klug · San Diego, US
• Thomas E. Toth · San Diego, US
• Theodore C. Guenther · San Diego, US
• Martin J. Twite, III · San Diego, US
• Kazuyuki Tsurishima · Shitara, JP
• Mitsuaki Tani · Saitama, JP
• Minoru Baba · Shitara, JP
• Teruaki Sakurada · Saitama, JP

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 4, 1991
• Grant date: May 17, 1994
• Expiry date: Dec 4, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R31/2893
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An integrated circuit (IC) device test handler which is adaptable to receive various customer tray configurations and automatically test the ICs within. The test handler comprises a customer tray magazine input area, a load section, a soak chamber, a test section, an unsoak chamber and an unload area. Two magazines containing customer trays with IC devices are input to the handler. An elevator mechanism raises the customer trays within one magazine at a time to a position which can be accessed by the loader of the test handler. A catcher device moves the trays to a buffer platform where the trays can be accessed by a transfer arm. The transfer arms moves the customer trays to one of two load stages. A pick and place apparatus removes the IC devices from each customer tray on the load stages and transfers them to a precisor for alignment and then to a test tray. The test trays are conveyed through a soak chamber to simulate certain environmental conditions and then through a double test head chamber where the IC devices are tested. The test trays are returned to ambient conditions through an unsoak chamber. A pair of unload pick and place apparatus move tested IC devices from the te…