Method and system for controlling high-speed probe actuators

US5635848A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• James Michael Hammond · Boca Raton, US
• James C. Mahlbacher · Boynton Beach, US
• Kenneth Gilbert Roessler · Boca Raton, US
• Michael Servedio · Boca Raton, US
• Li-Cheng Richard Zai · Taipei, TW

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 10, 1995
• Grant date: Jun 3, 1997
• Expiry date: Mar 10, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R1/06705
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A digital and analog controller for controlling a high-speed probe actuator is disclosed. This method and system provide the probe actuator system with improved damping ratio and reduced impact force, so the throughput of the tester is increased with fast settling actuator armature. With this method and system, the steady-state probe force is less sensitive to the servo system, test probe and variation in the probing distance d. An electronic circuit, which consists of analog operational amplifiers, monostable multivibrators, and D flip-flops, is presented for low-cost applications.