Spray cooling thermal management system and method for semiconductor probing, diagnostics, and failure analysis

US7102374B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Credence Systems Corporation · US

Inventors

• Tahir Cader · Spokane Valley, US
• Charles L. Tilton · Colton, US
• Benjamin Hewett Tolman · Troy, US
• George Joseph Wos · Colton, US
• Alan Roberts · Woodstock, US
• Thomas Wong · Menlo Park, US
• Jonathan Frank · Los Gatos, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 16, 2002
• Grant date: Sep 5, 2006
• Expiry date: Apr 21, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R31/2891
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A micro-spray cooling system beneficial for use in testers of electrically stimulated integrated circuit chips is disclosed. The system includes micro-spray heads disposed about a probe head. The spray heads and probe head are disposed in a sealed manner inside a spray chamber that, during operation, is urged in a sealing manner onto a sealing plate holding the integrated circuit under test. The atomized mist cools the integrated circuit and then condenses on the spray chamber wall. The condensed fluid is pumped out of the chamber and is circulated in a chiller, so as to be re-circulated and injected again into the micro-spray heads. The pressure inside the spray chamber may be controlled to provide a desired boiling point.