Patent ID: 7408338
Filing Date: 2008-08-05
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A handler for testing semiconductor devices comprising: a loading station in which semiconductor devices to be tested are stored; an unloading station in which tested semiconductor devices are stored after being sorted in accordance with test results of the tested semiconductor devices; test trays each provided with a plurality of carriers for temporarily holding the semiconductor devices; an exchanging station comprising a vertical moving unit for vertically moving a selected one of the test trays between a standby place and a working place respectively defined at lower and upper positions in the exchanging station, and a horizontal moving unit for horizontally moving the test tray by a predetermined pitch at the working place, the exchanging station performing a process for loading the semiconductor devices in the carriers of the test tray or unloading the semiconductor devices from the carriers of the test tray while moving the test tray by the predetermined pitch; a test station in which at least one test board having a plurality of test sockets to be electrically connected with semiconductor devices is mounted, the test station performing a test while connecting the semiconductor devices in one of the test trays, which is fed from the exchanging station to the test station, to the test sockets; a plurality of buffers arranged between the loading station and the exchanging station and between the exchanging station and the unloading station, and adapted to receive the semiconductor devices to be tested and the tested semiconductor devices to allow the received semiconductor devices to be in a temporal standby state; at least one first picker which is movable between the loading station and loading ones of the buffers and between unloading ones of the buffers and the unloading station, to transfer the semiconductor devices to be tested and the tested semiconductor devices; and at least one second picker which is movable between the loading buffers and the exchanging station and between the exchanging station and the unloading buffers, to transfer the semiconductor devices to be tested and the tested semiconductor devices; first and second tray buffers arranged at opposite sides of the standby place of the exchanging station, respectively; tray shifters each adapted to horizontally transfer the test tray between the exchanging station and an associated one of the first and second tray buffers; and a tray transfer unit for transfer the test trays between the exchanging station and the test station.