Compliance module, particularly for a manipulator for positioning a test head, and one such manipulator

A compliance module, particularly for a manipulator for positioning a test head, comprising a housing that is securable to a component. The compliance module furthermore comprises an inner sleeve shiftingly mounted in said housing and axially urged by a spring element, and a pin arranged on said housing and connected to said inner sleeve. A compliance module of such kind provides a precise location on the one hand and a certain compliance achievable of a portion of the manipulator for positioning a test head on the other hand.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This claims priority under 35 USC 119 from German Patent Appln. No. 10 2004 008 487.4, filed Feb. 20, 2004, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a compliance module, finding application particularly for a manipulator for positioning a test head. The invention relates further to a manipulator serving particularly for positioning a test head at a testing device and provided with means for positioning a test head three-dimensionally.

BACKGROUND ART

A manipulator for positioning a test head usually has several translational and rotational degrees of freedom in thus being suitable for precisely positioning the test head three-dimensionally. This is why such a manipulator finds application, as a rule, in testing electronic devices, such as for example ICs or wafers. To permit testing proper functioning of the electronic devices it is necessary that the relatively heavy test head is precisely docked at a testing device. The testing device, for example a component handler or wafer tester furnishes the electronic devices to be tested by the test head. Obtaining a genuine result in testing electronic devices requires precise docking of the test head at the testing device, it being for this reason that precisely and smoothly locating the manipulator positioning the test head is mandatory.

DE 101 32 489 A1 incorporated herein by reference in its entirety describes a manipulator excelling by exactly reproducible motion of the test head. This is primarily due to the manipulator being provided with means for three-dimensionally positioning the test head, comprising articulated arms pivotable in the horizontal plane. The articulated arms are coupled to slides for travelling in the horizontal direction so that any motion of the test head can be split into a translational motion of the slides and a rotational motion of the articulated arms in thus achieving a reproducible location of the positioning means in ensuring reliably correct positioning of the test head.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Contrary to the precision of the positioning means as needed for a reproducible location is the fact that it has been discovered in actual practice to be an advantage when the position of the test head can be corrected by slight manual jiggling when docking at the testing device. Such a correction to the position of the test head to facilitate docking necessitates a certain compliance of the positioning means.

The invention is based on the objective of providing a compliance module which is particularly suitable for a manipulator for positioning a test head and by means of which, on the one hand, a precise location, and on the other a certain compliance is achievable.

To achieve this objective a compliance module is proposed which is provided with a housing that is securable to a component, an inner sleeve shiftingly mounted in the housing and axially urged by a spring element, and a pin arranged on the housing and connected to the inner sleeve.

The compliance module in accordance with the invention particularly for application on a manipulator for positioning a test head now makes it possible to jiggle movably mounted components, for example means for positioning a test head three-dimensionally, contrary to the effect of a restoring force between a first position and a second position, resulting in the component being endowed with a certain compliance. The restoring force caused by the spring element in the axial direction of the compliance module ensures that despite the compliance generated by the compliance module, a component holding the test head, for example, is suitable to be moved precisely reproducibly.

Advantageous further embodiments of the compliance module in accordance with the invention read as the claimed subject matter.

Thus, to advantage, the pin is shiftingly mounted on the housing so that the pin supporting the inner sleeve radially can be moved together with the inner sleeve.

To achieve a simple connection of the pin to the inner sleeve, preferably the inner sleeve comprises a female thread and the pin comprises a threaded portion mating with the female thread. In this case it has further discovered to be of advantage when the pin comprises a head which positions the inner sleeve contrary to the effect of the spring element in the housing. The head of the pin represents a stop in the axial direction of the compliance module enabling the spring element engaging the inner sleeve to be biased. The amount of this bias depends on the distance between the inner sleeve and the head of the pin. By altering the extent by which the pin is screwed into the inner sleeve, the distance between the inner sleeve and the head of the pin can be varied in thus setting the bias. It is because of this bias that it is assured that it is only possible to move the component when a force exceeding the bias is applied to the component.

Preferably the pin is rotatably mounted by means of a bearing sleeve and the inner sleeve non-rotatably mounted in the housing, in thus enabling the pin to be screwed into the inner sleeve or screwed out thereof to vary the bias.

In one preferred aspect of the compliance module in accordance with the invention the housing comprises an axially slot and the inner sleeve is provided with a slaving member engaging the slot. The slaving member guided by the slot holds the inner sleeve in the housing against the bias exerted by the spring element on the inner sleeve and thus assuring non-rotatable mounting of the inner sleeve. The length of the slot dictates the distance by which the inner sleeve is shiftable in the housing.

To achieve low-friction shifting the inner sleeve is expediently provided with a sliding surface contacting the housing.

For a simple, compact design it is of advantageous to provide the inner sleeve with a boss for supporting the spring element, The boss is expediently arranged so that the spring element is reliably guided by a portion of the inner sleeve.

In another preferred aspect of the compliance module in accordance with the invention the inner sleeve is provided with a stopper plate. The stopper plate serves to urge a movably mounted component, for instance a plate mounting a test head, with the restoring force as exerted by the spring element. For this purpose the stopper plate may be made of a suitable material for high impact performance, for example.

To achieve the objective as cited above it is further proposed, as it reads from claim10, a manipulator serving particularly to position a test head on a testing device. The manipulator is provided with means for positioning a test head three-dimensionally and at least one compliance module. By means of the compliance module a movably mounted component can be moved against a restoring force between a first position and a second position.

One such manipulator is accorded the advantages of the compliance module in accordance with the invention.

Advantageous aspects of the manipulator in accordance with the invention read from the claimed subject matter.

Thus, it is of advantage when the movably mounted component features a first contact flat and a second contact flat oriented substantially parallel to each other. The first contact flat is urged by a first compliance module, whereas the second contact flat is urged in the opposite sense by a second compliance module. It is in this way that the movably mounted component can be moved between a first position and a second position in the axial direction of the compliance modules. The restoring force exerted by the compliance modules on the movably mounted component ensures that the component on having left the first position, in other words the home position, is always returned thereto. Because of the compliance modules being arranged opposite in sense the component returns to the home position both from a motion in the direction of the first compliance module and from a motion in the direction of the second compliance module.

In a preferred aspect the manipulator in accordance with the invention is provided with a support for the test head, the support comprising two side arms between which the test head is tensioned. The side arms tensioning the test head ensure safe securement of the test head even when it is relatively heavy.

To advantage, the side arms are each provided with at least one fastener plate to which the test head is secured and which is movably mounted. The fastener plate constitutes a movably mounted component in the aforementioned sense engaged by at least one compliance module.

Preferably the fastener plate is arranged linearly displaceable. So that the position of the test head secured to the fastener plate can be corrected by manual jiggling. As an alternative the fastener plate can be arranged pivotable, enabling the position of the test head secured to the fastener plate to be corrected by jiggling. Advantageously, the fastener plate can be locked in a defined position by locking means to achieve a fixed arrangement of the test head, when required.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now toFIG. 1there is illustrated a manipulator serving to position a test head60on a testing device (not shown) for electronic devices, such as, for example, ICs or wafers. For this purpose the manipulator features positioning means30comprising a column31extending in the vertical direction z. The column is shiftingly mounted on a base frame34in a horizontal longitudinal direction x. Arranged on the column31is a cross-slide32shiftingly mounted in the vertical direction z. The cross-slide32extending in a horizontal crosswise direction y is connected to a pivoting arm33. The pivoting arm33is pivotable about an axis extending in the vertical direction z and shiftingly mounted in the horizontal crosswise direction y by means of the cross-slide32.

As further evident fromFIG. 1arranged on the pivoting arm33is a support40for the test head60. The support40comprises two side arms41between which the test head60is tensioned. For this purpose each of the side arms41is provided with two fastener plates42,46to which the test head60is secured. The fastener plate42is arranged linearly shiftable both horizontally and vertically on the side arm41and for this purpose is guided in linear guide45, as evident fromFIGS. 2aand2bin particular. By contrast, the fastener plate46is arranged pivotable about a trunnion49on the fastener plate42. It is in this way that the fastener plate46together with the fastener plate42can be shifted along the side arm41to achieve, for example, a so-called “theta” motion of the test head60. A locking lever50ensures that the test head60can be locked in the desired home position, whereas a locking lever51permits locking the fastener plate42in the desired vertical position. Each of the fastener plates42,46comprises a first contact flat43,47and second contact flat44,48oriented substantially parallel to each other. Engaging the first contact flat43,47is a compliance module10a, the second contact flat44,48being engaged by a compliance module10b. The first compliance module10aand the second compliance module10bare arranged such that the fastener plates42,46are urged in opposite directions.

Referring now toFIG. 3andFIG. 4there is illustrated how the compliance module10comprises a housing11secured to the fastener plates42,46. For this purpose the housing11is provided with a hole12. Shiftingly mounted in an axial direction of the compliance module10in the housing11is an inner sleeve18which for this purpose features a sliding surface area20contacting an inner wall of the housing11. Furthermore, the inner sleeve18is provided with a slaving member22supporting a first end of a spring element25. A second end of the spring element25is supported by an abutment26of the housing11. The spring element25guided by a portion of the inner sleeve18accordingly urges the inner sleeve18in the axial direction.

The compliance module10is further provided with a pin14which by means of a bearing sleeve17is rotatably mounted about an axis extending in the axial direction. The pin14comprises a head15contacting the bearing sleeve17axially and a threaded portion16projecting into the inner sleeve18, the threaded portion16mating with a female thread19of the inner sleeve18. Because of a slaving member22axially guided in a slot13of the housing11, the inner sleeve18is non-rotatably mounted in the housing11, as a result of which a screw-in distance s by which the pin14projects into the inner sleeve18can be varied by rotation of the pin14. For this purpose the head15may feature flats to facilitate rotating the pin14by means of a wrench, for example.

Varying the screw-in distance s alters the distance between the slaving member22of the inner sleeve18and the abutment26of the housing11. The spring element25supported by the slaving member22and the abutment26can thus be biased. By how much the inner sleeve is biased can thus be adapted to each case without making it necessary to replace the spring element25.

The inner sleeve18features a front end facing away from the pin14. Secured to the front end by means of screw24is a stopper plate23. The stopper plate23made, for example, of a high impact material, adjoins the contact flats43,44,47,48of the fastener plates4246. Moving the fastener plates42,46from the first position I as shown inFIG. 2ainto the second position II as shown inFIG. 2bresults in this displacement counteracting the restoring force produced by the compliance modules10a,10b, i.e. irrespective of whether the fastener plates42,46are moved in the direction of the compliance module10aor in the direction of the compliance module10b. This is because of the inner sleeve18of the compliance modules10a,10bwhich is axially shiftable by the length of the slot13in the housing11. When the slaving member22of the inner sleeve18guided in the slot13is located in the first position I, in other words in the home position, for example roughly in the middle of the slot13, the inner sleeve18can then be shifted axially both to the left and right. The ends of the slot13define the shift of the inner sleeve18in thus defining the maximum end position II as can be assumed by the fastener plates42,46. The bias to which the spring element25is subjected in the home position I can be set by the pin14in thus ensuring that the fastener plates42,46are urged by the compliance modules10a,10balso in the home position I.

The manipulator as described above permits by the positioning means30precise positioning of the test head60. In addition, the compliance modules10a,10bensure a certain compliance of the fastener plates42,46to which the test head60is secured, since the fastener plates42,46can be moved between the home position I and the end position II contrary to the effect of a restoring force in thus making it possible to correct the position of the test head60by manual jiggling. The restoring force produced by the compliance modules10a,10bensures that the fastener plates42,46are always returned to the home position I so that reliably precise positioning of the test head60is not detrimented because of the compliance existing due to the compliance modules10a,10b. This is also supported by it only being possible to move the fastener plates42,46when a force exceeding the bias acts on the fastener plates42,46because of the spring element25as a result of the bias of the compliance modules10a,10b. In conclusion, the compliance modules10a,10bare characterized by a simple, compact configuration which takes into account the requirements of cost-effective production.