Abstract:
The present invention relates to a test tray for a test handler. According to this invention, there is disclosed a technique that an insert loaded in a loading part which is arranged in a matrix pattern in a frame of the test tray allows an amount and direction of free movement thereof to be determined in accordance with a location of the loading part, where the insert is loaded, on the matrix, thereby enabling a thermal expansion or contraction of a match plate or the test tray to be compensated.

Description:
This application is a Continuation Application of PCT International Application No. PCT/KR2007/000935 filed on Feb. 22, 2007, which designated the United States. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a test tray for a test handler. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In general, a test handler supports semiconductor devices, which are fabricated by a preset manufacturing process, to be tested by a tester while moving the semiconductor devices through a fixed route. And, the test handler sorts the semiconductor devices into several classes in accordance with test results thereof. Such a test handler has been already known through a plurality of opened documents. 
     FIG. 1  is a conceptual plan view for a test handler  100  and a tester docked to the corresponding test handler  100 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the test handler  100  includes a loading unit  110 , a soak chamber  120 , a test chamber  130 , a desoak chamber  140 , an unloading unit  150  and a pushing unit  160 . And, a tester  200  is disposed behind the test chamber  130 . 
   The aforementioned test handler  100  moves the semiconductor devices in the order of the soak chamber  120  and the test chamber  130 , where a preset temperature environment is made. After the test handler supports the semiconductor devices to be tested by the tester  200  in the test chamber  130 , the semiconductor devices that the tests have been completed are moved to the desoak chamber  140  to return to a normal temperature. At this moment, a test tray  11 , as shown in a schematic diagram of  FIG. 2 , is provided as a carrier for supporting to move and to test a plurality of semiconductor devices at the same time. Referring to  FIG. 2 , the test tray  11  includes a number of inserts  11 - 1  arranged in a matrix pattern so as to accommodate the semiconductor devices; a frame  11 - 2  where loading parts for loading the inserts  11 - 1  are arranged in a matrix pattern; and combining units for keeping the inserts  11 - 1  in the loading parts as described later. As such a test tray  11  is provided, an operation of loading the semiconductor devices from a customer tray of the reference numeral  10   a  to a test tray of the reference numeral  11   a  is carried out in the loading unit  110 , and an operation of unloading the semiconductor devices from a test tray of the reference numeral  11   b  to a customer tray of the reference numeral  10   b  is carried out in the unloading unit  150 . And, the test tray  11  circulates through the loading unit  110 , the soak chamber  120 , the test chamber  130 , the desoak chamber  140  and the unloading unit  150 , i.e, by the circulation of the test tray  11 , the semiconductor devices loaded on the test tray  11  are unloaded after moving through the route of the soak chamber  120 , the test chamber  130  and the desoak chamber  140 . For reference, the test tray  11  circulates through a preset circulation route as described above, but for the sake of convenience in the explanation of  FIGS. 1 and 4 , the reference numeral of the test tray  11  is marked as  11   a ,  11   b ,  11   c ,  11   d  corresponding to the points where the test tray  11  is located in the route of the test tray  11 . 
   On the other hand, the tester  200 , as shown in the schematic diagram of  FIG. 3 , includes two inspection substrates named Hi-Fix boards  210   a ,  210   b , and a plurality of sockets  210 - 1  corresponding to the inserts  11 - 1  of the test tray  11  are arranged in a matrix pattern on the Hi-Fix boards  210   a ,  210   b . And, a test terminal (not shown) is exposed through each socket  210 - 1 . Accordingly, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the leads of the semiconductor devices loaded on the test trays (two test trays are disposed in upper and lower stages) of the reference numeral  11   c  and  11   d  located on the test chamber  130  are in contact with the test terminals of the sockets  210 - 1 , respectively, thereby carrying out the test. In order to make the leads (or ball grid) of the semiconductor devices loaded on the test trays  11   c ,  11   d  contact with the test terminals of the sockets  210 - 1 , the aforementioned pushing unit  160  is provided. That is, in order to make the leads of the semiconductor devices contact with the test terminals of the sockets  210 - 1  by pressing the semiconductor devices of the test trays against the sockets  210 - 1  of the Hi-Fix boards  210   a ,  210   b , the aforementioned pushing unit  160  includes match plates  161   a ,  161   b  facing the test trays  11   c ,  11   d ; and a press unit  162  for pressurizing the match plates  161   a ,  161   b , as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 . Pushers  161 - 1  corresponding to the inserts  11 - 1  of the test trays  11   c ,  11   d  are arranged in a matrix pattern on the match plates  161   a ,  161   b.    
     FIG. 5  is an extracted perspective view illustrating one of the sockets  210 - 1  of the Hi-Fix boards  210   a ,  210   b , the inserts  11 - 1  and the pushers  161 - 1  as explained above. Referring to  FIG. 5 , when applying pressure, a guide pin  161 - 1   a  of the pusher  161 - 1  is first inserted into a pusher guide hole  11 - 1   a  of the insert  11 - 1 , and then a guide pin  210 - 1   a  of the socket  210 - 1  is inserted into a socket guide hole  11 - 1   b  of the insert  11 - 1  while the insert  11 - 1  continuously moves to the socket  210 - 1 , thereby making the pusher  161 - 1 , the insert  11 - 1 , and the socket  210 - 1  combined as a result thereof. Generally, in accordance with the kind of the semiconductor device, the pusher  161 - 1  can have a structure of directly applying pressure to a semiconductor device or a structure of indirectly applying pressure through the insert  11 - 1 . That is, the route through which the power of the press unit  162  is actually transmitted can be the pusher  161 - 1 →the semiconductor device→the insert  11 - 1 →the socket  210 - 1 ; or the pusher  161 - 1 →the insert  11 - 1 →the semiconductor device→the socket  210 - 1 . In order to make the combination of the pusher  161 - 1 , the insert  11 - 1  and the socket  210 - 1  appropriately carried out, the guide pin  161 - 1   a  of the pusher  161 - 1  and the pusher guide hole  11 - 1   a  of the insert  11 - 1  are to be made to face each other appropriately at the corresponding locations to each other, and so are the guide pin  210 - 1   a  of the socket  210 - 1  and the socket guide hole  11 - 1   b  of the insert  11 - 1 . 
   On the other hand, the soak chamber  120  and the test chamber  130  has an inferior temperature environment for testing the semiconductor devices, thus the match plates  161   a ,  161   b  or the test trays  11   c ,  11   d  are thermally expanded or contracted under the influence of the temperature. But, the match plates  161   a ,  161   b  and the test trays  11   c ,  11   d  are generally made of materials of which the thermal expansion coefficients are different from each other, thus the extents of the thermal expansion or contraction thereof are different. Accordingly, such thermal expansion or contraction acts as a factor that obstructs the guide pin  161 - 1   a  of the pusher  161 - 1  and the pusher guide hole  11 - 1   a  of the insert  11 - 1  to appropriately face each other. If a pushing operation is carried out while the test trays  11   c ,  11   d  or the match plates  161   a ,  161   b  are thermally expanded or contracted, thereby making the guide pin  161 - 1   a  of the pusher  161 - 1  not inserted into the pusher guide hole  11 - 1   a  of the insert  11 - 1  correctly, then the insert  11 - 1  might be damaged and ultimately a loose contact between the lead of the semiconductor device and the test terminal of the socket  210 - 1  might be happened. 
   Accordingly, in order to overcome such a problem, the insert  11 - 1  is made to freely move in all directions within the preset limits on the frame  11 - 2  of the test tray  11 , and the contactability of the semiconductor device and the test terminal can be improved through such a freely moving structure. Concretely, if the insert  11 - 1  can move freely against the frame  11 - 2  of the test tray  11 , the guide pin  161 - 1   a  of the pusher  161 - 1  and the pusher guide hole  11 - 1   a  of the insert  11 - 1  face each other within the limits in which compensation can be made through the free movement of the insert  11 - 1  even though the test tray  11  or the match plate  161   a  or  161   b  is thermally expanded or contracted, thus it is easy to make a combination relationship of the pusher  161 - 1 -insert  11 - 1 -socket  210 - 1 . 
     FIG. 6 , as described above, is a cross sectional view conceptually illustrating a structure where the insert  11 - 1  is combined to the frame  11 - 2  of the test tray  11  by a combining unit so as to be able to move freely. As in  FIG. 6 , the combining unit includes a bolt combining hole  11 - 3   a  (also, see  FIG. 5 ) formed in the insert  11 - 1 ; a bolt penetration hole  11 - 3   b  formed in the frame  11 - 2  of the test tray  11 ; and a bolt  11 - 3   c . And, the insert  11 - 1  is combined to the frame  11 - 2  of the test tray  11  through the bolt  11 - 3   c  so as to be able to move freely. To more concretely describe the combination structure where the insert  11 - 1  can move freely, for example, as in  FIG. 6 , the bolt penetration hole  11 - 3   b  having a diameter larger than the external diameter of the bolt  11 - 3   c  is formed in the frame  11 - 2  of the test tray  11 , and the bolt combination hole  11 - 3   a  is formed in the insert  11 - 1 . And then, a head  11 - 3   c   1  being one end of the bolt  11 - 3   c  is made to be caught by the bolt penetration hole  11 - 3   b  and the extended other end of the bolt  11 - 3   c , i.e., a male screw end  11 - 3   c   2 , passes through the bolt penetration hole  11 - 3   b  with room and then is combined to the bolt combining hole  11 - 3   a  of the insert  11 - 1 . Thus, ultimately, the insert  11 - 1  is installed to the frame  11 - 2  of the test tray  11  to be able to move freely. For reference, as in  FIG. 7 , the bolt penetration holes  11 - 3   b  formed in the frame  11 - 2  of the test tray  11  of the prior art are all formed in a circle shape having the same diameter ‘r’, thus the insert located around the center of the test tray and the insert located around the outer part of the test tray all have the same free movement limits. 
   On the other hand, the test tray  11  of the prior art has 32 or 64 inserts  11 - 1 , thus the test tray  11  is relatively of small size. And, the test temperature has been from 30° C. below zero to 125° C. above zero, thus the thermal expansion or contraction of the test tray  11  or the match plate  161   a ,  161   b  can be compensated even only with the aforementioned free movement structure. 
   However, recently, as the one-time processing capacity of a tester is improved, it is required to make the test tray and the match plate corresponding thereto in a large size so that as many semiconductor devices as possible can be tested at a time. And, it is a trend that the test temperature is also required to be a low temperature of below −45° C. or a high temperature of above 135° C. In this case, the extent of the thermal expansion or contraction of the match plate and the test tray, i.e., the extent of location change of the pusher of the match plate and insert of the test tray, is made larger (recall the edge of the match plate or test tray) as the test tray and the match plate are made in a large size. Such extent of location change is more greatly amplified by a worsened temperature condition. Therefore, the relative location difference of the pusher and the insert corresponding to such a location change also becomes larger. The relative location difference of the insert and the pusher becomes larger as it goes to the outer part of the test tray or the match plate. 
   Accordingly, in consideration of the outer part of the test tray or the match plate, in case that a large-sized test tray is applied under the inferior temperature condition newly required, it is inevitable for the loose contact between the semiconductor devices and the test terminals or the damages of the inserts to take place because the thermal expansion or contraction of the test tray or the match plate cannot sufficiently compensated only with the aforementioned insert free movement structure. And, such a problem means that the number of the semiconductor devices that can be processed at a time should be limited thereto. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a technique that inserts arranged in a matrix pattern in a test tray can have amounts of free movements determined in accordance with their locations on the matrix. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a technique that inserts arranged in a matrix pattern in a test tray can have free movement directions determined in accordance with their locations on the matrix. 
   It is still another object of the present invention to provide a technique that, among inserts arranged in a matrix pattern in a test tray, amounts of free movements of the inserts arranged in the outer part thereof are made to be greater than those of the inserts arranged around the center thereof. 
   In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a test tray for a test handler, including: a frame having a plurality of loading parts arranged in a matrix pattern; at least one insert loaded in each of the loading parts of the frame; and a combining unit for keeping the insert within the loading part to move freely on a plane of the frame, restricting the maximum amount and direction of free movement of the insert, and allowing the maximum amount and direction of free movement of the insert to be determined in accordance with a location of the loading part, in which the insert is loaded, on the matrix. 
   In the test tray for the test handler, the combining unit allows the insert to have the higher amount of free movement as the location of the loading part, where the insert is loaded, on the matrix is further away from the center of the frame on the plane. 
   In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a test tray for a test handler, including: a frame having a plurality of loading parts arranged in a matrix pattern; at least one insert loaded in each of the loading parts of the frame; and a combining unit for keeping the insert within the loading part to move freely on a plane of the frame, and allowing the maximum amount of free movement of the insert to be determined in accordance with a location of the loading part, in which the insert is loaded, on the matrix. 
   In accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a test tray for a test handler, including: a frame having a plurality of loading parts arranged in a matrix pattern; at least one insert loaded in each of the loading parts of the frame; and a combining unit for keeping the insert within the loading part to move freely on a plane of the frame, and allowing the direction of free movement of the insert to be determined in accordance with a location of the loading part, in which the insert is loaded, on the matrix. 
   In accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a test tray for a test handler, including: a frame having a plurality of loading parts arranged in a preset matrix pattern; at least one insert loaded in each of the loading parts of the frame; and a combining unit for keeping the insert within the loading part to move freely on a plane of the frame, and allowing the amount of free movement of the insert to be determined to be larger in case that the insert is loaded in the loading part arranged to be closest to the outer part of the frame than in case that the insert is loaded in the loading part arranged to be closest to the center of the frame on the plane. 
   In the test tray for the test handler, the combining unit allows the amount of free movement of the insert to be determined to be larger as the insert is arranged further away from the center of the frame on the plane. 
   In the test tray for the test handler, the combining unit includes a free movement determining hole which is formed in the frame and has a larger shape as its location is further away from the center of the frame on the plane; and a free movement pin of which one end is caught by the free movement determination hole, and of which the extended other end passes through the free movement determining hole with room so as to be able to move freely, thereby being combined with the insert. 
   In the test tray for the test handler, the free movement determining hole is made in a shape of an elongated hole which has a tilt in a straight line direction of connecting the formation location thereof to the center of the frame on the plane. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments, given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic plan view of a test handler and a tester docked to a corresponding test handler; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view of a test tray; 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic perspective view of the tester of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic perspective view of a pushing unit applied in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a reference perspective view for explaining a combination relationship of a pusher formed in the pushing unit of  FIG. 4 , an insert formed in the test tray of  FIG. 2 , and a socket formed in the tester of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a reference cross-sectional view for explaining a combination structure of an insert and a frame in the test tray of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a plan view of a frame applied to the test tray according to the prior art; 
       FIG. 8  is a plan view of a frame applied to the test tray according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIGS. 9 to 11  are reference views for explaining the frame of  FIG. 8 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
   Hereinafter, a test tray for a test handler (hereinafter, referred to as “test tray”) according to the present invention will be described in detail. 
   According to an embodiment of the present invention, the direction and amount of free movement of each insert are analyzed on a basis of the center of a test tray and are shown in vector, and a bolt penetration hole formed in a frame is formed in an elongated hole of ellipse having a wide width proportional to the vector. Accordingly, as a result, the bolt penetration hole adjacent to the center of the test tray becomes a hole close to a circle, and the bolt penetration hole adjacent to the corner of the test tray becomes an elongated hole of the wide width which is inclined in a 45° direction and which is close to an ellipse. Further, the bolt penetration hole adjacent to a center of a vertical side of the test tray becomes an elongated hole of the wide width in a horizontal direction, and the bolt penetration hole adjacent to a center of a horizontal side of the test tray becomes an elongated hole of the wide width in a vertical direction. 
   The embodiment like the above will be described further in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same components of the prior art will be described being marked with the same reference numerals. 
   The test tray according to the present invention includes a frame  71  shown in  FIG. 8 , inserts  11 - 1  shown in  FIG. 5 , a combining unit shown in  FIG. 6 , and the like. 
   The frame  71 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , includes a plurality of loading parts  71 - 1  arranged in a matrix pattern. 
   Each insert  11 - 1 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , has pusher guide holes  11 - 1   a  and socket guide holes  11 - 1   b.    
   The combining unit includes bolt combining holes  11 - 3   a  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) formed in the insert  11 - 1 ; bolt penetration holes  71 - 3   b  formed in the loading part  71 - 1  of the frame  71 ; and a bolt  11 - 3   c  (see  FIG. 6 ). 
   The bolt combining holes  11 - 3   a  are diagonally formed in a pair in the insert  11 - 1 , and are combined with extended other ends, i.e., male screw ends  11 - 3   c   2 , of the bolts  11 - 3   c . The bolt penetrating holes  71 - 3   b , as shown in  FIG. 8 , are diagonally formed in a pair in each loading part  71 - 1  of the frame  71  to correspond to the bolt combining holes  11 - 3   a , and the male screw ends  11 - 3   c   2  of the bolt  11 - 3   c  passes therethrough. For reference, the bolt penetration holes  71 - 3   b  formed in the frame  71  in this embodiment are different in size and gradient direction in accordance with the arrangement location thereof, but are marked as the reference numeral  71 - 3   b  for the sake of explanation and drawing transcription. 
   The bolt  11 - 3   c  has its head  11 - 3   c   1  caught by the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b , and the extended male screw  11 - 3   c   2  is combined with the bolt combining hole  11 - 3   a  by passing through the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b . That is to say, the bolt  11 - 3   c  makes the insert  11 - 1  appropriately kept in the loading part  71 - 1  while installing the insert  11 - 1  in the frame  71  so as to enable the corresponding insert  11 - 1  to move freely, and moves freely together with the insert  11 - 1  while being integrally combined with the insert  11 - 1 , but acts as a free movement pin which guides the free movement of the insert  11 - 1  in a gradient direction of the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b.    
   In order to explain the characteristic of the present invention more clearly in such a configuration, a more detail explanation will be made through reference views inclusive of  FIG. 8 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 8 , a plurality of loading parts  71 - 1  is arranged in a matrix pattern in the frame  71 . And, the bolt penetration holes  71 - 3   b  are diagonally formed in a pair in each loading part  71 - 1 , and each bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  has a different size and shape in accordance with an arrangement location thereof. 
   For example, if the loading part  71 - 1  of a part ‘A’ of  FIG. 8  is observed carefully in reference to an explanation view of  FIG. 9 , it is known that there is formed a bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  of an elongated hole shape which is longer in a direction (a or b direction) of linearly crossing the center of the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  formed in the corresponding loading part  71 - 1  and the center ‘C’. That is to say, the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  is nearly of an ellipse shape having a fixed narrow width, but having a wide width formed to be longer by as much as a′ or b′ in a straight line a or b direction than a narrow width. For more example, if the loading part  71 - 1  of a part ‘B’ of  FIG. 8  is observed in detail with reference to an explanation view of  FIG. 10 , there is formed a bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b , which is in an elongated hole shape that is longer in a direction (c or d direction) linearly crossing the center of the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  formed in the corresponding loading part  71 - 1  and the center C. That is, the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  is substantially an ellipse shape having a fixed narrow width, but having a wide width that may be longer by as much as c′ or d′ in a straight line c or d direction than the narrow width. 
   When taking a specific location of the test tray into consideration, a corresponding specific location part is expanded in a specific straight line direction of crossing the center and the corresponding specific location, thus the insert  11 - 1  is made to have the free movement in the specific straight line direction, but the free movement is made to be restricted in another direction. That is to say, as shown in the reference view of  FIG. 11 , assuming that there are a lot of straight lines crossing the center of the frame  71 , the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  located at a point which meets an arbitrary straight line is formed in an elongated hole shape having a gradient in a corresponding arbitrary straight line direction. Accordingly, the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  adjacent to the center of the horizontal side of the frame  71  becomes an elongated hole having a wide width in a vertical direction, while the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  adjacent to the center of the vertical side of the frame  71  becomes an elongated hole having a wide width in a horizontal direction. And, the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  adjacent to the straight line connecting the corner with the center of the frame  71  becomes an elongated hole having a gradient close to about 45° with a horizontal axis or a vertical axis. 
   Further, when comparing  FIG. 9  with  FIG. 10 , c′ or d′ is longer than a′ or b′, and thus the bolt penetration holes  71 - 3   b  shown in  FIG. 10  are substantially larger than the bolt penetration holes  71 - 3   b  shown in  FIG. 9 , as a whole. This is because the amount of free movement of the insert  11 - 1  shown in  FIG. 10  needs to be made higher since the extent of thermal expansion or contraction is greater as a point is further away from the center. That is, the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  becomes a hole having a wide width close to the narrow width as the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  is located closer to the center of the frame  71 , while the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  becomes an elongated hole having a wide width higher than the narrow width as the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  is located further away from the center of the frame  71 . 
   As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, as the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  is located further away from the center, it is formed to be longer and has an elongated hole shape of which the gradient direction is a straight line direction of connecting the center to the location where the corresponding bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  is formed. And, the direction and amount of free movement of the insert  11 - 1  is determined by the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b . That is to say, in this embodiment, the bolt penetration hole  71 - 3   b  acts as free movement determining hole which determines the direction and amount of free movement of the insert  11 - 1 . 
   Accordingly, according to the test tray described above, even though the frame  71  of the test tray is excessively expanded or contracted when testing the semiconductor devices at a high temperature or low temperature, each insert  11 - 1  can move freely by as much as the amount of the corresponding expansion or contraction in a direction against an expansion or contraction direction corresponding to its location, thus the posture and location of the insert  11 - 1  for the center of the test tray are adjusted to a fixed value regardless of the expansion or contraction of the frame  71 . 
   On the other hand, when observing this invention in a different point of view, the inserts  11 - 1  located around the outer part of the test tray are known to make greater in the amount of free movement than the insert  11 - 1  located around the center of the test tray. When seeing in this point of view, the present invention can be explained as follow. When considering two inserts  11 - 1  which are arranged on an arbitrary straight line of crossing the test tray and different from each other in distance from the center, the insert  11 - 1  further away from the center is determined to be higher in the amount of free movement than the insert closer to the center. Accordingly, when considering arbitrary two inserts  11 - 1  that are arranged on one straight line of crossing the center of the test tray, the present invention includes a case of having at least one example that the insert  11 - 1  far away from the center on an arbitrary straight line is determined to be higher in the amount of free movement than the insert  11 - 1  closer to the center. 
   While the invention has been shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modification may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.