A ceramic multilayer substrate that includes a ceramic insulator layer, which includes a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer and in which the first layer is interposed between the second layer and the third layer, an inner pattern conductor, an outer pattern conductor, and outer electrodes. The ceramic insulator layer is interposed between the inner pattern conductor and the outer pattern conductor. The sintering shrinkage start temperatures of the second layer alone and the third layer alone in a green sheet state are higher than or equal to the sintering shrinkage stop temperature of the first layer alone in a green sheet state. The thickness of the ceramic insulator layer is 5.0 m to 55.7 m. The ratio of the total of the thickness of the second layer and the thickness of the third layer to the thickness of the first layer is 0.25 to 1.11.

A method of testing a printed circuit board (PCB) with an in-circuit test (ICT) probe having an improved probe-to-via contact is provided. The ICT probe includes a tip attached to a spindle; a housing having a cavity, a portion of the spindle insertable into the cavity; and a heating element wrapped helically around the spindle, the heating element coupled to the housing. The probe is contacted with a surface of a flux layer of a test via of the PCB, said contact compressing the heating element and recessing the insertable portion of the spindle into the cavity. The tip of the probe is heated with the heating element to a temperature capable of at least partially melting the flux layer, the tip at least partially penetrating the flux layer to contact a surface of a solder plugging the test via.

In one embodiment, a universal test container can include a universal external electrical interface configured to couple to each of a plurality of different devices to test. In addition, the universal test container is configured to enclose each of the plurality of different devices to test.

A testing arrangement is provided which comprises: a board assembly comprising (i) a first connector configured to receive a first component while the board assembly is to operate in a regular mode of operation and (ii) a second connector configured to receive a second component while the board assembly is to operate in the regular mode of operation; a first test card configured to be attached to the first connector while the board assembly is to operate in a test mode of operation; and a second test card configured to be attached to the second connector while the board assembly is to operate in the test mode of operation, wherein while the board assembly is to operate in the test mode of operation, the first test card is configured to communicate with the second test card to facilitate testing of the board assembly.

A method and a probe device for testing an interposer prior to assembly are described herein. The method includes coupling a plurality of probe tips of a probe device to the plurality of signal interconnect paths of the interposer to be tested. A test signal is provided from the probe device to the plurality of signal interconnect paths of the interposer and a quality characteristic of signal interconnect paths of the interposer is detected based on behavior of the interposer in response to the test signal.

A method of probing printed circuit boards that includes providing a circuit board design including a plurality of probe points, and selecting a probe point including a location ink from the plurality of probe points in the circuit board design to be probed on a physical printed circuit board design. The method continues with probing at least one probe point of the plurality of probe points with a probe that activates the location ink. Activation of the location ink by the probe indicates the selected probe point including the locating ink.

A product self-testing method includes the steps of providing a device under test and a probe tool, connecting a plurality of test points of the device under test with the probe tool, turning on the device under test and executing a testing program on the device under test, outputting a voltage signal through at least one pin of the device under test and reading a voltage feedback signal from at least one another pin through the probe tool, and determining whether the voltage feedback signal is correct.

One aspect of this description relates to a testing apparatus including an advance process control monitor (APCM) in a first wafer, a plurality of pads disposed over and coupled to the APCM. The plurality of pads are in a second wafer. The testing apparatus includes a testing unit disposed between the first wafer and the second wafer. The testing unit is coupled to the APCM. The testing unit includes a metal structure within a dielectric. The testing apparatus includes a plurality of through silicon vias (TSVs) extending in a first direction from the first wafer, through the dielectric of the testing unit, to the second wafer.

In an embodiment, a universal test floor system includes a first robot that is configured to pack a plurality of universal test containers each including similar dimensions into a universal bin. Each universal test container is configured to enclose each of a plurality of different devices to test. The universal test floor system includes a universal conveyor configured to transport the universal bin. The first robot is configured to put the universal bin onto the universal conveyor and a second robot is configured to remove it. A universal test cell system is configured to receive the universal bin. The universal test cell system includes a plurality of test slots configured to receive a plurality of universal test containers. The universal test cell system is configured to test the plurality of different devices while each is located within one of the plurality of universal test containers.

A method of testing a printed circuit board (PCB) with an in-circuit test (ICT) probe having an improved probe-to-via contact is provided. The ICT probe includes a tip attached to a spindle; a housing having a cavity, a portion of the spindle insertable into the cavity; and a heating element wrapped helically around the spindle, the heating element coupled to the housing. The probe is contacted with a surface of a flux layer of a test via of the PCB, said contact compressing the heating element and recessing the insertable portion of the spindle into the cavity. The tip of the probe is heated with the heating element to a temperature capable of at least partially melting the flux layer, the tip at least partially penetrating the flux layer to contact a surface of a solder plugging the test via.