DEVICE FOR TESTING COMPONENTS UNDER ELEVATED GAS PRESSURE

Abstract

Disclosed is a device for testing components under elevated pressure in which a pressure chamber is provided. The lateral boundary of the pressure chamber included a ring and an annular part, which may move perpendicularly to the plane of the component to be tested. A velvet-like lining is provided on the end face of the annular part or of the ring that faces the component to be tested. The fibers of the lining protrude from the annular part or from the ring toward the component to be tested and bridge the gap between the device and the component.

Claims

1. Device (1) for testing electrical/electronic components (7) under elevated gas pressure with a pressure chamber (6), which is provided with test needles (3) on a needle card (2), wherein a lateral boundary of the pressure chamber (6), which has at least one ring (9), is provided, and wherein there is a gap (12) between the component (7) that is to be tested and the lateral boundary of the pressure chamber (6), wherein fibers (22) are provided on the end face facing the component (7) that is to be tested, where this is the end face of the lateral boundary of the pressure chamber (6).

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the fibers (22) are oriented essentially perpendicular to the plane of the end face of the lateral boundary of the pressure chamber.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the fibers (22) are components of a velvet-like lining (20).

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the fibers (22) are arranged to prevent the flow of gas from the pressure chamber (6).

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the fibers (22) have a length of between 300 and 500 micrometers.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the free ends of the fibers (22), lying separate from the lateral boundary of the pressure chamber (6), adjoin the component (7) that is to be tested.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein an annular part (10) is provided on the ring (9) on a side of the ring that faces away from the pressure chamber (6).

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the annular part (10) is guided to move on the ring (9) relative to the needle card (2).

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the annular part (10) is fixed on the ring (9).

10. The device according to claim 7, wherein the fibers (22) are arranged on the annular part (10).

11. The device according to claim 7, wherein the fibers (22) are arranged on the end face (15) facing the component (7) that is to be tested, where this is the end face of the ring part (14) of the annular part (10).

12. The device according to claim 7, wherein the fibers (22) are parts of the velvet-like lining (20), and wherein the velvet-like lining (20) is arranged on the end face (15) of the annular part (10).

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the velvet-like lining (20) is arranged on the end face (15) facing the component (7) that is to be tested, where this is the end face of the ring part (14) of the annular part (10).

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the velvet-like lining (20) has the shape of a circular wafer.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the circular wafer formed from the velvet-like lining (20) essentially covers the end face of the ring (9) or the end face (15) of the ring part (14) of the annular part (10).

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device (1) is set up for pneumatic testing of components (7), which are pressure sensors of a semiconductor wafer.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device (1) is set up for electrical testing of components (7), which are semiconductor components.

18. The device of claim 6, wherein the ends of the fibers (22), lying separate from the lateral boundary of the ring (9), adjoin the component (7) that is to be tested.

19. The device of claim 7, wherein the annular part has a ring part that points inward.

20. Device according to claim 2, wherein the fibers (22) are components of a velvet-like lining (20).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0019] The sole drawing illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] A device 1 for testing electrical and/or electronic components, such as, for example, conductor components, in particular in the form of wafers with chips or pressure sensors, in particular pressure sensor chips, which are provided on a semiconductor wafer, comprises a needle card 2 with test needles 3, which are embedded in a plastic mass 4 that is provided on a base plate 5 of the needle card 2.

[0021] The device 1 comprises a pressure chamber 6, which is bounded on the side of the base plate 5 that faces away from the component 7 that is to be tested, which component 7 rests on a carrier 8. The lateral boundary of the pressure chamber 6 is formed by a ring 9. An annular part 10 (“sealing ring”) is provided outside on the ring 9. The annular part 10 can move (can slide) relative to the ring 9 in the direction of the double arrow 11. The guiding of the annular part 10 on the ring 9 can be designed in principle in the way known from AT 511 058 B1 or AT 511 226 B1.

[0022] Gas that is introduced into the pressure chamber 6 via a line 13 ensures that not only is elevated pressure generated in the pressure chamber 6 but also that a gas bearing is formed in the gap 12 between the component 7 that is to be tested and a (flangelike) ring part 14 that points inward (toward the pressure chamber 6) of the movable annular part 10.

[0023] On the end face 15 facing the component 7 that is to be tested, where this is the end face of the ring part 14 of the movable annular part 10, a velvet-like lining 20, which can be, for example, annular, is provided. The velvet-like lining 20, which covers, for example, the entire (annular) end face 15 of the ring part 14 of the annular part 10, comprises a carrying area 21 and fibers 22, which are oriented, on the one hand, essentially perpendicular to the component 7 that is to be tested and, on the other hand, to the end face 15 of the annular part 10. As can be seen from the diagrammatic FIGURE of the drawings, the fibers 22 extend up to the surface, facing the device 1, of the component 7 that is to be tested.

[0024] Although the invention has been described based on an embodiment with an annular part 10, which is arranged to move on the ring 9 that laterally bounds the pressure chamber 6, this movable annular part 10 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0025] In addition, an embodiment of the device according to the invention is taken into consideration, in which the annular part 10 is arranged in a non-movable manner relative to the ring 9 that laterally bounds the pressure chamber 6, i.e., is arranged snugly and non-movably on the ring 9.

[0026] When the annular part 10 is not movable, the annular part 10 can also be made integral with the ring 9.

[0027] In the embodiments without the movable annular part 10, the fibers 22 are provided on the end face of the ring 9 that faces the component 7 that is to be tested.

[0028] When the annular part 10 is not movable or is not made integral with the ring 9, there is no gas bearing in the gap 12.

[0029] A tight arrangement of the fibers 22 of the velvet-like lining 20 ensures that the outflow of gas that is fed to the pressure chamber 6 via the line 13 through the gap 12 is prevented, so that the build-up of pressure in the pressure chamber 6 can take place without major loss of gas.

[0030] In addition, the fibers 22 prevent solid particles from penetrating into the gap 12 between the device 1 and the component 7 that is to be tested (semiconductor wafer) and there cause the damage that was described in the beginning.

[0031] Another more advantageous effect of the device according to the invention also consists in the following: if (smaller) particles should penetrate into the gap 12, these particles can slide between fibers 22 and are held by the fibers 22 so that they do not exert any pressure on the component 7 that is to be tested (test piece).

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the fibers 22 have a length that corresponds to the size of the gap 12, for example a length of between 300 and 500 micrometers.

[0033] In summary, an embodiment of the invention can be described as follows:

[0034] In a device 1 for testing components under elevated pressure, a pressure chamber 6 is provided, wherein the lateral boundary of the pressure chamber 6 has a ring 9 and an annular part 10, which can be moved perpendicular to the plane of the component 7 that is to be tested. A velvet-like lining 20, whose fibers 22 project from the annular part 10 or from the ring 9 toward the component 7 that is to be tested and bridge the gap 12 between the device 1 and the component 7, is provided on the end face 15 facing the component 7 that is to be tested, where this is the end face of the annular part 10, or the ring 9.