IC Handler Throughput Evaluation for Test Process Optimization

Final testing is one of the major processes in semiconductor product manufacturing. The testing is performed to assure the quality of the manufactured parts (integrated circuits) before their shipping to customers. The process of testing is highly automated. Special sophisticated electronic systems called Automatic Test Equipment (ATE or just Testers) and robotic electromechanical machinery called IC Test Handlers are employed to provide high quality and throughput. Test handlers act as the transportation mechanisms to move the parts to be tested and to present them to the ATE terminals where the test measurements are performed, as well as to perform the tested parts sorting (so-called binning) depending on the test results. In addition, the handlers also provide the pre-defined temperature "soaking" (heating or chilling) of the circuits before their electrical testing. In a mass-production manufacturing environment a handler could support testing of hundreds and even thousands of parts per hour. Ideally, performance of a handler and that of a tester have to be matched. This makes it important to have tools that could evaluate and predict handler performance (throughput) for various parameters of the test process. The paper discusses development of the predictive throughput calculator for the industrial robotic IC test handler.