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To: Ken Robbins who wrote (53990)	4/21/1998 2:16:00 AM
From: Paul Engel	Respond to of 186894

Ken - Re: "Teradyne & Kinetrix Handlers" I'm not familiar with the new Kinetrix equipment but in general a VLSI tester is interfaced to a DUT (Device Under Test) via a contactor - a special type of socket that allows for fast I/O of the device being tested as well as temperature extremes - to allow the device to be tested at temperature extremes - typically HOT and COLD (to insure a case temperature of +70 to +85 øC on the hot side and perhaps 0 or -20/-40 øC; on the cold side. The contactor will be connected to the VLSI tester through special cables or, more preferably, the contactor will plug into the tester itself in what is known as a Direct Docking configuration. The Handler is a separate piece of equipment. The article described a tray handler. This machine accepts integrated circuits that are placed in JEDEC trays - rectangular, plastic trays about 315 mm L x 136 mm W x 7 mm T. These trays have cavities arranged in an x-y matrix in which the individual packaged ICs sit. For example, a 225L BGA tray will have 40 cavities, arranged in 4 rows by 10 columns. The Handler is loaded with many trays and the trays are brought up to temperature within the handler. The trays are indexed into a load/unload station. In this position, one or more packages are lifted from the tray with an appropriate tool and the device is inserted into the contactor, at which point it is tested by the VLSI tester. Following the testing operation, the tester sends the appropriate signal to the handler and the device is removed from the contactor and placed into one of several OUTPUT trays. One tray is for rejects (total failures) and other trays would correspond to specific "bins" or test classes (for example - based on speed of the device, or power dissipation, etc.). Nearly all of these operations are designed to be done without operator intervention - IF everything works correctly. Semiconductor manufacturers have worked with many handler companies ov er the years and most have developed good working relationships with the better vendors. Many years of development and refinement are required to perfect these systems. Teradyne permits one-stop shopping - for the tester and the handler - but it will not be a simple task to replace good vendors that have provided reliable handlers over the past several years. For new applications, however, the one-stop shopping may be advantageous in selecting a tester/handler combination. Prices for tray handlers aren't cheap - these things can run in the several hundreds of thousands of dollars range. Paul