US 11,927,621 B2
Cryogenic wafer testing system
Michael Snow, Erie, CO (US); and Joshua West, Boulder, CO (US)
Assigned to High Precision Devices, Inc., Boulder, CO (US)
Appl. No. 17/777,580
Filed by High Precision Devices, Inc., Boulder, CO (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 19, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/061355
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 17, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/102181, PCT Pub. Date May 27, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/937,443, filed on Nov. 19, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/978,766, filed on Feb. 19, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/020,069, filed on May 5, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0014966 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. G01R 31/00 (2006.01); G01R 31/28 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/687 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 31/2877 (2013.01) [G01R 31/2862 (2013.01); H01L 21/67109 (2013.01); H01L 21/68785 (2013.01)] 32 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for testing a device under defined thermal conditions, comprising: an outer housing;
wherein, located within a chamber defined by the outer housing is:
a chuck, the chuck comprising a surface for receiving a device and one or more clamping elements which are configured to be actuated to receive and retain the device to the surface of the chuck;
wherein the chuck is connected to a motion stage by a column, and wherein the motion stage is configured to actuate the column at least laterally and vertically;
a probe card configured for contacting the device with one or more contacts;
a test zone enclosed by a test zone casing;
wherein the test zone casing encloses the chuck and the probe card;
wherein the probe card is attached to the test zone casing by one or more support elements and is disposed over the surface of the chuck;
wherein the test zone casing and the outer housing comprise coplanar aligned slots through which a wafer may be introduced to the chuck;
wherein the test zone casing comprises thermal shielding material;
wherein the test zone casing comprises a bottom surface having an opening through which the test zone is accessed by the column;
wherein the test zone comprises one or more cooling elements located within the test zone casing, on the test zone casing or in the column;
wherein the opening in the bottom surface of the test zone casing is thermally shielded by a shielding element circumscribing the column; and
wherein the shielding element comprises:
a floating shield;
a flexible bellows; or
a combination floating shield and flexible bellows.