阅读说明：本技术 在自动化测试中处理集成电路 (Processing integrated circuits in automated testing ) 是由 N·巴尔德瓦吉 N·维内卡 J·V·拉尤 S·梅洛特拉 A·阿杜尼 M·A·瓦尔哈德潘德 于 2019-01-22 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于在自动化测试中处理集成电路的装置包括可选择性地在测试表面上方平移的上部组件(230),以及从上部组件(230)延伸并位于其下方的下部支架(250)。下部支架(250)形成第一开口,可选择性地上下移动,包括向下延伸的用于将集成电路(295)拾取并放置在插座中的可旋转指状件(270)。该装置还可以包括用于检测潜在错误情况的图像传感器和从下部支架(250)延伸以打开和闭合插座上的盖子的工具。(An apparatus for processing integrated circuits in automated testing includes an upper assembly (230) selectively translatable above a test surface, and a lower support (250) extending from and underlying the upper assembly (230). The lower bracket (250) defines a first opening, selectively movable up and down, including downwardly extending rotatable fingers (270) for picking and placing an integrated circuit (295) in the socket. The apparatus may also include an image sensor for detecting a potential error condition and a tool extending from the lower bracket (250) to open and close the cover on the receptacle.)

1. An apparatus for processing an integrated circuit in automated testing, the apparatus comprising:

an upper assembly selectively translatable over the test surface;

a lower bracket extending from and located below the upper assembly, wherein the lower bracket: extending in the plane of the test surface; forming a first opening; and is selectively movable perpendicular to the plane of the test surface; and

a finger having a longitudinal axis extending downwardly from the upper assembly, wherein: a lower portion of the finger is selectively rotatable about the longitudinal axis; the distal ends of the fingers extend downwardly toward the first opening in the lower bracket; and the fingers are selectively movable upwardly and downwardly relative to the lower support to pick up an integrated circuit and place it in the socket.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lower bracket and the fingers are mounted on arms extending in the planar direction of the test surface to facilitate securing and removing the integrated circuit under test equipment located above the socket.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an image sensor positioned to capture an image of the integrated circuit located below the first opening.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a second opening in the lower support, wherein the image sensor is positioned to capture images through the second opening.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the distal ends of the fingers are selectively movable through the first opening in the lower bracket.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lower bracket is spaced from the upper assembly and is supported below the upper assembly by a plurality of adjustable spacers.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a computer comprising a memory, wherein the computer is in communication with the upper assembly such that the upper assembly can translate to a predetermined location stored in the memory.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the memory is configured to store a predetermined up or down position of the fingers relative to the socket such that the fingers can move up or down to the predetermined position.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a crimp head on the distal end of the finger, wherein the crimp head is configured to selectively retain and release the integrated circuit thereon.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the finger is configured to move the ram below the first opening when the distal end of the finger is extended downward.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the finger comprises an axial spring configured to cushion the ram against the integrated circuit.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a vacuum source to selectively supply a vacuum to the ram.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the fingers and the lower portions of the fingers are hollow to form a channel for the vacuum.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the finger further comprises an upper portion;

the upper portion and the lower portion of the finger each comprise a conical portion aligned with the longitudinal axis of the finger; and

one cone is internal and the other cone is external, and the external cone is configured to extend within the internal cone to join the upper portion and the lower portion.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a portion of the lower rack surrounding the first opening forms a perimeter configured to apply pressure to a lid of the socket to close or release the lid when the lower rack is moved toward the plane of the testing surface.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the fingers are selectively movable upward such that the distal ends of the fingers are above the perimeter of the first opening, and the fingers are selectively movable downward such that the distal ends of the fingers are below the perimeter of the first opening.

17. The device of claim 1, further comprising a tool attached to the lower bracket and extending below the lower bracket to open and close a cover on the socket.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the tool comprises a lip displaced below the lower rack and extending in the plane of the test surface, and the lip is configured to engage a latch on the cover of the socket.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the tool is a post extending perpendicular to the plane of the testing surface, and the distal end of the post is configured to engage a rotating cap on the socket when the upper assembly translates in a circular pattern into the plane of the testing surface.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the tool is a post extending perpendicular to the plane of the test surface, and the apparatus further comprises a drive having a vertical portion and a horizontal arm, wherein:

a distal end of the upright portion is configured to engage a rotation mechanism on the cover of the receptacle; and

a distal end of the horizontal arm is configured to engage the post such that translation of the upper assembly in the plane of the test surface in a circular pattern rotates the rotation mechanism on the cover of the socket.

21. A robot for automated testing of integrated circuits, the robot comprising:

an upper assembly selectively translatable over the test surface;

a finger extending downwardly from the upper assembly, wherein the finger is selectively rotatable about a longitudinal axis and selectively movable upwardly and downwardly to pick up and place an integrated circuit in a socket;

an image sensor positioned to capture an image of the integrated circuit; and

a computer comprising a non-transitory computer-readable memory, wherein the memory contains instructions for instructing the computer to perform the method of: sensing, by the image sensor, an image of the integrated circuit; analyzing the image to detect errors in the position or placement of the integrated circuit; and correcting the detected error by moving the finger.

22. The robot of claim 21, wherein: analyzing the image comprises analyzing the image to detect an orientation error of the integrated circuit; and correcting the detected error comprises rotating the integrated circuit using the finger to correct the orientation.

23. The robot of claim 21, wherein: analyzing the image comprises analyzing the image to detect errors in rotation of the integrated circuit; and correcting the detected error comprises rotating the integrated circuit using the finger to correct the rotation.

24. The manipulator of claim 21, wherein: analyzing the image comprises analyzing the image to detect errors in the tilt of the integrated circuit; and correcting the detected error comprises picking up the integrated circuit using the finger to correct the tilt.

25. The robot of claim 21, wherein: analyzing the image includes analyzing the image to detect missing integrated circuits; and correcting the detected error comprises moving the finger to initiate testing of another integrated circuit.

26. A method of processing an integrated circuit during automated testing, the method comprising:

translating an upper assembly over a test surface such that a lower support supported below the upper support is positioned over an integrated circuit for testing;

picking up the integrated circuit using fingers that are selectively movable up or down relative to the lower support;

placing the integrated circuit in a socket using the fingers; and

securing the integrated circuit in the socket using a tool extending from the lower bracket,

wherein each of the steps is automatically performed under the control of a computer.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising opening and closing a cover of the receptacle under control of the computer.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising sensing an image of the integrated circuit using an image sensor mounted on the lower support and under control of the computer.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising: analyzing, by the computer, the image to detect an orientation error of the integrated circuit; and correcting the error by rotating the integrated circuit using the rotatable portion of the finger under control of the computer.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising: analyzing, by the computer, the image to detect errors in rotation of the integrated circuit; and correcting the error by rotating the integrated circuit using the rotatable portion of the finger under control of the computer.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising: analyzing, by the computer, the image to detect errors in the tilt of the integrated circuit; and correcting the error by picking up the integrated circuit using the fingers under control of the computer.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising: analyzing, by the computer, the image to detect missing integrated circuits from an expected location; and terminating the test involving the missing integrated circuit.

Background

Integrated circuits are typically subjected to functional and environmental testing as part of the manufacturing process. These integrated circuits are typically mass produced, where each device must be tested to determine if it is defective or non-functional. In the case of complex integrated circuits, a batch of these devices may be delivered to a test station or test bed, and each device is then picked from a tray, placed into a socket on a dedicated Printed Circuit (PC) board, and then run a series of functional tests. Testing may also include operation of the integrated circuit under controlled environmental conditions, such as hot or cold conditions. Sockets for hand-held integrated circuits that make electrical contact with a PC board typically include a cover that must be closed to secure the integrated circuit and make electrical contact for testing, and then opened after testing is complete to remove the integrated circuit. During this process, an operator or technician may be required to pick each integrated circuit from the tray, place each integrated circuit into a test socket, secure a socket cover, and/or otherwise oversee or interact with the test process.

Disclosure of Invention

To process integrated circuits in automated testing, an apparatus includes an upper assembly that is selectively translatable over a test surface, and a lower support extending from and below the upper assembly. The lower support defines a first opening that is selectively movable up and down and includes downwardly extending rotatable fingers (fingers) for picking and placing the integrated circuits in the sockets. The apparatus may also include an image sensor for detecting a potential error condition and a tool extending from the lower bracket to open and close the cover on the receptacle.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a test station with a robot and a support structure located thereon.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an example of a robot arm.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of an example of a lower bracket of the robot.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an example robot with an example of fingers depicting a hand-held integrated circuit and an example of a tool extending from a lower support.

Figures 5A-5D are sequential perspective views depicting an exemplary robot arm opening the cover of a clamshell receptacle and placing an integrated circuit in the receptacle.

Fig. 6A is a perspective view depicting an example of a robot hand with a hand-held integrated circuit to be placed in a spring lock socket.

Fig. 6B is a perspective view depicting an example of a robot closing the spring lock receptacle of fig. 6A.

Figures 7A and 7B are sequential perspective views depicting an exemplary manipulator opening a screw-closed cover on a flip-type receptacle.

Fig. 8A is a perspective view of an example robot positioned to rotate a driver to close a lid of a hardwood (Ironwood) socket.

Fig. 8B is a perspective view of the driver in fig. 8A.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an example robot mounted on an arm.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of an example of a rotary joint on a finger of a robot.

Fig. 11A to 11D show examples of images sensed by an image sensor of a robot arm.

Fig. 12A to 12D show examples of other images sensed by the image sensor of the robot arm.

Fig. 13 is a diagram of detecting rotation of the integrated circuit in an image sensed by an image sensor of the robot arm.

Fig. 14A to 14D show examples of other images sensed by the image sensor of the robot arm.

Fig. 15 is an illustration of detecting a tilt integrated circuit in an image sensed by an image sensor of a robot arm.

Fig. 16A to 16D show other examples of images sensed by the image sensor of the robot arm.

Detailed Description

Some equipment, commonly referred to as "robots," may be used to assist engineers or technicians in processing integrated circuits during automated testing. For example, such a robot may be used to pick individual integrated circuits from a tray and place each integrated circuit into a test socket in sequence. However, existing robots may not be able to open and close the various types of lids that are common on sockets used in automated testing processes. Thus, an operator or technician may need to manually open and close the cover of the socket in each test cycle. Furthermore, dedicated instrumentation for testing the thermal performance of integrated circuits may often block overhead access to test sockets. Thus, such thermal test instruments may prevent the use of some robots that must access the socket from overhead. Thus, the operator or technician may again need to manually perform all of the thermal test procedures.

Existing robots may also require close supervision by an operator or technician to detect certain error conditions that, if left uncorrected, may lead to erroneous results or damage to the integrated circuit, test socket, or test instrument. For example, existing robots may not be able to detect when an integrated circuit is missing from a position in an integrated circuit tray. Similarly, existing robots may not be able to detect missing integrated circuits from a test socket. Likewise, existing robots may not be able to detect integrated circuits in an integrated circuit tray that have an incorrect orientation. Furthermore, existing robots may not be able to detect when an integrated circuit is tilted, shifted, or rotated when the integrated circuit is initially placed in a test socket. If the socket cover is forced closed under such circumstances, the integrated circuit and/or the test socket may be damaged or destroyed. Preventing or correcting all of these potential error conditions may require close supervision by an operator or technician and may significantly slow or stop further testing. Any manual supervision or intervention during automated testing may also adversely affect the speed of the testing process and the capacity of the integrated circuits tested by each test station. Manual intervention can also be very inefficient because the operator or technician is often idle during the testing process. The requirement for manual intervention may also limit testing to normal operating hours, thereby limiting the maximum number of tests per day.

Fig. 1 shows a test station 10, such as a station that may be used for testing integrated circuits. The test station 10 typically has a flat test surface 110 that forms a plane. For illustration, fig. 1 depicts orthogonal X and Y axes in a plane formed by a flat test surface 110. When used in a larger test facility, the test station 10 may be located in a room having a plurality of other test stations 10.

After the integrated circuits are manufactured and ready for testing, a batch of multiple integrated circuits 295 may be placed in a particular location on tray 150. The tray 150 is then placed in a predetermined position on the test surface 110 of the test station 10. Each integrated circuit 295 is then picked from tray 150 and placed into socket 220 for testing. As described in more detail below, the socket 220 typically has a cover or other closure mechanism that is closed or activated to make electrical contact between the pins of the integrated circuit 295 and the socket 220.

220 position of socketOn PC board 210, PC board 210 may be connected to computer 160 to facilitate the execution of diagnostic routines on integrated circuit 295. For example, automated testing may be sold using national instruments of Austin, Texas

The software is controlled by a computer 160.

The robot 200 is used to pick the integrated circuits 295 from the tray 150, move the integrated circuits to the sockets 220, and then close the lids on the sockets 220. After the test program has completed execution, the robot 200 then opens the lid on the socket 220, retrieves the integrated circuit 295, and replaces the integrated circuit 295 in the tray 150. The cycle is then repeated for the next adjacent integrated circuit 295 in the tray 150.

To perform these steps during testing of the integrated circuit 295, the trajectory of the robot 200 is translated in the X and Y directions and moved up and down in the Z direction, as shown by X, Y and the Z axis in fig. 1. To facilitate such translation and up and down movement, the robot 200 may be mounted on a support stand 100, the support stand 100 generally serving as a frame above the test station 10.

FIG. 1 shows one example of a support stand 100 supported above a test surface 110. Two Y support rails 130 extend parallel to the test surface 110 in the Y direction. X support rail 120 is supported by Y support rail 130 and is translatable along Y support rail 130. Likewise, Z support rail 140 is supported by X support rail 120 and is translatable along X support rail 120. Robot 200 is mounted to the bottom of Z support rail 140. In this manner, the manipulator is selectively translatable in the X and Y directions over the test surface 110. The manipulator may also be selectively movable in a Z-direction perpendicular to the plane of the test surface 110.

The motion in X, Y and the Z direction may be controlled by a computer 160, the computer 160 communicating with a microcontroller 170 to direct the movement of wheels, belts, chains, or actuators (not shown) that move the X and Z support rails 120 and 140. The computer 160 may operate certain software, such as that sold by national instruments of Austin, TexasSoftware to facilitate communication with the microcontroller 170 to control automation of the support stand 100 and the robot 200.

Fig. 2 depicts an example of a robot 200 mounted near the bottom of the Z support rail 140. The robot 200 has an upper assembly 230 that may include upper supports 240 and 242. The upper bracket 242 may be attached to the Z support rail 140. The lower bracket 250 is located below the upper bracket 240. An example of the lower bracket 250 may be a flat fixed structure supported by a spacer 260 under the upper bracket 240. Fig. 2 shows a spacer 260 as a screw member so that the distance between the upper holder 240 and the lower holder 250 can be easily adjusted.

The robot 200 also includes a finger 270 supported by the upper assembly 230 and movable up and down in the Z direction relative to the upper assembly 230. Embodiments of the fingers 270 may have an elongated longitudinal axis a aligned with the Z-direction. The distal end of finger 270 is slidable along longitudinal axis a and includes an axial spring 290 such that the slidable portion of the distal end is downwardly inclined. The distal end of the finger 270 may also include a crimp head 280 to better grip the flat surface of the integrated circuit 295, as shown in fig. 2.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, the manipulator 200 may be taught to simulate human behavior by manually moving the manipulator to a desired position useful for processing the integrated circuit 295 during testing. For example, the robot 200 may be manually positioned at a particular height directly above the integrated circuits in the tray 150. The finger 270 may then be manually lowered to precisely attach the ram 280 to the integrated circuit 295. These locations may then be stored in memory 180 in computer 160 and subsequently replayed to automatically pick up integrated circuit 295 from tray 150 at the beginning of an automated test. As a further example, a sequence of multiple positions of the robot 200 may be recorded in the memory 180 in order to simulate a human opening the cover of the flip-type socket 500 and the human removing the integrated circuit 295 after testing is complete, as illustrated and described in more detail in connection with fig. 5A-5D below.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the robot 200 of fig. 2 looking up. As shown, the lower bracket 250 forms a first opening 300 large enough so that the integrated circuit 295 can pass through the opening 300. The lower bracket 250 may also form a second opening 320 that facilitates mounting an image sensor 330 on the lower bracket 250 to capture images of the integrated circuit 295 or the socket 220 (fig. 1) at various stages of the testing process.

For example, the image sensor 330 may be a digital camera. Alternatively, the image sensor 330 may be an endoscopic camera, which is excellent with a short focal distance and includes a built-in illumination source such as a Light Emitting Diode (LED) 340. As described in more detail below, the images sensed by the image sensor 330 may be used to determine whether the integrated circuit 295 is missing, improperly oriented, rotated, tilted, etc., so that the robot 200 may take corrective action without the need for manual supervision or intervention.

As described in more detail below, the bottom surface of the lower rack 250 may be used as a tool to manipulate the cover or other closure mechanism of the receptacle 220 (fig. 1). Portions of lower brace 250, including perimeter portion 310 surrounding first opening 300 and perimeter portion 350 surrounding second opening 320, may be used for such purposes. In addition, the lower rack 250 may include a plurality of holes 360 at various locations on the bottom surface. A variety of different tools may be attached to the lower bracket 250 in one or more of the apertures 360 to more easily manipulate the lid or other closure mechanism of the socket 220 (fig. 1).

Fig. 4 shows a foot tool 410 as an example of such a tool attached to the lower bracket 250. Foot tool 410 may be attached to one of apertures 360 and extend below the bottom surface of lower rack 250 to provide better access to the cover or other locking mechanism of socket 220 (e.g., fig. 1). Here, the foot tool 410 extends downward from the lower bracket 250 and includes an L-shaped foot 420 at the bottom of the foot tool 410. The foot tool 410 may also include a thin lip (thin lip)430 extending outward from the foot 420 to facilitate manipulation of the smaller mechanism. The foot tool 410 can be securely mounted on the lower bracket 250, the lower bracket 250 securely mounted on the upper assembly 230, and the upper assembly 230 selectively moved up and down in the Z direction at the bottom of the Z support rail 140, as depicted in fig. 1. In this manner, foot tool 410 may be moved in directions X, Y and Z to manipulate a lid or other locking mechanism.

Fig. 5A-5D are example sequences of using the foot tool 410 to manipulate the cover 520 of the flip-type receptacle 500. To open the lid, foot 420 is placed under flip latch 510. Then, the robot arm 200 is lifted upward, thereby releasing the latch 510. The robot continues to lift the hinged flip 520 upward and expose the integrated circuit 295 in the receptacle 500. The robot 200 is then translated so that the longitudinal axis a (fig. 2) of the fingers 270 is directly over the integrated circuit 295. The distal end of the finger 270 including the ram 280 is then moved downward, as shown by the arrow in fig. 5D, to contact and pick up the integrated circuit 295. Each of these actions, and the position of the manipulator 200 for each motion, may be pre-recorded in the computer 160 by first simulating human actions, and then subsequently played back along with a number of other sequences to automate the testing process.

Fig. 6A and 6B illustrate another example of a robot 200 for use in connection with an automated test integrated circuit 295 in a spring lock socket 600. As shown in fig. 6A, the robot 200 holds the integrated circuit 295 at the distal ends of the fingers 270 and is first translated to a position directly above the spring lock socket 600. As indicated by the arrow in fig. 6A, the finger 270 is then lowered through the first opening 300 to place the integrated circuit 295 into the socket 600. The robot 200 may then be translated in the X or Y direction so that the image sensor 330 may be positioned directly over the socket 600 and the image sensor 330 used to verify proper placement of the integrated circuit 295 (as described in more detail below).

Once proper placement of the integrated circuit 295 is verified using the image sensor 330, the robot can be moved downward in the Z direction using the bottom surface of the lower support 250 to push on top of the socket 600 to lock the integrated circuit in the socket 600 for automated testing, as shown in fig. 6B. After the automated testing is complete, the integrated circuit 295 may be removed from the socket 600 using the reverse order of movement.

Figures 7A and 7B illustrate yet another example of a manipulator 200 for use in connection with an automated test integrated circuit 295 in a screw closed flip-type socket 700. For simplicity, fig. 7A and 7B only show the opening of the screw cap 710. Closing the lid 710 may be accomplished by similar actions performed in reverse order. As shown in fig. 7A, the robot 200 includes a cylindrical tool 440 attached to the lower bracket 250. Columnar tool 440 may be a fixed rod that extends downward in a direction perpendicular to test surface 110 (fig. 1). The screw cap 710 includes a circular top with a notch 720 on the outer edge. The screw cap 710 is rotated clockwise to secure the cap 710 and make electrical contact between the integrated circuit 295 and the socket 700. Instead, the cover 710 may be rotated counterclockwise to release the integrated circuit 295.

As shown in fig. 7A, when the cylindrical tool 440 is engaged within the slot 720, the robot 200 may automatically release the cover 710 by noting the X and Y positions of the robot 200. The lid 71 may then be released by translating the robot 200 and the cylindrical tool 440 in small increments in the X and Y directions to simulate the cyclical motion represented by arrow C. As shown in fig. 7B, the cylindrical tool 440 may then be translated in the X and Y directions to flip open the released cap 710.

Other tools may be used in conjunction with the translation and up and down movement of the robot 200 to manipulate the more complex socket 220. Referring to fig. 8A and 8B, there is shown a "BGA" socket (hardwood (Ironwood) socket 810) manufactured by hardwood electronics of itu, mn. As shown in fig. 8B, the receptacle includes a separate cover 830, the cover 830 being closed by rotating or twisting the fasteners on the cover 830. To facilitate opening and closing such a lid, driver 800 may be used with cylindrical tool 440 attached to the bottom of lower rack 250. The drive 800 is securely attached to the cover 830 and remains with the cover 830 during automated testing. Driver 800 includes a vertical portion 820 that is securely mounted to a cover 830. The drive arm 840 extends outwardly from the vertical portion 820 and includes a notch 850 at an end.

The notches 850 on the arm 840 are adapted to engage the cylindrical tool 440 so that the cylindrical tool 440 can be moved in a circular pattern to tighten or loosen the cap 830 on the hardwood receptacle 810. When the cap 830 is released, it may be physically removed by the columnar tool 440 along with the driver 800 to access the underlying socket 810. Alternatively, the ram 280 (fig. 2) may be used to grip the cap 830 or the driver 800 and remove both coupling components. When a new integrated circuit 295 is placed in the hardwood socket 810 and is ready for testing, the cap 830 with the driver 800 attached to the cap 830 can be replaced again.

For some sockets 220, such as hardwood sockets 810, to properly secure the integrated circuit 295 in the socket 810, the fastener is torqued on the cover until communication, such as Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) communication, is established with the integrated circuit 295. To meet these goals, feedback may be established between the receptacle 810 and the robot 200. Computer 160 monitors the torque applied to socket 810 while listening for JTAG communications. When JTAG communication indicates a proper electrical connection between the socket 810 and the integrated circuit 295, the computer 160 signals the robot 200 to stop applying torque. Alternatively, if proper communication is not established within acceptable criteria, e.g., three attempts, the test may be terminated and the integrated circuit 295 rejected before attempting a further time-consuming test procedure.

As described above, the integrated circuit 295 may also benefit from testing under controlled environmental conditions, such as extreme high temperatures or extreme cold. To create a controlled environment for such testing, the integrated circuit 295 in the socket 220 is typically covered by an insulative housing, such as that manufactured by Teptronic, Inc. of Mansfield, Mass

An apparatus. Typically, such an insulative housing remains positioned directly above the receptacle 220 so that it may be lowered to cover the receptacle 220 or raised upwardly to access the receptacle 220. Because the thermal enclosure is generally maintained in a position directly above the receptacle 220, which creates access problems for the robot, the robot may also benefit from accessing the receptacle 220 directly above.

Referring to fig. 9, the robot 200 may be mounted on an arm 900 extending laterally from the lower end of the Z support rail 140. In this manner, the manipulator 200 may be used in conjunction with a thermal test by operating the manipulator 200 in a hot enclosure when lifted upward to access the receptacle 220. Accordingly, the arm 900 facilitates handling of the manipulator 200 during thermal testing or other situations where overhead space is limited.

Fig. 2 and 10 illustrate an example of a manipulator 200 including a finger 270 having a distal end adapted to selectively rotate along a longitudinal axis a (e.g., in the direction of arrow R). Finger 270 also includes a hollow channel 1050 extending along the length of axis a. The hollow passageway 1050 is provided as a passageway for selectively supplying vacuum to the ram 280 from the external vacuum source 1000. In this manner, the integrated circuit 295 can be quickly clamped and released without applying physical force to the precision components.

To facilitate rotation while maintaining a vacuum sealed channel, the finger 270 includes a lower portion 1010 that can rotate relative to an upper portion 1020. To maintain a vacuum seal between the lower portion 1010 and the upper portion 1020, the two portions are joined together using a conical portion that relies on the bernoulli principle to maintain a seal at the interface between the two portions. As shown in fig. 10, the lower portion 1010 of the finger 270 has an internal conical portion 1030 at its distal end, and the adjacent upper portion 1020 of the finger 270 has an external conical portion 1040 at its distal end. The outer conical portion 1040 fits within the inner conical portion 1030 such that the upper portion 1020 and the lower portion 1010 can rotate relative to each other. When the vacuum source 1000 is turned on, the velocity of the air flows along the pinch line S, a portion of which flows along the interface of the two conical portions 1030 and 1040. The velocity of the air flow between the two conical portions 1030 and 1040 creates a force that tends to seal the lower portion 1010 against the upper portion 1020.

As described above, the example of the manipulator 200 may thus translate in the X and Y directions above the test surface 110, and may move up and down in the Z direction perpendicular to the test surface 110. The example of the robot 200 may also include a finger 270 that selectively moves up and down, and a lower portion 1010 of the finger 270 that selectively rotates along a longitudinal axis. Thus, the example of the manipulator 200 is suitable for placing and removing the integrated circuit 295 in the socket 220 for automated testing. Thus, the example of the robot 200 is further adapted to manipulate a cover or other locking mechanism on the socket 220 without human intervention.

During the automated testing process of the integrated circuit 295, certain potential error conditions may occur. For example, the integrated circuit 295 may be missing from a location in the tray 150, whether due to human error, automation malfunctions, or other unexpected events. Additionally, the integrated circuit 295 may be placed in the tray 150 in an incorrect orientation, rotated, or tilted. Worse yet, the integrated circuit 295 may have an incorrect orientation, rotation, or tilt after placement in the socket 220. In these cases, the integrated circuit 295 may be damaged or the receptacle 220 may be damaged if the robot 200 or an operator forcibly closes a lid on the receptacle 220 or forcibly locks the receptacle. Either of these situations may directly stop the automated testing or significantly slow the testing speed in the event that an operator or technician intervenes to repair any damage.

For these reasons, the use of a robot 200 with the ability to detect and correct potential error conditions may provide significant advantages. To facilitate these capabilities, the robot 200 may include an image sensor 330, as shown in FIG. 3. Here, the computer 160 may be programmed to selectively capture images using the sensor 330 at various stages of the automated test. For example, an image of the integrated circuit 295, selected locations in the tray 150, and/or the sockets 220 may be captured. As described in more detail below, these images may then be analyzed by the computer 160 to detect any error conditions, so the computer 160 may direct the robot 200 to correct the error conditions, or terminate the automated test if appropriate correction is not possible.

Referring now to fig. 11A-11D, the orientation of the integrated circuit 295 may be detected by analyzing images captured by the image sensor 330. Fig. 11A is an example of an image of an integrated circuit 295. In general, the integrated circuit 295 can include visible dots 1110 that are placed at predetermined locations on the surface of the integrated circuit 295 during the manufacturing process. In fig. 11A, point 1110 appears in the lower left corner of integrated circuit 295. The integrated circuit 295 includes a number of pins extending from the periphery and aligned with corresponding contacts in the socket 220. The dots 1110 are used to visually verify that the integrated circuit 295 has the correct orientation to bring the pins into contact with the corresponding contacts in the socket 220.

To detect the orientation of the integrated circuit 295 shown in fig. 11A, the computer 160 analyzes the image to detect the point 1110. The remainder of the image is then ignored to produce an image depicting only point 1120 as shown in fig. 11B. Computer 160 may then determine the coordinates of point 1120 for use in determining the orientation of integrated circuit 295.

As shown in fig. 11C, the integrated circuit 295 may have an incorrect orientation when it is picked from the tray 150 or placed in the socket 220. Here, integrated circuit 295 has been rotated 90 degrees to the right. The processed image is shown in FIG. 11D, which shows a point 1130 near the upper left corner of the image. The processed image in FIG. 11D is divided into four quadrants 1-4. Computer 160 then determines in which quadrant point 1140 occurs. Point 1140 in fig. 11D appears in quadrant 4, indicating that the integrated circuit was erroneously rotated 90 degrees clockwise. Thus, the computer 160 instructs the rotating lower portion 1010 of the finger 270 to rotate the integrated circuit 29590 degrees counterclockwise to correct a potential error condition. If instead point 1140 occurs in quadrant 1, this indicates that the integrated circuit has been erroneously turned 180 degrees. To correct this error condition, computer 160 will therefore indicate that lower portion 1010 of finger 270 has rotated the integrated circuit 180 degrees. In a similar manner, the appearance of the dot in quadrant 2 in FIG. 11D requires that the integrated circuit be rotated 90 degrees clockwise.

In addition to potential errors involving wrong orientations, integrated circuit 295 may be accidentally rotated through an angle of less than 90 degrees, as shown in fig. 12A. As before, fig. 12A depicts an example image of the integrated circuit 295 taken by the image sensor 330 from above the socket 220. Here, the image in fig. 12A is sensed immediately after the integrated circuit 295 is placed in the socket 220. If the lid on the socket 220 is forcibly closed under these circumstances, the integrated circuit 295 and/or the socket 220 are most likely to be damaged or destroyed, causing a significant disruption to the automated testing process.

To detect potential rotation of the integrated circuit 295, the computer 160 analyzes the image as shown in fig. 12A to detect the dominant shape or blob in the image. The resulting image is shown in fig. 12B, where the shape of the integrated circuit 295 appears in the center of the image. The rest of the image is then ignored, as shown in fig. 12C, where the maximum X and Y range of shapes define the corners of the rotated integrated circuit 295. In fig. 13, the points defining the corners of the rotated rectangle of integrated circuit 295 are designated Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd.

Each point defining a corner point of the rotating rectangle has X and Y coordinates, namely Pa (Xa, Ya), Pb (Xb, Yb), Pc (Xc, Yc) and Pd (Xd, Yd). Here, the base of the integrated circuit is indicated by the line Pa → Pb. For a non-rotating integrated circuit 295, the angle Θ between the line Pa → Pb and the X-axis should be zero (0). If the angle theta is not zero (0), computer 160 can indicate that lower portion 1010 of finger 270 is rotated by the integrated circuit angle theta in the opposite direction. Errors in the rotation of the integrated circuit 295 can thus be corrected by the robot 200 without human intervention and as a component of an automated testing process.

In addition to misorientation and rotational error, the integrated circuit 295 may also be tilted in the socket 220. By "tilted," it is meant that the plane formed by the surface of integrated circuit 295 is not parallel to test surface 110, such that integrated circuit 295 appears to be tilted up or down relative to test surface 110. As with other types of errors, potential errors caused by the tilt of the integrated circuit 295 can be detected by analyzing the image of the integrated circuit 295 sensed by the image sensor 330 using the computer 160. Fig. 14A-14D are example images of a tilting integrated circuit 295 placed in a socket 220.

Referring to fig. 14A-14D, the image of the integrated circuit 295 is first processed to detect shapes or blobs in the image, as shown in fig. 14B. The center shape of the integrated circuit 295 is then preserved and the rest of the image is ignored, as shown in fig. 14C. The resulting image has the form of a quadrilateral depicted in fig. 15 with points a, b, c and d as corners. The length of each of the four sides (ab, bd, dc, and ca) is calculated by the computer 160. If any two sides are equal and the remaining two sides are not, this means that the quadrilateral is not a rectangle, and thus, integrated circuit 295 is tilted. If tilt is detected, the computer 160 instructs the fingers 270 to pick up the integrated circuit using the indenter 280, replace the integrated circuit 295 in the socket 220, and sense another image using the image sensor 330 for further analysis. Typically, such a process corrects for a tilted integrated circuit 295.

Fig. 16A-16D provide examples of the types of images sensed by image sensor 330 in order to detect potential error conditions caused by a missing integrated circuit 295. For example, referring also to fig. 1 and 2, the integrated circuit 295 may be absent from a designated location in the tray 150. Such errors may be automatically corrected by the robot 200 by simply skipping that position in the tray 150. To detect such missing integrated circuits 295, an image of a location to be analyzed, e.g., a location in the tray 150, is sensed by the image sensor 330, as shown in fig. 16A and 16C. Then, these images are reduced in color depth to black and white images, as shown in fig. 16B and 16D. In a black and white image, the number of white pixels is counted and compared with the average number of white pixels contained in a reference image known to contain integrated circuits.

As shown in fig. 16D, if the number of white pixels in the sensed image is significantly less than the number of white pixels in the known reference image, e.g., less than 60%, then computer 160 determines that the sensed image does not contain integrated circuit 295. If the computer 160 determines that the sensed image does not contain the integrated circuit 295, the position in the tray 150 can be skipped or other remedial action taken. In contrast, as shown in fig. 16B, if the number of white pixels in the sensed image is not significantly less than the number of white pixels in the reference image, then the computer 160 determines that the sensed image does contain an integrated circuit 295, in which case an automated test can be performed.

Many other variations of the foregoing error detection and correction techniques may be employed, including additional techniques involving analysis of the image sensed by image sensor 330. The described techniques and additional techniques may be used by the robot 200 to detect and correct error conditions without manual intervention. Such automatic detection and correction of a potential error condition may allow the robot 200 to be used continuously without human supervision or with less human supervision than a system that does not detect and correct a potential error condition.

In this specification, the term "coupled" means either an indirect or direct wired or wireless connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection or through an indirect connection via other devices and connections. Further, in this specification, terms such as "parallel", "perpendicular", and the like allow errors of plus or minus 15 degrees from the stated direction or configuration.

Modifications may be made in the described embodiments and other embodiments are possible within the scope of the claims.