Abstract: A chip burn-in system maintains the temperature of IC-chips near a set point, while the IC-chips undergo large step increases and large step decreases in power dissipation as they are tested. The system includes a hot fluid circuit in which a hot fluid circulates from a reservoir through heat exchangers and back to the reservoir, and in which the heat exchangers exchange heat by conduction between the hot fluid and the IC-chips. To keep the temperature of the fluid in the reservoir nearly constant, the system includes an electric heater which operates with a fast response to add heat to the fluid returning to the reservoir as a function of one control signal; and an analog valve which operates with a slow response to add a cold fluid to the reservoir as a function of another control signal.

Abstract: An electromechanical apparatus for testing IC-chips 12c includes a sliding springy mechanism 15a-15g which squeezes a chip holding subassembly 12a-12d between a temperature regulating subassembly 14a-14d and a power converter subassembly 13a-13c. Vertically moveable actuators 16a, with slots 16a-1, impart motion to joints 15e within the sliding springy mechanism 15a-15g. The joints 15e slide on a rail 15a to thereby open and close arms 15a, 15b; and that causes the substrates 14c, 12c to be lowered and raised, respectively. When the substrates 14c, 12c are raised, temperature regulating components 12c engage IC-chips 12c, and electrical contacts 12d engage electrical contacts 13b, with a force that is nearly constant despite the presence of several dimensional tolerances.