Patents Examined by Emily Y Chan
  • Patent number: 8294483
    Abstract: A testing system includes a tester probe and a plurality of integrated circuits. Tests are broadcast to the plurality of integrated circuits using carrierless ultra wideband (UWB) radio frequency (RF). All of the plurality of integrated circuits receive, at the same time, test input signals by way of carrierless UWB RF and all of the plurality of integrated circuits run tests and provide results based on the test input signals. Thus, the plurality of integrated circuits are tested simultaneously which significantly reduces test time. Also the tests are not inhibited by physical contact with the integrated circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Lucio F. C. Pessoa, Perry H. Pelley, III
  • Patent number: 8089265
    Abstract: By subdividing the free layer of a GMR/TMR device into multiple sub-elements that share common top and bottom electrodes, a magnetic detector is produced that is domain stable in the presence of large stray fields, thereby eliminating the need for longitudinal bias magnets. Said detector may be used to measure electric currents without being affected by local temperature fluctuations and/or stray fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: MagIC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yimin Guo, Po-Kang Wang
  • Patent number: 8076951
    Abstract: A micro-spray cooling system beneficial for use in testers of electrically stimulated integrated circuit chips is disclosed. The system includes micro-spray heads disposed about a probe head. The spray heads and probe head are disposed in a sealed manner inside a spray chamber that, during operation, is urged in a sealing manner onto a sealing plate holding the integrated circuit under test. The atomized mist cools the integrated circuit and then condenses on the spray chamber wall. The condensed fluid is pumped out of the chamber and is circulated in a chiller, so as to be re-circulated and injected again into the micro-spray heads. The pressure inside the spray chamber may be controlled to provide a desired boiling point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignees: DCG Systems, Inc., Isothermal Systems Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Tahir Cader, Charles Lester Tilton, Benjamin Hewett Tolman, George Joseph Wos, Alan Brent Roberts, Thomas Wong, Jonathan D. Frank
  • Patent number: 8067933
    Abstract: A cost-effective system provides reliable location information for locating a vehicle tied to a guideway. Reference markers are mounted to the guideway and scanning devices are disposed in the vehicle and generate at least one output signal when they pass a reference marker. The scanning devices are formed from several individual sensors which are extended in the driving direction with an average scanning length equal to or greater than a distance between neighboring reference markers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jens Rost, Robert Schmid
  • Patent number: 8013623
    Abstract: A test configuration for double sided probing of a device under test includes a holder to secure the device under test in a first orientation, a calibration substrate secured in a second orientation and a probe capable of calibration using the calibration substrate and probing the device under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Cascade Microtech, Inc.
    Inventors: Terry Burcham, Peter McCann, Rod Jones
  • Patent number: 8008911
    Abstract: In a method for determining road clearance of a vehicle, the vehicle is moved relative to a measurement configuration with a reference surface. One or more magnets, which are disposed on the vehicle and assigned preferably each to a defined measurement point on the vehicle, is detected by at least one device for magnetic field measurement. With the help of at least one device for separation measurement, the separation between the measurement configuration and the bottom side of the vehicle is determined. In this way, a rapid, reliable, repeatable and flexibly usable method for the determination of the road clearance of a vehicle is provided. A corresponding device is provided for implementing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG
    Inventors: Norbert Melinat, Ralf Bauer, Thorsten Leschinski, Harald Schöffler
  • Patent number: 8008941
    Abstract: A polishing head is tested in a test station having a pedestal for supporting a test wafer and a controllable pedestal actuator to move a pedestal central wafer support surface and a test wafer toward the polishing head. In another aspect of the present description, the test wafer may be positioned using a positioner having a first plurality of test wafer engagement members positioned around the pedestal central wafer support surface. In another aspect, the wafer position may have a second plurality of test wafer engagement members positioned around an outer wafer support surface disposed around the pedestal central wafer support surface and adapted to support a test wafer. The second plurality of test wafer engagement members may be distributed about a second circumference of the ring member, the second circumference having a wider diameter than the first circumference. Additional embodiments and aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Schmidt, Jay Rohde, Stacy Meyer
  • Patent number: 8008913
    Abstract: Variations in the lift-off separation between a probe and the surface of a structure to be tested often mask the detection of defects in the structure. A method and apparatus for automatically classifying and compensating for variations in the lift-off is described. A reference signal at a known lift-off may be weighted by a corresponding calculated ratio parameter and subtracted from a test signal to compensate for lift-off. A number of reference signals are preferably obtained and the largest magnitude gradient for each reference signal is preferably determined. The largest magnitude gradient for subsequent test signals is also obtained and the corresponding reference signal with the closest largest magnitude gradient to the test signal is identified and the corresponding reference signal is selected in the related compensation procedure. Such a method has been found to restore the signal such that lift-off is removed and defects are easily identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: GE Inspection Technologies, Ltd
    Inventors: Xiaoyu Qiao, John Hansen
  • Patent number: 7999564
    Abstract: A probe apparatus is provided with a plurality of probe tiles, an interchangeable plate for receiving the probe tiles, a floating plate being disposed between the respective probe tile and a receiving hole on the interchangeable plate, and a control mechanism providing multi-dimensional freedom of motions to control a position of the probe tile relative to the respective receiving hole of the interchangeable plate. A method of controlling the floating plate is also provided by inserting a pair of joysticks into two respective adjustment holes disposed on the floating plate and moving the pair of joysticks to provide translational motions (X-Y) and rotational (theta) motion of the floating plate, and turning the pair of jack screws clockwise and counter-clockwise to provide a translational motion (Z) and two rotational (pitch and roll) motions of the floating plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Celadon Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan J. Root, William A. Funk
  • Patent number: 7994806
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a system and method for testing an embedded circuit in a semiconductor arrangement as part of an overall circuit that is located on a semiconductor wafer, the system and method comprising an arrangement comprising an overall circuit with at least one input and output. The overall circuit may be provided with an embedded circuit that is not directly connected to the inputs and outputs or may be connected thereto by being specially switched. Switching elements and test islands that are connected thereto may be provided such that the input or the output of the embedded circuit may be connected to the test islands via the switching elements in case of a test. The switching elements may be switched to said test mode in case of a test by applying a voltage to the test island, or the switching elements may be switched in this manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: X-Fab Semiconductor Foundries AG
    Inventors: Holger Halberla, Soeren Lohbrandt
  • Patent number: 7990169
    Abstract: An electrical testing device used for testing an electronic device under test. The electrical testing device includes a cable configured for receiving a test signal and transmitting the received test signal therethrough, and a testing unit connected to the cable and configured for analyzing the test signal. The cable includes a flexible body, a number of first connectors connected to an end of the flexible body configured for receiving a test signal from the electronic device under test, and a second connector connected to the other end of the flexible body configured for transmitting the test signal between the flexible body and the testing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kim-Yeung Sip
  • Patent number: 7986156
    Abstract: An exemplary aspect of an embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device including a plurality of test elements formed in an array on a semiconductor substrate, an address signal generating portion that generates an address signal corresponding to each of the test elements, and a digital-to-analog converter that converts the address signal into an analog signal and outputs the converted analog signal. The present invention enables to recognize which DUT is being measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Ikeda, Morihisa Hirata
  • Patent number: 7982473
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing a position detector used in determining the position of a control means. The position detector includes a resistance track, and a first terminal in connection with its first end, and a second terminal in connection with second end of the resistance track, and a slide electrically connected to the resistance track. The slide is arranged to move in relation to the control by the effect of a position change. Additionally, the position detector includes a slide terminal in connection with the slide, an electricity supply, a voltage measurer and a signal processing unit for diagnosing measurement data. In the method, a supply voltage is arranged in the slide terminal, the output voltage of the first terminal is measured, the output voltage of the second terminal is measured, and at least a first and a second output voltage are arranged to the signal processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 9 LLC
    Inventor: Ari Virtanen
  • Patent number: 7982465
    Abstract: A method for analyzing acquired electromagnetic measurements (R) made at or in a sea (4) over a seafloor (1) with rock formations (3) having relatively low resistivity (?3) for detecting a possibly underlying petroleum bearing reservoir formation (2) having relatively high resistivity (?2), wherein a low frequency electromagnetic transmitter (5) arranged in the sea (4) emits an electromagnetic field (P) propagating in the sea (4), in the rocks (3, 2) and in the air (0) above the sea; wherein electromagnetic sensors (6) are arranged with desired offsets (x) in the sea (4) for measuring the electromagnetic field (P(x)) while the field propagates, characterized in that one or more component of the electromagnetic field (P) is measured at least one large offset (xL) from the transmitter (5) where the field (P) essentially only has its origin from the field propagating as a field (P0) through the air (0); that the one or more components of the electromagnetic field (P) measured at the large offset (xL) is calculat
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Multifield Geophysics AS
    Inventors: Harald Westerdahl, Svein Erling Johnstad, Brian Anthony Farrelly
  • Patent number: 7982457
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and an eddy current system for non-contact determination of the resistance between the current lead stripe and the coating during continuous fabrication of chemical power sources such as batteries, supercapacitors, photovoltaic modules and the like. Both the method and the non-destructive test system for practicing the method are described. The method includes placing of an integrated measuring transducer containing two strap-type eddy current probes above the surface of the coating applied to the metallic current lead stripe in the region of the shaft guiding the stripe movement, so that all the points of the operating surface of the transducer being at an equal distance from the stripe surface coating so that the two probes would take measurements on the same area of the coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Enerize Corporation
    Inventors: Volodymyr I. Redko, Volodymyr Khandetskyy, Elena M. Shembel, Oxana V. Redko, Peter Novak
  • Patent number: 7982450
    Abstract: A handheld device providing an internal view through an obscuring wall or other obscuring surfaces of hidden structural or facilities elements (such as wooden studs, electrical, plumbing, or HVAC), or the absence thereof. A continuous and homogeneous luminescent gas or other visual display material whose optical characteristics change as a result of the applied electric field is used both to simultaneously detect capacitance changes associated with hidden objects and to display those detected those objects. Different types of chambers are disclosed for the gas as well as means to prevent fringing effects. The gas is held just at its ionization level at which point it becomes optically visible. Circuitry is disclosed for controlling the energy source based on current draw or light output of the gas and feedback circuitry is disclosed to neutralize the effects of ambient light. Also disclosed is a device and method for the detection and mapping of electric fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Inventor: Lanny S Smoot
  • Patent number: 7977956
    Abstract: Embodiments of methods and apparatus for aligning a probe card assembly in a test system are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for testing devices may include a probe card assembly having a plurality of probes, each probe having a tip for contacting a device to be tested, and having an identified set of one or more features that are preselected in accordance with selected criteria for aligning the probe card assembly within a prober after installation therein. In some embodiments, the identity of the identified set of one or more features may be communicated to the prober to facilitate a global alignment of the probe card assembly that minimizes an aggregate misalignment of all of the tips in the probe card assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: FormFactor, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith J. Breinlinger, Benjamin N. Eldridge, Eric D. Hobbs, Douglas S. Ondricek
  • Patent number: 7969175
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for testing an integrated circuit of an electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Aehr Test Systems
    Inventors: David S. Hendrickson, Jovan Jovanovic, Donald P. Richmond, II, William D. Barraclough
  • Patent number: 7960991
    Abstract: Provided is a test apparatus including a test head main body 130 that communicates a signal with the device under test 200, a prober 110 on which the device under test 200 is mounted, and a probe card 300 positioned between the test head main body 130 and the prober 110, where the probe card 300 includes: a plurality of probe pins 320 provided on a surface thereof facing the prober 110 and electrically connected to a terminal of the device under test 200; a plurality of test head pads 330 provided on a surface thereof facing the test head main body 130 and electrically connected to spring pins 129 on the test head main body 130 and to the probe pins 320; and prober pads 340 provided on a surface thereof facing the prober 110 and electrically connected to the plurality of probe pins 320.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventor: Yasushi Shouji
  • Patent number: RE43739
    Abstract: A test probe for a finger tester for the testing of non-componented circuit boards has a test needle with a probe tip which may be brought into contact with a circuit board test point, and which may be pivotably attached to a mount by means of at least two flexible sprung retaining arms. It is distinguished by the fact that at least one of the retaining arms is made of an electrically conductive material and is electrically connected to the test needle. In a corresponding finger tester, the test probe is driven by a linear motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: ATG Luther & Maelzer GmbH
    Inventor: Victor Romanov