Abstract: Thermal control units (TCU) for maintaining a set point temperature on an IC device under test (DUT) are provided. The units include a pedestal assembly comprising a heat-conductive pedestal, a fluid circulation block, a thermoelectric module (Peltier device) between the heat-conductive pedestal and the block for controlling heat flow between the pedestal and fluid circulation block, and a force distribution block for controllably distributing a z-axis force between different pushers of the TCU. Alternatively, instead of a thermoelectric module, a heater can provide heat to the DUT. Optionally, a swivelable temperature-control fluid inlet and outlet arms may be provided to reduce instability of the thermal control unit due to external forces exerted on the TCU such as by fluid lines attached to the fluid inlet and outlet arms. Also optionally, an integrated means for abating condensation on surfaces of the TCU during cold tests may be provided.

Abstract: A cooling configuration is provided for chassis-mounted electronics boards. In one embodiment, the chassis comprises a housing and at least two electronics boards. The electronics boards may comprise communication boards having a plurality of ports. Cooling air spaces are defined above and below each board, permitting cooling air to be drawn over both sides of each board. Baffles may be provided at both sides of the boards for controlling the flow of air through the various air spaces, such as baffles extending down from a top of the housing or up from a bottom of the housing, or baffles located between the boards.

Abstract: A universal spring contact pin for use in an IC test Socket includes a depressible probe member at one end and a fixed probe member at the other end. The fixed probe member preferably has a projection length chosen to allow z-axis loading of different surface mount package types within the same test socket. It also can have a relatively large tip angle which preferably terminates at a relatively sharp termination point. Preferably, the tip angle is about 90 degrees and the radius of the termination point of the tip is about 0.001 inches (0.0254 millimeters) or less. The large tip angle on the contact pin's fixed probe member provides the pin with a robust probe end that operates reliably over a large number of test cycles, is better adapted for effective use with different surface mount chip packages, and better supports a sharp tip radius. A sharp tip radius will, in turn, provide for better penetration of oxide coatings and/or foreign material on the leads of the chip packages.

Abstract: A spring contact pin includes a depressible probe member having a tapered configuration that prevents contact between the projecting end of the probe member and the end of the spring barrel throughout the compression and release cycle of the probe. The tapered configuration of the depressible probe member improves the mechanical performance, reliability, and high-speed signal performance of the contact pin.

Abstract: A cooling distribution configuration is provided for chassis-mounted electronics boards. In one embodiment, the chassis comprises a housing and at least one electronics board. The electronics board may comprise a communication board having a plurality of ports. Cooling air spaces are defined above and below the board, permitting cooling air to be drawn over both sides of the board. Notches extend inwardly from an edge of the board, the notches serving as air flow paths between the cooling air spaces and serving to distribute cooling air flowing into the housing from one or more intakes to the cooling air spaces.

Abstract: A thermal control unit (TCU) for maintaining the set point temperature of an IC device under test (DUT) has a thermoelectric module (a Peltier device), a fluid circulation block, a lower pedestal assembly containing a thermal sensor, and an upper cover housing arranged in a stacked relationship along the z-axis of the TCU. A z-axis compliant force is supplied from the TCU's cover housing by means of a spring-loaded pusher mechanism that supplies a compliant spring force to the stacked arrangement of the fluid block, peltier device, and pedestal assembly. The z-axis compliant force provided by the spring-loaded pusher mechanism produces efficient thermal contact between the peltier device and the stacked components of the TCU containing the peltier device and allows the peltier device to expand and contract within the TCU to extend the life of the peltier device.

Abstract: An improved IC chip actuator cover assembly for an IC socket includes a pedestal assembly spring-mounted to the bottom of a carrier housing and side leaf springs or other similar force transferring means on the pedestal assembly which transmit a z-axis force to the corner regions of the pedestal assembly for advancing the pedestal assembly in the z-axis direction against an IC chip in the IC socket. The compliance of the leaf springs maintains a constant and precise actuating force on the IC chip when the IC chip is contacted by the pusher end portion or portions of the pedestal assembly. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the front, back, and sides of the carrier housing define a central cavity region above the pedestal assembly for permitting air flow through the carrier housing to improve the heat dissipation capability of the cover assembly.

Abstract: A cooling configuration is provided for chassis-mounted electronics boards. In one embodiment, the chassis comprises a housing and at least two electronics boards. The electronics boards may comprise communication boards having a plurality of ports. Cooling air spaces are defined above and below each board, permitting cooling air to be drawn over both sides of each board. Baffles may be provided at both sides of the boards for controlling the flow of air through the various air spaces, such as baffles extending down from a top of the housing or up from a bottom of the housing, or baffles located between the boards.

Abstract: A cooling distribution configuration is provided for chassis-mounted electronics boards. In one embodiment, the chassis comprises a housing and at least one electronics board. The electronics board may comprise a communication board having a plurality of ports. Cooling air spaces are defined above and below the board, permitting cooling air to be drawn over both sides of the board. Notches extend inwardly from an edge of the board, the notches serving as air flow paths between the cooling air spaces and serving to distribute cooling air flowing into the housing from one or more intakes to the cooling air spaces.

Abstract: An improved contactor nest for receiving and holding IC devices against a pin board interposer during the test or burn-in of the devices includes a frame having an IC pocket with a top opening, which is oversized in relation to the footprint of the IC device for which the contactor is designed, and centering guide walls for guiding an IC device to be tested into the pocket from the oversized top opening to the IC device seating plane. The centering guide walls have a gradual angle relative to the insertion axis of the IC pocket, and extend down to a bottom perimeter portion of the IC pocket immediately adjacent the IC seating plane for gradually centering the IC device in the pocket as the IC device approaches the seating plane. Preferably, the angled guide walls extend far enough into the IC pocket to allow the spring pins of the pin board interposer to scrub the contact pads of the IC devices as the IC device is being centered.

Abstract: An improved contactor nest for receiving and holding IC devices against a pin board interposer during the test or burn-in of the devices includes a frame having an IC pocket with a top opening, which is oversized in relation to the footprint of the IC device for which the contactor is designed, and centering guide walls for guiding an IC device to be tested into the pocket from the oversized top opening to the IC device seating plane. The centering guide walls have a gradual angle relative to the insertion axis of the IC pocket, and extend down to a bottom perimeter portion of the IC pocket immediately adjacent the IC seating plane for gradually centering the IC device in the pocket as the IC device approaches the seating plane. Preferably, the angled guide walls extend far enough into the IC pocket to allow the spring pins of the pin board interposer to scrub the contact pads of the IC devices as the IC device is being centered.

Abstract: A thermal control unit (TCU) for maintaining the set point temperature of an IC device under test (DUT) has a thermoelectric module (a Peltier device), a fluid circulation block, a lower pedestal assembly containing a thermal sensor, and an upper cover housing arranged in a stacked relationship along the z-axis of the TCU. A z-axis compliant force is supplied from the TCU's cover housing by means of a spring-loaded pusher mechanism that supplies a compliant spring force to the stacked arrangement of the fluid block, peltier device, and pedestal assembly. The z-axis compliant force provided by the spring-loaded pusher mechanism produces efficient thermal contact between the peltier device and the stacked components of the TCU containing the peltier device and allows the peltier device to expand and contract within the TCU to extend the life of the peltier device.

Abstract: An improved IC chip actuator cover assembly for an IC socket includes a pedestal assembly spring-mounted to the bottom of a carrier housing and side leaf springs or other similar force transferring means on the pedestal assembly which transmit a z-axis force to the corner regions of the pedestal assembly for advancing the pedestal assembly in the z-axis direction against an IC chip in the IC socket. The compliance of the leaf springs maintains a constant and precise actuating force on the IC chip when the IC chip is contacted by the pusher end portion or portions of the pedestal assembly. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the front, back, and sides of the carrier housing define a central cavity region above the pedestal assembly for permitting air flow through the carrier housing to improve the heat dissipation capability of the cover assembly.

Abstract: A spring probe contactor includes an angled spring probe configuration that causes the tips of the spring probes to “swipe” the contact pads/solder balls of an IC device under test as the contacts are made. The angulation of the spring probes permit penetration through foreign material layers on the pad/ball surfaces with less contact force.

Abstract: A spring contact for IC chip test sockets, contactors, and the like is comprised of a barrel casing and two spring-loaded plungers, and an inward indentation formed at one end of the barrel casing, which pushes into the base end of one of the plungers for reducing the contact resistance between the one plunger and the barrel casing. Preferably, the inward indentation of the spring casing is formed by crimping the end of the spring casing.

Abstract: A test socket for an IC device has relatively thin contact interface wall in which an having an array of double-ended pogo pins. The double-ended pogo pins provide resilient spring-loaded contacts for the I/O contacts of an IC device held in the socket as well as for the circuit contacts of a PC board to which the socket is mounted.

Abstract: A cover assembly for IC chip has a lid portion and a retractable chip depressor member extendable from the underside of the lid portion along the lid's z-axis. When the cover assembly is mounted over the chip cavity of an IC socket and is properly indexed in the x-y plane of the socket, the retractable chip depressor member is retractable advanced along the z-axis of the lid portion to contact and depress the chip in the socket's chip cavity by a force that is parallel to the z-axis of the chip cavity and that is normal to the IC chip.

Abstract: A test socket for testing an optical IC device in a dead bug orientation includes a socket body with a device under test cavity (DUT cavity) for receiving an optical IC device under test (optical DUT) in a contact-up or dead bug orientation. The DUT cavity has a bottom wall with at least one aperture through which the photoactive side of the optical DUT held in the cavity can be illuminated. An outer array of axial contact elements arranged about the DUT cavity provides conductive paths through the socket body. The test socket further includes a plunger assembly insertable into the DUT cavity of the socket body having an inner array of axial contact elements which extend through the plunger assembly and which are configured to provide contact with the contacts on the contact side of the optical DUT.

Abstract: An I/C chip socket is provided with a separate docking platform having a seating surface with an array of locator openings for receiving and fixing the position of the I/O contacts of an I/C chip such as the solder balls of a BGA. The docking platform is depressibly mounted in the base portion of the socket over the tips of an array of pogo pins. The docking platform acts to precisely center the I/O contacts of the I/C chip seated thereon with the pogo pin tips.

Abstract: An improved probe tip for making electrical contact with a solder ball of an integrated circuit device such as a BGA includes two perimeter point structures having interior angled edges which form a front hollow region in the probe tip for receiving the solder ball of a BGA. Each of the interior edges of the point structures includes an angled medial contact zone which tangentially contacts the solder ball received in the hollow region of the tip to produce minimal distortion of the solder ball. The method of the invention permits electrical contact with a solder ball of a BGA with minimal deformation of the solder ball. In accordance with the method, the contact between the probe tip and the solder ball is limited to tangential contacts around the solder ball below the solder ball's apex.