U.S. patent application number 12/409690 was filed with the patent office on 2009-07-16 for closed-grid bus architecture for wafer interconnect structure.
This patent application is currently assigned to FORMFACTOR, INC.. Invention is credited to John Matthew Long, Charles A. Miller.
Application Number | 20090179659 12/409690 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24457670 |
Filed Date | 2009-07-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090179659 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Miller; Charles A. ; et
al. |
July 16, 2009 |
CLOSED-GRID BUS ARCHITECTURE FOR WAFER INTERCONNECT STRUCTURE
Abstract
An interconnect structure employs a closed-grid bus to link an
integrated circuit tester channel to an array of input/output (I/O)
pads on a semiconductor wafer so that the tester channel can
concurrently communicate with all of the I/O pads. The interconnect
structure includes a circuit board implementing an array of bus
nodes, each corresponding to a separate one of the I/O pads. The
circuit board includes at least two layers. Traces mounted on a
first layer form a set of first daisy-chain buses, each linking all
bus nodes of a separate row of the bus node array. Traces mounted
on a second circuit board layer form a set of second daisy-chain
buses, each linking all bus nodes of a separate column of the bus
node array. Vias and other circuit board interconnect ends of the
first and second daisy-chain buses so that they form the
closed-grid bus. Each bus node is connected though a separate
isolation resistor to a separate contact pad mounted on a surface
of the circuit board. A set of spring contacts or probes link each
contact pad to a separate one of the I/O pads on the wafer.
Inventors: |
Miller; Charles A.;
(Fremont, CA) ; Long; John Matthew; (San Jose,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
N. KENNETH BURRASTON;KIRTON & MCCONKIE
P.O. BOX 45120
SALT LAKE CITY
UT
84145-0120
US
|
Assignee: |
FORMFACTOR, INC.
|
Family ID: |
24457670 |
Appl. No.: |
12/409690 |
Filed: |
March 24, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11866024 |
Oct 2, 2007 |
7508227 |
|
|
12409690 |
|
|
|
|
10832700 |
Apr 27, 2004 |
7276922 |
|
|
11866024 |
|
|
|
|
10406669 |
Apr 2, 2003 |
6784677 |
|
|
10832700 |
|
|
|
|
09613531 |
Jul 10, 2000 |
6603323 |
|
|
10406669 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
324/762.05 ;
29/825 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 1/0289 20130101;
G01R 1/07378 20130101; G01R 31/318511 20130101; G11C 2029/2602
20130101; G11C 29/56 20130101; G01R 31/31926 20130101; H05K
2201/09254 20130101; Y10T 29/49117 20150115; H05K 1/023 20130101;
H05K 1/0216 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
324/754 ;
29/825 |
International
Class: |
G01R 31/02 20060101
G01R031/02; H01R 43/00 20060101 H01R043/00 |
Claims
1-14. (canceled)
15. An apparatus for distributing test signals, said apparatus
comprising: distributing means for distributing a test signal
received from a tester for one input terminal of a device under
test to a plurality of input terminals; and isolating means for
electrically isolating one of said input terminals from another of
said input terminals, wherein said isolating means comprises a thin
film resistor disposed on said distributing means.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein each of said plurality of
terminals to which said distributing means distributes said test
signal is disposed on a different device under test.
17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said distributing means
comprises; a substrate, and a conductive trace.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said distributing means
comprises a plurality of traces, interconnected to form a
closed-grid bus.
19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said isolating means further
comprises a plurality of thin film resistors, each disposed between
said trace and one of said input terminals.
20. A method of making an apparatus for distributing test signals,
said method comprising: providing a substrate; disposing on said
substrate a trace configured to receive a test signal; electrically
connecting a plurality of contact elements to said trace, each said
contact element disposed to make an electrical connection with an
input terminal of a device under test; and disposing a plurality of
thin film resistors on said substrate, each said thin film resistor
disposed in an electrical path between said trace and one of said
contact elements.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein said contact elements connected
to said trace are disposed to contact input terminals on different
devices under test.
22. The method of claim 20 further comprising: disposing a
plurality of traces on said substrate, each said trace configured
to receive a test signal; and electrically connecting a set of
contact elements to each said trace, wherein each set of contact
elements is disposed to contact input terminals on a plurality of
devices under test.
23. The method of claim 20, wherein said trace comprises a
plurality of sub-traces configured to form a closed-grid bus.
24. The method of claim 20, wherein each said contact element
comprises a probe.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein said probe comprises a spring
contact.
26. The method of claim 20, wherein each said input terminal of a
device under test comprises a spring contact, and each said contact
element connected to said trace comprises a pad.
27. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of said trace or
said thin film resistors are disposed within said substrate.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein: said substrate is a multilayer
substrate, and said at least one of said trace or said thin film
resistors are disposed on an inner layer of said substrate.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates in general to an interconnect
structure for providing signal paths between test equipment and
contact pads on a semiconductor wafer, and in particular to a wafer
interconnect structure employing a closed-grid bus to distribute
signals to several integrated circuit devices under test.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] In many applications microstrip or stripline traces convey a
logic signal from a single source to many nodes on a printed
circuit board (PCB). For example traces on a motherboard commonly
distribute data, address and control lines of computer buses to
sockets holding daughterboards, or traces on a PCB may distribute a
clock signal to several synchronously operating integrated circuits
(ICs) mounted on the PCB.
[0005] A typical integrated circuit (IC) tester includes a test
head structure containing a set of tester channels. Each tester
channel may either transmit a test signal to an IC input/output
(I/O) terminal or monitor a IC output signal appearing at an IC I/O
terminal to determine whether the IC is behaving as expected in
response to its input signals. When ICs are tested while still in
the form of die on a semiconductor wafer, a "prober" typically
holds a wafer adjacent to the test head and provides a set of
probes contacting I/O pads of one or more ICs. An interconnect
structure is provided to link the tester channels to the probes. A
typical interconnect structure includes a circuit board having
upper and lower surfaces containing contact pads. A separate pogo
pin extending from each tester channel contacts a separate one of
the upper surface contact pads. An "interposer" mounted between the
circuit board and the prober includes spring contacts linking the
contact pads on the lower surface of the circuit board to the
probes. Traces on various layers of the circuit board, and vias
interconnecting those traces provide appropriate signal paths
between the upper and lower contact pads.
[0006] Normally the interconnect structure links each tester
channel to only a single I/O pad of a single IC. However in some
cases, for example when a tester channel is supplying power to ICs
under test, the interconnect structure may connect a single channel
to more than power supply pad.
[0007] Since there are usually more I/O pads than available tester
channels, an IC tester can test only a portion of the ICs on the
wafer at any one time. Thus the "prober" holding the wafer must
reposition the wafer under the probes several times so that all ICs
can be tested. It would be advantageous if all ICs on a wafer could
be contacted and tested concurrently without having to reposition
the wafer.
[0008] One way to reduce the number of tester channels needed to do
this is to concurrently connect the same tester channel to
corresponding I/O pads of a large number of ICs on the wafer. For
example an IC tester tests a random access memory (RAM) by writing
data into each RAM address, reading it back out, and determining
whether the data read out of the RAM matches the data written into
it. When the tester has a sufficient number of channels to
separately access I/O pads of more than one RAM, it can
independently test several RAMs concurrently.
[0009] However it is also possible for a tester to concurrently
test several RAMs without requiring so many tester channels by
connecting the data and address I/O pads of several RAMs in
parallel to the same set of tester channels while connecting the
control I/O pads of the RAMs to separate tester channels. This
arrangement enables the tester to concurrently write access several
RAMs while allowing it to consecutively read access each RAM. The
arrangement therefore reduces the number of write cycles needed to
test the RAMs, substantially reduces the number of channels needed
to concurrently test all of the RAMs on the wafer, and eliminates
the need to position the wafer under the interconnect structure
more than once. Thus instead of providing a set of signal paths,
each connecting a single tester channel to a single IC pad, an
interconnect structure for a water-level tester could provide a set
of buses, each providing a path from a single tester channel to a
large number probes accessing IC pads.
[0010] When such buses are formed by traces on a printed circuit
board (PCB) each bus should make efficient use of PCB area since
many buses must share a relatively small amount of PCB area above
each IC. Also each bus should deliver the signal to ICs with as
little variation in edge timing as possible and with as little
distortion as possible.
[0011] Logic signals have been commonly distributed to many nodes
on a PCB using stripline or microstrip traces in a "daisy-chain",
or "star" or "stubbed" bus configurations. FIG. 1 illustrates a
conventional daisy-chain bus configuration wherein traces 10 on a
PCB 12 connect a set of bus nodes 14 in series to route an incoming
signal (IN) to each bus node. The daisy-chain configuration makes
efficient use of PCB space. However since each IN signal edge must
travel a relatively large distance between the first and last nodes
13 and 15, and must charge IC input capacitance as it arrives at
several intermediate nodes 14, the time difference between
detection of IN signal edges by ICs connected to nodes 13 and 15
can be relatively large. A long-daisy chain bus can also severely
distort the signal wave front as it passes from node-to-node; the
last node on the bus will see substantially slower rise time than
the first. Such wave front distortion tends to increase the
variation in signal path delay between the first and last nodes 13
and 15 on the daisy-chain bus.
[0012] A daisy-chain bus is also intolerant of open-circuit faults;
an open circuit fault anywhere on the daisy-chain bus will prevent
the signal from reaching any node beyond the fault. Since an
interconnect structure for a wafer-level tester would have a large
number buses formed by small traces, since each bus would include a
large number of nodes on each bus, and since each bus would be
implemented by small traces, there would be many places on the bus
were a fault could occur, and any one fault would render the
interconnect structure unsuitable for use in a wafer-level tester
interconnect system since several ICs on each wafer would be
untestable.
[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a star bus in which the incoming signal
is directly linked to each node 14 by a separate trace 16. A star
bus has a number of advantages over a daisy-chain bus. Though not
apparent in FIG. 2, when all traces 16 are of similar length, input
signal edges will arrive at all nodes 14 at substantially the same
time. A star bus distorts and attenuates signals less than a
daisy-chain bus, and every node 14 sees substantially the same wave
front shape. A star bus is also relatively more tolerant of open
circuit faults than a daisy-chaining bus since an open circuit on
any trace 16 will prevent the signal for reaching only one node 14.
However even a single open circuit fault would none-the-less render
an interconnect structure employing a star bus unsuitable in a
wafer-testing because it would mean that one IC on each wafer would
be untestable. Also since a star bus requires substantial amounts
of circuit board space, it would be unsuitable as a bus in an
interconnect structure for a wafer-level IC tester where a large
number of buses would be concentrated into a small area.
[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates a prior art stubbed bus arrangement. The
stubbed bus of FIG. 3 includes a core daisy-chain bus 20 and
several daisy-chain branch buses or "stubs" 18. Each stub 18 has a
proximal end connected to core bus 20 and a distal end remote from
core bus 20. The traces of stubbed bus of FIG. 3 use about the same
amount of PCB space as the daisy-chain bus of FIG. 1, but the
stubbed bus substantially reduces variation in timing of signal
edges arriving at its nodes because it reduces the variation in
signal path distance the incoming signal must travel in reaching
the nearest and most distant nodes 21 and 22.
[0015] The stubbed bus arrangement is often preferable over the
star bus arrangement of FIG. 2 when a moderate variation in input
timing at nodes 14 is acceptable because it uses less circuit board
space. However the reduction in signal path delay variation over
that of a daisy-chain bus is not as great as we might expect based
on the decrease in signal path distances alone,
[0016] FIG. 4 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a portion of a
stubbed bus interconnect system 30 distributing a test signal from
a tester channel 32 to I/O pads 34 of a set of ICs 36-38. The input
impedance of each IC 36-38 is modeled as a capacitor 39 (e.g., 5
pf) in series with an inductor 40 (e.g., 1.5 nH). The interconnect
system is modeled as a set of 50 Ohm lossy transmission line
segments 42 having series inductance (e.g., 333 nh/meter), series
resistance (e.g. 0.5 Ohm/meter) and shunt capacitance (e.g., 133.3
pf/meter). An isolation resistor 46 (e.g., 1000 Ohms) is provided
between bus each node on the PCB and an IC I/O pad 34. Isolation
resistors 46 limit the load tester channel 32 and prevent a short
circuit fault at or near any I/O pad 34 from severely attenuating a
test signal passing though interconnect system 30.
[0017] Assume tester channel 32 produces a square wave test signal
rising from a low logic level to a high logic level. As the test
signal edge travels from tester channel 32 to all pads 34 via
interconnect system 30, the interconnect system distorts the
signal, and the wave front appears a little different to each IC
I/O pad 34. FIG. 5 is a timing diagram illustrating the appearance
of a test signal wave front 50 as it may be seen by the I/O pad 34
of the IC 36 connected to the node 21 nearest to channel 32 and the
test signal wave front 52 as seen by the I/O pad 34 of the IC 38
connected to the node 22 most distant from channel 32. Wave front
50 begins its rise at time T1, and wave front 52 begins its rise a
short time later at time T2. The time delay T2-T1 represents the
time a signal requires to travel between the node 21 and node 22
via the most direct path. That delay is a function of the minimum
signal path distance between the two nodes. If we assume that the
ICs 36 and 38 recognize a state change in the test signal when its
wave front rises above a threshold level (T/H) midway between the
signals nominal high and low logic levels, then IC 36 will see the
state change at time T3 and IC 38 will see the state change at time
T4. Note that the delay between times T3 and T4 at which ICs 36 and
38 detect state changes is substantially larger than the signal
path delay (T2-T1) between the two ICs.
[0018] Note also that the effective difference in signal timing at
the bus nodes is thus much greater than can be accounted for by the
difference in signal path lengths between the two ICs. The
additional delay is caused by the difference in signal distortion.
Note that wave front 50 rises more rapidly toward the T/H than wave
front 52. This happens because the early portions of the wave front
reaching ends of stubs are reflected back to node 21 adding to the
rate at which capacitance at that node is charged prior to time T3.
Since the IC 38 most distant from the test signal source 32 seeing
signal 52 is near the end of a stub, the reflection has a more
pronounced effect at the end of signal 52. Note the substantial
overshoot of waveform 52 of FIG. 5.
[0019] The daisy-chain bus of FIG. 1 requires the IN signal to
travel through 19 path segments when it travels between the first
and last nodes 13 and 15. The stubbed bus of FIG. 3 requires the IN
signal to travel through only 5 segments of similar length when
traveling between the two most widely separated nodes 21 and 22.
Thus when we abandon the daisy-chain bus of FIG. 1 in favor of the
stubbed bus of FIG. 3, we might expect a 14/19ths reduction in
signal timing variation. However FIG. 5 tells us that we would be
disappointed; we would see a reduction in signal timing variation,
but not as much as we would have expected. The stubbed bus also
distorts the signals more than a daisy-chain and can produce
substantial overshoot at the bus nodes. The signal distortion
caused by reflections at the stubs ends is very much a function of
the layout of the stub network, termination and transmission line
impedances and signal frequencies. However that distortion will
typically augment the variation in signal path delay.
[0020] Like a daisy-chain bus, an open circuit fault on the stubbed
bus can prevent the input signal from reaching more than one node
14. Hence an open circuit fault in a stubbed bus incorporated into
an interconnect system for a wafer-level integrated circuit would
also render the interconnect system unsuitable for use.
[0021] What is needed is a transmission line structure for
conveying a signal to several PCB nodes that makes more efficient
use of PCB space than a star bus, exhibits substantially less
variation in signal path delay than a daisy-chain bus, provides
less distortion than a daisy-chain or stubbed bus, and maintains
signal integrity at all nodes in spite of an open-circuit
fault.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0022] An interconnect structure in accordance with the invention
employs a closed-grid bus to link an integrated circuit tester
channel to an array of input/output (I/O) pads on a semiconductor
wafer so that the tester channel can concurrently communicate with
all of the I/O pads.
[0023] The interconnect structure includes a circuit board with
sets of contact pads mounted on its upper and lower surfaces. Each
upper surface contact pad suitably receives a pogo pin, coax cable
or other conductor from a corresponding one of the tester channels.
Spring contacts formed on the semiconductor wafer suitably link
each wafer I/O pad to a separate one of the contact pads on the
lower surface of the circuit board.
[0024] Traces on the circuit board implement an array of bus nodes,
each corresponding to a separate one of the I/O pads on the wafer.
The circuit board includes at least two layers. Traces mounted on a
first circuit board layer form a set of first daisy-chain buses,
each linking all bus nodes of a separate row of the bus node array.
Traces mounted on a second circuit board layer form a set of second
daisy-chain buses, each linking all bus nodes of separate column of
the bus node array. Vias and other circuit board interconnect ends
of the first and second daisy-chain buses so that they form the
closed-grid bus interconnecting all of the bus nodes.
[0025] The closed-grid bus makes nearly as efficient use of
available space on the PCB layers as conventional stubbed and
daisy-chain buses, yet produces less variation in signal path-delay
between bus nodes, provides less signal distortion and is more
tolerant of open circuit faults.
[0026] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a
bus for distributing a signal to several nodes.
[0027] The concluding portion of this specification particularly
points out and distinctly claims the subject matter of the present
invention. However those skilled in the art will best understand
both the organization and method of operation of the invention,
together with further advantages and objects thereof, by reading
the remaining portions of the specification in view of the
accompanying drawing(s) wherein like reference characters refer to
like elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional daisy-chain bus,
[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional star bus;
[0030] FIG. 3 illustrates a conventional stubbed bus;
[0031] FIG. 4 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a portion of the
stubbed bus of FIG. 3;
[0032] FIG. 5 is a timing diagram illustrating the appearance of
test signal wave fronts at two nodes of the stubbed bus of FIG.
4,
[0033] FIG. 6 is a simplified side elevation view of a test head of
a wafer-level integrated circuit tester accessing integrated
circuits implemented on a semiconductor wafer via an interconnect
structure employing a closed-grid bus in accordance with the
invention,
[0034] FIG. 7 is a simplified electrical block diagram of the test
head, wafer, and interconnect system of FIG. 6,
[0035] FIG. 8 is a plan view of an example a closed-grid bus in
accordance with the invention,
[0036] FIG. 9 is a timing diagram illustrating the appearance of a
test signal wave front as seen by the two I/O pads on the wafer of
FIG. 6 arriving via the close-grid bus of FIG. 8;
[0037] FIGS. 10-12 illustrate modified versions of the closed-grid
bus of FIG. 8,
[0038] FIG. 13 is a simplified plan view of a portion of a
semiconductor wafer containing an array of ICs,
[0039] FIGS. 14-18 are simplified (not to scale) plan views of
portions of each of five layers of an interconnect structure in
accordance with the invention implementing six closed-grid buses in
accordance with the invention, and
[0040] FIG. 19 is a plan view of the layers of FIGS. 14-16
superimposed on one another.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
[0041] FIG. 6 is a simplified side elevation view of a test head 60
of a wafer-level integrated circuit tester accessing integrated
circuits 62 implemented on a semiconductor wafer 64 via an
interconnect system 66. FIG. 7 is a simplified electrical block
diagram of test head 60, wafer 64 and interconnect system 66 of
FIG. 6. For simplicity test head 60 is illustrated in FIG. 7 as
including a set of only seven tester channels CH1-CH7, though a
test head will typically include many more channels. Each tester
channel CH1-CH7 is capable of sending a test signal to an I/O pad
74 of one or more of ICs 62 or of monitoring an IC output signal
appearing at one or more IC pads to determine whether the IC is
behaving as expected. All ICs 62 on wafer 64 are similar and
therefore have a similar I/O pad arrangement. For simplicity only
five I/O pads 74 are shown in FIG. 7 and test head 60 is
illustrated in FIG. 7 as including a set of only seven tester
channels CH1-CH7. However each IC 62 has many more than five I/O
pads 74 and the tester includes many more than seven tester
channels.
[0042] In some applications it is possible to allow the same tester
channel to concurrently access corresponding pads of more than one
IC 62. For example, an IC tester typically tests a random access
memory (RAM) by writing data into each RAM address, reading it back
out, and determining whether the data read out of the RAM matches
the data written into it. In such application interconnect system
66 may connect the data, address and some of the control I/O pads
74 of several RAMs in parallel to the same set of tester channels
while connecting, for example only a read/write control I/O pad of
the RAMs to separate tester channels. With such interconnect
arrangement, the tester can concurrently write access several RAMs
then successively read access each RAM. Such an interconnect
arrangement can reduce the number of channels needed to test all
the ICs on a wafer or reduce the number of times the wafer has to
be repositioned under the interconnect structure and reduces the
total number of write cycles needed to test all of the RAMs. Thus
interconnect system 66 can speed up wafer testing.
[0043] The present invention relates to the manner in which
interconnect structure 66 links various tester channels CH1-CH7 to
more than one IC I/O pad. Note that as shown in FIG. 7, while
interconnect structure 66 links each of channels CH5-CH7 to a pad
of a separate one of ICs 62, interconnect structure 66 links each
channel CH1-CH4 to corresponding I/O pads 74 to three ICs 62.
Interconnect structure 66 also links some each of channels CH5-CH7
to a corresponding pad of a separate one of ICs 62.
[0044] Interconnect structure 66 includes a printed circuit board
(PCB) 68, a set of pogo pins 70 and a set of spring contacts 72.
The conductive spring contacts 72 are formed on the upper surface
of wafer 64, each extending upward from a separate I/O pad 74 to
contact one of a set of contact pads 80 formed on an underside of
interconnect structure 66. Pogo pins 70 (or, alternatively, other
conductors such as coaxial cables) extend downward from channels
CH1-CH7 to contact a set of pad-81-87 formed on the upper surface
of circuit board 68. PCB 68 includes traces and vias forming a set
of buses 91-94 linking pads 81-84 to a set of bus nodes 76. A set
of isolation resistors 78 link each bus node 76 to a corresponding
pad 80. Other signal paths 95-97 link pads 85-87 to corresponding
ones of pads 80 via others of isolation resistors 78.
[0045] Resistors 78 are isolation resistors; they prevent a short
to ground at any I/O pad from affecting the ability of any bus
91-94 to convey test or IC output signals to other I/O pads 74.
Thus a short circuit in any IC 62 will not inhibit testing of other
ICs. Isolation resistors 78 also reduce the loading on the channels
CH1-CH7. Isolation resistors 78 need not be necessarily be included
in the signal paths connecting channels CH5-CH7 to ICs 62.
Interconnect Bus Architecture Criteria
[0046] The present invention relates in particular to the
architecture of the buses 91-94 within PCB 68, each of which
distributes a test signal from one of channels CH1-CH4 arriving at
one of pads 81-84 to several bus nodes 76, or conveys IC output
signals arriving at any of several nodes 76 back to one of pads
81-84. As discussed in detail below, the signal paths within PCB 68
are formed by traces on various layers of the PCB and vias linking
the layers. Although only four buses 91-94 are shown in the simple
example of FIG. 7, a practical implementation of interconnect
structure 66 may include a large number of such buses concentrated
into a relatively small volume. For example to concurrently test
several memory ICs having 64 data and address lines PCB 68 could
implement 64 such interconnect buses.
[0047] To facilitate proper signal timing during a test, it is
important to keep variations in signal path delay between any
channel CH1-CH4 and each IC I/O pad to which it is linked within a
relatively narrow range. For test signals, the signal path delay is
the time interval between the moment one of channels CH1-CH4
generates a state change in an output test signal and the time one
of ICs 62 detects that state change in the test signal as it
arrives at a pad. For IC output signals, the signal path delay is
the time interval between the moment an IC 62 produces a state
change in an output signal at an I/O pad 74 and the time one of
channels CH1-CH4 detects output signal the state change. Thus we
would also like to provide buses 91-94 that limit variations in
signal path delay.
[0048] A prior art "daisy-chain" bus architecture as illustrated in
FIG. 1 can make efficient use of available PCB trace space.
Implementing buses 91-94 as daisy-chain buses would have several
drawbacks. Since an input signal (IN) is attenuated as it passes
each node 14, a daisy-chain bus can severely attenuate a signal by
the time it reaches the node 15 most distant from the signal
sources. Also the variation in signal path delay between a first
and last nodes of a daisy-chain bus can be large, and an open
circuit fault anywhere in the daisy-chain bus can prevent the test
signal from arriving at one or more circuit nodes.
[0049] A prior art "star" bus as illustrated in FIG. 2 provides a
separate signal path 16 from an input signal source to each node
14, and (though not shown in FIG. 2) when the paths are designed to
be of similar length, a star bus can provide a similar signal path
delay for all nodes. However a star bus would be unsuitable for
implementing buses 91-94 because it does not make very efficient
use of PCB space. Also an open circuit fault in a star bus would
prevent a signal from arriving at a node 76, thereby preventing the
tester from properly testing one of ICs 62.
[0050] FIG. 3 illustrates a prior art stubbed bus formed by a daisy
chain core bus 20 to which several daisy-chain branches or "stubs"
18 are connected. A stubbed bus would be preferable over either the
daisy-chain or star bus of FIGS. 1 and 2 for implementing buses
91-94 because it makes more efficient use of PCB space than a star
bus and transmits signals with less attenuation and signal path
delay variation than a daisy-chain bus. However reflections at the
ends of the stubs 20 cause signal distortion and increase variation
in signal path delay, and an open circuit fault anywhere in the
stubbed bus would prevent the tester from properly testing one or
more of ICs 62.
[0051] In accordance with the invention, each bus 91-94 is
implemented as a "closed-grid" bus. As discussed below, a
closed-grid bus makes almost as efficient use of PCB space as a
stubbed bus, but does not produces as much signal distortion or
signal timing variation as a stubbed bus. A closed-grid bus is also
tolerant of open circuit faults in the conductors forming the bus
because it provides redundant paths between each bus node 76 and
one of contact pads 81-87. Thus when implemented as closed-grid
buses, any of buses 91-94 can have one (or more) one open-circuit
faults while still maintaining test signal integrity at all bus
nodes 76.
Closed-Grid Bus Architecture
[0052] FIG. 8 is a plan view of an example a "closed-grid" bus 100
in accordance with the invention for distributing a test signal
(TEST) arriving at a pad 101 to a set of 20 bus nodes 108-127.
Nodes 108-127, similar in function to bus nodes 76 of FIG. 7, may
be similarly linked through isolating resistors and spring contacts
to I/O pads of ICs under test.
[0053] Closed-grid bus 100 may be thought of as an improvement to
the conventional stubbed bus illustrated in FIG. 3. Like the
stubbed bus, closed-grid bus 100 includes a set of traces forming a
core bus 102 and forming several branch buses 104 having proximal
ends connected to the core bus. However unlike a stubbed bus, an
additional set of traces 106 link points at (or near) the distal
ends of adjacent branch buses 104. Thus core bus 102, branch buses
104 and traces 106 form a grid providing the incoming TEST signal
with more than one path to each node 109-127. Note also that the
grid is "closed" in that it has no unconnected stub ends of
substantially length relative to the wave length of the signal
being conveyed by the bus; all signal paths are loops and there is
more than one path to each bus node.
[0054] Assume the TEST signal input to pad 101 is driven from a low
logic level to a high logic level and that receiver circuits in the
ICs under test determine that the TEST signal changes state when it
rises above a threshold level midway between its low and high logic
levels. We would like the voltage at each node 108-127 to rise to
that threshold level as nearly as possible at the same time to
minimize variation in time at which receiver circuits linked bus
nodes 108-127 detect a TEST signal state change.
[0055] The TEST signal will drive all of nodes 108-127 to the high
voltage level, but first it must supply enough energy into each
node to charge the input capacitance of the IC pad linked to that
node. Since the TEST signal edge arrives at node 108 before it
arrives at any other node 109-127, it will begin charging the
capacitance at node 108 before it begins charging the capacitance
at any other. The TEST signal will begin charging nodes 126 and 127
last since it must travel the greatest distance to reach those
nodes. When the wave front of the incoming TEST signal reaches node
108, only a portion of the TEST signal energy passes into node 108
and begins charging the capacitance at that node. Much of the TEST
signal energy passes on to nodes 109, 110 and 113, and some of the
TEST signal energy is reflected back toward pad 101. A similar
splitting and reflection of TEST signal energy happens as the TEST
signal wave front reaches each other node 109-127. Since such
splitting of TEST signal energy at each node helps to reduce the
variation in signal path delay. it is helpful to provide as many
paths as possible between nodes.
[0056] Referring to the prior art stubbed bus of FIG. 3, when the
IN signal wave front arrives at nodes 24 and 25, all of the energy
that cannot be immediately absorbed into nodes 24 and 25 is
reflected back to node 21 because the stubbed bus architecture
gives that excess energy no place else to go. Since the reflected
energy can be substantial, it can substantially increase the
charging rate at node 21. Waveform 50 of FIG. 5 represents the
Voltage rise we might see at node 21. The distortion in the early
part of waveform 50 prior to time T3 is due primary to the
substantial signal reflection at 24 and 25. The distortion in
waveform 50 around time T3 due to reflections from the stub ends
causes waveform 50 to reach the threshold logic level (T/H)
quickly. Waveform 52 of FIG. 5 represents the voltage rise at the
most distant node 22 of the stubbed bus of FIG. 3. Unlike waveform
50, waveform 52 does not exhibit have a large bump from signal
reflections during the early part of its rise because energy from
reflections is more evenly distributed by the time it reaches node
22. Thus waveform 52 rises to the threshold level more slowly. The
difference in rise time to the threshold levels of waveforms 50 and
52 increases the difference (T4-T3) between the signal path
delays.
[0057] The closed-grid bus 100 of FIG. 8 reduces the reflections by
providing the additional traces 106 interconnecting the stub ends.
Thus when the TEST signal wave front arrives at nodes 111 and 112,
much of the excess energy travels on to nodes 116 and 117 and to
other nodes 114, 115, 121, 122 and beyond, and less of the excess
TEST signal energy is reflected back toward node 108. With less
energy being reflected back to node 108 from nodes 111 and 112,
capacitance at node 108 does not charge as fast as it would if
traces 106 were omitted. Since node 108 of the closed-grid bus of
FIG. 8 does not increase to the logic threshold voltage as fast as
node 21 of the stubbed bus of FIG. 3, the closed-grid bus exhibits
less variation in signal path delay.
[0058] FIG. 9 is a timing diagram illustrating the appearance of a
test signal wave front 130 as seen by the I/O pad of an IC
connected to node 108 and a TEST signal wave front 132 as seen by
an I/O pad an IC connected to node 127. Wave front 130 begins its
rise at time T1 and wave front 132 begins its rise a short time
later at time T2. The time delay T2-T1 represents the time the wave
front requires to travel between the node 108 and 127. The IC pad
connected to node 108 will detect a state change at time T3 and the
IC connected to node 127 will see a state change at time T4. We see
that the time difference T4-T3 is smaller for the closed-grid
system as may seen in FIG. 9 than for the stubbed bus system as may
be seen from FIG. 5. Since less reflected TEST signal energy
returns to node 108 prior to time T3, the node does not charge as
quickly to the threshold level as node 21 of FIG. 3. Thus the
closed-grid bus has less variation in signal path delay than a
similarly arranged stubbed bus.
[0059] We can also see by comparing FIGS. 9 and 5, that waveforms
130 and 132 of the closed-grid bus are less distorted than the
waveforms 50 and 52 of the stubbed bus and exhibit less overshoot.
Thus the closed-grid bus of the present invention maintains better
signal integrity than the prior art stubbed bus.
[0060] Note that a single fault anywhere in closed-grid bus 100
(other than between pad 101 and node 108) will not prevent the TEST
signal from arriving at any node 108-127 because there are more
than one signal path between bus node 108 to any other bus node.
Thus closed-grid bus 100 is open-circuit fault tolerant. When we
implement buses 91-94 of FIG. 7 with a closed-grid bus, it would
require at least two open-circuit faults in one of buses 91-94 to
render the interconnect system 66 unable to deliver signals between
a pad 81-84 and the nodes 76 linked by the bus.
[0061] FIG. 10 illustrates a closed-grid bus 134 similar to
closed-grid bus 100 of FIG. 8 except that it includes an additional
set of traces 136 interconnecting nodes 109, 114, 119, and 124, and
interconnecting nodes 110, 115, 120 and 125. Traces 136 further
reduce the signal reflections, for example, from nodes 109 and 110
back to node 108 because they provide additional pathways to convey
current away from those nodes. Thus the additional pathways 136 in
closed-grid system 134 further reduce the variation in signal path
delay over closed-grid system 100 of FIG. 8. However the reduction
in signal path delay variation obtained by adding traces 136 to bus
100 of FIG. 8 is much smaller than is obtained by adding traces 106
to convert the stubbed bus of FIG. 3 into the closed-grid bus of
FIG. 8. Referring to FIG. 8, it is more helpful to reduce
reflections at the nodes 111 and 112 at ends of stubs nearest the
first node 108 since those reflections carry the most energy and
arrive back at node 108 early, thereby accelerating the voltage
build-up at node 108 to the threshold level. However bus 134 of
FIG. 10 is somewhat more fault tolerant than bus 100 of FIG. 108
because it provides more signal paths to bus nodes 109, 110, 114,
115, 119, 120, 124 and 125.
[0062] FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative version of the
closed-grid bus of FIG. 8 in which conductor 106 are connected
substantially near, but not precisely at the distal ends of the
daisy-chain buses linking four rows of bus nodes 108-127. Thus in
the bus of FIG. 19 destination nodes 111, 112, 116, 117, 121, 122,
126 and 127 are at the ends of short stubs. However the bus of FIG.
19 still comprises a closed-grid bus and will behave in a manner
substantially similar to the closed-grid bus of FIG. if those short
stubs are relatively small in relation to the wavelength of the
highest frequency signal to be conveyed by the bus. Thus we can
convert the prior art stubbed bus of FIG. 3 to a closed grid bus by
linking adjacent stubs at points either at or near their ends.
[0063] FIG. 12 illustrates another closed-grid bus 140 that is
generally similar to bus 100 of FIG. 8 except that, rather than
being linked to node 108 at one end of the bus, pad 101 is linked
to the bus between nodes 113 and 118 at a point 142 having the
smallest maximum distance to any node. This further reduces the
variation in pad-to-node signal path delay.
Example PCB Layout
[0064] FIG. 13 is a simplified plan view of a portion of an example
semiconductor wafer 150 containing a 4.times.5 array of ICs 152,
each IC having 6 pads 154. FIGS. 14-19 describe a layout for a PCB
within an interconnect structure that will provide six closed-grid
buses, each linking a separate set of twenty corresponding I/O pads
154 of all twenty ICs 152 to a separate tester channel.
[0065] FIG. 14 is a simplified (not to scale) plan view of a
portion of the top layer 121 of the PCB. A set of six conductive
pads 158 are arranged on layer 156 to receive pogo pin or coaxial
conductors from the six channels. A set of traces 160, suitably of
similar length, link pads 158 to a set of six vias 162 passing
downward to a next lower layer of the PCB.
[0066] FIG. 15 is a simplified (not to scale) plan view of a
portion of that next lower layer 122. Layer 122 includes a set of
eighteen traces 164 extending along "east/west" axes. The six vias
162 from top layer 121 are each linked to a separate one of traces
164. A separate set of four vias 166 link each trace 164 to traces
on a next lower PCB layer.
[0067] FIG. 16 is a simplified (not to scale) plan view of a
portion the layer 123 residing below layer 122 of FIG. 15. Layer
123 includes a set of 24 traces 168, extending generally along
"north/south". Vias 166 link north/south tracts 168 to the
east/west traces 164 of layer 122 (FIG. 15). Vias 166 and an
additional set of vias 170 link north/south traces 168 to the next
lower layer.
[0068] FIG. 17 illustrates the layer 124 below layer 123. Layer 124
includes a set of 120 thin film isolation resistors 172. One end of
each isolation resistor 172 is linked to a north/south trace 168 of
layer 123 (FIG. 16) through a separate one of vias 166 or 170. A
separate via 174 links a second end of each isolation resistor 172
to a next PCB lower layer.
[0069] FIG. 18 illustrates the lowest layer 125 on the underside of
the PCB. Layer 125 includes a set of contact pads 176, each linked
to an isolation resistor 172 of layer 124 (FIG. 17) through a via
174. Pads 176 are arranged to receive ends of spring contacts
extending upward from the pads on ICs 152 of FIG. 13.
[0070] FIG. 19 is a plan view of three layers 121-123 of FIGS.
14-16 superimposed on one another. Vias 180 thus form an array of
several rows and columns of bus nodes wherein each bus node
corresponds to a separate one of the I/O pads of the wafer being
tested. The east/west traces 164 form one set of daisy-chain buses,
each linking all bus nodes of a separate rows of the array and the
north/south traces 168 form another set of daisy-chain bus, each
linking all bus nodes of separate column of bus nodes. Many of vias
180 act as conductors linking the daisy-chain buses such that each
end of each east/west daisy-chain bus is linked to an end of at
least one north/south daisy-chain bus, thereby forming a set of six
closed-grid buses 181-188, each interconnecting an array of 20
nodes 180 to one of the six pogo pin contact pads 15 that
conductively link the closed-grid buses to the tester channels. The
isolation resistors 172 of FIG. 17, contact pads 176 of FIG. 17 and
spring contacts, conductively link each node (via) 180 to a
corresponding IC I/O pad.
[0071] In the simple example of FIGS. 13-19, all six I/O pads 154
of each IC 150 or FIG. 13 are separately linked to the six pogo-pin
contacts 158 of FIG. 14 through one of closed-grid buses 181-186.
However the interconnect structure can be easily modified, for
example, by providing additional circuit board layers to provide
conventional (non-bus) signal paths between additional pogo pin
contacts 158 on the surface layer 121 (FIG. 14) and other 1% pads
on ICs 152. Also the pads 176 on layer 125 could be linked to I/O
pads of the wafer under test by means other than spring contacts
formed on the wafer. For example, a conventional interposer could
link pads 176 to a prober accessing the wafer I/O pads through
probes. Spring contacts could alternatively be formed on the layer
125 and extend downward to contact the wafer I/O pads.
[0072] Thus has been shown and described a closed-grid bus in
accordance with the invention for distributing signals to several
nodes, and an interconnect structure employing a closed-grid bus
for linking channels of an IC tester to pads of multiple integrated
circuits on a wafer. The closed-grid bus architecture, which can be
efficiently implemented by traces on a multiple layer PCB, provides
less variation in signal path delay, provides less signal
distortion, maintains better signal integrity and is more fault
tolerant than prior art daisy-chain and stubbed buses.
[0073] While the forgoing specification has described preferred
embodiment(s) of the present invention, one skilled in the art may
make many modifications to the preferred embodiment without
departing from the invention in its broader aspects. The appended
claims therefore are intended to cover all such modifications as
fall within the true scope and spirit of the invention.
* * * * *