High-Speed Probe Card Analysis Using Real-time Machine Vision and Image Restoration Technique

There has been an increase in demand for the wafer-level test techniques that evaluates the functionality and performance of the wafer chips before packaging them, since the trend of integrated circuits are getting more sophisticated and smaller in size. Throughout the wafer-level test, the semiconductor manufacturers are able to avoid the unnecessary packing cost and to provide early feedback on the overall status of the chip fabrication process. A probe card is a module of wafer-level tester, and can detect the defects of the chip by evaluating the electric characteristics of the integrated circuits(IC's). A probe card analyzer is popularly utilized to detect such a potential probe card failure which leads to increase in the unnecessary manufacture expense in the packing process. In this paper, a new probe card analysis strategy has been proposed. The main idea in conducting probe card analysis is to operate the vision-based inspection on-the- y while the camera is continuously moving. In doing so, the position measurement from the encoder is rstly synchronized with the image data that is captured by a controlled trigger signal under the real-time setting. Because capturing images from a moving camera creates blurring in the image, a simple deblurring technique has been employed to restore the original still images from blurred ones. The main ideas are demonstrated using an experimental test bed and a commercial probe card. The experimental test bed has been designed that comprises a micro machine vision system and a real-time controller, the con guration of the low cost experimental test bed is proposed. Compared to the existing stop-and-go approach, the proposed technique can substantially enhance the inspection speed without additional cost for major hardware change.1 yea

Optoelectronic devices and packaging for information photonics

This thesis studies optoelectronic devices and the integration of these components onto optoelectronic multi chip modules (OE-MCMs) using a combination of packaging techniques. For this project, (1×12) array photodetectors were developed using PIN diodes with a GaAs/AlGaAs strained layer structure. The devices had a pitch of 250μm, operated at a wavelength of 850nm. Optical characterisation experiments of two types of detector arrays (shoe and ring) were successfully performed. Overall, the shoe devices achieved more consistent results in comparison with ring diodes, i.e. lower dark current and series resistance values. A decision was made to choose the shoe design for implementation into the high speed systems demonstrator. The (1x12) VCSEL array devices were the optical sources used in my research. This was an identical array at 250μm pitch configuration used in order to match the photodetector array. These devices had a wavelength of 850nm. Optoelectronic testing of the VCSEL was successfully conducted, which provided good beam profile analysis and I-V-P measurements of the VCSEL array. This was then implemented into a simple demonstrator system, where eye diagrams examined the systems performance and characteristics of the full system and showed positive results. An explanation was given of the following optoelectronic bonding techniques: Wire bonding and flip chip bonding with its associated technologies, i.e. Solder, gold stud bump and ACF. Also, technologies, such as ultrasonic flip chip bonding and gold micro-post technology were looked into and discussed. Experimental work implementing these methods on packaging the optoelectronic devices was successfully conducted and described in detail. Packaging of the optoelectronic devices onto the OEMCM was successfully performed. Electrical tests were successfully carried out on the flip chip bonded VCSEL and Photodetector arrays. These results verified that the devices attached on the MCM achieved good electrical performance and reliable bonding. Finally, preliminary testing was conducted on the fully assembled OE-MCMs. The aim was to initially power up the mixed signal chip (VCSEL driver), and then observe the VCSEL output

1996 Laboratory directed research and development annual report

This report summarizes progress from the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program during fiscal year 1996. In addition to a programmatic and financial overview, the report includes progress reports from 259 individual R&D projects in seventeen categories. The general areas of research include: engineered processes and materials; computational and information sciences; microelectronics and photonics; engineering sciences; pulsed power; advanced manufacturing technologies; biomedical engineering; energy and environmental science and technology; advanced information technologies; counterproliferation; advanced transportation; national security technology; electronics technologies; idea exploration and exploitation; production; and science at the interfaces - engineering with atoms