(54) PROCESS AND CIRCUIT FOR PROTECTION OF TEST CONTACTS IN HIGH CURRENT MEASUREMENT OF SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS
(75) Inventor: Rainer Gaggl, Villach (AT)
(73) Assignee: T.I.P.S. Messtechnik GmbH, Villach (AT)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
(21) Appl. No.: 11/079,303
(22) Filed: Mar. 15, 2005
(65) Prior Publication Data
US 2006/0091898 Al May 4, 2006
(30) Foreign Application Priority Data
Mar. 15, 2004 (AT) A 453/2004
(51) Int. CI.
G01R 31/073 (2006.01)
G01R 31/28 (2006.01)
(52) U.S. CI 324/754; 324/765
Field of Classification Search None
See application file for complete search history.
5,497,079 A * 3/1996 Yamada et al 324/158.1
5,600,257 A * 2/1997 Leas et al 324/754
5,701,666 A * 12/1997 DeHaven et al 29/831
5,781,021 A * 7/1998 Hani 324/754
5,838,163 A * 11/1998 Rostoker et al 324/763
5,898,633 A * 4/1999 Caravella et al 365/226
6,005,303 A * 12/1999 Hawkes et al 307/44
6,064,219 A * 5/2000 Aigner 324/763
6,066,979 A * 5/2000 Adams et al 327/540
6,133,744 A * 10/2000 Yojima et al 324/754
6,518,779 Bl* 2/2003 Nakata et al 324/754
6,788,090 B2 * 9/2004 Aihara 324/765
6,897,670 B2 * 5/2005 Burns 324/758
2003/0234659 Al 12/2003 Zieleman 324/765
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
DE 1 125 002 3/1962
DE 101 31 386 Al 2/2003
EP 0 838 688 A2 4/1998
GB 2 336 046 10/1999
* cited by examiner
Primary Examiner—Ernest Karlsen
(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Young & Thompson
(57) ABSTRACT
To limit the current in heavy current testing of semiconductor components with test needles, upstream of each needle a circuit is connected which has low resistance in the range of allowable currents and has high resistance above a given limit current in order to limit the current. The current source which undertakes limitation in the electrical supply lead to the probes is galvanically separated from the voltage supply of the current source itself.
5 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets
