US-12618902-B2 - Probe card including power compensation circuit and test system including the same

US12618902B2US 12618902 B2US12618902 B2US 12618902B2US-12618902-B2

Abstract

A probe card includes a plurality of power lines that are electrically connected to the plurality of DUTs, a plurality of ground lines that are electrically connected to the plurality of DUTs and to each other, and a plurality of power compensation circuits that are electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of power lines and respective ones of the plurality of ground lines, where the plurality of power compensation circuits are configured to generate and provide a plurality of compensated power supply voltages to the respective ones of the plurality of power lines, and where the plurality of compensated power supply voltages are configured to inhibit a variation of a ground voltage of the respective ones of the plurality of ground lines.

Inventors

Seongkwan LEE
Minho Kang
Jongpill Park
Cheolmin Park
Jaemoo CHOI

Assignees

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240522
Priority Date: 20231101

Claims (20)

1 . A probe card for testing a plurality of devices under test (DUTs), the probe card comprising: a plurality of power lines that are electrically connected to the plurality of DUTs; a plurality of ground lines that are electrically connected to the plurality of DUTs and to each other; and a plurality of power compensation circuits that are electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of power lines and respective ones of the plurality of ground lines, wherein the plurality of power compensation circuits are configured to generate and provide a plurality of compensated power supply voltages to the respective ones of the plurality of power lines, and wherein the plurality of compensated power supply voltages are configured to inhibit a variation of a ground voltage of the respective ones of the plurality of ground lines.
2 . The probe card of claim 1 , wherein a first power compensation circuit among the plurality of power compensation circuits comprises: a first subtractor that is electrically connected to a first power line among the plurality of power lines and a first ground line among the plurality of ground lines, wherein the first subtractor is configured to obtain a first sensing signal that is based on a first voltage difference between a voltage of the first power line and a voltage of the first ground line; and a first linear regulator that is configured to generate a first compensated power supply voltage among the plurality of compensated power supply voltages based on a first power supply voltage and the first sensing signal, wherein the first voltage difference is fixed, and wherein the first linear regulator is configured to provide the first compensated power supply voltage to the first power line.
3 . The probe card of claim 2 , wherein: the first power line and the first ground line are electrically connected to a first DUT among the plurality of DUTs, when the first DUT receives a current, the voltage of the first ground line increases by a first voltage, and the first power compensation circuit is configured to generate the first compensated power supply voltage such that the voltage of the first power line increases by the first voltage.
4 . The probe card of claim 3 , wherein: the plurality of power compensation circuits comprise a second power compensation circuit that is electrically connected to a second power line among the plurality of power lines and a second ground line among the plurality of ground lines, when the first DUT receives the current, a voltage of the second ground line increases by a second voltage, and the second power compensation circuit is configured to generate a second compensated power supply voltage among the plurality of compensated power supply voltages such that the voltage of the second power line increases by the second voltage.
5 . The probe card of claim 4 , wherein the second voltage is less than the first voltage.
6 . The probe card of claim 5 , wherein the second voltage decreases as a distance between the first ground line and the second ground line increases.
7 . The probe card of claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of switches that are configured to control electrical connections between the plurality of power lines and the plurality of power compensation circuits.
8 . The probe card of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of switches comprise: a first switch between the first power line and an input terminal of the first subtractor; a second switch between the first power line and an input terminal of the first linear regulator; a third switch between the first power line and an output terminal of the first linear regulator; and a fourth switch that is on the first power line and is between the second switch and the third switch.
9 . The probe card of claim 8 , wherein, when the first switch, the second switch and the third switch are closed and the fourth switch is open, the first compensated power supply voltage is provided to a first DUT among the plurality of DUTs.
10 . The probe card of claim 8 , wherein, when the first switch, the second switch and the third switch are opened and the fourth switch is closed, the first power supply voltage is provided to a first DUT among the plurality of DUTs.
11 . The probe card of claim 2 , wherein the first power compensation circuit further comprises a level setting circuit that is configured to set an output voltage of the first linear regulator.
12 . The probe card of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of feedback lines that are electrically connected to the respective ones of the plurality of power lines.
13 . The probe card of claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of switches that are configured to control electrical connections between the plurality of power lines and the plurality of feedback lines.
14 . The probe card of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of probes that are configured to electrically connect the plurality of power lines to respective ones of the plurality of DUTs and wherein the plurality of probes are configured to electrically connect the plurality of ground lines to the respective ones of the plurality of DUTs.
15 . A test system comprising: a probe card that is configured to electrically connect to a plurality of devices under test (DUTs); and an automatic test equipment (ATE) that is electrically connected to the plurality of DUTs through the probe card, wherein the ATE is configured to test the plurality of DUTs, wherein the probe card comprises: a plurality of power lines that are electrically connected to the plurality of DUTs; a plurality of ground lines that are electrically connected to the plurality of DUTs and to each other; and a plurality of power compensation circuits that are electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of power lines and respective ones of the plurality of ground lines, wherein the plurality of power compensation circuits are configured to generate and provide a plurality of compensated power supply voltages to the respective ones of the plurality of power lines, and wherein the plurality of compensated power supply voltages are configured to inhibit a variation of a ground voltage of respective ones of the plurality of ground lines.
16 . The test system of claim 15 , wherein: the plurality of power lines comprise a first power line and a second power line, the plurality of ground lines comprise a first ground line and a second ground line, the plurality of power compensation circuits comprise a first power compensation circuit and a second power compensation circuit, and the plurality of DUTs comprise a first DUT and a second DUT, the first power line, the first ground line, and the first power compensation circuit are electrically connected to the first DUT, and the second power line, the second ground line, and the second power compensation circuit are electrically connected to the second DUT.
17 . The test system of claim 15 , wherein: the plurality of power lines comprise a first power line and a second power line, the plurality of ground lines comprise a first ground line and a second ground line, the plurality of power compensation circuits comprise a first power compensation circuit and a second power compensation circuit, and the plurality of DUTs comprise a first DUT, wherein the first power line and the second power line, the first ground line and the second ground line, and the first power compensation circuit and the second power compensation circuit are electrically connected to the first DUT.
18 . The test system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of DUTs comprise a plurality of image sensors on a wafer.
19 . The test system of claim 18 , further comprising a light source that is configured to provide test images to the plurality of image sensors.
20 . A probe card for testing a plurality of devices under test (DUTs), the probe card comprising: a plurality of probes; a plurality of power lines that are electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of DUTs by respective ones of the plurality of probes; a plurality of ground lines that are electrically connected to each other and the respective ones of the plurality of DUTs by the respective ones of the plurality of probes; and a plurality of power compensation circuits that are electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of power lines and respective ones of the plurality of ground lines, wherein the plurality of power compensation circuits configured to generate and provide a plurality of compensated power supply voltages to the respective ones of the plurality of power lines, wherein the plurality of compensated power supply voltages are configured to inhibit a variation of a ground voltage of the respective ones of the plurality of ground lines, and wherein each of the plurality of power compensation circuits comprises: a subtractor that is electrically connected to a respective one of the plurality of power lines and a respective one of the plurality of ground lines, wherein the subtractor is configured to obtain a sensing signal that is based on a voltage difference between a voltage of the respective one of the plurality of power lines and a voltage of the respective one of the plurality of ground lines; a linear regulator that is configured to generate a respective one of the plurality of compensated power supply voltages based on the sensing signal such that the voltage difference is fixed, wherein the linear regulator is configured to provide the respective one of the plurality of compensated power supply voltages to the respective one of the plurality of power lines; and a level setting circuit that is configured to determine an output voltage of the linear regulator.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority under 35 USC § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0148981 filed on Nov. 1, 2023 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD Example embodiments relate generally to semiconductor integrated circuits, and more particularly to probe cards including power compensation circuits and test systems including the probe cards. BACKGROUND Presently, semiconductor integrated circuits may be tested by an automatic test equipment (ATE) for mass production of the semiconductor integrated circuits. In addition, probe cards and pogo pin blocks may be used to electrically connect semiconductor integrated circuits under test with an ATE. To increase production of the semiconductor integrated circuits during mass production, multiple semiconductor integrated circuits may be simultaneously tested, and there may be a problem of yield degradation where normal semiconductor integrated circuits are determined to be defective semiconductor integrated circuits due to power interference between semiconductor integrated circuits. SUMMARY At least one example embodiment of the present disclosure provides a probe card including a power compensation circuit capable of efficiently reducing noise between devices under test (DUTs) caused by power. At least one example embodiment of the present disclosure provides a test system including the probe card. According to example embodiments, a probe card for testing a plurality of devices under test (DUTs) includes a plurality of power lines that are electrically connected to the plurality of DUTs, a plurality of ground lines that are electrically connected to the plurality of DUTs and to each other, and a plurality of power compensation circuits that are electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of power lines and respective ones of the plurality of ground lines, where the plurality of power compensation circuits are configured to generate and provide a plurality of compensated power supply voltages to the respective ones of the plurality of power lines, and where the plurality of compensated power supply voltages are configured to inhibit a variation of a ground voltage of the respective ones of the plurality of ground lines. According to example embodiments, a test system includes a probe card that is configured to electrically connect to a plurality of devices under test (DUTs), and an automatic test equipment (ATE) that is electrically connected to the plurality of DUTs through the probe card, where the ATE is configured to test the plurality of DUTs, where the probe card includes: a plurality of power lines that are electrically connected to the plurality of DUTs, a plurality of ground lines that are electrically connected to the plurality of DUTs and to each other, and a plurality of power compensation circuits that are electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of power lines and respective ones of the plurality of ground lines, where the plurality of power compensation circuits are configured to generate and provide a plurality of compensated power supply voltages to the respective ones of the plurality of power lines, and where the plurality of compensated power supply voltages are configured to inhibit a variation of a ground voltage of respective ones of the plurality of ground lines. According to example embodiments, a probe card for testing a plurality of devices under test (DUTs) includes a plurality of probes, a plurality of power lines that are electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of DUTs by respective ones of the plurality of probes, a plurality of ground lines that are electrically connected to each other and the respective ones of the plurality of DUTs by the respective ones of the plurality of probes, and a plurality of power compensation circuits that are electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of power lines and respective ones of the plurality of ground lines, where the plurality of power compensation circuits configured to generate and provide a plurality of compensated power supply voltages to the respective ones of the plurality of power lines, where the plurality of compensated power supply voltages are configured to inhibit a variation of a ground voltage of the respective ones of the plurality of ground lines, and where each of the plurality of power compensation circuits includes: a subtractor that is electrically connected to a respective one of the plurality of power lines and a respective one of the plurality of ground lines, where the subtractor is configured to obtain a sensing signal that is based on a voltage difference between a voltage of the respective one of the plurality of power lines and a voltage of the respective one of the plurality of ground lines, a linear regulator that is configured to generate