Carrier for cleaning sockets for semiconductor components having contact balls

Abstract

A test carrier for testing bumped semiconductor components such dice, chip scale packages, BGA devices, and wafers is provided. The test carrier includes a base for retaining one or more components and contact members for making temporary electrical connections with contact balls on the components (e.g., solder balls). The test carrier also includes terminal contacts formed as hard metal balls, as hard metal balls coated with a non-oxidizing metal layer, or as glass, ceramic or plastic members coated with a conductive material. The contact members on the base protect the contact balls on the components from deformation during testing and handling. The terminal contacts on the test carrier are configured for multiple uses in a production environment without deformation. Also provided is a calibration carrier for calibrating semiconductor test systems for bumped components, and a cleaning carrier for cleaning test sockets for bumped components. The calibration carrier can include on board evaluation circuitry for evaluating electrical characteristics of a test system, such as contact resistances between electrical connectors of a test socket and terminal contacts on the calibration carrier. The cleaning carrier includes terminal contacts formed of a solder wettable material configured to attract solder contaminants in test sockets.

1 - 47 . (canceled)  
     
     
         48 . A carrier for cleaning a socket for a semiconductor component having a contact ball comprising: 
 a base configured for insertion into the socket; and    a terminal contact on the base configured for engaging an electrical connector on the socket, the terminal contact comprising a solder wettable metal configured for attracting and removing solder contaminants from the socket.    
     
     
         49 . The carrier of  claim 48  wherein the terminal contact comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of copper and gold.  
     
     
         50 . The carrier of  claim 48  wherein the terminal contact comprises pressed and sintered metal balls.  
     
     
         51 . The carrier of  claim 48  wherein the terminal contact comprises braided metal wires.  
     
     
         52 . The carrier of  claim 48  further comprising a heating element in the base for heating the terminal contact.  
     
     
         53 . A carrier for cleaning a socket for a semiconductor component having a contact ball comprising: 
 a base configured for insertion into the socket, the base comprising a plurality of openings; and    a plurality of terminal contacts pressed into the openings configured for engaging electrical connectors on the test socket, the terminal contacts comprising solder wettable metal bristles configured for attracting and removing solder contaminants from the socket.    
     
     
         54 . The carrier of  claim 53  wherein the bristles comprise a metal selected from the group consisting of gold and copper.  
     
     
         55 - 59 . (canceled)  
     
     
         60 . A carrier for removing contaminants from a socket for a semiconductor component comprising: 
 a base configured for insertion into the socket; and    a plurality of terminal contacts on the base configured for attracting the contaminants on the socket.    
     
     
         61 . The carrier of  claim 60  wherein the contaminants comprise solder and the terminal contacts comprise a solder wettable metal.  
     
     
         62 . The carrier of  claim 60  further comprising a heating element in the base configured to heat the terminal contacts.  
     
     
         63 . The carrier of  claim 60  wherein the component includes solder balls and the socket includes connectors configured to electrically engage the solder balls and the terminal contacts.  
     
     
         64 . In a socket having a plurality of electrical connectors for electrically engaging a semiconductor component having solder contacts, a carrier for removing solder contaminants from the socket comprising: 
 a base configured for insertion into the socket;    a plurality of terminal contacts on the base configured for physically contacting the electrical connectors, the terminal contacts comprising a solder wettable alloy configured to attract the solder contaminants.    
     
     
         65 . The carrier of  claim 64  wherein the terminal contacts comprise metal balls.  
     
     
         66 . The carrier of  claim 64  wherein the terminal contacts comprise braided metal.  
     
     
         67 . The carrier of  claim 64  wherein the terminal contacts comprise metal bristles mounted in openings in the base.  
     
     
         68 . A method for removing contaminants from a test socket comprising: 
 providing a carrier comprising a plurality of terminal contacts configured to attract the contaminants;    placing the carrier in the test socket with the terminal contacts in contact with the contaminants; and    removing the carrier from the test socket with the contaminants attached to the terminal contacts.    
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 68  further comprising following the placing step, heating the terminal contacts.  
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 68  wherein the contaminants comprise solder and the terminal contacts comprise a solder wettable metal.  
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 68  wherein the terminal contacts comprise metal balls.  
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 68  wherein the terminal contacts comprise braided metal.  
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 68  wherein the terminal contacts comprise metal bristles.