Alignment mechanism

Abstract

An alignment mechanism is disclosed which includes a mount, a beam having a first end affixed to the mount and a second end. The beam is an order of magnitude more rigid along its longitudinal axis than along an axis orthogonal to its longitudinal axis. The second end of the beam is affixed to a first device having a surface configured to contact a second device. The beam applies a normal force component to the second device through the first device and allows movement at the second end in directions orthogonal to the normal force component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An alignment mechanism comprising:
 a mount;   a beam having a first end affixed to the mount and a second end, the beam being an order of magnitude more rigid along its longitudinal axis than along an axis orthogonal to its longitudinal axis; and   a first device to which the second end of the beam is affixed, the first device having a surface configured to contact a second device;   wherein the beam applies a normal force component to the second device through the first device and allows movement at the second end in directions orthogonal to the normal force component.   
     
     
         2 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the beam is a wire. 
     
     
         3 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 2 , wherein the wire is provided within a tube, said tube being configured to prevent the wire from buckling beyond a predetermined amount. 
     
     
         4 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the first device is a thermal control device and the second device is a semiconductor device. 
     
     
         5 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 4 , wherein the thermal control device is a heat exchanger. 
     
     
         6 . The a alignment mechanism of  claim 5 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a fluid channel through which fluid flows, wherein the fluid assists in regulating the temperature of the semiconductor device while the surface of the heat exchanger is in contact with the semiconductor device. 
     
     
         7 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 6 , wherein the fluid channel runs through a heat sink, and the heat exchanger further includes a heater element disposed between the heat sink and the surface of the heat exchanger that contacts the device. 
     
     
         8 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 7 , wherein the semiconductor device is a device under test, and the heat exchanger is configured to maintain the semiconductor device at or near a setpoint temperature. 
     
     
         9 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 8 , wherein the mount is coupled to a housing that is affixed to a handler device, the handler device being configured to: receive the semiconductor device, present the device to a test unit for testing and remove the device from the test unit after testing. 
     
     
         10 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the mount is coupled to a housing via a piston configured to provide a force in the direction of the normal force component, so as to move the first device in contact with the second device. 
     
     
         11 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 10 , wherein the mount is attached to a frame, said frame including a stop member configured to prevent displacement of the first device beyond a predetermined distance in a direction orthogonal to the normal force component. 
     
     
         12 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 6 , wherein a liquid is supplied to and received from the fluid channel via compressible inlet bellows and compressible outlet bellows, said inlet and outlet bellows each having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said wire. 
     
     
         13 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the beam is configured to support and lift the thermal control device. 
     
     
         14 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 12 , wherein the inlet bellows and the outlet bellows are disposed symmetrically at substantially equal distances from the longitudinal axis of the beam. 
     
     
         15 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 4 , wherein the thermal control device includes an air cooled heat sink. 
     
     
         16 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 6 , wherein the thermal control device includes an evaporator. 
     
     
         17 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 7 , wherein the thermal control device includes an evaporator. 
     
     
         18 . An alignment mechanism comprising:
 a mount;   a beam having a first end affixed to the mount and a second end, the beam requiring less than one tenth the amount of force required to provide a longitudinal displacement of the second end in order to provide a lateral bending displacement of the second end of equal magnitude to the longitudinal displacement; and   a first device to which the second end of the beam is affixed, the first device having a surface configured to contact a second device;   wherein the beam applies a normal force component to the second device through the first device and allows movement at the second end in directions orthogonal to the normal force component.   
     
     
         19 . The alignment mechanism of  claim 18 , wherein the beam requires less than one hundredth the amount of force required to provide a longitudinal displacement of the second end in order to provide a lateral bending displacement of the second end of equal magnitude to the longitudinal displacement.