Thermal regulator for IC temperature characterization using a microprobe station

This paper presents a thermal regulator conceived to allow the electrical characterization of integrated circuits (ICs) over a wide temperature range. The main feature, as compared to conventional thermal chambers, is the possibility to reach test points on the IC surface by means of a microprobe station. The thermal regulator is based on a Peltier cell, which is placed close to the bottom side of the device under test (DUT). This way, the cooling/heating power needed to reach the required IC temperature, is supplied directly through the thermal conduction of the package and the chip substrate. The main advantages of the proposed solution are low cost, small size, accurate temperature control, and fast settling time. The measured temperature range is from -40degC up to +120degC with a settling time of about 4 min. The maximum power consumption is about 30 W (during startup transients)