A method and apparatus for fabricating known good semiconductor dice are provided.
The method includes the steps of: testing the gross functionality of dice contained
on a semiconductor wafer; sawing the wafer to singulate a die; and then testing
the die by assembly in a carrier having an interconnect adapted to establish electrical
communication between the bond pads on the die and external test circuitry. The
interconnect for the carrier can be formed using different contact technologies
including: thick film contact members on a rigid substrate; self-limiting contact
members on a silicon substrate; or microbump contact members with a textured surface.
During assembly of the carrier, the die and interconnect are optically aligned
and placed into contact with a predetermined contact force. This establishes an
electrical connection between the contact members on the interconnect and the bond
pads of the die. In the assembled carrier the die and interconnect are biased together
by a force distribution mechanism that includes a bridge clamp, a pressure plate
and a spring clip. Following testing of the die, the carrier is disassembled and
the tested die is removed.