We claim:
1. A test carrier for a semiconductor component comprising:
a lead frame;
an interconnect attached to the lead frame, the interconnect comprising a plurality of first contacts configured to electrically engage a plurality of second contacts on the component; and
a plastic base configured to retain the component, the base being molded to the lead frame and to the interconnect.
2. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the lead frame comprises a downset mounting paddle wherein the interconnect is attached.
3. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the lead frame comprises a plurality of lead fingers wire bonded to the interconnect.
4. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the second contacts comprise planar pads and the first contacts comprise raised members and penetrating projections covered with conductive layers.
5. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the second contacts comprise balls and the first contacts comprise recesses covered with conductive layers.
6. A test carrier for a semiconductor component comprising:
a lead frame comprising a mounting paddle and a plurality of lead fingers;
an interconnect attached to the mounting paddle, the interconnect comprising a plurality of first contacts configured to electrically engage a plurality of second contacts on the component, the first contacts in electrical communication with the lead fingers; and
a plastic base configured to retain the component, the base being molded to the lead frame and to the interconnect.
7. The test carrier of claim 6 wherein the mounting paddle includes a downset segment to provide an offset for the mounting paddle relative to the lead fingers.
8. The test carrier of claim 6 further comprising a lid configured for attachment to the base and a spring configured to bias the component against the interconnect.
9. The test carrier of claim 6 wherein the component comprises a bare die.
10. The test carrier of claim 6 wherein the component comprises a chip scale package.
11. A test carrier for a semiconductor component comprising:
a lead frame comprising a mounting paddle and a plurality of lead fingers;
an interconnect attached to the mounting paddle, the interconnect comprising a substrate with a plurality of first contacts configured to electrically engage a plurality of second contacts on the component, the first contacts in electrical communication with conductors on the substrate;
a plurality of wires bonded to the lead fingers and to the interconnect in electrical communication with the conductors;
a plastic base configured to retain the component, the base molded to the lead frame and to the interconnect; and
a plurality of terminal leads on the base comprising exposed portions of the lead fingers.
12. The test carrier of claim 11 wherein the substrate comprises silicon and the first contacts comprise etched pillars covered with conductive layers.
13. The test carrier of claim 11 wherein the interconnect comprises a polymer tape attached to the substrate, and the first contacts comprise microbumps mounted to the tape.
14. The test carrier of claim 11 wherein the first contacts comprise recesses formed in the substrate having projections therein for penetrating the second contacts.
15. The test carrier of claim 11 wherein the mounting paddle is offset with respect to the lead fingers and has an exposed surface on the base.
16. The test carrier of claim 11 wherein the plastic base encapsulates the wires.
17. A test carrier for a semiconductor component having bumped contacts comprising:
a lead frame;
an interconnect attached to the lead frame, the interconnect comprising a substrate with a plurality of contacts and conductive vias in electrical communication with the contacts, the contacts comprising recesses covered with conductive layers and configured to electrically engage the bumped contacts;
a plurality of external contacts on the interconnect in electrical communication with the conductive vias;
a plastic base configured to retain the component, the base being molded to the lead frame and to the interconnect.
18. The test carrier of claim 17 wherein the component comprises a chip scale package, and the bumped contacts comprise solder balls in a ball grid array or fine ball grid array.
19. A test carrier for semiconductor components comprising:
a board having an electrical connector;
a plurality of interconnects attached to the board, each interconnect comprising a substrate molded to the board and having a plurality of first contacts thereon configured to electrically engage a plurality of second contacts on the component, the first contacts in electrical communication with the electrical connector; and
a plurality of clip members attached to the board configured to retain the components on the interconnects.
20. The carrier of claim 19 wherein the board comprises molded plastic.
21. The carrier of claim 19 wherein the board comprises laminated glass resin material.
22. A method for fabricating a test carrier for semiconductor components comprising:
providing a lead frame;
providing an interconnect comprising a plurality of first contacts configured to electrically engage a plurality of second contacts on the component;
attaching the interconnect to the lead frame; and
molding a plastic body to the lead frame and to the interconnect.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the lead frame comprises a downset mounting paddle wherein the interconnect is attached.
24. The method of claim 22 wherein the lead frame comprises a plurality of lead fingers wire bonded to the interconnect.
25. The method of claim 22 wherein the lead frame comprises a plurality of lead fingers and further comprising electrically connecting the lead fingers to the first contacts and forming exposed portions of the lead fingers into terminal leads.
26. A method for fabricating a test carrier for semiconductor components comprising:
providing a lead frame comprising a mounting paddle and a plurality of lead fingers;
providing an interconnect comprising a plurality of first contacts configured to electrically engage a plurality of second contacts on the component;
attaching the interconnect to the mounting paddle;
molding a plastic body to the lead frame and to the interconnect;
bonding wires to the lead fingers and to the interconnect in electrical communication with the first contacts; and
forming exposed portions of the lead fingers into terminal contacts.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein the mounting paddle comprises a downset segment for offsetting the mounting paddle with respect to the lead fingers.
28. The method of claim 26 further comprising placing a gasket on the interconnect and on portions of the lead fingers prior to the molding step and removing the gasket following the molding step.
29. The method of claim 26 further comprising depositing a polymer layer on the interconnect and on portions of the lead fingers prior to the molding step and stripping the polymer layer following the molding step.
30. The method of claim 26 wherein at least some of the lead fingers overlap the interconnect.
31. A method for fabricating a test carrier for semiconductor components comprising:
providing a lead frame comprising a mounting paddle and a plurality of lead fingers;
providing an interconnect comprising a plurality of first contacts configured to electrically engage a plurality of second contacts on the component;
attaching the interconnect to the mounting paddle;
covering at least a portion of the interconnect with a gasket or a polymer layer;
molding a plastic body to the lead frame and to the interconnect;
removing the gasket or the polymer layer; and
bonding wires to the lead fingers and to the interconnect in electrical communication with the first contacts.
32. The method of claim 31 wherein the polymer layer comprises a thick film resist.
33. The method of claim 31 wherein the bonding step is performed prior to the molding step and the wires are encapsulated in the plastic body.
34. A method for fabricating a test carrier for semiconductor components comprising:
providing a plurality of interconnects, each interconnect comprising a plurality of first contacts configured to electrically engage a plurality of second contacts on the component;
molding or laminating a board having an electrical connector to the interconnects leaving the first contacts on the interconnects exposed; and
electrically connecting the first contacts on the interconnects to the electrical connector.
35. The method of claim 34 further comprising attaching clip members to the board configured to retain the components on the interconnects.
36. The method of claim 34 wherein the board comprises a material selected from the group consisting of plastics and glass filled resins.
37. A method for fabricating a test carrier for a semiconductor component comprising:
providing an interconnect comprising a substrate with a plurality of contacts and conductive vias in electrical communication with the contacts;
molding a plastic base to the interconnect; and
forming a plurality of terminal contacts on the interconnect in electrical communication with the conductive vias.
38. The method of claim 37 wherein the contacts comprise recesses covered with conductive layers and configured to electrically engage the second contacts.
39. The method of claim 37 wherein the terminal contacts comprise balls in a ball grid array or a fine ball grid array.
40. The method of claim 37 further comprising providing a lead frame, attaching the lead frame to the interconnect, and molding the plastic base to the lead frame and interconnect.
41. The method of claim 37 further comprising covering at least a portion of the interconnect prior to the molding step.
42. The method of claim 37 further comprising depositing a polymer layer on the interconnect prior to the molding step, and removing the polymer layer following the molding step.
43. A test system for a semiconductor component comprising:
test circuitry configured to generate and analyze test signals;
a carrier configured to retain the component, the carrier comprising:
a lead frame comprising a mounting paddle and a plurality of lead fingers;
an interconnect attached to the mounting paddle, the interconnect comprising a substrate with a plurality of first contacts configured to electrically engage a plurality of second contacts on the component, the first contacts in electrical communication with the lead fingers;
a plastic base configured to retain the component, the base molded to the lead frame and to the interconnect; and
a plurality of terminal leads on the base comprising exposed portions of the lead fingers, the terminal leads in electrical communication with the test circuitry.
44. The test system of claim 43 wherein the mounting paddle comprises a downset segment for offsetting the mounting paddle with respect to the lead fingers.
45. The test system of claim 43 wherein the second contacts comprise balls and the first contacts comprise recesses configured to retain the balls.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A tubular handling system comprising:
a tower comprising a tubular lift device for lowering andor raising a tubular in an essentially vertical orientation;
a support for supporting the tubular-laying tower;
a tubulars supply system for supplying tubulars to an essentially horizontal supply position in the vicinity of the tower;
a tubular handling apparatus for transporting a tubular between the essentially horizontal supply position and the tubular lift device in the tower, wherein the tubular handling apparatus comprises:
a gripper adapted for gripping the tubular;
a base;
a boom to which the gripper is attached, said boom being pivotable with respect to the base in a boom pivot direction around a horizontal boom pivot axis, between a lowered position for gripping a tubular in the essentially horizontal supply position, and a raised position for delivering a tubular to the tubular lift device in the tower and vice versa; and
a vertical extending frame, wherein said base is guided by said frame and movable in a vertical translational movement with respect to the frame.
2. The tubular handling system according to claim 1, wherein the boom comprises a non-rotatable boom portion connected via the horizontal boom pivot axis to the base and a rotatable boom portion comprising the gripper, said rotatable boom portion being rotatable with respect to the non-rotatable boom portion about a rotation axis of the boom, extending substantially parallel to the tower in the raised position of the boom.
3. The tubular handling system according to claim 1, wherein the gripper is rotatably attached to the boom about a gripper rotation axis.
4. The tubular handling system according to claim 1, wherein the boom is pivotable with respect to the base by one or more hydraulically actuated cylinders.
5. The tubular handling system according to claim 1, wherein the tower further comprises an accessory lifting device for lowering andor raising an accessory, and wherein an accessories supply system is provided for supplying an accessory to the accessory lifting device of the tower.
6. The tubular handling system according to claim 5, wherein the tubulars supply system and the accessories supply system are situated on the same side of the tower.
7. The tubular handling system according to claim 1, wherein the tower is tillable and wherein the tubular handling apparatus is suitable to transport a tubular between the essentially horizontal supply position and a raised position for delivering the tubular to the tubular lift device in the tilted tower.
8. A drilling rig comprising a tubular handling system according to claim 1, wherein the tower comprises a drilling rig structure, and wherein the tubular lifting device comprises a hoisting device for raising and lowering a string of interconnected tubulars.
9. A marine pipelay system comprising a tubular handling system according to claim 1, wherein the tower is a pipelay tower.
10. A method for handling tubulars between an essentially horizontal supply position and a tubular lifting device for lowering andor raising a tubular in an essentially vertical orientation, wherein use is made of a tubular handling system according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:
gripping the tubular by the gripper;
rotating the boom with respect to the base between a lowered position and a raised position around a horizontal boom pivot axis; and
moving the base in a vertical translational movement with respect to the vertical extending frame.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the boom comprises a non-rotatable boom portion connected via the horizontal boom pivot axis to the base and a rotatable boom portion comprising the gripper, said rotatable boom portion being rotatable with respect to the non-rotatable boom portion about a rotation axis of the boom, extending substantially parallel to the tower in the raised position of the boom, wherein the method further comprises the step of rotating the rotatable boom portion with respect to the non-rotatable boom portion.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the gripper is rotatably attached to the boom about a gripper rotation axis, and wherein the method further comprises the step of rotating the gripper.
13. The method according to claim 10, as part of a drilling operation.
14. The method according to claim 10, as part of a pipelaying operation.
15. (canceled)
16. The tubular handling system according to claim 1, wherein the tubulars supply system is provided on the support.
17. The tubular handling system according to claim 5, wherein the accessories supply system is provided on the support.
18. The tubular handling system according to claim 2, wherein the gripper is rotatably attached to the boom about a gripper rotation axis.
19. The tubular handling system according to claim 2, wherein the boom is pivotable with respect to the base by one or more hydraulically actuated cylinders.
20. The tubular handling system according to claim 3, wherein the boom is pivotable with respect to the base by one or more hydraulically actuated cylinders.
21. The tubular handling system according to claim 2, wherein the tower further comprises an accessory lifting device for lowering andor raising an accessory, and wherein an accessories supply system is provided for supplying an accessory to the accessory lifting device of the tower.