Sort Probe Over Current Protection Mechanism

Abstract

An apparatus includes a probe card, a plurality of sort probes coupled to the probe card and detector circuitry to detect a real time over current occurrence at the sort probes.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a probe card;   a plurality of sort probes coupled to the probe card; and   a shunting fuse coupled between the one or more of the plurality of sort probes and a power supply to protect the one or more of the plurality of sort probes against an over current event.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the shunting fuse comprises a comparator to compare a received voltage to a reference voltage and generate a reference signal upon detecting that the received voltage is greater than the reference voltage. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the shunting fuse further comprises a transistor to shunt the power supply to ground in response to receiving the reference signal. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the shunting fuse further comprises:
 a resistor to convert a load current to a small voltage; and 
 a current sense amplifier to amplify the small voltage to the received voltage. 
 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a thermal fuse to disconnect the one or more of the plurality of sort probes from the power supply upon the occurrence of an excessive current. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the thermal fuse is a fast response fuse. 
     
     
         7 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A test system comprising:
 an automated test equipment (ATE) system;   a probe card coupled to the ATE system;   a plurality of sort probes coupled to the probe card; and   an integrated circuit (IC) device coupled the probe card via the plurality of sort probes; and   a shunting fuse coupled between the one or more of the plurality of sort probes and the ATE system to protect the one or more of the plurality of sort probes against an over current event.   
     
     
         17 . The test system of  claim 17  wherein the shunting fuse comprises a comparator to compare a received voltage to a reference voltage and generate a reference signal upon detecting that the received voltage is greater than the reference voltage. 
     
     
         18 . The test system of  claim 17  wherein the shunting fuse further comprises a transistor to shunt the power supply to ground in response to receiving the reference signal. 
     
     
         19 . The test system of  claim 18  wherein the shunting fuse further comprises:
 a resistor to convert a load current from the ATE system to a small voltage; and 
 a current sense amplifier to amplify the small voltage to the received voltage. 
 
     
     
         20 . The test system of  claim 16  further comprising a thermal fuse to disconnect the one or more of the plurality of sort probes from the ATE system power supply upon the occurrence of an excessive current. 
     
     
         21 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . The test system of  claim 20  wherein the thermal fuse is a fast response fuse.