A single gas tight system which performs multi-functions including reducing the thickness of oxides on contact pads and probing, testing, burn-in, repairing, programming and binning of integrated circuits. A system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: (a) a gas tight chamber having (1) a plurality of modules each having a holding fixture, a wafer, a probing device, an electronic circuit board, and a temperature control device, (2) a gas source for supplying non-oxidizing gases such as nitrogen and hydrogen into the chamber, (3) a handler for moving the wafers and the probing devices, and (b) a computer coupled to the chamber for controlling and communicating with the handler, the temperature control devices, the holding fixtures and the probing devices. A holding fixture holds a wafer having integrated circuits and aligns the wafer to a probing device. An integrated circuit has a plurality of conductive contact portions that are able to be connected to probe points of the probing device. A temperature control device is used to heat the wafer during an oxide reduction process or during burn-in of the wafer. During the oxide reduction process, hydrogen is introduced into the chamber, and the wafer is heated so that the oxides on the contact pads can combine with hydrogen to form water vapor, thus reducing the thickness of the oxides. The computer analyzes the test and/or burn-in data and provides control signals for repairing or programming the integrated circuits. The computer system also generates a database that contains the performance data of all the integrated circuits on the wafer that are tested and allows for immediate feedback of the quality of the integrated circuits.

Method and apparatus for probing, testing, burn-in, repairing and programming of integrated circuits in a closed environment using a single apparatus

An information display system comprising a computer device having at least one input member for receiving video information and a processor member connected to said input member for processing and/or controlling digital video information contained in and/or obtained from the video information received from the input member and/or digital video information produced by the computer device itself in order to produce display data and control-signals, a communication channel comprising a data bus connected to the processor member of the computer device and a control bus for the transmission of the display data and the control-signals respectively, a memory device connected to the data bus for storing display data received from the data bus, a memory control-device connected to the control bus for controlling the storage of display data in and reading stored display data from the memory device in response to control-signals received from the control bus, a digital/analogue converting device connected to the memory device for producing analogue display signals during reading of the memory device and at least one display panel consisting of a plurality of electronic display units arranged side by side in a manner such that the respective display surfaces together constitute the display surface of the display panel.

Information display system

A light guide type display apparatus has optical fibers (103) that optically couple together a light shutter (104) which serves as an image forming device and a display screen, the optical fibers being effectively interlaced with each other, so that the boundaries between the blocks (101) of the screen are only slightly observable and therefore a uniform and high-quality display is obtained. It is possible to reduce the amount of fibers used and hence lower the cost of the system as well as reduce the size (thickness) and weight of the apparatus by forming a display screen from a plurality of units.

Light guide type display apparatus

A waterfall illuminated by a plurality of optical fibers having their ends disposed into an outlet of the waterfall and directing light from the fiber ends onto water within the waterfall. The waterfall comprises a water conduit having an inlet for receiving water into the interior of the water conduit and having an outlet formed by a top plate and bottom plate for producing a waterfall as the water flows out of the water conduit, a fiber optic cable bundle attached to the water conduit, and the fiber optic cable bundle comprising a plurality of fibers where each fiber adapted to receive light at an input end and to emit light at an output end. The output ends of the respective fibers are disposed within the outlet whereby the output ends are positioned to direct light onto water in the outlet.

Fiber optic illuminated waterfall

A fiber optic display apparatus consists of a plurality of optical fibers which convey a projected image from an input, or first surface, to a display, or second surface, whose area is greater than or equal to that of the first surface, such that any image projected on to the first surface appears enlarged on the second surface. The second surface is comprised of tiles which attach to adjoining tiles by means of flexible tabs and pliable locator rods in such a fashion as to allow the second surface to follow general contours (e.g. concave or convex), while the optical fiber bundles from each tile are collected into a fixture to form the first planar surface. Because of the modular design of the display it can be assembled or disassembled rapidly. A light-diffusing thin sheet or film is applied to the front of each tile of the second surface to effectively increase the numerical aperture of each fiber, thus producing a uniform wide-angle distribution of light from each fiber end and enabling viewing from any angle in front of the display.

Tiled fiber optic display apparatus

A computer output display with a plurality of light sources shining through optical fibers. A line of rectangular fiber bundles at the display end display selected characters depending on which fibers are illuminated in each bundle, and the light source ends of fibers from different bundles are connected to common light sources so that the same characters are displayed simultaneously on many bundles in the line. Scanning means for the line limits the operative area of the line at any instant to a set of fiber bundles which can all display different characters. The fibers are woven from a continuous strand while the fiber portions which end up as the light displaying and light receiving ends of individual fibers are properly supported in a line and collected into bundles respectively.

James E Applequist

Papers

High-resolution fiber optic display and microfilm printer