RF shields that can be integrated with IC test handlers

Abstract

This paper describes several radio frequency interference shields that have been developed for integration with high-speed bulk-input turret-test IC handlers. The shields were developed to mitigate interference to noise figure measurements of Low Noise Amplifier components. Two categories of shielded enclosures were evaluated for shielding effectiveness and ease of incorporation into the existing machines and manufacturing processes. The first category enclosed the handler's working area in its entirety, while the second one enclosed the testboard only. Variation in the testboard shield design was required to suit different collet trajectories between handler models. The shielding effectiveness (SE) was measured according to the MIL-STD-285 standard. The different designs exhibited SE in the 16–49 dB range.