Importance

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Abstract

A multilayer IC board is provided with channel plates on its surface for electrically coupling selected drivers and receivers of the ATE to selected electrical contacts of an IC being tested. This is accomplished by first electrically coupling some channel plates to the ATE drivers and receivers and other channel plates to the IC electrical contacts. Selected channel plates are then selectively electrically coupled together thereby coupling selected ATE drivers and receivers to selected IC electrical contacts. This provides for a large number of ATE to IC communication channel combinations that can be easily modified. A multilayer IC board is also provided with a lattice of noise reduction plates on its surface for reducing noise on the power channels to the IC being tested. This is accomplished by first electrically coupling the noise reduction plates to the power channels such that adjacent noise reduction plates are electrically coupled to power channels with different voltage levels. Capacitors are then electrically coupled between adjacent noise reduction plates of the lattice thereby reducing noise on selected power channels. The lattice arrangement of the noise reduction plates allows easy modification of the location of capacitors, especially when the power channels may be modified by the use of the channel plates.

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First Claim