US Patent 7550964 Apparatus and method for linked slot-level burn-in

A Burn-In Board (BIB) transfer module that links a Burn-In Board (BIB) Loader/Unloader (BLU) to a burn-in chamber rack. The BIB transfer module is capable of transferring a BIB between the BLU and the burn-in chamber rack by moving the BIB in at least two perpendicular directions while minimizing the physical footprint required by the BIB transfer module. The BIB transfer module supports slot level burn-in of components as opposed to batch level burn-in because the burn-in chamber rack may begin the burn-in process as soon as a BIB is delivered to an individual chamber slot in the burn-in chamber rack. The BIB transfer module may easily be detached and separated from the BLU and the burn-in chamber rack without affecting the continuing operation of the BLU and the burn-in chamber rack.