Optimizing Metal Film Measurement On IGBT And MOSFET Power Devices With Picosecond Ultrasonic Technology


By Johnny Dai with Cheolkyu Kim and Priya Mukundhan In recent years, power semiconductor applications have expanded from industrial and consumer electronics to renewable energy and electric vehicles. Looking to the future, the most promising power semiconductor devices will be insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (power MOSFET) ... » read more

AI Testing AI: The Future Of 6G Test


The impending arrival of 6G technology promises to revolutionize the way we connect and communicate. With expected data rates of up to 100 times faster than 5G, 6G is poised to enable unprecedented applications, from augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to real-time remote surgery and autonomous vehicles with ubiquitous connectivity. A significant facet of 6G's potential lies in the ... » read more

Comparison Of State-Of-The-Art Models For Socket Pin Defect Detection


This article is adapted from a presentation at TestConX, March 5-8, 2023, Mesa, AZ, by Vijayakumar Thangamariappan, Nidhi Agrawal, Jason Kim, Constantinos Xanthopoulos, Ira Leventhal, and Ken Butler, Advantest America Inc., and Joe Xiao, Essai, Advantest Group. Test sockets have a key role to play in the semiconductor test industry. A socket serves as the critical interface between a teste... » read more

Importance Of Certifications In Automotive IP


The automotive industry is renowned for its unwavering commitment to enforcing strict standards for enabling safety, quality, reliability, and security. However, upholding stringent measures to ensure vehicle safety and reliability has led to the need for predictive maintenance i.e., using advanced monitoring and analytical techniques as a part of Silicon Lifecycle Management (SLM) to anticipat... » read more

Delivering Real-Time Analytics To Semiconductor Test


As defined by Moore’s Law, the semiconductor field has been growing at a steady pace since the 1960s. Concurrent with this progression, semiconductors are becoming more complex, densely integrated, and expensive to produce. While such advancements pose new challenges to semiconductor manufacturing, we can extend Moore’s Law well into the future by reimagining the way we approach the semicon... » read more

Particle Filter Material Choice For Raman And FTIR Microscopy


The filter material to analyze particulate matter with Raman or FTIR microspectroscopy plays a vital role. Their simple task is to filter liquids to isolate solids onto filters – but as soon as you introduce spectroscopic methods, the requirements on the filter increase drastically. But let’s start at the beginning: Which filters are at our disposal, and how do we select the right one for... » read more

Installing Yield Software Early In A Ramp Up


In 1999, the White Oak Semiconductor Fab in Richmond, VA, was awarded the prestigious “Top Fab of the Year” (yes, that actually existed – proof attached!) by the leading semiconductor magazine of the time. Back then, I was a young engineer on the ramp up team and I recall that the reason we were chosen for the award was the incredibly short time in which we were able to ramp up production... » read more

The Glass Substrate Question: When Will It Replace Copper Clad Laminate?


"When will glass replace copper clad laminate on advanced IC substrates?" That’s a question many on the heterogeneous integration (HI) side of the semiconductor industry are asking. Unfortunately, the answer is not straightforward. But before we get to answering that, let’s take an advanced IC substrate (AICS) refresher. In other words, how did we get to the point where glass substrat... » read more

The Growing Importance Of PMIC Validation


In the ever-evolving world of technology, the semiconductor industry plays a pivotal role in shaping the devices we use daily. Among the countless components that make up these devices, Power Management Integrated Circuits (PMICs) have emerged as unsung heroes, silently ensuring the efficient use of power resources. PMICs are specialized integrated circuits designed to manage and regulate th... » read more

Automotive Safety Requires PVT Monitoring IP Within Semiconductor ICs


The modern automobile, especially with the move toward more electrification, presents huge challenges to the designers of vehicular electronics. Gone are the days of mechanical issues and oil changes being primary concerns. Today’s automobile has a high number of semiconductor chips performing functions for self-driving autonomous systems, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), connectivi... » read more

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