Making 5G More Reliable


The rollout of 5G is a complex and monumental effort involving multiple separate systems that need to function flawlessly together in real-time, making it difficult to determine where problems might arise, or how and when to test for them. Investments in 5G have been underway for the better part of a decade, and the technology is considered the next huge growth opportunity for mobile devices... » read more

Test Data Streaming For The Next Generation Of Designs


Semiconductor chips have been evolving to meet the demands of rapidly transforming applications, and so has the test technology to meet the test goals of those chips. Going back two decades or so, the applications were limited and the designs were simpler, thus the concerns about power, performance and area (PPA), turn-around time, re-use and time-to-market, etc., were important but not as crit... » read more

Enabling Test Strategies For 2.5D, 3D Stacked ICs


Improved testability, coupled with more tests at more insertion points, are emerging as key strategies for creating reliable, heterogeneous 2.5D and 3D designs with sufficient yield.  Many changes need to fall into place to make side-by-side 2.5D and 3D stacking approaches cost-effective, particularly for companies looking to integrate chiplets from different vendors. Today, nearly all of t... » read more

The Future Of Wireless Test Is Over The Air


The deployment of mmWave technology is synonymous with 5G rollout and the initial results for faster links are amazing. For example, using a mmWave band, the prospects of a 1-2 Gbps link means a typical HD movie can download in less than a minute. An upload link of 30 Mbps also enables the transfer of videos back to the cloud at a record pace. These user experiences are enabled by the antenna l... » read more

KLA Publishes 2021 Global Impact Report And Shares New Climate Goals


KLA is publishing its latest Global Impact Report, detailing progress of our environmental, social and governance (ESG) programs, results and commitments from the past year. Managing our ESG impact is an important part of our mission to advance humanity through devices and ideas that transform our world and help shape a better future for generations to come. “Our accomplishments in 2021 w... » read more

The Drive Toward More Predictive Maintenance


Maintenance is a critical behind-the-scenes activity that keeps manufacturing facilities running and data centers humming. But when not performed in a timely manner, it can result in damaged products or equipment, or significant system/equipment downtime. By shifting from scheduled maintenance to predictive maintenance, factories and electronic system owners can reap substantial benefits, in... » read more

Testing The Stack: DFT Is Ready For 3D Devices


When existing advanced 2D designs already push the limits of design-for-test (DFT) tools, what hope do developers have of managing DFT for 3D devices? Can anyone afford the tool run time, on-chip area demand, pattern count, and test time? The answer, from an array of experts, is yes, there is a path to a scalable, affordable, and comprehensive DFT solution for 3D ICs. Well-covered strategies... » read more

Affordable And Comprehensive Testing Of 3D Stacked Die Devices


Developers of high-end semiconductor products who face manufacturing limitations with respect to die sizes are investing in 3D stacked die technology. These advanced designs already push current design-for-test (DFT) solutions to the limits: tool run time, on-chip area demand, test pattern count, and test time. How then, can designers manage DFT for these new 3D devices? In this paper, we outli... » read more

Deep Learning To Classify And Establish Structure Property Predictions With PeakForce QNM Atomic Force Microscopy


Machine learning and specifically, deep learning, is a powerful tool to establish the presence (or absence) of microstructure correlations to bulk properties with its ability to flesh out relationships and trends that are difficult to establish otherwise. This application note discusses the use of deep learning tools, to explore AFM phase and PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanics (QNM) im... » read more

Open-Short Normalization Method For A Quick Defect Identification In Branched Traces With High-Resolution Time-Domain Reflectometry


Time-domain reflectometry (TDR) that employs electro-optical sampling affords excellent resolution at the femtosecond level and exhibits a comprehensible impulse waveform, thereby allowing quick defect identification in a single trace. However, it remains challenging to identify a defect in a trace of multiple branches; the TDR waveform is complex. Generally, the TDR waveform of a defective uni... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →