Automotive Semiconductors Require Integrated Test Solution


The automotive semiconductor test market is experiencing organic growth as chipmakers produce higher volumes of devices serving an array of automotive applications. In addition, the range of applications for automotive-grade semiconductors is evolving as the technology advances. Manufacturers of automated test equipment (ATE) are adapting to ensure their systems can handle devices ranging from ... » read more

Unlocking Efficiency: Tackling The Hidden Costs Of Setting Up Test


In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology and manufacturing, the efficiency and effectiveness of automated test systems can significantly impact a company's bottom line. Have you considered where the bulk of these costs come from? While the complexities involved in developing, deploying, and maintaining these systems often pose substantial challenges, they also present immense opportuniti... » read more

Semiconductor Testing Unlocks Increasing Levels Of ADAS


Today’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) require unprecedented computing power – tasked with processing an incredible amount of data from sensors in real-time, making split-second decisions, and ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers. The challenge is fluid and, as vehicles ascend from one level of autonomous driving to the next, computational demands will rise exponentially... » read more

Fundamentals of Power Amplifier Testing


The power amplifier (PA) – as either a discrete component or part of an integrated front end module (FEM) – is one of the most integral RF integrated circuits (RFICs) in the modern radio. In this application note, you will learn the basics of testing RF PAs and FEMs through an interactive application note with multiple how-to videos. When characterizing the performance of an RF PA, engin... » read more

The Future Of Data Analytics And Semiconductor Testing


The world is changing more rapidly than ever. With the explosion of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and data analytics, semiconductor manufacturers now have the opportunity to extract valuable insights from the massive amounts of data being generated throughout the silicon lifecycle. By leveraging AI algorithms and ML, semiconductor manufacturers can now optimize silicon des... » read more

Integration Hurdles For Analog And RF In Next-Gen Packages


A rapid increase in wireless connectivity and more sensors, coupled with a shift away from monolithic SoCs toward heterogeneous integration, is driving up the amount of analog/RF content in systems and changing the dynamics within a package. Since the early 2000s, the majority of chips used at the most advanced nodes were systems-on-chip (SoCs). All features had to fit into a single planar S... » read more

Supporting Multiple Time Domains In SoC Production Test


Complex system-on-chip (SoC) devices make every stage of the development flow harder, and the challenges continue even after the silicon is fabricated. Automatic test equipment (ATE) screening for defective wafers and assembled chips is always challenging. Production test engineers constantly struggle to minimize expensive test pattern memory, test each wafer or chip as quickly as possible, and... » read more

Advancing Product Performance Through Adaptable Production Test Equipment


Semiconductors are the backbone of modern electronics, powering everything from smartphones and laptops to autonomous vehicles and advanced medical equipment. As the semiconductor industry continues to push technological boundaries to deliver faster, smaller, and more powerful devices, ensuring the reliability and optimal performance of these components becomes increasingly challenging. A modu... » read more

Doing More At Functional Test


Experts at the Table: Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss the increasing importance of functional test, especially in high-performance computing, with Klaus-Dieter Hilliges, V93000 platform extension manager at Advantest Europe; Robert Cavagnaro, fellow in the Design Engineering Group at Intel (responsible for manufacturing and test strategy of data center products); Nitza Basoco, tec... » read more

Dealing With AI/ML Uncertainty


Despite their widespread popularity, large language models (LLMs) have several well-known design issues, the most notorious being hallucinations, in which an LLM tries to pass off its statistics-based concoctions as real-world facts. Hallucinations are examples of a fundamental, underlying issue with LLMs. The inner workings of LLMs, as well as other deep neural nets (DNNs), are only partly kno... » read more

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