Early And Fine Virtual Binning


Not all chips are created equal, and this is viewed as both a blessing and a curse by semiconductor makers. On one hand, chips can be screened for certain attributes, and some of the chips can be sold for higher prices than others. On the other hand, variations in the production process cause silicon performance to greatly differ, leaving chip makers with a wide and somewhat unpredictable distr... » read more

Inspecting IC Packages Using Die Sorters


The shift toward more complex IC packages requires more advanced inspection systems in the production flow to capture unwanted defects in products. This includes traditional optical inspection tools in the in-line production flow, but it also now requires new die sorting equipment with advanced inspection capabilities. Die sorters are not the kind of equipment that typically attracts attenti... » read more

System-Level Test: Where Does It Fit?


Our second C-Brief discusses where system-level test (SLT) best fits into your semiconductor test workflow. With automated testing equipment (ATE), a traditional workflow may consist of: Wafer sort (WS) Burn-in after packaging (BI) Combination of structural testing (ST) and functional testing (FT). As demands on high-volume manufacturing shift in response to wider industry and com... » read more