Testing More To Boost Profits


Not all chips measure up to spec, but as more data becomes available and the cost of these devices continues to rise, there is increasing momentum to salvage and re-purpose chips for other applications and markets. Performance-based binning is as old as color-banded resistors, but the practice is spreading — even for the most advanced nodes and packages. Over the last three decades, engine... » read more

Introduction To Test Data Formats


This blog is intended to provide an introduction to STDF and ATDF data formats. This is not intended to be definitive, only an introduction. If you are experienced with seeing data in spreadsheets and tables, then STDF is very different from what you are used to. Here we try to explain. STDF is the “Standard Test Data Format” developed jointly between some of the largest test equipment v... » read more

Test Engineers In Very Short Supply


Semiconductor design, verification, manufacturing, and test requires an army of engineers, with each playing a special role. But increasingly, these disciplines also require additional training to be able to understand the context around their jobs, and that is making it harder to fill different positions at a time when the chip industry already is severely short-staffed. This is particularl... » read more

Infrastructure Impacts Data Analytics


Semiconductor data analytics relies upon timely, error-free data from the manufacturing processes, but the IT infrastructure investment and engineering effort needed to deliver that data is, expensive, enormous, and still growing. The volume of data has ballooned at all points of data generation as equipment makers add more sensors into their tools, and as monitors are embedded into the chip... » read more

Adaptive Test Gains Ground


Not all devices get tested the same way anymore, and that’s a good thing. Quality, test costs, and yield have motivated product engineers to adopt test processes that fall under the umbrella of adaptive test, which uses test data to modify a subsequent test process. But to execute such techniques requires logistics that support analysis of data, as well as enabling changes to a test based ... » read more

Benefits Of Outsourcing Yield Management Software


Microchip is a longtime yieldHUB customer. We work with a number of divisions worldwide. We spoke to Kasia Metlička-Sawicka, an Engineering Release Supervisor, Senior Engineer II-Product in Microchip Ireland to find out why she likes using our system. What do you do? I’m an Engineering Release supervisor/Senior Product Engineer. I oversee the engineering release group of technicians... » read more

Chips Good Enough To Bet Your Life On


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss automotive electronics reliability with Jay Rathert, senior director of strategic collaborations at KLA; Dennis Ciplickas, vice president of advanced solutions at PDF Solutions; Uzi Baruch, vice president and general manager of the automotive business unit at OptimalPlus; Gal Carmel, general manager of proteanTecs' Automotive Division; Andre van de ... » read more

Dealing With Two Very Different Sides Of 5G


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss 5G reliability with Anthony Lord, director of RF product marketing at FormFactor; Noam Brousard, system vice president at proteanTecs; Andre van de Geijn, business development manager at yieldHUB; and David Hall, head of semiconductor marketing at National Instruments. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. To view part one of this discussi... » read more

Why Data Format Slows Chip Manufacturing Progress


The Standard Test Data Format (STDF), a workhorse data format used to pull test results data from automated test equipment, is running out of steam after 35 years. It is unable to keep up with the explosive increase in data generated by more sensors in various semiconductor manufacturing processes. First developed in 1985 by Teradyne, STDF is a binary format that is translated into ASCII or ... » read more

Key Aspects Of Yield Management Systems For Fabless Startups


Do you work for a fabless start-up? Are you ramping up? If so, you need data-analysis tools for your production data. You will struggle without them. You have two options for yield management analysis. You may decide to hire an engineer (or team of engineers) whose job is to transfer the data from datalogs to a spreadsheet, then generate reports. Or, you could invest in a system that takes c... » read more

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