Customized IC test service from ams extended

June 07, 2012 // Paul Buckley

The Full Service Foundry business unit of ams is extending its dedicated test solutions for its customers.

The move is an extension of the company’s 'More Than Silicon' initiative, under which ams provides a package of intellectual property, cell libraries, consultancy and testing services to help customers successfully develop advanced analog and mixed-signal circuit designs based on its specialty technologies.

Foundry customers using ams’ IC test solution service will receive KGD (known good dies) and instantly gain the benefit of zero yield risk, as their complex analog/mixed-signal ICs are 100% electrically tested according to their own test specification. The electrical test can be performed at the wafer level (i.e. wafer probing), on assembled parts (also including advanced packages such as wafer level chip scale packages, or WLCSP) or at both levels.

The offering starts with an in-depth design for testability (DFT) analysis carried out jointly with highly experienced design support engineers from ams. Test program code development can be accomplished very quickly using ams’ production-proven test code library and offline tester simulator debugging. An independent and dedicated professional test team with a combined 25+ years of experience offers remote debug sessions to shorten debug and development cycle time. As an integral part of its EEPROM IP portfolio ams also offers a programming service, so the customer has no need to program its EEPROM block after delivery of the die. This may significantly reduce the programming efforts for the end customer.

A prototype load board and application board are developed by load board designers with a total of 50+ years of analog, RF and mixed-signal experience. Utilizing ams’ patented hardware technology ensures right-first-time load board designs that match the expected performance criteria. The test program release procedure comprises careful correlation between the test results from production tests and application bench tests, full temperature qualification and statistical analysis of the test solution through the implementation of gauge repeatability and reproducibility tests.

“Many customers prefer turnkey solutions and want to receive fully tested parts. With dedicated test solutions as part of ams ‘More Than Silicon’initiative, foundry customers benefit from delivery of 100% electrically tested parts,” said Thomas Riener, Senior Vice President and General Manager of ams’ Full Service Foundry business unit. “Our dedicated test offering has a proven track record and is a result of ams’ continuous efforts to deliver best-in-class service to our customers. The goal of our experienced engineering team is to ensure the shortest possible time to market for our customers’ complex analog/mixed-signal products."

ams’ dedicated test service is supported by an integrated project management process including weekly test status updates. Once volume production has started, test data are automatically uploaded to the customer’s FTP site.

Visit ams at www.ams.com

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