White Paper

Strategies to Prevent IC Failures in Volume Production

When IC devices are produced and shipped to end customers, it is important that they will function as specified in the application environment. This paper outlines strategies and practices used to statistically sample, and predict how a device will operate over time. The practices outlined are believed to be best in class techniques for a successful product launch. These strategies most likely will point to sensitivities in devices that cause intermittent failures or process weaknesses which cause hard failures. If all of the outlined methods are not done in the preproduction phase, it may be necessary for failures to be analyzed later to prevent such occurrences in the future. [View more white papers]

Download

Sign Up for Updates

Please register to receive alerts on new white papers and technical publications.

Sign Up

Home WHAT Manufacturing Services and SMS Test Engineering Services

Test Engineering

Test engineering is one of the final critical steps before your device is ramped into production. eSilicon’s test engineering services move your product from design to production efficiently via our in-house engineering team. Our team will manage your device through the final stage before volume production using a broad range of expertise in all facets of ASIC device testing. Using our proven flow, our goal is to get your product ramping to production as quickly as possible using our advanced methodologies, processes, and years of experience to choose the right path for your ASIC design.

In-House ASIC Pre-Production Test Engineering Expertise

We have in-house expertise in:

  1. Test plan development
  2. Design-for-test (DFT) methodologies
  3. Test pattern conversions
  4. Test hardware development
  5. Test program development for digital, high speed interfaces  and mixed-signal devices
  6. A broad range of tester platforms

Pre-Production Device Tests

Our engineers are experienced in the full range of device tests, including:

  1. Scan testing using the following fault models:
    1. Stuck-at scan
    2. Transition scan
    3. Path-delay scan
  2. Memory built-in self test (MBIST), including:
    1. At-speed testing and repair
  3. High-speed interfaces, including:
    1. DDR1 through DDR4
    2. Serial peripheral interface (SPI)
    3. Ethernet
    4. SerDes (PCIe and XAUI)
  4. Phase-locked loops (PLLs) and delay-locked loops (DLLs)
  5. USB 1.0 and 2.0
  6. Digital-to-analog converters (DAC)
  7. Analog-to-digital converters (ADC)

Pre-Production Test Platforms

We have completed development for hundreds of devices on many different test platforms, such as:

  1. Teradyne
    1. J750
    2. Catalyst
    3. Flex and Ultraflex
  2. Verigy
    1. C400
    2. P600/P1000
    3. PinScale with AV8
    4. Portscale
  3. Credence Quartet

eSilicon pre-production ASIC test processes allow for timely bring-up of test programs, device debug, characterization, and release to production.