ST推出全球首款采用全非接触式测试技术晶圆

正横跨多重电子应用领域、全球领先的半导体供应商意法半导体(STMicro electronics,简称ST)宣布,全球首款未使用任何接触式探针完成裸片全部测试的半导体晶圆研制成功。意法半导体创新且先进的测试技术实现与晶圆电路阵列之间只使用电磁波作为唯一通信方式测试晶圆上的芯片,如RFID(射频识别)     

基于FPGA的RFID晶圆并行测试系统设计

针对高频射频识别(RFID)晶圆在中测(CP)阶段单通道串行测试效率低下的问题,设计了一种基于现场可编程门阵列(FPGA)的多通道并行测试系统以提高测试效率.鉴于RFID晶圆上没有集成天线,提出了一种新的基于探针技术的射频耦合式的晶圆检测方法,模拟芯片实际工作.系统选用FPGA为微控制器,配以多路射频耦合通信电路,实现测试向量生成及快速信号处理.再结合上位机与探针台高速并行的通用接口总线(GPIB)通信接口,以实现晶圆级RFID芯片测试.经实际测试,该系统能够实现16通道并行测试,与单通道串行测试系统相比,效率提升了97％,可靠性好,稳定性高,可应用高密度RFID晶圆的中测.     

吉时利发布面向高吞吐量晶圆生产测试的半导体测试软件的升级版KTE5．3

2011年9月19日,吉时利仪器公司发布了获得业界好评的吉时利测试环境（KTE）半导体测试软件的升级版。KTEV5．3是专为配合吉时利的过程控制监控方案产品线S530参数测试系统设计的。     

吉时利推出射频参数测量选件

吉时利(Keithley)仪器公司发布了用于半导体生产过程中参数测试的第三代晶圆射频(RF)测量功能，能提供连续、自动、实时的测试质量监控，在提供优等质量结果的同时，也获得了最高测量产能、最低运行成本，以及易于使用的特点。此外，吉时利公司的射频参数测量选件适合于200mm和300mm的半导体参数射频(RF)测试系统，适用于包括高性能逻辑电路生产和高性能模拟集成电路生产。     

GLOBALFOUNDRIES:半导体生产制造的领头羊——访GLOBALFOUNDRIES公司200毫米晶圆业务高级副总裁兼新加坡业务总经理RajKumar先生

随着社会生产力进一步发展和市场需求量的不断扩大,社会分工更加细化,外包生产模式的推行已经成为众多公司优化资源配置、获得市场份额计划的一个重要手段,实现新的半导体生产制造模式势在必行。GLOBALFOUNDRIES公司便代表了这样一种模式。在前不久举办的"SEMICONChina2011"期间,我们有机会采访了GLOBALFOUNDRIES公司200毫米晶圆业务高级副总裁兼新加坡业务总经理RajKumar先生,他和我们分析了关于新的半导体生产制造模式、200mm晶圆领域的最新技术产品,创新优势,以及未来的市场挑战等问题。     

射频CMOS平面螺旋电感2-π等效电路模型参数的提取

从有理分式拟合方法出发,提出了用于射频CMOS平面螺旋电感2-π等效电路模型参数提取的新方法.通过比较提参后等效电路给出的S参数和实验测量的S参数,证明该方法的精度很高.此外,提参的策略非常直接,因此容易在CAD里面编程实现.提参得到的等效电路模型对于射频电路设计者来说也是非常有用的.     

下载吉时利新一代移动通信射频测试技术研讨会讲义——《RF测试测量的革命:OFDM+MIMO》

本讲义源自吉时利今年的“新一代移动通信射频测试技术研讨会”。 或许您早已经成为1G、2G、3G移动通信测试测量的专家，可是，新一代的移动通信不约而同采用OFDM调制方式；新一代的移动通信标准都会采用MIMO通信方式。为什么会有这样的技术趋势？OFDM调制测试有什么特殊性？MIMO射频测试有什么革命性？用什么样的测试方法实现OFDM和MIMO的测试？     

吉时利增强了S530参数测试系统的测量功能

吉时利仪器公司不断增强半导体行业性价比最高的高速生产参数测试方案——S530参数测试系统的功能。由于有吉时利测试环境软件（KTE V5.4）的支持,S530目前配置为48引脚全Kelvin开关以及脉冲发生、频率测量和低电压测量的新型集成选件。这些新增强的功能帮助S530系统实现了更宽范围的生产参数测试应用和高速、经济有效的测试方案。     

吉时利增强了S530参数测试系统的测量功能

近日,吉时利仪器公司不断增强半导体行业性价比最高的高速生产参数测试方案--S530参数测试系统的功能。由于有吉时利测试环境软件（KTEV5.4）的支持,S530目前配置为48引脚全Kelvin开关以及脉冲发生、频率测量和低电压测量的新型集成选件。     

非接触应用领域中与国际标准（ISO）兼容的射频身份识别器件（RFID）的生产测试

当今应用民电路在测试13.56MHz的非接触式应用芯片时，通常要在探针卡和器件接口板上增加很多外围电路，这限制了并行测试最多只能达到1到2路。我们在这里将讨论新的测试方案，新的测试方案体现在标准的自动测试设备中，直接通过天线的两脚进行高达32路的真实并行测试，并且无需附加外围电路。这种新的测试方案大幅度提高了产品质量及产量。     

高可靠性RF技术服务于无线和RFID市场

近几年,无论是手机代表的无线移动网络及其基础设施,还是以蓝牙(Bluetooth)、无线局域网(WLAN)、Zigbee等长、短距离的无线通信技术,或者是WiMax、RFID等面向特定应用的专门技术,给人们带来了种种方便,也在悄悄改变着产业的格局.作为各种无线技术基础的RF技术,也在不断吸纳新技术、新设计,以满足系统对于更大数据传输量、更低的功耗和成本要求、更苛刻的信号可靠性要求等挑战.从另一侧面看,由于RF技术固有的较高门坎,并非一些新手力所能及,虽然半导体产业链以厂商数量众多著称,但RF技术供应商则相对较少.     

测试LTE:您需要知道什么

首批LTE网络已投入使用,大规模提供移动宽带服务方面成为主题。并非所有技术问题都已解决,用户获得下一代蜂窝技术的全部好处前仍然有问题需要克服,LTE服务的一些更广泛方面仍然有待决定。本文从测试工程师所面临挑战的意义上考察了这方面的一些问题。     

Signature Testing of Analog and RF Circuits: Algorithms and Methodology

There are mainly two factors responsible for rapidly escalating production test costs of today's RF and high-speed analog circuits: 1) the high cost of high-speed and RF automatic test equipments and 2) long test times required by elaborate performance tests. In this paper, we propose a low-cost signature test methodology for accelerated production testing of analog and RF integrated circuits. As opposed to prior work, the key contribution of this paper is a new test generation algorithm that directly tracks the ability of input test waveforms to predict the test specification values from the observed test response, even in the presence of measurement noise. The response of the device-under-test (DUT) is used as a "signature" from which all of the performance specifications are predicted. The applied test stimulus is optimized in such a way that the error between the measured DUT performances and the predicted DUT performances is minimized. While existing low-cost test approaches have only been applied to low- and medium-frequency analog circuits, the proposed methodology extends low-cost signature testing to RF integrated circuits by incorporating modulation of a baseband test stimulus and subsequent demodulation of the obtained response to obtain the DUT signature. The proposed low-cost solution can be easily built into a load board that can be interfaced to an inexpensive tester     

Modeling and Simulation of Spiral Inductors in Wafer Level Packaged RF/Wireless Chips

In this paper, embedded rectangular spiral inductors on Wafer-Level Packaged (WLP)RF/wireless chips were studied with 3D (three-dimensional) EM (electromagnetic)simulations. The performance of spiral inductors fabricated with various geometrical and technological parameterswas analyzed. It is shown that Q (the quality factor) and f _res (theself-resonance frequency) could be improved by using the thick insulator layer and thick/wide metal line,which are fabricated by WLP technology. The value of Q could be over 60 at 20 GHz for such embeddedcomponents, attesting a significant improvement compared to the conventional on-chip counterparts in CMOS. Throughthis study, optimal structures for such components are identified and guidelines for design and fabrications arederived. Finally, a method to estimate the inductance of rectangle spiral inductors is developed. It is useful todetermine the approximate structure of an inductor quickly before detailed 3D EM simulation, which may cost a longtime.     

Fault Coverage on RF VCOs and BIST for Wafer Sort Using Peak-to-Peak Voltage Detectors

A complete study of the fault coverage achievable on two Radio Frequency (RF) Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCO) is carried out. The peak-to-peak output voltage detection grants the maximal catastrophic and parametric fault coverage. The VCOs and the BIST (Built-In Self-Test) circuitry are designed using the STM CMOS 65 nm process. The frequency of oscillation is 3.6 GHz and the phase noise obtained at 1 MHz offset from the carrier is of −121.7 dBc/Hz for VCO1 and of −118.8 dBc/Hz for VCO2. The performances of the VCOs are simulated before and after the insertion of the circuitry for the BIST, in order to confirm the transparency of the BIST.     

Wireless Robotics: A History,an Overview,and the Need for Standardization

The field of Robotics is one of the most fascinating areas of research in the world. Right now, hundreds of universities, corporations, and governments are spending billions researching and developing intelligent robotic systems for use in automation, military, medicine, electronics, food and beverage, service and a host of other industries. There is no doubt that robotic systems will play a major role in shaping the future of the world and as research and industry merge, progress in robotics technology will advance several times beyond the current level. This progress will be driven by a need to not only make life easier for consumers, but also to improve communities and even nations as a whole. The market for wireless robots and robotic systems far exceeds the current utilization and as technology advances, the use of robots will be incorporated primarily or indirectly in almost all fields. Of course the most interesting application is use of mobile and communicative robotic systems in everyday life. The possibilities are limited only by human creativity and intellect—the driving force that can turn this industry into the forerunner for an autonomous robot assisted future. Two of the most important areas for furthering the wide scale adaption of robotics are “autonomous mobility” and “wireless communications”. The field of endeavor by which robotic systems communicate wirelessly is known as Wireless Robotics. Advances in the field of Wireless Robotics are necessary to further the growth of robotic systems and their use in everyday life. Research and development in this field needs to progress more rapidly in order to see faster adoption of robots in everyday life. One way to stimulate this growth is by leveraging expertise on a global scale. But for people to cooperate in a global environment and be able to design systems without running into compatibility issues, standards are necessary. In this paper, we shall provide a brief background on the origin of robots and our fascination with them, discuss various use cases in current life, and provide the motivation for standardization in the field of Wireless Robotics.