User Modes of a New ATE Interface to Serve KGD Needs

Peter Muhmenthaler, Infineon Technologies AG

There is a demand for radical change in the feature set of automatic test equipment regarding support of efficient data collection. Especially on wafer level such test results are the starting point for in depth diagnosis, which leads either to yield improvement or adaptive test flows to control the test coverage. The presentation will provide a set of operating modes such new test interface should support. The fundamental differences (pro/con) in serial communication protocols as well as use of test bus signals will be explained. Application in a KGD test flow will cover diagnostic data collection, memory fail data from memory BIST, mixed signal data streams for tuning analog circuitry and of course during digital test. The use modes will induce radical change in the way test programs / test solutions have to be developed. As these modes leave enough room for individual implementations on chip level as well as in the ATE, they might be adopted as an industry standard. Such consultations are alreday underway and the current status will be presented.