New AI-Powered Software Solution Accelerates Yield Improvement Throughout IC Engineering and Production

Advantest’s new yield-improvement solution leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to expedite identifying the root causes of yield loss and increasing the efficiency of analyzing test results. The innovative and scalable Advantest Cloud Solutions Engineering AI Studio for Yield Improvement (ACS EASY^TM) can increase the productivity of both device engineering and production operations for a wide range of users, from chip designers to outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) companies.

Device yields are key performance indicators in semiconductor production, requiring continuous engineering efforts to debug and fine-tune. The unique ACS EASY application uses AI to automatically monitor test conditions and inferences to isolate and analyze the causes of yield degradation. This resolves production issues in a timely fashion, slashes troubleshooting time and dramatically reduces test workloads for data analytics.

ACS EASY is capable of handling huge volumes of data to compare new lots’ test results with those of previous lots to quickly identify abnormal bin trends. The solution’s GUI facilitates the online sharing of test results, eliminating the need to create separate reports. Moreover, ACS EASY is intuitive to use and does not require operators to have familiarity with AI, machine learning, data analysis or statistics.

ACS EASY utilizes prescriptive self-learning to categorize new yield-related issues for future monitoring and analysis. This further extends the system’s stored knowledge base, allowing inferencing applications to present bigger values.

“It has long been anticipated that the use of AI and advanced data analytics would allow IC testing to make great strides forward. That time is now with ACS EASY, a low-cost system that is simple to install and easy to use, enabling test engineers to master data without being data scientists,” said Titan Chang, Advantest’s Field Service Group executive vice president.

T6391 Display Driver Tester Expands Capabilities with New Per-pin Digitizer and Comparator (LCD HP)

Advantest announced its new LCD HP (high-performance) per-pin digitizer and comparator module. Developed for use with the T6391 display driver test system, the LCD HP module features two key performance improvements. First, it improves measurement precision 5x compared to the previous module, making it ideally suited to accommodate the testing demands of advanced display driver ICs (DDICs) for high-end smartphones and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) applications. Second, it can handle high-voltage testing up to ±40V, enabling the module to address the high-reliability testing demands of brand-new automotive DDICs.

“This is an exciting time for the display market and, by extension, for the test industry,” said Toshiaki Adachi, senior vice president, Advantest SoC Test Business Unit. “As the market for metaverse devices grows, adoption of OLED display panels is expected to escalate, while the shift to EVs calls for automotive displays that centralize cockpit clusters, infotainment and other display functions. All of this technology development is placing new, more stringent requirements on test and measurement. Our T6391 tester and new LCD HP module will lead the way in addressing these demands.”

The LCD HP module achieves noise reduction and uniform measurement accuracy between channels in the test system to enable high-precision measurement. It covers test requirements of new advanced DDICs for high-end smartphone and AR/VR applications, enabling the tester to support high-gradation testing with measurement accuracy of ±200μV. In addition, by supporting high-voltage testing up to ±40V with certain loads, the module enables functional testing of automotive DDICs that reflect their actual operations.

The T6391 LCD HP module is highly compatible with existing modules, enabling fast, easy integration with the customer’s test setup.

New inteXcell Series Offers High-Performance, Economical Test Cells for Advanced Memory ICs

Advantest has launched inteXcell, a new line of minimal-footprint test cells designed to address demanding final-test requirements presented by the increasing bit densities, lower power consumption and faster interface speeds of future memory devices. This new final test cell infrastructure integrates a T5835 memory tester optimized for use in high-productivity test cells and is designed to adopt future memory solutions. With inteXcell, ICs can be tested on the same platform from initial engineering through mass production.

inteXcell is the first ever fully integrated and unified test solution to combine broad test coverage with high-throughput handling in a highly flexible system architecture. Early units can test up to 1,536 devices in parallel with high speed and high accuracy.

The new test cells have a compact structure that enables up to 384 simultaneous measurements per cell and uses only one-third of the floor space occupied by conventional test systems. Since each cell uses independent asynchronous testing, inteXcell can be configured anywhere from one to four testers, enabling high equipment utilization and streamlined cell-based maintenance.

E5620 DR-SEM for Review and Classification of Ultra-Small Photomask Defects Unveiled

In December 2022, Advantest unveiled the E5620 Defect Review Scanning Electron Microscope (DR-SEM), its newest mask SEM product for reviewing and classifying ultra-small defects on photomasks and mask blanks. With its high-accuracy, high-throughput defect review capability, the E5620 DR-SEM is expected to contribute appreciably to production quality improvements in next-generation photomasks and shorter mask manufacturing turnaround times.

Like its predecessor, the E5620 implements Advantest’s highly stable image capture technology to easily import defect location data from mask inspection systems and automatically image the locations. The system has a number of improvements that specifically target future mask requirements.

“In working with our customers to determine their requirements for future EUV photomask inspection and analysis, we identified several essential advancements to integrate into our proven DR-SEM system,” said Toshimichi Iwai, senior VP of the Nanotechnology Business Group with Advantest. “With the E5620, our team of lithography experts has created a superior tool that can handle today’s photomasks and is truly future-ready for the coming EUV generation.”