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August Q&A Interview

Jin Yokoyama, Functional Manager of Memory Test, Advantest
By GO SEMI & Beyond staff

Advantest recently announced the T5822, the latest addition to its highly successful T5800 series of memory testers. In this issue’s Q&A, Jin Yokoyama, Functional Manager of Memory Test, talks about the new tester, which performs wafer-level test of DRAMs, NAND flash devices, and other non-volatile memories (NVMs).

What market demands prompted the development of the T5822?
Semiconductor makers need low-cost solutions for high-volume testing of price-sensitive memory ICs. The primary driver is the booming mobile-device market. While the PC market’s share of DRAM bit demand plunged to just 26 percent between 2009 and 2016, mobile DRAM bit share has grown more than 500 percent since 2009. Add in the fast-growing multilayer 3D NAND market, and you have a clear need by manufacturers of multiple memory devices for a cost-effective test system that can handle their requirements with a range of capabilities.

How does the T5822 fit with other current memory testers in the T5800 family?
The T5822 is designed for economical wafer-level testing by IDMs/OSATs [integrated device manufacturers/outsourced semiconductor assembly and test providers] producing or testing both DRAMs and NAND flash memories. When it comes to test coverage and functionality in between the T5822 and our existing T5833 in the wafer-level testing segment, some features do overlap. However, they can viably co-exist in the line because each system’s strength is different. For example, in addition to wafer sort, the T5833 is capable of higher-speed interface testing at the package level (i.e., final test) – it’s essentially a superset of capabilities. But at the wafer level, the T5822 will provide a wider voltage swing for some resources, allowing it to cover a wider range of customer needs – it provides greater optimization for memory wafer testing.

What degree of parallel test does the new system offer?
It depends upon each device interface specification or test mode. In general, the T5822 will be able to support up to 1,536 devices under test (DUTs) in parallel per device, and at high speed – up to 1.2 Gigabits per second.

In what geographical region do you expect demand for the T5822 be greatest?
Judging by recent M&A activity in the memory market, the pool of key memory makers/OSATs is growing more oligopolistic. Thus, we can’t say too much in this regard, as it would likely be obvious what companies we’re referencing. Generally speaking, we are expecting interest from customers that are dealing with both DRAM and NAND memory manufacturing (wafer-level testing), such as combo IDM/mixed-memory-product OSATs in the U.S. and Korea.

What are the three most important points you’d like readers to know about the new product?

  • The T5822 has been optimized with a wider voltage level swing so that the T5800 series can fully cover all memory wafer-testing segments.
  • The system has been enhanced with a compact test head that is more economical compared to our legacy general-purpose solution in our other T5800 series testers. It can be configured with a single or dual satellite test head, the latter being the most common configuration.
  • The tester is part of the proven T5800 scalable and flexible platform family, which provide high reliability and enable easy test program porting from other legacy platforms due to high software compatibility. Together with modularity, FutureSuite operating system, and memory redundancy analysis (MRA) software, these are key advantages for our target customers.
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Posted in Q&A, Uncategorized

Q&A: A Change at the Top

By GO SEMI & Beyond Staff

Yoshiaki Yoshida became Advantest President and CEO in January 2017, replacing Shinichiro Kuroe, who decided to step down after serving in the role since August 2014. Under Mr. Kuroe’s leadership, Advantest returned to profitability in fiscal 2014 and continued to build on that success over the next two years. Mr. Yoshida was elected his successor, and shares here his vision for taking the company forward.

What are your plans for Advantest in your new role?

My goal is to maintain the profitable corporate structure Mr. Kuroe built, while continuing our pattern of growth. I also aim to build a working atmosphere that will further enable Advantest employees to enjoy and take pride in their work.

Are there key topics on which you will focus?

Yes, I plan to focus on three key areas.

First: Our unique value proposition. Everyone values safety and security – both of which our core measurement technologies offer. We have worked hard to ensure that our businesses provide enormous value to people around the world, and it’s essential that we continue to work with confidence to grow our reach.

Second: Our business environment.  Semiconductors are penetrating further and further into everyday life, and semiconductor devices and the equipment and systems that use them will only become more prevalent going forward. With the coming of the Internet of Things, there is no question that semiconductor production and data volumes will grow significantly. This means that test and measurement technologies will play an ever more important role. 

There is still significant room for growth in the application areas for our technologies, from chip test to module and system test, giving us an opportunity to expand our served markets beyond the semiconductor industry, to any and all industries that utilize semiconductors. We must focus on meeting the challenge of applying our core technologies to new and diverse sectors. 

Third: Our position and strengths. Advantest has a strong base of amazing customers, built through our unrelenting focus on providing high-quality products and services. At the same time – and without lessening our focus on satisfying our existing customers – we will shape and evolve our business to embrace new technologies and attract new customers. Another key strength is our financial foundation, built up by our predecessors, which enables us to execute new strategies. But our greatest strength is our employees around the world: our global network and the teamwork of our employees worldwide that support Advantest’s business growth. My mission is to effectively leverage these strengths – customer base, financial foundation and global network – to grow our business and improve corporate and shareholder value. 

To you – our customers, partners and friends – I extend best wishes for a prosperous year. We look forward to playing a role in helping you achieve new levels of success.

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