Product category:
ATE Systems
News Release from: Keithley Instruments | Subject: ACS V3.2
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 11 January 2008
Software upgrade brings new
semiconductor options
Keithley's Automated Characterisation Suite, V3.2 contains ready to run applications for its 4200-SCS, 2600 System SourceMeter instruments and other SMU-based systems.
Keithley Instruments has released ACS (automated characterisation suite) V3.2 software for semiconductor test and characterisation at the device, wafer and cassette level Version 3.2 further enhances the powerful automation capabilities of ACS integrated test systems by adding more powerful multisite parallel test capabilities, results binning for die sort applications, new wafer level plotting capabilities and support for Keithley's new 2635 and 2636 System SourceMeter instruments with 1fA current measurement resolution
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 4 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Keithley's Automated Characterisation Suite, V3.2, meets these needs with a uniform software package containing ready to run applications for its 4200-SCS, 2600 System SourceMeter instruments and other SMU-based systems.
The result is reduced time to market and lower overall cost of test.
Integrated results binning from multisite testing requires special features to manage the test flow, from wafer mapping all the way through to output binning files.
ACS V3.2 allows automation at the wafer or cassette level and thereby enables more unattended testing and collection of large statistical data samples for modeling and process qualification, as well as maximising tool utilisation.
ACS defines logical and physical sites in a way that allows parallel testing of structures and devices.
Test results are correlated to logical sites through the test execution flow.
Parallel test execution selection requires only a few clicks of the mouse to move from a sequential test to a true parallel test operation.
The enabling technology is Keithley's TSP-Link , which is embedded in the 2600 System SourceMeter instruments.
Wafer level plotting allows users to easily navigate through a cassette of wafers, viewing each wafer's multicolour binning plot.
Users only need to click on the logical sites being reviewed and results are immediately plotted with the analysis parameters applied during test development.
ACS can handle as many as 100,000 die per wafer - a highly valuable feature in die sorting.
Its wafer description utility supports graphical zoom functions to facilitate high die count wafer setups.
To further accelerate die sort speeds, ACS supports programmable exit conditions so that when a test indicates a substandard device, the remainder of the tests can be skipped.
The probing sequence can be optimised with either test pattern or physical site priority to maximise both prober and test hardware use.
New larger parametric test libraries for both the 2600 and 4200-SCS reduces test setup time and the user access points (UAPs) let users extend the features and functions of the Keithley-provided test execution engine, which includes generation of binning files.
ACS now includes support for the new line of 2600 System SourceMeter units with increased current sensitivity.
This includes both the single channel Model 2635 and dual channel Model 2636, which provide current measurement resolution down to 1fA and source voltages as high as 200V.
2600 System SourceMeter instruments are suitable for a broad range of semiconductor reliability testing, including the challenges of scaled silicon reliability tests like NBTI (negative bias temperature instability).
ACS also supports real-time plotting of test results; providing visibility into reliability tests such as TDDB, NBTI abd HCI. Request a free brochure from Keithley Instruments ...
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