Page 311 - Semiconductor Manufacturing Handbook

Geng(SMH)_CH19.qxd 04/04/2005 20:00 Page 19.38

INSPECTION, MEASUREMENT, AND TEST

19.38 FINAL MANUFACTURING

the above. Another variable in the support model is the degree to which the IC manufacturer wants
to depend on the test vendor for support. A tradeoff decision must be made between having the rev-
enue stream (production) and technology advances in the form of characterization in the hands of a
vendor or maintaining control of those factors within the IC manufacturer.

19.3.7 Roadmap Alignment Process
Purpose of Roadmap Alignment. Adding or changing a test platform is a large investment, not
only in capital outlay, but also in infrastructure costs including engineering and manufacturing soft-
ware environment and tools, training, interface fixturing hardware, and maintenance. To ensure max-
imum returns on this investment, when selecting a tester, consider how the platform will meet
long-term requirements, in addition to how it satisfies the immediate needs. The way to accomplish
this is to compare the test vendor’s roadmap for planned future enhancements and the capabilities
and features of their platform, to the IC’s features and capabilities and test requirement roadmap for
future devices.
Comparing roadmaps for a two-to-three-year timeframe is typical. The information should
include device applications and functionality (digital, linear, mixed signal, RF, memory, or high-
speed interfaces), pin counts and package types, performance (digital data rates, clock frequencies,
analog frequencies and bits of resolution, RF frequencies and signal levels, and the required accuracy),
design-for-test (DFT) methodologies, and any special test challenges or requirements, as well as the
device life cycle, and ASP and COT targets. In fact, COT road mapping is becoming a necessity in
cost-driven markets such as the consumer market.
Similarly the IC manufacturer can expect test vendors to share their test platform roadmap for a
two-to three-year timeframe. The information they disclose should include targeted device applica-
tions and functionality, tester resource pin counts, performance, DFT methodologies supported, soft-
ware tools and enhancements, time-to-market enablers, as well as any cost or COT reduction targets.
It is critical to determine whether these roadmap enhancements will be incorporated in the cur-
rent platform being evaluated, or in a planned next generation platform” that may or may not be com-
patible with the current generation platform. Roadmap components that are not specific to the
current platform can carry the same penalties as switching platforms in the first place if a future gen-
eration model is not compatible.
Analyzing the overall synergy, identifying gaps, and developing resolutions or workarounds are
all part of the alignment process and are critical to ensuring that once a business relationship with a
vendor is started, it will not end abruptly with negative consequences. Alignment is not always com-
plete, and it is common for the vendor and IC manufacturer to revise roadmaps on a continual basis.
It is important that the test vendor has the credibility of meeting roadmap plans and commitments
and has a track record for doing so.
Nondisclosure Agreement. Sharing roadmap information requires both companies to execute a
nondisclosure agreement (NDA), confidential disclosure agreement (CDA), or some other similar doc-
ument. It is necessary to share information about future products and capabilities that is not publicly
available during the roadmap process, and the NDA is a legal document to protect that information
from being widely distributed, especially to competitors. Specifics in the NDA include the type and
purpose of the information to be disclosed by each party, the duration of the NDA under which infor-
mation will be disclosed, and the timeframe this information must be kept confidential. An NDA should
also include the process for documenting what information has been disclosed, to whom and when.

19.4 WHAT ARE OPERATION, SAFETY, CALIBRATION,
AND MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS?

Once a test solution has been selected, it is now time to plan for the successful site installation, oper-
ation, calibration, and maintenance of the system.

Downloaded from Digital Engineering Library @ McGraw-Hill (www.digitalengineeringlibrary.com)
Copyright © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use as given at the website.