Santa Clara, California, January 12, 2000 — Advantest America is announcing to the North American market the new T5585 Memory Test System, designed for high-volume package production of memory such as DDR-SDRAM and SSRAM, with high precision testing of up to 128 devices in parallel. The system was announced in Tokyo in December at Semicon Japan.

Capable of testing 500 MHz Double Data Rate (DDR) in a single pass, the T5585 also incorporates the latest technology in accuracy, stability, and reliability.

By doubling the test-cell capacity of the T5581, which is Advantest's record-setting production tester, the T5585 joins production efficiency with next-generation performance for high-volume memory test.

The unique capabilities of the T5585 permit at-speed testing of high-speed memories, demand for which is expected to increase sharply.

Performance Architecture Delivers Advanced Capabilities
The T5585 has both per pin timing and an enhanced strobe shifting feature to address Data Strobes and Echo Clock functions of DDR devices. In addition, Advantest's proprietary immersion cooling system stabilizes the test head resources, improves reliability and contributes to the system's compact footprint, which is notable given the system's advanced capabilities. 

"Today's DRAM market continues to shift to higher bandwidth devices while volume and production pressures steadily rise. Increasing demands are put on memory test, especially in the arena of accuracy, while the industry continues its march for improved bandwidth and higher throughput, " observes Gary Fleeman, Advantest America's memory product manager.

"In addition to requirements for at-speed test, we have to address reduced device timing margins and along with high throughput, we must meet cost-of-test requirements and production floor needs," he stresses.

"The T5585 meets all these requirements," notes Fleeman, "and brings other benefits to our customers, such as reliability, ease of use, and a small footprint that delivers greater throughput."

High-function Test and Family Compatibility, Too
The T5585 is software compatible with Advantest's existing memory platforms — both the T5300 Series and the T5500 Series — maximizing customers’ investments in existing programs and enhancing ease of use on the production floor. It also cuts program development time.

Installed software and various debug tools have contributed to cutting turnaround time (T.A.T.) as well. The T5585 is now delivering, with pricing for a basic configuration at $3 million.

About Advantest
Advantest Corporation is the world's leading automatic test equipment supplier to the semiconductor industry, and is also one of the world's leading producers of electronic and optoelectronic instruments and systems.

A global company, Advantest has long offered total ATE solutions and leads the industry in every component of semiconductor test: tester, handler, mechanical and electrical interfaces, and software. Its logic, memory and mixed-signal and RF testers, and device handlers are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor fabrication lines in the world.

Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest established its North American subsidiary in 1982. Advantest America, Inc.; Advantest America R&D Center, Inc.; and the newly established Advantest Test Engineering Corporation are based in Santa Clara, California.