SANTA CLARA, Calif. - December 11, 2002 - Advantest America, Inc., a subsidiary of global semiconductor test leader Advantest Corporation (NYSE: ATE; TSE: 6857), today announced the industry's first comprehensive low-cost, high-precision back-end testing solution for DDR2-SDRAM, a next-generation double-data-rate (DDR) memory technology that is being increasingly adopted as the main memory in PCs due to its speed and throughput advantages. Advantest's new DDR-2 Test Solution includes the T5593 Memory Test System and M6542AD Dynamic Test Handler and is the latest addition to the company's GETsolution program, which combines leading-edge technologies and comprehensive support system to provide customers with total solutions for all of their testing needs, from chip design to delivery.
According to industry observers, over the next few years, the increasing popularity of broadband telecommunications is expected to fuel demand for home PCs powerful enough to run graphics-intensive applications, such as video transmissions and on-line games, smoothly and at optimal speed. In addition, as the optical telecommunications networks that carry this information continue to achieve faster data rates, the demand for network switches, routers and other high-speed telecommunication devices is also expected to increase. To keep pace with these high-speed telecommunications applications, device manufacturers have developed new, high-speed memories, such as DDR2-SDRAM and DDR2-SRAM, that can run at speeds of over 500MHz. Once full-scale production of these devices begins, however, price competition is expected to quickly intensify, increasing the importance of testing in improving product competitiveness.
"Device manufacturers are increasingly looking for total test solutions that can not only deliver high-quality testing, but can also help lower test costs, in terms of installation and operation," said Nick Konidaris, president and CEO of Advantest America. "We created our DDR-2 Test Solution with an eye toward this escalating demand. With twice the simultaneous testing capacity and a 90-percent reduction in testing setup time compared with our previous DDR offering, we anticipate demand for this system to accelerate as DDR2 technology continues to catch on."
DDR-2 Test Solution Specifics
Advantest's DDR-2 Test Solution, rolled out last week at SEMICON Japan, uses a new approach to calibration that ensures high-precision measurements while eliminating the need for expensive timing adjustment tools, cutting calibration time by 90 percent and thus allowing customers to get to production faster. In addition, the DDR-2 Test Solution helps improve chip yields by controlling the heat emitted by these devices during testing. Because the DDR-2 Test Solution employs the same software as Advantest's previous DDR test system, engineers will be able to easily correlate test results obtained from the different test systems. Finally, to provide testing services such as the writing of test programs and the creation of device interfaces, Advantest also has readied a first-rate support system staffed with experienced engineers.
T5593 Memory Test System
The T5593 tester can simultaneously test up to 128 DDR2-SDRAMs and other high-speed memory devices that run at over 500MHz, incorporating high-speed clock pins within its test head to deal with these faster speeds. Furthermore, the T5593 contains an upgraded version of the DQS jitter solution used in Advantest's earlier T5585 system, which enables the evaluation and testing of data output and clock phase and significantly improves testing throughput. To meet the need for increased simultaneous testing capacity and deal with the increasing number of pins used in next-generation devices, the T5593 features a new replaceable socket board that utilizes coaxial low-insertion-force (LIF) connectors. By simply switching this socket board, engineers will now be able to quickly reconfigure their test systems to new devices under test (DUTs) without having to replace various test fixtures. Thus, in addition to faster signal transmission times and improved testing accuracy, this new approach will allow customers to have both faster and cheaper access to device interfaces.
M6542AD Dynamic Test Handler
The faster devices get, the more heat they generate, and the greater the chance that this heat will negatively affect the testing environment and lead to lower yields. To address this problem, the M6542AD handler employs a newly developed technology to control temperature on a per-device basis, preventing devices from running too hot during simultaneous testing. With its newly designed mechanical pickup arm, the M6542AD minimizes impact and vibration, making it safe for use with chip-scale packages and other fragile devices.
About Advantest
Advantest Corporation is one of the world's leading automatic test equipment suppliers to the semiconductor industry, and is also a producer of electronic and optoelectronic instruments and systems. A global company, Advantest has long offered total ATE solutions, and serves the industry in every component of semiconductor test: tester, handler, mechanical and electrical interfaces, and software. Its logic, memory, 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 Advantest Test Engineering Corporation are based in Santa Clara, Calif. Advantest America Design Center, Inc. is located in Portland, Ore. The newly established Advantest America Measuring Solutions, Inc., based in Edison, N.J., distributes Advantest electronic measuring instrument products in North America. More information is available at www.advantest.com |
