Innovation Initiatives

Advantest will further contribute to the semiconductor industry by enriching, expanding, and integrating our test and measurement solutions throughout the entire semiconductor value chain, as well as cultivate new businesses outside the semiconductor value chain. Providing value to society through measurement technology is Advantest's strengths, which we promise to continue refining.

At the Advantest Group, all products undergo a product environment assessment to ensure that all products that we develop are green products. In terms of the promotion of CO2 reduction, we have set reduction targets in the ESG Action Plan 2021-2023 to achieve a better balance between the pursuit of technology and the realization of a sustainable society.

ACS Nexus enables real-time test data analysis for highly efficient semiconductor manufacturing processes

Advantest has been promoting Advantest Cloud Solutions (ACS), which integrates data generated through customers' semiconductor manufacturing processes with semiconductor testing data, which is then analyzed to generate new value.
The newly developed ACS Nexus solution enables real-time data streaming for the analytics solutions of customers and third parties. The strategic collaboration between Synopsys, Inc., a world leader in electronic design automation (EDA) software for semiconductor design, and Advantest delivers real-time data analytics in Synopsys' SiliconDash with Advantest’s new ACS Nexus.
Expanding the existing data logging capabilities will dramatically escalate the analytics capabilities of test results.

Advantest is committed to contributing to the sustainable development of society by improving the quality and reliability of semiconductors, which act as the infrastructures of a rapidly developing digital society, with its corporate mission of "Enabling Leading-Edge Technologies".
The ACS Nexus delivers a solution that quickly achieves the desired quality with the highest attainable yield. We will strive to help realize a decarbonized society and contribute to the development of a digital society through highly efficient semiconductor manufacturing processes.

High-speed detection of CMOS image sensor defects contributes to significant improvement in production efficiency

IP Engine 4

IP Engine 4

Advantest has developed the fourth generation of its high-speed image-processing engine, "IP Engine 4" (Image Processing Engine 4), to be integrated on the T2000 image sensor solution (ISS) platform to test CMOS image sensors (CIS) used in smart phones and automobiles cameras. The new T2000 IP Engine 4's high-speed detection of defects in the data output from today's most advanced, latest high-resolution CIS significantly improves the production efficiency of our customers' semiconductor test processes and contributes to expand the applications of CIS.

While the number of cameras in smart phones is increasing, so is the pixel count per camera. Currently available CIS devices within today’s most advanced smart phones incorporate more than 100 million pixels to achieve high resolution. In addition, in order to enhance safety performance, many automobiles have adopted a large number of CIS devices, which serve as the eyes of the automobile that detects and helps avoiding hazardous situations.

The new T2000 IP Engine 4 handles huge volumes of imaging data while also reducing test times and the cost of test. Used along with Advantest’s 4.8GICAP image capture module, the new tester can perform high-volume, at-speed testing of the most advanced mobile CIS devices.
Image-processing accelerators will also enable fast testing of high-resolution CIS with more than 200 million pixels, optimizing testing environment that cuts down both testing times and costs.

We aim to provide customers with highly efficient test solutions using IP Engine 4, contribute to the expansion of automotive applications for CIS, and to realizing a safe, secure, and comfortable society through semiconductor testing.

Leveraging new test methods with the Link Scale™

Link Scale USB

Link Scale USB

Link Scale PCIe

Link Scale PCIe

Many of today’s complex high-performance computing (HPC) devices, graphics processors, and AI accelerators incorporate high-speed digital interfaces such as USB or PCIe.
The newly launched Link Scale™ family of digital channel cards for the V93000 platform, use these interfaces for very fast transfer of functional and scan test content, increasing test coverage and throughput simultaneously.
The high throughput of this approach keeps the test time under control, while the additional functional coverage helps to meet the stringent quality requirements of complex devices manufactured in the latest process nodes.

Pre-silicon functional tests can now be re-used, leveraging the Portable Test and Stimulus Standard (PSS), which is supported by major electronic design automation (EDA) tools and significantly increases test quality and shortens time to market.
Also, the new cards provide a customizable environment for host software to run on, which facilitates the exchange of test data among different environments, such as wafer sort, final test, and system-level test.

Link Scale™ offers complex high-end devices requiring large-scale testing designed to achieve an even more comfortable society and lifestyle.

Achieving fully automated test cells based on Industry 4.0

Advantest has achieved automation of post-processing testing in collaboration with our clients.
Through optimized operations that require less labor, we have improved the working rate of test cells, which in turn improves the energy efficiency per test and contributes toward reducing GHG emissions.

This system is comprised of two types of hardware, the Advantest SoC test system "T2000" and the "M4841" handler alongside software (created by our clients) that controls the hardware. Software-controlled, autonomous robots travel between device storage areas and handlers with trays. The software implements real-time communication with an Industry 4.0 tracking system, which manages the operation status of work in progress and equipment while monitoring and controlling the testers and handlers. Combining these test cells and software achieves a fully automated testing process, improving yields with machine learning and monitoring as well as boosting the efficiency of the overall process while reducing cost-of-ownership.

Advantest will continue to contribute to developing technologies that are useful to society towards our vision of "Adding Customer Value in an Evolving Semiconductor Value Chain."

Taking on a challenge in the life science field with nanoSCOUTER™

nanoSCOUTER™

nanoSCOUTER™

As part of our efforts toward the future, Advantest has been promoting development in fields that transcend semiconductors and telecommunications, using the nano-level semiconductor processing technologies, electron beam lithography technologies, three-dimensional length measurement technologies using the Scanning Electron Microscope, and precision electronic measurement technologies we have cultivated thus far.

The nanoSCOUTER™ utilizes a precise nanopore (nanometer-scale pore) sensor module made with semiconductor manufacturing processes and Advantest's ultra-minute current measurement technology, which we have honed since our establishment, as a particulate measuring device that swiftly and accurately measures the quantity and particle sizes of 100 nanometer particles such as viruses, exosomes, and liposomes. This degree of accuracy has been confirmed to be able to identify the COVID-19 virus quickly with high precision. These technologies are expected to be applied to the environment and industrial fields, as well as in the inspection of various microparticles related to living organisms, including new viruses.

Contribution to the development of society through the application of terahertz wave analysis technology

Left) TAS7500IM
Right) TAS7500SP

Terahertz waves generally refer to electromagnetic waves in the frequency range of 100 GHz to 10 THz (10,000 GHz). In this frequency range, we may observe characteristic interactions between electromagnetic waves and matter. It is expected that further applications for terahertz technology will be found in various fields such as non-destructive inspection, as it penetrates opaque resins, ceramics, and cloth. Additionally, the use of frequencies above 100 GHz is planned in the next generation of wireless communications Beyond 5G. In recent years, this frequency is also used in radio telescopes at astronomical observatories.

Advantest has been engaged in the research and development of terahertz wave analysis technology and the commercialization of applicable equipment. We have already commercialized the spectroscopic system TAS7500/7400 series that allows highly accurate, high-speed measurement of terahertz waves using our unique sampling method, which are used by research institutes such as universities and astronomical observatories in Japan and overseas. We also provide products with high frequency resolution suitable to evaluate the transmission characteristics and complex permittivity of various materials for next-generation wireless communications.

The TS9001 TDR system, which utilizes an ultra-short pulse signal processing technology, offers a non-destructive and highly accurate analysis of failures in cutting-edge semiconductor devices mounted in three dimensions, and it is supporting the advancement of semiconductors.

The utilization of terahertz waves will expand in various fields including wireless communication, semiconductors, ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), non-destructive inspection of structures, pharmaceuticals, and medical care. Advantest will continue to contribute to the development of society through terahertz wave analysis technology.