Semiconductor Test Switching Solutions

Semiconductors live inside most electronic products today, controlling everything from vehicle safety to, as the Internet of Things (IoT) proliferates, managing EV charging stations, smart farming, and environmental monitoring. Due to the sensitive nature of many of these products, especially in safety-critical applications, vigorous testing with a flexible and reliable automated switching system can present a formidable challenge.

Switching has been Pickering’s core expertise for decades, and what differentiates us from the competition is we work directly with semiconductor testing and manufacturing companies, engineer-to-engineer, to provide specialized solutions that are scalable, sustainable, fit-to-spec, and cost-effective.

Customized Testing for Semiconductor Applications

Pickering's Wafer Acceptance Test Wafer Acceptance Test (WAT)
High Pin Count Package Testing High Pin Count Package Testing
Microwave Testing Microwave Testing

 Wafer Acceptance Test | Switched Guard

Wafer Acceptance Testing, or WAT, is a test strategy that examines the consistency of the semiconductor manufacturing process. By performing a series of relatively simple parametric tests on wafers at both the process development and production test stages, wafer fab engineers can quickly generate statistical data that will help them improve yields.

The tests routinely include current measurements in the sub-picoamp range. A “driven guard” measurement technique is usually employed to minimize leakage current errors, necessitating a switched guard design for the switching system.

Benefits: 

  • Switched guard design with ultra-high isolation, up to 1013Ω
  • Ultra-low leakage currents, as low as 100fA (10-13)
  • Scalable to high pin count applications
  • Low cost and compact footprint
Wafer Acceptance Testing
High Pin Count Package Testing

High Pin Count Package Testing

The reliability validation of very high pin-count IC packages and sockets is a lengthy process where the device under test (DUT) is cycled through environmental extremes of temperature, humidity, and mechanical stress. During or following each applied stress cycle, the DUT undergoes parametric testing, usually performed by one or more Source/Measurement Units (SMU), ranging from simple open & short circuit tests to scanned current versus voltage (IV) measurements.

With the total number of device pins in the hundreds or even thousands when validating, for example, the latest server CPU packages, a high pin-count automated switching system is essential for the fast and reliable connection of test instrumentation to each pin.

Benefits:

  • Scalable to test very high (4K+) pin-count packaging and devices
  • Parallel testing to increase throughput using multiple internal analog buses
  • The ability to load test sequences into the unit and utilize triggers to transition tests, reducing test time

Microwave Testing

Microwave testing plays a crucial role in the semiconductor test equipment industry and operates over a wide bandwidth from DC to 60 GHz and beyond. Types of tests include scattering parameter (S-parameter) measurements, vector network analysis (VNA), on-wafer testing, noise figure measurement, power amplifier testing for wireless communication systems, high-frequency interconnects, and transmission lines on semiconductor devices.

Switching is usually required to connect test instrumentation across the DUT. We have been developing automated microwave switching systems for the past 35 years and now have the broadest range of solutions in the T&M industry.

Benefits:

  • Three build options: Standard/COTS, flexible, and turnkey solutions
  • Multiple technologies (MEMS, EMR, Solid State)
    • High-quality EMRs
    • MEMS option – better frequency range, insertion loss, speed and life expectancy
  • Ease of creating switching routines with tools like our Switch Path Manager signal routing software
Microwave Testing

Why Choose Pickering Switching Solutions?

  • Specialized modular solutions for flexibility and scalability
  • Thousands of switch products from DC to light to exactly fit your application
  • Faster test speeds for increased production line throughput Instrumentation-grade reed relay, EMR, solid state and MEMS switches
  • Cost-efficient compact footprints
  • Reduced test system development time

Robust and Easy-to-Use Software Control Environments

Pickering provides software-agnostic hardware that test system developers can use with any semiconductor testing software platform. Our modular, flexible switching and simulation solutions interface with all major software platforms—including MATLAB, Simulink, LabVIEW, Python, and a variety of real-time operating systems—to provide you with the data you need to integrate your application seamlessly.

Find out more

Maximize Your Semiconductor Testing Uptime

Contact us to learn how we can get you the flexibility, scalability, and reduced downtime you need.

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Application Guide

Accelerating Large-scale Semiconductor Parametric Testing Using a Multi-bus Switch Matrix

Parametric testing is essential to semiconductor device reliability testing but can be a lengthy process for high-pin-count devices. To help semiconductor manufacturers accelerate their time to market for new product designs, Pickering has developed a high-speed, low MTTR flexible switch matrix platform that facilitates large-scale parallel parametric testing and can help significantly reduce device validation cycle times.
Article

Comprehensive Guide to PXI RF Switching: MEMS vs. EMR and Solid State

MEMS switching technology is a game-changer for high-volume RF & microwave customers. By offering speed, durability, reduced testing costs, and low insertion loss, MEMS switches have become an invaluable asset in the field. Understanding their limitations and benefits is crucial for selecting the right technology to meet your testing requirements while achieving the perfect balance of precision and efficiency.

White Paper

RF & Microwave Test: What is the Optimum Strategy?

Learn about how our white paper to understand the RF/Microwave strategy to ensure performance, scalability, and repeatability while preventing resource drain.
Article

Making the Right Choices when Specifying an RF Switching System

Designing an RF switching system can be boring—especially compared to designing the rest of the test system. Most engineers don’t view designing an RF switching system as the pinnacle of their careers. However, proper switching system design is essential, so it’s important to make the right choices if you want your automated test system to be successful.
Case Study

LXI High-density Matrix Modules Selected for Opens and Shorts Testing of Semiconductor Packages

Pickering Interfaces was selected as the vendor of choice for several reasons: size, flexibility and competitive pricing. Equally important was the fact that Pickering developed a new configuration of their LXI high-density matrix module for Amkor’s application.

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