Introduction

Semiconductors are the important part fueling the expansion of industries similar to automotive, renewable vitality, communications, data expertise, protection, and shopper electronics. The rise of their significance started within the late Fifties when Jack Kirby and Robert Noyce invented built-in circuits (IC), which constructed digital parts and circuits on a typical semiconductor base. ICs shortly changed vacuum tube-based digital tools as a result of they have been extra energy environment friendly, saved area, and extra dependable.

Over the previous six a long time, ICs have superior considerably and are utilized in many industries as they’re essential parts in quite a few merchandise and processes. ICs could be a number of discrete parts packaged collectively, similar to digital logic circuits, microcontrollers, microprocessors, digital reminiscence storage, analog circuits and amplifiers, radio frequency (RF) / microwave (MW) analog parts and circuits, and built-in energy circuits. This text focuses on utilizing waveform turbines to check varied kinds of ICs.

IC design and take a look at course of movement

IC design and testing are advanced processes involving precision and experience to fulfill required specs. Engineers interact in iterations, optimizations, and validations to make sure the ultimate IC achieves the specified efficiency and reliability. In Determine 1, the method begins with software program modeling and simulation primarily based on IC specs. Subsequently, the design is etched onto a photomask and transferred to a silicon wafer throughout the wafer foundry stage. After wafer testing, the ICs are packaged and endure purposeful testing to make sure they operate appropriately.

Determine 1 The IC design and take a look at course of movement together with IC design and simulation, wafer processing, parametric testing, lead body/wire bonding, package deal testing, and ending with purposeful take a look at. Supply: Keysight

Wafer-level verification testing

Through the design or front-end IC manufacturing stage, the ICs are usually examined on the wafer stage. Testing ICs on the upstream wafer-level course of could be difficult, particularly when utilizing wafer-probing instruments. Nonetheless, it’s obligatory as a result of the packaging course of is dear and complicated. Determine 2 exhibits wafer probing and testing in progress.

Determine 2 Wafer-level IC probing and testing the place fundamental purposeful verifications could be carried out similar to catastrophic shorting, leakage, energy provide, and basic enter / output situations. Supply: Keysight

On the wafer stage, you’ll be able to carry out checks for fundamental operate verifications similar to catastrophic shorting, leakage, energy provide, and basic enter / output situations. Sign sources can come from programmable DC energy provides, supply and measure models, and general-purpose waveform turbines.

Through the IC design stage, take a look at engineers can carry out noise, DC parametric, and S-parameter characterization work at wafer-level probing checks. This course of drastically reduces the time to the primary measurement and gives correct and repeatable gadget and part characterization.

Package deal testing

After the ICs are positioned on lead frames, wire-bonded to their respective leads and encapsulated, they’re of their last bodily kind. Exams are performed to make sure that the packaged ICs meet packaging expectations, similar to no quick circuits, open or weak connections, correct electrical isolation between inside circuits, and extra.

Waveform turbines present clear indicators and managed frequency and amplitude noise ranges for sign integrity and low-frequency noise checks. Determine 3 exhibits how waveform turbines can present managed simulated indicators into ICs for an oscilloscope to check sign integrity.

Determine 3 The attention diagram of an IC sign integrity take a look at the place waveform turbines can present clear indicators and managed frequency and amplitude noise ranges. Supply: Keysight

Put up-packaging purposeful testing

Put up-packaging purposeful testing, often known as end-of-line testing, is commonly advanced and tedious. This course of is the final testing stage, throughout which the ICs are extensively examined to make sure they meet specified efficiency and high quality requirements earlier than they’re shipped to prospects.

Waveform turbines generate advanced variable patterns, real-world indicators, and even excessive use-case indicators to make sure that all ICs shipped meet the required efficiency specs and performance. Fashionable waveform turbines are versatile in producing all types of indicators, similar to digital, analog, advanced modulated, low to excessive frequency, burst, synchronized, and arbitrary waveform indicators for all IC functions.

Most popular waveform generator traits

Waveform turbines available on the market have a variety of specs. Testing and characterizing ICs requires stringent specs. IC design engineers want a supply that produces a clear, low-distortion, steady, and dependable sign. The sign generated mustn’t fluctuate no matter frequency or pattern charge. Moreover, sure waveform generator specs for IC testing are necessary.

A clear and steady sign supply

A clear sign supply gives true and unadulterated indicators with out noise or interference from different overseas indicators. The indicators are measurable by the purity of a sign void of harmonic distortions and jitter. A clear and steady sign is important when testing ICs as a result of engineers need:

The very best product specification: ICs require exact and correct indicators to characterize and validate their features and performances. The extra errors launched from the sign supply, the extra degraded the product specification turns into attributable to measurement uncertainties.
To keep away from false take a look at outcomes: A steady sign supply creates a constant take a look at course of. Consequently, the take a look at outcomes can precisely characterize the habits of the ICs. If the sign supply is unstable, issues similar to false take a look at outcomes have an effect on downstream checks. Delivery the incorrectly characterised product to prospects is the worst-case situation.
Repeatable and dependable efficiency: Clear indicators may even present optimized repeatability take a look at situations to gauge the true efficiency of ICs. They won’t have undesirable harmonics and noise, rendering take a look at outcomes inaccurate. Moreover, a take a look at could be made extra dependable by changing a real-world sign with a sign created by a waveform generator.

Noise additive

Apart from having clear indicators to characterize the efficiency of IC gadgets, including noise to check indicators simulates real-world noisy transmission, crosstalk, and EMI. As a substitute of getting the perfect product efficiency specs, including noise stresses the IC beneath take a look at and determines the robustness of the merchandise.

Appropriate waveform turbines can produce variable noise bandwidth to regulate the frequency content material of the take a look at sign. Determine 4 illustrates that this method allows managed stress testing of the ICs beneath take a look at.

Determine 4 Including managed noise right into a take a look at sign (high picture) ends in a loud ECG sign (backside picture). Supply: Keysight

Blended indicators

Many functions require mixed-signal ICs, that are primarily ICs with digital and analog circuits built-in and packaged collectively. Functions that use mixed-signal ICs embody analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, energy administration circuits, microcontroller circuits, and bodily parameter sensing measurements similar to temperature, humidity, and stress. Waveform turbines can simulate each digital and analog indicators to check mixed-signal ICs.

Arbitrary waveform indicators created by software program

Fashionable waveform turbines can generate arbitrary waveforms to simulate actual IC take a look at functions. These turbines normally include software program functions that create arbitrary waveforms.

Importing simulated or actual indicators

Probably the most direct methodology for importing indicators is digitizing a real-world take a look at sign utilizing an oscilloscope, saving it in a format that’s readable along with your software program software, digitally manipulating or conditioning the take a look at sign, after which transferring it to a waveform generator to regenerate the sign.

One other frequent methodology is to make use of waveform builder software program to generate customized arbitrary waveforms and mixing them into the specified simulated take a look at sign. Some IC design engineers might wish to generate the waveforms instantly in MATLAB or Python programming and switch these waveforms to the waveform turbines. For instance, Determine 5 exhibits how MATLAB understands the plotting of a posh waveform. The waveform is a simulation of a bit of an electrocardiograph (ECG) coronary heart sign exhibiting a part of the PQRST factors. The truth is, this waveform exhibits solely the RST factors for the aim of making a T-wave rejection take a look at waveform. MATLAB can mannequin waveforms utilizing math equations and translate all these factors into a posh ECG take a look at sign.

Determine 5 Utilizing math equations, assembling right into a simulated cardio ECG take a look at sign in MATLAB. Supply: Keysight

Determine 6 exhibits the output of a cardio ECG take a look at sign generated from MATLAB. The MATLAB software program software affords choices to ship waveform factors as a binary block to an arbitrary waveform operate generator. The explanation for sending a waveform as binary knowledge slightly than ASCII knowledge is easy—the binary knowledge is way smaller than the equal ASCII knowledge.

Determine 6 MATLAB can switch the above-simulated cardio ECG take a look at sign right into a waveform generator. Supply: Keysight

These strategies allow engineers to create the specified take a look at indicators for cataloging and storing in digital waveform libraries. This method allows constant and arranged testing for a lot of kinds of IC take a look at functions.

Creating waveforms in playlist take a look at sequences

Most fashionable waveform turbines can play varied segments of waveforms in sequence. Design engineers can construct a playlist of take a look at sequences with waveforms of incremental adjustments or good or dangerous indicators to check the IC responses. Relying in your waveform generator’s capabilities, you’ll be able to mix particular person arbitrary waveform segments into user-defined lists or sequences to kind longer, extra advanced waveforms.

The necessity for waveform turbines

Waveform turbines are versatile take a look at devices important all through IC design and manufacturing processes. They will generate all types of indicators, similar to digital, analog, advanced modulated, low to excessive frequency, burst, synchronized, and arbitrary waveform indicators, for a lot of kinds of IC functions.

Designers can reap the benefits of the highly effective capabilities of waveform turbines to create clear and steady indicators in addition to to regulate IC stress testing by including incremental noise content material to the take a look at indicators. Waveform turbines may generate all types of arbitrary waveforms to simulate actual IC take a look at functions, that is essential as ICs are getting smaller and combine extra advanced features.

Bernard Ang has been with Keysight Applied sciences (beforehand Hewlett Packard and Agilent Applied sciences) for greater than 30 years. Bernard held roles in manufacturing take a look at engineering, product engineering, product line administration, product improvement administration, product help administration, and product advertising and marketing. He’s at present a product marketer specializing in knowledge acquisition techniques, digital multimeters, and schooling product options. Bernard acquired his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois College, Carbondale, Illinois.

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