PCB Blog - What is a test chip?

Test chip can be divided into two categories, one is wafer testing, also known as CP testing, which is a moderate test. That is to say, after the completion of wafer manufacturing, the electrical capacity and circuit functions of each chip on the wafer are tested to ensure that the wafer can achieve the circuit functions of the chip, and then sent to the packaging factory for packaging. Another type is finished product testing, also known as FT testing, which is also known as finished product testing. Completion testing is the final test after chip packaging. According to the differences in chip types, the testing nodes in the chip packaging process are different, and the testing plans and procedures are also different. Therefore, Chengtai is more inclined to provide customized services for customers. Their demand is to ensure the improvement of terminal product quality rate, in order to achieve the goal of cost control. The chip BA17807T testing industry has always been considered a part of chip sealing testing. Looking at the overall situation of the domestic chip industry, traditional comprehensive packaging and testing enterprises cannot meet the current needs. The testing business of traditional comprehensive packaging testing enterprises often serves as a supplement to the packaging business. The core business mainly involves packaging and testing, and cannot distract energy from serving customers, nor can it bear the ability of external users.

Test chip

With the rapid development of the chip design industry, some companies only have chip design capabilities but do not have test chip capabilities. Therefore, after designing a large number of chip types, they remain in the design stage and cannot undergo packaging testing, let alone production and marketing. This means that a large number of test chip needs have not been met, and the industry's demand for test chip business is becoming increasingly strong. Test chip companies can adjust chip design concepts in a timely manner based on customer needs during the testing process, and even customize testing services to meet strict requirements for chip functionality, performance, and quality. However, due to the fact that the test chip industry belongs to both technology intensive and capital intensive industries, it is closely related to the technological and capital strength of enterprises. In addition, since Chinese Mainland enterprises entered the test chip market late, they are now showing a strong growth momentum. According to the report released by TrendForce in 2021, six of the top ten manufacturers in the global sealing test market are from Taiwan, China Province of China, accounting for 54.8% of the total market share; Three are from Chinese Mainland, accounting for 27%. 4% of the total market share; Only Ankao comes from the United States, with a market share of 17% and 9%. Nevertheless, there are not many companies in China that can engage in test chip business, but there is still great room for development in the market. Among them, Jinyu Semiconductor is a semiconductor enterprise that can engage in independent test chip business. Jinyu Semiconductor has introduced advanced testing equipment from countries and regions such as the Netherlands, Japan, the United States, and Hong Kong, forming a technical team with rich experience in the semiconductor industry and professional equipment configuration. At present, the test chip has shown a trend of gradually becoming high-end. Traditional closed testing companies find it difficult to have sufficient funds and energy to cope with industry changes, but they may have the capital to pay attention to this market. "The semiconductor industry has reached its peak." Despite predictions and rumors, many companies are still expanding heavily and even entering across industries. It can be seen that the semiconductor market is not as sluggish as rumors, and perhaps some intangible markets have not yet emerged.

1. What is chiptest aging testing?

Chip aging test is an electrical stress testing method that uses voltage and high temperature to detect electrical faults in accelerator components. The aging process basically simulates the entire lifespan of the chip, as the electrical excitation applied during the aging process reflects the worst-case scenario of chip operation. According to different aging times, the reliability of the obtained data may involve the early lifespan or wear level of the device. Aging testing can be used as a test of device reliability or as a production window to detect early failures of devices. The device commonly used for chip aging testing is to determine whether the chip is qualified by testing the chip data obtained by working together with the socket and external circuit board. Aging testing in semiconductor devices is one of the technologies where semiconductor components (chips, modules, etc.) undergo fault testing before being assembled into the system. Arrange tests to force the components to undergo certain aging test conditions under specific circuit monitoring, and analyze the load capacity and other performance of the components. This type of testing helps to ensure the reliability of the components (chips, modules, and other semiconductor devices) used in the system. Aging testing accelerates the verification of the actual service life of equipment by simulating various stresses that the equipment is subjected to in actual use, as well as the weaknesses of aging equipment packaging and chips. At the same time, inherent faults can be highlighted as early as possible during the simulation process.

2. Semiconductor Fault Classification

1) Early failures: occur in the initial stage of equipment operation, and the incidence of early failures decreases over time.

2) Random fault: The occurrence time is relatively long, and the fault occurrence rate has been found to be constant.

3) Wear failure: It occurs at the end of the component's shelf life.

If semiconductor devices are prone to early failures, there is no need to worry about random or wear failures - their lifespan ends in the early stages of operation itself. Therefore, in order to ensure the reliability of the product, the first step is to reduce early failures. Potential defects in semiconductors can be detected through aging testing, where potential defects become prominent when the device is subjected to voltage stress and heating and begins to operate. Most early failures are caused by the use of defective manufacturing materials and errors encountered during the production phase. Only components with low early failure rates that pass aging test chip can be put on the market.