Semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest Corporation entered the high-growth market for testing MEMS-based sensors by installing V93000 Smart Scale systems at several of Freescale Semiconductor’s facilities around the world. In addition to using Advantest’s testers for engineering development at Freescale’s Sensor and Actuator Solutions Division engineering center in Tempe, Arizona, the semiconductor manufacturer has started to employ the V93000 platform in production testing of its newest generations of MEMS-based sensors being manufactured in Asia.
Advantest claims its Smart Scale platform can be configured to provide the lowest cost of test for high-volume sensors. Officials says that while the ultra-compact A-Class test head enables a small footprint, the V93000’s robust system resources and its processor-based universal pin architecture combine to deliver unmatched parallelism and high multi-site efficiency in testing all current and emerging sensor technologies.
The tester is equipped with drivers for all major MEMS handlers and can communicate with the handler during the test flow. This is a key performance attribute in testing MEMS, which requires the handler to move between different orientations during test runs.
"In extensively evaluating testers for its MEMS applications, Freescale conducted comparative reviews of various systems to find the solution that would meet its technical requirements," said Sae Bum Myung, executive vice president of worldwide sales at Advantest.
The Advantest V93000 tester has a successful track record with Freescale. The company contracts with outsource semiconductor assembly and testing (OSAT) facilities throughout Asia that are using V93000 systems.
"Using Advantest’s V93000 systems in MEMS testing will enable us to continue to lower our cost of test and improve the time to market for our newest sensor products," said Seyed Paransun, vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Sensor and Actuator Solutions Division.
Advantest officials say the V93000 platform has the flexibility to test a wide range of semiconductor devices used in a variety of applications, from sensors to wireless communications. The tester’s per-pin accuracy and high throughput enable customers to quickly ramp to production volumes, shortening their time to market.