Automated Test Lab

The reliable testing and characterisation of integrated circuits is an essential part of semiconductor development. The Automated Test Lab at the Institute of Electronic Engineering at FH JOANNEUM offers a high-performance infrastructure and comprehensive expertise in the field of Automated Test Equipment (ATE) for this purpose.

At the heart of the facility are two industrial test systems from the manufacturers Advantest and Teradyne, similar to those used in the international semiconductor industry. These systems enable the development, execution and analysis of automated tests on integrated circuits. In addition, the range of testing services includes tests at the printed circuit board level, as well as in-circuit and functional tests of electronic systems.

The laboratory is aimed in particular at semiconductor manufacturers, integrated circuit developers, electronics companies and research institutions. Both established companies and smaller semiconductor developers can utilise the available infrastructure for their development and research tasks.

Collaborations and usage options

We offer companies the opportunity to utilise industrial test infrastructure for their own research and development work. Depending on the task at hand, the test systems can be used independently or with technical support from our experts.

The specific requirements for test systems and their configuration vary depending on the component and application. We therefore coordinate the usage options individually with our collaboration partners. Where required, additional or alternative system configurations can also be provided in collaboration with the equipment manufacturers.

Possible areas of collaboration include:

• Use of industrial ATE systems: Access to professional test hardware for development and research work.
• Support with chip testing: Technical guidance on setting up and using the test systems.
• Characterisation and measurements: Support in investigating the electrical properties of integrated circuits.
• Test development: Support in the development and implementation of automated test sequences.
• Research collaborations: Collaboration on application-oriented research and development projects in the field of semiconductor testing.

The collaboration can be flexibly adapted to the respective technical requirements. Confidential development projects can also be carried out within the framework of appropriate cooperation agreements.

Facilities

The Automated Test Lab is equipped with two industrial automatic test equipment (ATE) systems for testing and characterising integrated circuits.

Advantest V93000 – Chip Tester

• V93k Chip Tester with ATH
• Engineering Cart
• System Clock Unit with 8 utility lines
• Calibration Robot
• Pin Scale 1600A Digital Card
• DC Scale DPS128-HC/HV with 64 high-current and 64 high-voltage channels
• DC Scale AVI64
• SmarTest 7 and 8

Teradyne J750Ex-HD – Chip Tester

• 8-Channel Card HSD800
• Power Conditioner
• Engineering Cart
• IG-XL V3.60

Technical Laboratory Infrastructure

A suitably equipped laboratory environment is available for operating the test systems. This includes:

• Air-conditioned laboratory environment
• Cooling water connection
• 63 A three-phase power supply
• Three compressed air connections with a minimum flow rate of 12.5 litres per minute at 8 bar
• Industrial-grade conductive ESD flooring

Additional measurement and testing facilities

The Institute of Electronic Engineering has further specialised laboratory facilities in the field of electronic measurement and testing methods.

The Electromagnetic Compatibility Laboratory complements the services offered by the Automated Test Lab by providing testing capabilities in the field of electromagnetic measurement technology. With a measurement frequency range of 30 MHz to 18 GHz, it is possible, amongst other things, to measure interference emissions, carry out immunity tests and develop customised antennas.

The Institute of Electronic Engineering thus offers companies not only automated chip testing but also complementary facilities for the analysis of electronic devices and systems.

Contact

Would you like to use the Automated Test Lab’s testing facilities for your development or research work?

We look forward to learning about your requirements and discussing potential opportunities for collaboration. Please contact Andreas Läßer, Electronics Specialist, regarding your enquiry.

In addition to an air-conditioning and a cooling water system, the lab also features a 63A power connection and three compressed air lines with a minimum flow rate of 12.5 litres per minute at 8 bar. The entire lab is equipped with an ESD-compatible industrial quality floor.