Wafer Sort
Wafer Sort
At the end of wafer fab, wafers undergo 100% wafer sort testing of each die. Also known as electrical sort, wafer probe, or probe.
Wafer sort makes an important contribution to wafer fab.
Objectives of wafer sort:
1. Chip functionality verify the operation of all chip functions 2. Chip sorting sort good chips based on their operating speed performance 3. Fab yield response provide important fab yield information 4. Test coverage achieve high test coverage of the internal device nodes at the lowest cost.
Performing Wafer Sort
Procedure is similar to in-line parametric test Every die on the wafer is tested Automated test equipment (ATE) is used Located in an adjacent facility to the fab with less stringent cleanroom class A correlation wafer is used to verify tester setup
Wafers are indexed from the cassette to the prober Mounting on a vacuum chuck with Zpositioning Mechanical probe needles contact the bond pads to create electrical continuity Type of tests, number of tests, and their order are defined by the test program in computer
Wafer Sort Tests
These are sometimes referred to as AC tests because a system clock and high-frequency input signal are used to verify the chip performance.
Three tests typically done during wafer sort
DC tests (continuity, shorts/opens, and leakage) Output checks Functional tests
DC tests (continuity, shorts/opens, and leakage)
Continuity test to verify that the probe needles are making good electrical contact with the bonding pads.
Short/opens test conducted by applying a forward bias voltage and measuring the voltage drop
Output checks - to verify acceptable chip performance, wafer sort tests the output signals Functional tests - verify that the chip performs as intended by the product data specification
Yield
Wafer sort yield the percentage of acceptable die that pass the wafer sort test. - low yield means that a large number of chips will be rejected at assembly and packaging.
Fabrication and design factors that affect wafer sort yield:
Larger wafer diameter Increased die size Increase in number of process steps Shrinking feature sizes Process maturity Crystal defects
Common test troubleshooting problems:
1. Probe card problem at in-line parametric test 2. Damage test pads or bonding pads 3. Tester not functioning properly during test