Development of an ATE test cell for at-speed characterization and production testing

This paper describes the development of a test cell intended for thorough characterization and production testing of a complex multigigabit IC. The objective of this project was to provide a straightforward way to transition from characterization testing to the early production ramp with minimal effort while at the same time not restricting or limiting thorough characterization of the IC. This included providing the flexibility for the Test Engineer being able to use any external measurement instrument required for characterizing the DUT.