Automated Test Equipment Thermal Control Iterative Profile Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated test equipment struggles to effectively control the temperature of devices under test during testing, leading to thermal excursions and yield impacts due to the increasing complexity and heat generation of integrated circuits.
Innovation Solution
The development of automated test equipment that obtains a testing profile indicating the evolution of a device under test's temperature, analyzes this profile to determine temperature peaks, and iteratively generates temperature control instructions to manage these peaks, thereby maintaining optimal thermal conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple processing units are operated in parallel to increase testing speed, then productivity is improved, but temperature rise increases causing thermal excursions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary cooling actions by activating cooling devices before temperature peaks occur. The test controller receives temperature data, identifies upcoming thermal excursions caused by parallel processing, and triggers cooling devices in advance to prevent temperature rise beyond safe operating limits, thus enabling high-speed parallel testing without thermal damage
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by monitoring temperature data from the device under test during parallel processing, comparing real-time temperature against predefined thresholds, and dynamically adjusting cooling device activation. This closed-loop control ensures that temperature remains within safe operating limits while maintaining high productivity through parallel testing
2Measurement precision
If active temperature control is implemented to manage thermal excursions, then temperature control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service temperature control by automatically analyzing temperature data, identifying thermal excursions, and activating cooling devices without manual intervention. The test controller autonomously processes temperature information, determines when cooling is needed, and manages cooling device operation, providing precise temperature control while minimizing operational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by dynamically adjusting cooling device activation based on real-time temperature data. The test controller modifies cooling intensity and timing parameters in response to temperature trends, enabling precise temperature control through parameter optimization rather than complex hardware modifications
Data Source
AI summary
An automated test equipment, ATE, for testing a device under test, DUT, is configured to obtain a testing profile indicating an evolution of a DUT temperature during an execution of a given test flow.The automated test equipment is configured to analyze the testing profile, in order determine an information describing a plurality of temperature peaks.The automated test equipment is configured to obtain a plurality of temperature control instructions for an execution of a test flow on the basis of the information describing the plurality of temperature peaks.Moreover, the automated test equipment is configured to iteratively obtain the temperature control instructions.