Verigy Introduces V5000ep Low-Cost Memory Test Solution for Small Lot Production

  
    
  
  
    
      Verigy (NASDAQ:VRGY), a premier semiconductor test company, today 
      introduced the Verigy V5000ep which allows customers to perform quality 
      assurance, characterization and small lot production at wafer sort and 
      final test on new memory devices. While supporting the full spectrum of 
      memory devices, including NOR, NAND, DRAM, SRAM, memory cards and 
      multi-chip packages (MCP), the V5000ep is a fraction of the cost of 
      full-size production systems, with a much smaller footprint.
    
    
      Manufacturers have to run thousands of parts to fully characterize a 
      device before moving to high-volume production. Until now, this occurred 
      manually on the V5000e engineering work station, or a production tester 
      had to be taken off-line and assigned to this task.
    
    
      "This solution bridges the gap between an engineering workstation and 
      high-volume production test," said Gayn Erickson, vice president and 
      general manager, Memory Test Solutions, Verigy. “Now 
      our V5000e can be automated through integration to a prober or handler, 
      utilizing our patented Matrix technology for small lot or 
      high-mix/low-volume production. Everything from characterization and 
      quality assurance to wafer sort and final test can be performed quickly 
      and cost effectively, accelerating time to market."
    
    
      The V5000ep dramatically accelerates small lot production. For example, 
      what used to require a week of operator time for testing 1,000 sample 
      units, can be completed with this automated solution in as little as 
      seven hours. The production solution is extremely cost effective for 
      high-mix, low-volume production. Its smaller footprint, lower cost and 
      greater flexibility make it a sensible choice over using a valuable 
      full-scale production tester from the manufacturing floor. The V5000ep 
      also supports use with thermal environmental chambers for both extreme 
      hot and cold characterization testing, expanding its usability for 
      characterization.
    
    
      Standard Platform for Rapid Integration 
      with Handler or Prober
    
    
      Through a standard integration kit, the Verigy V5000ep interfaces easily 
      to a prober or handler, for automation at both wafer sort and final 
      test. By integrating the Matrix, pin count of the base V5000e test 
      system is extended from 128 to 768 tester resource pins. This allows the 
      testing of higher pin count memory devices, or the higher parallel 
      testing of low pin-count devices. As a result, the solution is flexible 
      enough to address current and emerging test methodologies for 
      characterization and small lot production. Because it is built on the 
      existing V5000e platform, all test programs and test processes can be 
      reused across the V5000e engineering development station, the V5000ep, 
      as well as the high-volume production environment of the V5500 saving 
      development time and resources.
    
    
      Multi-chip packaged parts (MCPs) are often run through a series of 
      tests, testing the different die in the package separately. The Matrix 
      allows the tester to automatically shift resources from pin to pin 
      without manual reinsertion, which shortens overall test times and also 
      lowers the amount of manual intervention required. This feature is 
      invaluable when testing MCP devices since tester resources can be moved 
      from one die to the next — when devices are 
      tested serially — without requiring manual 
      reinsertion of the device under test (DUT). For lengthy program and 
      erase steps, tester resources can be fanned out in parallel 
      automatically and then switched back to serial mode for read tests.
    
    
      The V5000e engineering work station has been used for test development 
      for the full spectrum of memory devices in an office environment for 
      years. In 2005, the Programmable Interface Matrix ("Matrix") was 
      introduced for Verigy’s V5500 production test 
      system, achieving the highest possible parallelism for testing discrete 
      memory devices, along with the industry's first true high utilization, 
      single-insertion final test solution for multi-memory devices. In early 
      2007, the V5000e was combined with the Matrix specifically to address 
      the test development and debugging environment. The V5000ep adds an 
      affordable solution for characterization and low-volume production prior 
      to full-scale production.
    
    
      Pricing and Availability
    
    
      The Verigy V5000ep is available now, and is priced starting under 
      $290,000. For more information, please see www.verigy.com/go/V5000ep, 
      or contact your Verigy representative.
    
    
      About Verigy
    
    
      Verigy designs, develops, manufactures, sells and services advanced test 
      systems and solutions for the memory and system-on-chip segments of the 
      semiconductor industry. Verigy’s scalable 
      platform systems are used by leading semiconductor companies worldwide 
      in design validation, characterization, and high volume manufacturing 
      test. Formerly part of Agilent Technologies, the company began doing 
      business as Verigy on June 1, 2006, and completed its initial public 
      offering on June 13, 2006. Information about Verigy can be found at www.verigy.com.