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Press Releases
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Dave Quane,
inTEST Corporation |
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inTEST Announces Extreme-Low-Inductance Power Transmission
Module. Speeds Testing of SOCs
The new Transpar™ power transmission module features phenomenally low
loop inductance – less than the inductance of free space!
CHERRY HILL, NJ, January 18, 2005
– Accurate power supply voltage is absolutely
critical for testing today’s high-speed VLSI devices. These do-everything
devices operate at substantially higher current levels and demand voltage
regulation to within ± 5%, despite load changes that often exceed
50 amps per microsecond.
Tester manufacturers’ power supplies can meet this stiff requirement,
but their real-world performance has been limited by the high inductance
levels encountered in the test interface. This high inductance pushes
voltage and current out of phase, with a resultant loss of power and voltage
sag (also known as “rail collapse”). That means slower semiconductor
testing. And that means reduced profit.
inTEST™ Corporation (Nasdaq: INTT), a world leader in developing
and manufacturing the equipment used in semiconductor testing, has solved
this inductance problem with a major breakthrough in power supply technology.
The company’s new Transpar power transmission module allows testing
of high-speed/high-current devices at extraordinarily low inductance levels.
The loop inductance achieved by the new module is actually less than that
found in high quality power transmission lines.
The high-current path through the module registers a near-negligible loop
inductance: less than 300 picoHenries per power supply line. There are
nine separate power supply lines in each Transpar power transmission module.
These can be used individually for different power supply voltages or
they can be used in parallel to achieve less than 35 picoHenries total
inductance at 240 amps capacity, producing a remarkable 1-millivolt drop
across the module for a 50-amp current step.
“Power delivery to the device under test [DUT] is the issue,”
explained Dale Christman, General Manager of inTEST’s TestDesign™
Division. “The Transpar power transmission module gives testers a
super-low-inductance path to the DUT. That’s why it is such a major
step forward in the efficiency of SOC and microprocessor testing. A Centaur
interface with this new Transpar power transmission technology lets a
tester test faster, using the full range of its capability.”
The Transpar power transmission module’s segments can be used independently
as nine discrete power supplies or they can be combined in the interface
board design. A single segment can provide steady-state current of 27
amps, while all segments combined can supply an impressive 243 amps. Each
of the segments offers a path resistance of less than 3.5 milliohms. Combining
all segments for a high-current power supply achieves a path resistance
of less than 0.5 milliohms. The result is in an extremely efficient use
of the power supply, with significantly less power supply sag and heat.
In addition to its nine force-and-return segments, the Transpar power
transmission module provides 10 user-definable contacts for remote sensing.
It can test numerous sites simultaneously on the same wafer, with high
current at extremely low inductance levels.
The Transpar power transmission module is the newest member of inTEST’s
Transpar family of modules. It is designed to be used in inTEST’s
Centaur™ Universal SOC Interface™. This innovative modular interface
was recently introduced by inTEST for testing the SOC (System on a Chip)
devices found in today’s computer, communications, and consumer markets.
About inTEST® Corporation
inTEST Corporation (www.intest.com) is a leading independent designer,
manufacturer, and marketer of products that enable semiconductor manufacturers
to improve profitability by increasing the speed and efficiency of the
semiconductor manufacturing process. The company’s products, used
by semiconductor manufacturers to perform final testing of integrated
circuits and wafers, include manipulators and docking hardware products,
temperature management systems, and customized interface solutions. Headquartered
in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, inTEST has manufacturing facilities in New
Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Germany, the UK, and Singapore. In
addition, inTEST has offices in Japan for design, sales, service, and
support, with additional support personnel in Arizona.
inTEST, Centaur, Transpar, Centaur Universal
SOC Interface, and Test Design are trademarks of inTEST Corporation.
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inTEST Corporation 7 Esterbrook Lane Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
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