Zenpire  Products 
  iFAB-Defect
  iFAB-Test   
  iFAB-Setup    
  iFAB-Bit 
  iFAB-Pixel
  iFAB-Utilities   
  iFAB-Central 
  iFAB-FA                                   

In the test floor today, talented operators and engineers are difficult to find. They must be trained in the process flow of the test floor for that site and untrained of methods they learned from other experiences that are not applicable. The complication of training is compounded with each different type of tester and prober. The operators have a difficult enough time learning how to use all the different types of microscopes, nonetheless, the different software. iFAB-Test simplifies the test floor by providing a common computer interface for all the testers and probers with an interface that brings modern technology in full view of today's technology-driven operators. iFAB-Test simplifies the fab by employing that same interface to other iFAB modules found on desktops outside the test floor.

Like all iFAB modules, iFAB-Test runs on most popular computer platforms (Windows 95,98,NT; Solaris; HP-UX; Linux; Apple). In each of these platforms, drivers have been written to link iFAB's Java code to the serial, ethernet, and soon GPIB connections (via the ethernet or serial interface). Zenpire merely links its wafer display capabilities with a newly developed, multithreaded interface controller to conceive iFAB-Test. Wafer handlers are selected by the test engineer using iFAB's plug-in architecture employing Java Beans. Because iFAB-Test uses the same software objects as other iFAB modules, iFAB-Test represents the first step at a common piece of software which links front-end and back-end processing with data viewing and equipment control capabilities.

iFAB-Test has a user entry table where the operator can enter in all process information including lot number, number of wafers and wafer ids. Alternately, a file containing the information (in XML format) can be read in as an attempt to automate the information entry process. This method provides a link to the site's MES system or off-line wafer OCR reader to eliminate operator entry errors. iFAB-Test uses die layout files created by iFAB-Setup to select die to test and send position coordinates to the wafer handler. A test classification tool is bundled with the Test module to create setup files which link bin numbers to test descriptions and colors used for display purposes.

After the lot information has been entered and the setup information has been loaded, the test process is started. iFAB-Test capitalizes on Java's excellent multithreading capability to unlink the user interface to the testers and probers providing for an extremely responsive and fault tolerant test controller. As the bin results are collected from the tester, the results are updated to the wafer map and to a bin display. The colors of the various results bins fill the tested die and the results list is constantly sorted positioning the most common on top with its count and percentage of occurrence. The wafer map can be magnified to observe results when there are very small die. Testing can be paused, die can be selected or deselected for testing simply be clicking on them with the mouse.

Based on equipment, iFAB-Test can be configured to download targets to automate the alignment process. Targets are selected based on device, AND system ID which bypasses the difficulties in calibrating vision hardware between probers. iFAB-Test will also accept data dumps from the testers which makes it a great tool for bit map collection. iFAB-Test can also overlay defect files to the yield maps so that the operator can select highly defective die to test with an engineering/reliability test. Bin results are saved to iFAB's open XML Bin Classification File format.

iFAB-Test is early in its product development cycle. Although the handlers that are supported are limited (list found here), the system to add and integrate handlers is simple, sophisticated and successful. Additional handlers can and will be added as the need arises. Contact Zenpire Sales to suggest an addition.

The most noteworthy quality of iFAB-Test is that it can run on Linux. To keep production costs low yet machine uptime high, Linux offers the best alternative for a station controller. For less then $800 USD, several testers and one prober can be networked and controlled via iFAB-Test. How that can that be that cheap? A breakdown is listed:

This system is network ready, supports system administration, is multitasking, is UNIX-based, runs all Java routines, runs Apache, Perl, Python, shell scripts, cron, and Samba, and unlike the Windows platform equivalent, DOES NOT NEED TO BE REBOOTED PERIODICALLY. Since this system is a standalone workstation, if the network is disrupted or the test floor controller crashes, this system will continue to operate. In fact, each iFAB-Test system has a built in SQL database to cache temporary data in case something unexpectedly happens to the test floor controller. However if the site purchased an enterprise Microsoft Windows license or the need is for one or two stations to perform engineering testing, iFAB-Test works excellently on Windows 95, 98, or NT machines.

Other benefits include:

• Runs on all major platforms
• Common interface for a mixed test floor
• Easy to use interface (engineers AND operators can use)
• Each controller includes a mini SQL database to cache information in case the floor controller goes off-line
• Graphical display during testing with real-time updates statistics of results
• Use of XML format as setup and results files, allows for easy parsing by other software packages
• Easy selection of die to test with a click interface
• Controls probers and handlers with common interface
• Can overlay defect maps onto yield maps on test display
• Similar interface to all other iFAB modules (Defect, Setup, Bit, FA)

• Test floor production managers looking to:
  1. Simplify operator training, one application to learn to control all testers and probers.
  2. Improve operator morale with highly graphical, intuitive test hardware interface
• Test floor engineering looking to simplify device testing and setup (using iFAB-Test and iFAB-Setup together)
• Product engineers wanting an engineering test system to easily select die for additional testing
• Reliability engineers wanting an engineering test system to easily select die for reliability testing
• Test floor operators looking for an easier way to work

If an yield engineer desires to perform a stricter engineering test to look for performance fallout on certain bin codes, he would use iFAB-Test. The process is as follows:

1. Load the Java Bean for the prober (Open->Equipment->Prober)
2. Load the Java Bean for the Tester (Open->Equipment->Tester)
3. Load the test program to use. (Open->Test Program)
4. Load the setup file for that device (as created by iFAB-Setup module)
5. Load the engineering bin classification file (as created by iFAB-Test module)
6. Load the test classification results file for that device (in XML format) This format is easy to create; the specification can be obtained from Zenpire Service.
7. Click on die to test; highlighted in red
8. Align the prober to a die
9. Press the "TEST" button

Watch as the prober and tester is setup, and each of the die is tested. The results are displayed on the interface, detailed test results are saved to a predefined file.