How to test the quality of IC chips? Elaborate on key testing items

Date：2024-03-12 15:48:13Views：18

As the core component of electronic devices, the performance of integrated circuit (IC) chips directly determines the quality and reliability of the overall product. Therefore, comprehensive and meticulous testing of IC chips is crucial in production, use, and maintenance processes. The following will provide a detailed introduction to the main testing items used to test the quality of IC chips:

1. Static parameter testing

DC parameter testing: including measurement of basic electrical characteristics such as power supply voltage, ground resistance, input leakage current, output high and low levels, threshold voltage, etc. These tests can preliminarily determine whether the basic functions of the chip are normal.

Working point (static working point) test: Check the working state of the IC when there is no signal input, such as the collector emitter voltage and base current of the transistor, to verify its static performance.

2. Dynamic parameter testing

Communication parameter testing: Test the frequency response, gain, bandwidth and other dynamic characteristics of the IC, such as the amplitude frequency characteristics and phase frequency characteristics of the amplifier.

Functional testing: Simulate the signal input under actual application conditions through a specific testing platform or automatic testing equipment (ATE), and check whether the output response of the IC meets the design specifications. This includes truth table testing of logic gate circuits, memory read and write operation testing, etc.

3. Signal integrity and noise testing

Eye diagram testing: For high-speed digital interfaces, observe and analyze the eye diagram of the signal through an oscilloscope to evaluate signal quality, including rising/falling edge time, jitter, amplitude, timing deviation, etc.

Noise tolerance test: measures the sensitivity of an IC to noise interference and its ability to maintain correct operation even in the presence of noise.

4. Thermal stability and temperature cycling test

Hot testing: Run the IC in different temperature environments, monitor its performance changes, and ensure that the chip can work stably under various temperature conditions.

Temperature cycling test: allowing the chip to undergo a rapid heating and cooling process to test the heat resistance and impact resistance of the packaging material and the thermal fatigue effect of the chip itself.

5. Aging test and reliability test

Long term load life test: Continuously operate the IC at or near full load to examine its long-term stability and potential wear failure.

Environmental stress screening: Simulate extreme humidity, temperature, mechanical vibration, impact and other environmental conditions to verify the durability of the chip in harsh environments.

6. Physical defect detection

Optical microscope inspection: observe whether there are cracks, damages, contamination, or other visible defects on the surface of the chip.

X-ray fluoroscopy inspection: Non destructive inspection of the interior of the package to see if there are any welding defects, voids, delamination, and other issues.

Ultrasound scanning microscope (C-SAM): Detects whether there are bubbles, cracks, insufficient filling, and other difficult to visually identify problems inside the package.

7. Electrical connection integrity test

Online testing: After the chip is installed on the circuit board, test the electrical connections between each pin to check for open circuits, short circuits, or poor contact.

In summary, the testing of the quality of IC chips is a comprehensive process that requires systematic detection and evaluation from multiple dimensions. Only by completing all necessary testing items and meeting all specifications can the IC chip be confirmed as a high-quality product. Our company has a team of professional engineers and industry elites, with three standardized laboratories covering an area of over 1800 square meters. We can undertake various testing projects such as electronic component testing and verification, IC authenticity identification, product design and material selection, failure analysis, functional testing, factory incoming material inspection, and ribbon weaving.