November 2024 Issue
TOP STORIES
Early Detection of C-RES Degradation on High-Current Power Planes
Probe-card or device contactor damage can be dramatic and catastrophic, with yield dropping drastically very quickly. What is not dramatic is the hypothesized slow probe needle or contactor degradation process that might precede catastrophic failure. Such degradation is difficult to detect in the early stages, when probe cards, die, and packages continue to yield normally. Read More.
AI Semiconductors Require an Integrated Test Solution
The rapid proliferation of generative pre-trained transformers based on large language models (LLMs) is driving growth in the market for chips that can run the LLMs and other artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications. Several types of chips hold promise for accelerating AI computing. Graphical processing units (GPUs) have proven to be capable solutions for the server/cloud environment, although work is underway on dedicated AI chips that could offer higher efficiencies. Read More.
Advantest Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Industry-Leading V93000 SoC Test Platform
Earlier this year, Advantest celebrated the 25th anniversary of its flagship V93000 system-on-chip (SoC) test platform. The V93000 revolutionized the semiconductor test industry with its single scalable platform approach, enabled by its test processor-per-pin architecture, which has endured over four generations. As a testament to this endurance, the very first V93000 system installed is still in use at the customer site in Italy, alongside several recently purchased fourth-generation V93000 EXA Scale testers. Read More.
Advantest Ranked Third in Forbes JAPAN‘s “100 Great Companies” Stakeholder Capitalism Ranking
In October, Advantest announced that it had earned third place in the stakeholder capitalism ranking published as a part of the “100 Great Companies” special feature in Forbes JAPAN, the Japanese edition of the global business magazine Forbes (December 2024 issue, published on October 24). Read More.
GO POLL
What do you think will be the defining trend driving AI advancements in 2025? Share your thoughts by taking the GO POLL. Have an idea for future polls? Email gosemi@advantest.com
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS
Interview with Keith Schaub on the Challenges of Testing Today’s Complex Chips
This Q&A is adapted from an article posted to the Semiecosystem blog by Mark LaPedus. It details a conversation with Keith Schaub, vice president of technology and strategy, regarding the test challenges for today’s complex AI chips, gate-all-around transistors, chiplets, and 3D NAND. Read More.
FEATURED PRODUCTS
Advantest Announces Advanced Power Multiplexer for V93000 EXA Scale Test Platform
Earlier this month, Advantest announced a new power multiplexer developed specifically for use on the V93000 EXA Scale SoC test platform. The PMUX02 Power MUX offers unprecedented capabilities for multi-site testing of power and analog devices, including battery management system (BMS), automotive, and power management ICs. Read More.
Advantest Rolls Out Wave Scale RF20ex: High-Frequency, High-Bandwidth RF IC Test Card for the V93000 EXA Scale Platform
Earlier this month, Advantest unveiled the Wave Scale RF20ex instrument for the V93000 EXA Scale platform. It enables customers to test virtually any type of radio frequency (RF) device using a single instrument. Wave Scale RF20ex takes the innovations of the V93000 Wave Scale RF solution to a new level, providing double the number of RF ports per instrument and offering future-proof frequency and bandwidth coverage with a frequency range of 100MHz to 20GHz and an industry-leading 2GHz bandwidth capability. Read More.
FEATURED EVENT
Advantest Completes Another Successful SEMICON West
SEMICON West 2024 took place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, on July 9-11, where Advantest once again made a strong presence. This event marks the 25th anniversary of the V93000, as it was unveiled at SEMICON West in 1999. This year’s SEMICON West hosted 650 exhibiting companies, a 15% increase over last year and saw a 19% increase in attendance from 2023. Read More.
FEATURED STORY
Beyond Black Boxes: Meet AI that Justifies Its Choices
Unlock the secrets of AI innovation with our esteemed guest, Jem Davies, non-executive director at Literal Labs. Jem shares his transition from Arm to Literal Labs, revealing how the revolutionary Tsetlin machine sets new benchmarks in efficiency, power usage, and processing speed. Read More.
ESG SPOTLIGHT
Learn more about Advantest’s global ESG activities here.
ADVANTEST IN THE NEWS
PLEASE PLAN TO JOIN ADVANTEST AT THESE UPCOMING EVENTS
SEMICON Japan
Tokyo Big Sight
December 11-13
https://www.semiconjapan.org/en
SEMICON Korea
COEX, Seoul, South Korea
February 19-21
https://www.semiconkorea.org/en
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE…
