Identifying Defective Semiconductor Components on a Wafer Using Component Triangulation
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to simultaneously, wirelessly test semiconductor components formed on a semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor components transmit respective outcomes of a self-contained testing operation to wireless automatic test equipment via a common communication channel. Multiple receiving antennas observe the outcomes from multiple directions in three dimensional space. The wireless automatic test equipment determines whether one or more of the semiconductor components operate as expected and, optionally, may use properties of the three dimensional space to determine a location of one or more of the semiconductor components. The wireless testing equipment may additionally determine performance of the semiconductor components by detecting infrared energy emitted, transmitted, and/or reflected by the semiconductor wafer before, during, and/or after a self-contained testing operation.
1 . A wireless automatic test equipment for simultaneously testing a plurality of semiconductor components formed onto a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
a receiver module configured to receive a plurality of testing operation outcomes from the plurality of semiconductor components to provide a plurality of recovered testing outcomes, the plurality of testing outcomes indicating whether its respective semiconductor component operates as expected; and
a testing processor configured to determine a first group of semiconductor components from among the plurality of semiconductor components that operate unexpectedly based upon the plurality of recovered testing outcomes and to provide a command signal that causes those semiconductor components from among the plurality of semiconductor components that operate unexpectedly to enter into a transmitting state.
2 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor components that operate unexpectedly are configured to transmit their respective testing operation outcome in the transmitting state.
3 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 1 , wherein the testing processor is further configured to determine a second group of semiconductor components from among the plurality of semiconductor components that operate expected based upon the plurality of recovered testing outcomes.
4 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 3 , wherein the command signal causes those semiconductor components from among the plurality of semiconductor components that operate as expected to enter into a non-transmitting state.
5 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 4 , wherein the semiconductor components that operate expectedly are configured not to transmit their respective testing operation outcome in the non-transmitting state.
6 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 1 , further comprising:
a metric measurement module configured to determine a plurality of signal metrics for the plurality of recovered testing outcomes that correspond to those that semiconductor components operate unexpectedly,
wherein the testing processor is further configured to determine a location of the plurality of semiconductor components within the semiconductor wafer that operate unexpectedly based upon the plurality of signal metrics.
7 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 6 , wherein the testing processor is further configured:
(i) to assign the plurality of signal metrics to corresponding coordinates from among a plurality of sets of coordinates in the three dimensional space,
(ii) to assign a unique identification number from among a plurality of unique identification numbers that is embedded within the plurality of testing outcomes to the plurality of sets of coordinates, each of the plurality of unique identification numbers corresponding to the one of the plurality of semiconductor components, and
(iii) to map the plurality of unique identification numbers to their corresponding semiconductor component to determine a location of the plurality of semiconductor components within the semiconductor wafer.
8 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 7 , wherein the testing processor is further configured to compare the plurality of sets of coordinates to a predetermined signal metric for each of the plurality of semiconductor components to map the plurality of unique identification numbers to their corresponding semiconductor.
9 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 7 , wherein the testing processor is further configured to iteratively map the plurality of unique identification numbers to their corresponding semiconductor component based upon relationships between the plurality of signal metrics.
10 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 1 , further comprising:
a transmitter module configured to receive a testing operation command signal from the testing processor and to encode the testing operation command signal to provide an initiate self-contained testing operation,
wherein the plurality of semiconductor components are configured to execute a self-contained testing operation in response to the initiate self-contained testing operation.
11 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 10 , wherein the transmitter module is further configured to wirelessly send the initiate self-contained testing operation to the plurality of semiconductor components.
12 . A semiconductor component formed on a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
a testing module configured to store a self-contained testing operation;
an integrated circuit under test configured to provide an indication of operability in response to executing the self-contained testing operation, the indication of operability indicating whether the integrated circuit under test operates as expected; and
a transceiver module configured to encode the indication of operability in accordance with a multiple access transmission scheme when the integrated circuit under test operates unexpectedly.
13 . The semiconductor component of claim 12 , wherein the multiple access transmission scheme is a code division multiple access (CDMA) scheme.
14 . The semiconductor component of claim 12 , wherein the transceiver module is further configured to receive an initiate testing operation signal, the initiate testing operation signal causing the testing module to enter into a testing mode of operation whereby the testing module provides the self-contained testing operation to the integrated circuit under test.
15 . The semiconductor component of claim 12 , wherein the transceiver module comprises:
an encoding module configured to encode the indication of operability in accordance with a multiple access transmission scheme to provide an encoded indication of operability;
a modulating module configured to modulate the encoded indication of operability in accordance with a digital modulation technique to provide a modulated indication of operability; and
an upconverter module configured to upconvert the modulated indication of operability to provide a testing operation outcome.
16 . The semiconductor component of claim 15 , wherein the encoding module comprises:
a spreading code generator configured to provide a sequence of bits that is unique to the semiconductor component; and
a spreading module configured to utilize the sequence of bits to encode the indication of operability.
17 . The semiconductor component of claim 12 , wherein the semiconductor component is one of a plurality of semiconductor components that are formed on the semiconductor wafer, and
wherein the transceiver module is configured to encode the indication of operability in accordance with the multiple access transmission scheme for transmission over a common communication channel, the common communication channel being shared by the plurality of semiconductor components.
18 . The semiconductor component of claim 12 , wherein the testing module is configured to store a unique identification number and to append the unique identification number to the indication of operability.
19 . The semiconductor component of claim 18 , wherein the semiconductor component one of a plurality of semiconductor components that are formed on the semiconductor wafer, the unique identification number being one of a plurality unique identification numbers that uniquely identify each of the plurality of semiconductor components.