BENCHMARKING AND QUALIFYING PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FABRICATORS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE TEST BOARDS

摘要

Semiconductor device test boards are a necessary component to bridge integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing and customer delivery. Also known as automatic test equipment (ATE) platform boards, they possess characteristics which give them a very unique nature among all printed circuit boards (PCBs) manufactured. The requirements of ATE platform boards create many challenges in order to produce them. The typical PCB supplier site audit is not adequate to determine if a board fabricator can effectively manufacture these feeders of the technology supply chain and deliver high quality product. This paper outlines key aspects of ATE platform boards and how an IPC (Association Connecting Electronics Industries) test panel design is used to benchmark and qualify suppliers for such. IPC standardized test panels are commonly referenced in the PCB industry using the acronym PCQR2 which stands for Process Capability, Quality, and Relative Reliability. Observations from our supplier's latest test panel results are made and a methodology for scoring them is described. Some historical trends are examined to understand if improvement plans are effective. Test results are used to develop design for manufacturability (DfM) rules. Implementation of DfM is necessary for improving ATE platform board yields, contributing to maximum entitlement of semiconductor device manufacturing.