News: Suppliers
4 March 2024
Aehr ships new high-power-configured FOX-XP system for wafer-level burn-in and stabilization of silicon photonics ICs
Semiconductor production test and reliability qualification equipment supplier Aehr Test Systems of Fremont, CA, USA has shipped the first order from a major silicon photonics customer for a new high-power configuration of its FOX-XP system for volume production wafer-level burn-in and stabilization of next-generation silicon photonics integrated circuits (ICs).
The FOX-XP multi-wafer test and burn-in system is configured to enable cost-effective volume production test of wafers of next-generation photonic ICs, which can require up to 2–4 times as much power per wafer for test and burn-in and stabilization of the silicon photonics devices, and are targeted for use in the new optical I/O or co-packaged optics market.
“We were able to deliver these new capabilities and value through an upgrade of one of the customer’s existing systems while maintaining backwards and forwards compatibility with all test programs, WaferPaks, and correlation results of previous lower-power wafers. This is a testament to our commitment to compatibility for our FOX platform,” says president & CEO Gayn Erickson.
“We remain very enthusiastic about the silicon photonics market, which includes the current photonics transceiver market used in data and telecommunications, as well as the new application of silicon photonics integrated circuits for use in optical chip-to-chip communication that we see as a significant market opportunity for our products,” he adds.
“This new FOX-XP system configuration and WaferPaks allow for testing up to 8192 high-power optical devices in parallel on each of nine wafers before they are singulated and placed into a fiber-optic transceiver for data-center and telecommunications infrastructure or for placement in co-packaged optics for optical chip-to-chip communication,” Erickson continues. “Multiple companies including AMD, Nvidia, Intel, TSMC and GlobalFoundries have announced product roadmaps for devices using optical chip-to-chip communication.”
The new FOX-XP system configuration with high-power WaferPaks enables production test of up to 3500W of power per wafer and up to nine full wafers in parallel. It also includes Aehr's latest chamber configuration, which has a smaller overall footprint and is compatible with Aehr's new WaferPak AutoAligner that the firm began shipping last year. This provides customers with fully automated material handling in a hands-free operation of 6–12” wafers using industry-standard wafer cassettes and front-opening unified pods (FOUPs) and can also support mobile robot and overhead transport of wafers in FOUPs.
The FOX-XP and FOX-NP systems and proprietary WaferPaks are capable of functional test and burn-in/cycling of silicon carbide and gallium nitride power semiconductors, silicon photonics integrated circuits as well as other optical devices, 2D and 3D sensors, flash memories, magnetic sensors, micro-controllers, and other leading-edge ICs in either wafer form factor before they are assembled into single- or multi-die stacked packages, or in singulated die or module form factor.
Aehr almost doubles revenue year-on-year
Aehr receives first FOX-XP order for production wafer-level burn-in of silicon photonics ICs
