January 9, 2013
Doug Goodman, CEO, Ridgetop Group, Inc.
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Doug Goodman, CEO, Ridgetop Group, Inc.
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Ridgetop has been asked by its customers to provide
innovation in two important areas largely ignored by mainstream instrumentation
suppliers: rapid sub-20 nm characterization and verification test tools for
complex 2.5D and 3D packages. Both areas require new approaches to handle the
problems, and will provide much-needed support for higher performance, higher density,
and lower cost IC manufacturing.
With sub-20 nm characterization, in 2013 fabless IC firms can
now do their own "bake off" comparisons between competing foundries by applying
foundry-independent test structures. This enabling technology reduces their
dependence on characterization data from foundry process design kits (PDKs) and
can provide a platform for optimization in the targeted use environment. Combined
environmental and process degradation effects can be examined in hours, not
weeks.
For complex multi-layer IC packages, such as 2.5D and 3D, Ridgetop
has partnered with a major interposer firm and assembled a team of its
engineers to develop in-situ methods of testing the interconnections between
layers that affect short- and long-term reliability. Troublesome
intermittencies can be detected before shipment to customers, and monitored
continuously in critical applications with Ridgetop's Predictive Analysis technologies.
Doug Goodman, CEO
Ridgetop Group, Inc.
http://www.RidgetopGroup.com
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