Pogo and Elastomer are two key technologies widely used in the semiconductor industry, particularly in device testing and characterization. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the RF performance of these technologies in the production environment, where high-frequency measurements are critical. Additionally, this work includes specifications for hardware, the design and programming of an RF Automatic Test Equipment (ATE), and the structure of Java code for automating the measurement process. Based on measurement results, Pogo demonstrated superior performance in terms of lifetime and durability. It can accelerate the bring-up phase and reduce time-to-market while maintaining sufficient test quality to minimize customer returns. This research was conducted with the support and supervision of the RFC product engineering team at STMicroelectronics Srl, a leading technology developer in the silicon industry. The novelty of this thesis lies in its optimization approach in the production line to minimize the costs and time-to-market without modifying key components such as test equipment, test boards, and test programs. The study begins with selecting the appropriate socket design. Then, a repeatability test was performed using the Advantest 93k automatic test equipment, both manually and with a handler, to ensure sufficient repeatability and measurement stability. The two socket types were de-embedded to compensate for fixture-related losses. RF parameters were then collected during the measurement in the mass production, and a correlation analysis between the two type of connectors was performed. Statistical analysis confirmed that Pogo exhibited correlated behaviour with Elastomer. Given its strong RF performance and higher durability in automatic testing, Pogo is recommended for future product engineering projects, as it offers a cost-effective and scalable solution for RF testing in semiconductor production.
Pogo ed Elastomer sono due tecnologie chiave ampiamente utilizzate nel settore dei semiconduttori, in particolare nei test e nella caratterizzazione dei dispositivi. L'obiettivo di questa tesi è valutare le prestazioni RF di queste tecnologie nell'ambiente di produzione, dove le misurazioni ad alta frequenza sono fondamentali. Inoltre, questo lavoro include specifiche per l'hardware, la progettazione e la programmazione di un'apparecchiatura di prova automatica RF (ATE) e la struttura del codice Java per automatizzare il processo di misurazione. Sulla base dei risultati delle misurazioni, Pogo ha dimostrato prestazioni superiori in termini di durata e resistenza. Può accelerare la fase di avvio e ridurre il time-to-market mantenendo una qualità di test sufficiente per ridurre al minimo i resi dei clienti. Questa ricerca è stata condotta con il supporto e la supervisione del team di ingegneria dei prodotti RFC presso STMicroelectronics Srl, uno sviluppatore di tecnologie leader nel settore del silicio. La novità di questa tesi risiede nel suo approccio di ottimizzazione nella linea di produzione per ridurre al minimo i costi e il time-to-market senza modificare componenti chiave come apparecchiature di prova, schede di prova e programmi di prova. Lo studio inizia con la selezione del design del socket appropriato. Quindi, è stato eseguito un test di ripetibilità utilizzando l'apparecchiatura di test automatica Advantest 93k, sia manualmente che con un handler, per garantire una ripetibilità e una stabilità di misurazione sufficienti. I due tipi di socket sono stati de-embeddati per compensare le perdite correlate all'apparecchio. I parametri RF sono stati quindi raccolti durante la misurazione nella produzione di massa ed è stata eseguita un'analisi di correlazione tra i due tipi di connettori. L'analisi statistica ha confermato che Pogo ha mostrato un comportamento correlato con l'elastomero. Date le sue forti prestazioni RF e la maggiore durata nei test automatici, Pogo è consigliato per futuri progetti di ingegneria di prodotto, in quanto offre una soluzione conveniente e scalabile per i test RF nella produzione di semiconduttori.
Comparative analysis of Pogo and elastomer RF pin connectors for high-volume testing
Aminaie, Pouya
2024/2025
Abstract
Pogo and Elastomer are two key technologies widely used in the semiconductor industry, particularly in device testing and characterization. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the RF performance of these technologies in the production environment, where high-frequency measurements are critical. Additionally, this work includes specifications for hardware, the design and programming of an RF Automatic Test Equipment (ATE), and the structure of Java code for automating the measurement process. Based on measurement results, Pogo demonstrated superior performance in terms of lifetime and durability. It can accelerate the bring-up phase and reduce time-to-market while maintaining sufficient test quality to minimize customer returns. This research was conducted with the support and supervision of the RFC product engineering team at STMicroelectronics Srl, a leading technology developer in the silicon industry. The novelty of this thesis lies in its optimization approach in the production line to minimize the costs and time-to-market without modifying key components such as test equipment, test boards, and test programs. The study begins with selecting the appropriate socket design. Then, a repeatability test was performed using the Advantest 93k automatic test equipment, both manually and with a handler, to ensure sufficient repeatability and measurement stability. The two socket types were de-embedded to compensate for fixture-related losses. RF parameters were then collected during the measurement in the mass production, and a correlation analysis between the two type of connectors was performed. Statistical analysis confirmed that Pogo exhibited correlated behaviour with Elastomer. Given its strong RF performance and higher durability in automatic testing, Pogo is recommended for future product engineering projects, as it offers a cost-effective and scalable solution for RF testing in semiconductor production.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/234963