Latest NewsAehr Test Receives Second U.S. Patent for DiePak(R) Carrier
FREMONT, CA -- Aehr Test Systems (NASDAQ:AEHR) announced today that the U.S. Patent Office has granted a second patent for its DiePak carrier line of products.
Patent #6,025,732 was granted on February 15, 2000. The first DiePak Patent, #5,517,125, was granted in May of 1996.
The DiePak product line consists of reusable carriers designed to make temporary contact with unpackaged (bare) semiconductor die. They are the key component of the test and burn-in process for unpackaged die which are then classified as "Known Good Die" (KGD) and used in applications where the individual die packaging is not required.
"DiePak carriers provide temporary but fully functional packaging for the bare semiconductor die, where the bare die must be burned in or tested before final multichip module (MCM) packaging," according to Rick Pendergrass, Director of the ATf business unit of Aehr Test Systems. "This second patent, which enhances the technical specifics of the first, confirms our position and commitment in the leading edge technology of bare die test and burn-in."
Pendergrass identified applications for the DiePak/KGD solution as dense MCM assemblies used in a wide range of portable and mobile devices such as PDAs, network-compatible portable telephones, automotive control circuits, games and cardiac pacemakers, among others. There is also a growing need for such technology in military and aerospace electronics where size and weight considerations are at priority levels. Current Aehr Test customers are located in the United States, Europe and Asia.
"The grant of this patent comes at an opportune time, as we are seeing a promising increase in interest in test and burn-in of bare die for KGD applications," said Rhea Posedel, President and CEO of Aehr Test Systems, and co-inventor of the DiePak technology. "This is particularly gratifying because Aehr Test has invested several years of technological and market development in the field of bare die verification. We believe we are now seeing a clear movement to KGD because of the growing use of MCM packaging.
"What is driving the KGD requirement is the simple financial consideration of the cost of a completed MCM package," Posedel said. "Without bare die test and verification, the failure of a $6 part (die) could mean the loss of a $500 package."
To meet the growing demand for DiePak carriers, Aehr Test recently announced the formation of a new business unit, Aehr Test Fixtures (ATf). ATf focuses on the design and manufacturing of DiePak carriers, plus the Company's burn-in and test fixtures, to meet the growing needs of the most advanced semiconductor memory and logic device manufacturers.
About Aehr Test Systems
Headquartered in Fremont, California, Aehr Test Systems is a leading provider of systems for burning-in and testing DRAMs and other integrated circuits and has an installed base of more than 2,000 systems worldwide. Aehr Test has developed and introduced two innovative product families, the MTX system and DiePak carrier. The MTX is a massively parallel test system designed to reduce the cost of memory testing by performing both test and burn-in on thousands of devices simultaneously. The DiePak carrier is a reusable, temporary package that enables integrated circuit manufacturers to perform cost-effective final test and burn-in of bare die.Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks and uncertainties associated with the DiePak product line, as well as projections regarding timing of new product introduction and customer acceptance of KGD and of Aehr Test's products. Actual results may vary from projected results. These risks and uncertainties include technological risks in design and development and the potential emergence of alternative technologies, which could adversely affect demand for Aehr Test's products. See Aehr Test's 10-K and most recent 10-Q filed with the SEC for additional risks affecting the Company.