Latest NewsAEHR TEST AND CHIP SUPPLY TEAM TO PROVIDE TEST AND BURN-IN SERVICES FOR KNOWN GOOD DIE
DENVER, CO (APRIL 27, 2000) — Aehr Test Systems (Nasdaq: AEHR) and Chip Supply, Inc. announced today an agreement to provide a total solution for producing Known Good Die. Using ATS’ patented DiePak® Carrier products, Chip Supply will offer burn-in and testing services for bare die. The services will be conducted at Chip Supply’s facilities in Orlando, Florida.
The services are designed to provide “known good die” (KGD), which are unpackaged semiconductor devices used subsequently in multi-chip modules (MCMs) and other integrated packaging where the semiconductor device reliability is of critical importance.
Under the agreement, Chip Supply will use Aehr Test’s DiePak products. The DiePak product line consists of reusable carriers designed to make temporary contact with the bare semiconductor die.
The joint announcement was made today at the annual High Density Interconnect conference and exhibition in Denver.
Chip Supply has been the industry leader in providing KGD semiconductor devices and services for several years, offering a range of die products and services including test and burn-in as well as special services.
“Throughout the continued development of the DiePak and KGD technology, Chip Supply has led the industry in validating the use of tested bare die in a variety of applications, and in doing so has sustained a steady source of products and services that are well recognized
throughout the industry,” according to Rhea Posedel, President and CEO of Aehr Test Systems. “Their unparalleled expertise, as well as the breadth of equipment necessary to provide such services, has been developed extensively at Chip Supply. We at Aehr Test are excited about the range of opportunities that this agreement provides our customers.”
Under the agreement, customers needing bare die, testing or burn-in services will be referred to Chip Supply through Aehr Test’s extensive, global sales and marketing network. Chip Supply will incorporate the DiePak proven technology in their test and burn- in services and will use Aehr Test burn-in systems, where applicable, according to Ed Perrott, President and CEO of Chip Supply.
“We at Chip Supply are thrilled by the expanded capacity for high volume services that we will be able to offer through this agreement with Aehr Test and see this arrangement as a natural teaming of the two strongest complementary players in the technology, “ Perrott said.
Jim Rates, Director of Advanced Products at Chip Supply, said the promotion of test and burn-in services is timely because of the increasing interest of device integrators and OEMs in using tested bare die in MCM products and will provide volume capacity to the business already established by Chip Supply’s patented SofTAB™ KGD process.
“We have spent years developing a world class bare die test and burn-in facility and we realize the time is right to offer increased capacity and expertise to the industry as a whole,” Rates said.
“In addition to the proven capabilities in KGD services that Chip Supply brings to the agreement, the partnership will allow manufacturers to enter into KGD programs without adding costly capital equipment, including automated die handlers, loaders and test and burn-in systems,” according to Rick Pendergrass, Director of the ATf business unit of Aehr Test. “Customers with small-to-medium volume requirements can now contract for the services without having to build the capability in-house.”
Pendergrass explained that applications for the DiePak products in test and burn-in of bare die include automotive control circuits, wireless communications and other portable digital devices, military and aerospace and medical. Current customers are located in the United States, Europe and Asia. Pendergrass listed other identified applications for the DiePak/KGD solution as dense MCM assemblies used in various portable devices such as PDAs, network-compatible portable telephones, games and cardiac pacemakers, among others. There is also a growing need for such technology in military electronics where size and weight considerations are at priority levels.
"Aehr Test has believed in the market potential for KGD and has been working diligently to make continued technical improvements over the past several years,” Posedel said. “We believe this relationship with Chip Supply opens the next chapter in KGD.”
The companies said that a further announcement will be made at a later date as the business plan is completed.
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.About Chip Supply
Chip Supply, Inc. is a 20-year-old customer-oriented value-added processor of semiconductor products. The customer base served demands the highest quality products for use in high-reliability aerospace, military, medical, industrial and commercial systems. Chip Supply is viewed as an extension of the fabrication, manufacturing, engineering, sales and design team of the semiconductor manufacturer.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 for 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.