Advantest launches KGD test cell for power semiconductors

The Advantest Known Good Die (KGD) Test Cell combines the company’s CREA MT series power device testers with the new HA1100 die prober.

Demand for power semiconductors continues to grow with the rapid escalation of electric vehicles (EV) and power infrastructure. WBG devices, particularly silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), are essential for the design and manufacture of power semiconductors, enabling them to be smaller, faster and more efficient than silicon-based devices. However, screening for failures in WBG devices is challenging, as the probe card, chuck and devices can be damaged due to the high voltage and current at which they operate.

Essentially serving as a one-stop shop for efficient equipment management, the Advantest KGD test cell solution helps reduce customers’ manufacturing costs. CREA’s proprietary probe card interface (PCI) technology can eliminate damage risk. However, if damage does occur, Advantest can investigate it using the test cell, allowing customers to minimise downtime. The HA1100 die prober for the CREA MT series test systems enables the assembly of dies in power modules using only passed (KGD) die, ensuring no failed die find their way into the module. This prevents yield loss at module test, thus reducing the loss of final multi-die assembled power modules.

“Our new KGD test cell is the first solution to combine the CREA MT testers with Advantest’s proven handling technology, enabling dynamic test at the die level,” said Kazuyuki Yamashita, Executive Vice President, DH Group, Advantest. “The CREA PCI technology regulates power/energy to protect the probe card, the chuck and the devices from damage while testing failing die – a competitive differentiator that lets customers assemble their modules with confidence.”

Currently under development, the HA1100 die prober will be released to the global market in the second quarter of 2025.