TRADE NEWS: Agilent Technologies' New Parametric Test Platform Offers Unprecedented Performance for Engineers in Semiconductor Fabs, Research Environments.4080 Series Fulfills Variety of Measurement Needs, Including RF and Flash SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif. -- Agilent Technologies This article needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :A) today introduced its next-generation parametric test platform, which is designed to meet the evaluation needs of engineers working in semiconductor fabs and research environments. The Agilent 4080 Series covers the full range of measurement requirements -- from mainstream processes to advanced processes beyond 45nm -- with unprecedented performance. New wafer fabs running advanced processes face ever-greater parametric testing challenges. Flash memory, in particular NAND flash See flash memory. memory, also poses some difficult challenges for parametric test. Out of necessity, parametric test has expanded beyond pure DC measurement, and now spans a variety of different measurement types, including parallel test, flash cell write/erase testing, and RF S-parameter characterization. Anticipating these needs, Agilent has developed the versatile 4080 parametric test platform. The Agilent 4080 Series is based on a new platform featuring a faster CPU CPU in full central processing unit Principal component of a digital computer, composed of a control unit, an instruction-decoding unit, and an arithmetic-logic unit. as well as asynchronous Refers to events that are not synchronized, or coordinated, in time. The following are considered asynchronous operations. The interval between transmitting A and B is not the same as between B and C. The ability to initiate a transmission at either end. and synchronous parallel test capabilities that enable significant throughput improvement. The 4080 Series is a modular and expandable production test platform that allows customers to easily add new testing capabilities, such as NAND/NOR flash memory cell characterization and RF S-parameter measurement. It is available in three models: the 4082A Parametric Test System for general purpose parametric test; the 4082F Flash Memory Cell Parametric Test System for NAND/NOR flash test; and the 4083A DC/RF DC/RF Direct Current / Radio Frequency Parametric Test System, to meet the high-frequency measurement requirements of modern RF devices. "As our existing customers expand their current operations or establish new fabs, the 4080 Series will solve the parametric test challenges of their next-generation products," said Minoru Ebihara, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Hachioji Semiconductor Test Division. "In addition, we are pleased to provide a production-ready test solution for the continued expansion of the NAND flash memory market." Faster CPU and New Virtual Multiple Testhead Technology Boost Performance The Agilent 4080 Series features best-in-class performance and functionality as well as industry-first technology advancements. The 4080 Series has a more powerful CPU that boosts the throughput of transferred 4070 test plans by 10 to 20 percent on average without any program modification. The 4080 Series running the Agilent SPECS (Semiconductor Process Evaluation Core Software) test shell is the first parametric tester to support both synchronous and asynchronous parallel test. In addition to synchronous parallel measurement -- which is an extremely efficient technique for a small array of devices -- Agilent's new powerful and proprietary virtual multiple testhead technology allows an advanced parallel test capability called "asynchronous parallel" to perform tests completely independently, which can decrease test times by up to 50 percent over conventional sequential test methods. Unified Architecture with Three Configuration Options The Agilent 4080 Series is based on a unified architecture. All three models support two types of DC switching matrix cards: a standard low-current version and an ultra low-current version. The models also feature a high-speed capacitance measurement Capacitance measurement The measurement of the ratio of the charge induced on a conductor to the change in potential with respect to a neighboring conductor which induces the charge. unit (HS-CMU) for making extremely fast capacitance measurements in the 1 kHz to 2 MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. range. The Agilent 4082A Parametric Test Systems is a high-throughput production tester designed to cover the full range of measurement requirements from mainstream processes to advance processes beyond 45nm. Designed to meet the challenges of flash memory cell test, the Agilent 4082F Flash Memory Cell Parametric Test System includes a semiconductor pulse generator Pulse generator An electronic circuit capable of producing a waveform that rises abruptly, maintains a relatively flat top for an extremely short interval, and then rapidly falls to zero. unit (SPGU SPGU St. Petersburg State University (St Petersburg, Russia) SPGU Strategy Policy and Guidance Unit (United Kingdom) SPGU Sussex Professional Golfers Union (UK) ) mainframe and high voltage The term high voltage characterizes electrical circuits, in which the voltage used is the cause of particular safety concerns and insulation requirements. High voltage is used in electrical power distribution, in cathode ray tubes, to generate X-rays and particle beams, to SPGU (HV-SPGU) module that are fully integrated into the system hardware, an industry first for a production parametric test system. The 4082F HV-SPGU features +/- 40 V output (80 V peak-to-peak) and allows control of the pulse rise and fall times (down to 20 ns) and accurate pulse level control down to 2 mV resolution. The Agilent 4083A DC/RF Parametric Test System is the first production parametric tester to feature a 20 GHz capable 8x10 RF matrix integrated into the test head. With the ability to measure up to five RF structures in a single touchdown, the 4083A RF matrix both improves measurement throughput and extends the lifetime of the probe card A probe card is an interface between an electronic test system and a semiconductor wafer. Its purpose is to provide an electrical path between the test system and the circuits on the wafer, thereby permitting the testing and validation of the circuits at the wafer level, usually by reducing contact wear-and-tear. For more details on the 4080 Series visit www.agilent.com/see/4080. Linux Support and 4070 Series Compatibility Minimize Costs The Agilent 4080 Series system software and Agilent SPECS and SPECS-FA test shells are entirely Linux-based, allowing existing 4070 customers to take advantage of new hardware features on the 4080 Series with minimal modifications to their existing code, which accelerates production ramp-up. U.S. Pricing and Availability The Agilent 4082A, 4082F and 4083A models are available for order now with pricing starting at $200,000 for a base model 4082A. A high-resolution image of Agilent's 4080 Series is available at www.agilent.com/find/4080_image. About Agilent Technologies Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) is the world's premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company's 19,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenue of $5.0 billion in fiscal 2006. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com. NOTE TO EDITORS: Sales information is available by calling +1 800 829 4444, item number 8138. Please do NOT use editor contact or corporate telephone numbers for sales and product information. Information in this news release applies specifically to products available in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . Product availability and specifications may vary in other markets. If you choose to review this item, your readers will receive the quickest response to their inquiries by mailing them to Agilent Technologies, Electronic Measurements Group, 5301 Stevens Creek Blvd., MS 54LAK LAK In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the Laos Kip. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. , Santa Clara, CA 95052. Further technology, corporate citizenship Corporate Citizenship The extent to which businesses are socially responsible in meeting legal, ethical and economic responsibilities placed on them by shareholders. The aim it to create higher standards of living and quality of life in the community in which it operates, while and executive news is available on the Agilent news site at www.agilent.com/go/news. |
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