Texas Instruments Announces 0.5mm CSP Burn-in Test Sockets; New Product Supports Growth of Wireless, Digital Device Market.

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MANSFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 4, 2000

Texas Instruments Interconnection business today announced the availability of its high volume burn-in test solution for memory and logic IC's that use the new ultrafine 0.5mm-pitch chip scale package. TI's new socket will support the growing market of wireless devices, such as cell phones and personal digital assistants, which increasingly rely on fine-pitch semiconductors to achieve high performance in a small package.

With the new socket, semiconductor designers, manufacturers, and product developers can take advantage of next generation chipsets. As wireless and digital devices shrink in size, the industry is looking to take advantage of the smaller 0.5mm-pitch semiconductors and create chipsets that integrate multiple components, such as memory, logic, and DSP semiconductors. Manufacturers will use the new socket to burn-in and test various 0.5mm-pitch components that will eventually ship in system-on-chip, embedded memory (SRAM, Flash, and DRAM), multichip packaging and stacked chipsets.

TI's new socket is specifically designed to overcome the barriers of testing the ultrafine 0.5mm CSP. The new socket features a clamshell design for easy insertion and compression style micro-spring contacts to provide robust yet sensitive contact with the delicate solder balls. The new micro-springs touch the side of the solder ball, instead of approaching the ball from the bottom like pogo-stick or y-contact test sockets, ensuring a reliable electrical contact without causing damaging probe marks. The result is better solder ball integrity, which is vital to the ball's subsequent assembly to the printed wire board.

To ensure a robust connection during testing, the new socket is held onto the burn-in board with screws that compress the contact elements and provide a semi-permanent interconnect. The new 0.5mm socket adds to TI's solutions for the full range of package designs, which include CSP, BGA, KGD, QFP, SOJ, SOP, TSOP, PGA and LGA.

"Burn-in is a critical function, especially for newer, ultra fine pitch CSPs," said Edmund F. Craig, III, sales & marketing manager for Texas Instruments Interconnection business. "Developing a test solution to support 0.5mm pitch is important as the market gravitates towards denser arrays and the smallest possible IC packaging."

The new socket meets today's strict manufacturing specifications:

Socket style:              clamshell
Contact system:            compressive spring
Contact force:             10g to 12g target (15g max.)
Operating temp:            -55(degree)C (min.) to 150(degree)C (max.)
Expected burn-in temp:     127(degree)C
I/O Range:                 40, 56, 84, 151, 241, 289 (higher and lower
                           for custom applications)

The sockets for 0.5mm packages from TI are currently enabling high volume production of DRAM, SRAM, logic, and flash devices. Since TI's sockets utilize existing test equipment and standard processing, such as burn-in boards and ovens, market adoption should be strong.

Additional information and publication-quality artwork of TI's new socket is available by contacting Lynda Armstrong at Texas Instruments, [phone] or [e-mail]

Texas Instruments Incorporated is a global semiconductor company and the world's leading designer and supplier of digital signal processing and analog technologies, the engines driving the digitization of electronics. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company's businesses also include materials and controls, educational and productivity solutions, and digital imaging. The company has manufacturing or sales operations in more than 25 countries.

Located in Mansfield, Mass., the Interconnection Business is part of TI's Materials & Controls group.

Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at http://www.ti.com

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