TSE supplies die carrier socket for HBM testing
Company expects over 10 billion won in annual sales
Semiconductor testing solution company TSE said on Wednesday that it is supplying die carrier socket for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) testing to a global memory manufacturer.
HBM are mostly supplied in die form, instead of in a molding package. The last testing on the good was using a probe card on the wafer.
Companies wanted to test of the dies after they were cut from the wafer, but the bumps attached to the die were only 50 micrometers, making testing difficult.
To test HBMs, hundreds of pins but contact the hundreds of pads on the memory precisely.
KOSDAQ-listed TSE manufactured contact pins at its microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fab, and developed its own technology that can align these pins precisely. Die carrier socket was made this was, which can be fitted with a HBM die for testing.
It took the company two years of research and development to develop the die carrier socket for HBM, which has improved durability and electric characteristic over its previous micro pogo pin, a company spokesperson said.
The socket supports TSE’s ultra-high speed interface Eltune socket, allowing to test 2.4Gbps HBM2 and HBM3 over 3.2Gbps. Customers can use their existing tester, handler and burn-in equipment, allowing them to save cost.
HBM and HBM2 are being used for high speed data analysis such as high performance computing and artificial intelligence, the TSE spokesperson said. HMB3 will see expanded applications to self-driving cars and home appliances with AI features, they said.
The company’s die carrier socket is optimal for bare dies such as HBM, they said.
Starting with its latest supply, TSE is expecting annual sales of over 10 billion in the next one to two years from the business, the spokesperson said.
TSE was also developing pack and unpack equipment used to put dies in and out of the carrier sockets.
Currently, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are supplying HBM to customers. Micron has also finished development and is looking to supply the memory.