Design&Engineering services are tailored to provide one-stop turnkey ASIC solutions. Development flow activities herein are structured into design related services at the front-end as well as manufacturing and test related services at the back-end. Needless to say that any service is also individually available to our customers.

Design&Engineering services start at an early stage of the product development when there is just a product idea as a base for the ASIC Definition.

As an independent service provider Micram selects the best and most economical technology for the ASIC by a specific Technology Evaluation. Based on the chosen technology and the ASIC Definition, a Feasibility Study leads to a detailed specification not just for the ASIC but for the entire development (e.g. test, package, qualification...). In order to gain high speed and performance, even sophisticated state-of-the-art design flows need to be improved by application specific Design Tools introduced in the ASIC Design. In parallel, Package Design and Test Development are started to ensure the requirements of tough time schedules and matching design objectives.

For the backend services, already during design and after tape out Micram takes care about the Technology Run at the foundry and covers all verification and yield issues once the ASIC comes out of the fab. In the back-end processing Micram Design&Engineering participates in Wafer Test as well as in Assembly and Module Test.

In addition, all Design&Engineering activities are enhanced by Rapid!Prototyping, Test&Measurement as well as Supply Chain Management services.

Functionality and features required by the product are often quite clear and are usually determined by our customer's system or product engineering.

The art of ASIC definition is to asses the requirements carefully and discover all degrees of freedom for the optimization of the final chip design:

Often, there exist several possible ways and concepts to realize an ASIC. Also, functionality can be shifted from one block to another or can even be omitted by applying adequate measures. Decision must be made whether and how to partition the determined functionality into several specific ICs realized in the best technology.

And, by the way, what is the best technology?

Even these few questions show there is a great degree of freedom which can be used to arrange the best solution. But it also can lead to major drawbacks if ASIC specific questions are not considered adequately.

Micram's part is to assist the system and product engineering by providing and evaluating criterea, limitations, solutions and their alternatives with special regard to ASIC development and performance.

Technology evaluation is a challenging task: Amongst a variety of different technologies in several materials, offered by lots of foundries the best choice has to be made.

But, what is the best choice?

To answer this question, application specific requirements have to be identified (e.g. voltage swing, speed, noise, thermals), criterea have to be defined (e.g. BVCER, f_max, r_b, adequate models, material properties/limits) and the results have to be judged and compared. Also, the impact of different kinds of possible ASIC definitions have to be considered (e.g., can a critical requirement be omitted by changing or shifting functionality ?). Answers to those kinds of questions can be derived pretty much straightforward.

For another class of questions, the answers are hidden in technology and device specifications and rely on the designer's hands-on experience as well as on the appraisal of availability and risk.

During numerous designs Micram has already asked those questions and has the answers ready to serve. Based on this rich fund of know-how and experience Micram provides the right answers and alternatives individually tailored to the customer's requirements.

Can the intended performance and functionality be obtained? Where are crucial and weak points in the design and how can these be solved? Which scenario is likely to happen and how will the worst case look like? What are potential and hidden risks and how can they be covered? And, finally, are there alternative and fallback solutions?

Micram enigneers know time is of the essence and budget has to be predictable and controllable. And, after all, everybody wants to be sure that the time and money spent on the project will yield the desired result.

Therefore, in the Micram ASIC development flow we have a concept phase preceeding the ASIC design. This is the time for performing the feasibility study for the intended ASIC design. The study provides answers to all of the open questions and gives a first impression on the further development. All the technical but also managing and commercial issues are covered. The study yields a detailed specification of the ASIC to be designed, a project plan incorporating time schedules, milestones, resource and material allocation, SOW/LOD, as well as a cost and risk assessment. The goal is to fix any uncertainty before entering into the design, in order to achieve the highest level of confidence. Furthermore, design concepts established during feasibility study significantly shorten the initial design phase during the ASIC design

Every custom design is unique and requires adequate measures to take care of the individual specialties. Each design has to be investigated in detail in order to identify all requirements on the design environment, ranging from in depth modelling aspects to special tailored design flows.

Quality, performance and efficiency of the design strongly rely on the models and tools used within the design environment. This holds especially in high-performance designs where future requirements are not considered in the present technology.

Simulation models of technology, package and board level must be tailored to the optimization criteria and shall consider any effect with impact on the result. Design tools are used to customize and enhance the functional and model capabilities of the applicable analog, mixed signal or digital design flow.

Design tools, developed by Micram design environment engineers as well as in collaboration with global playing EDA software vendors, operate on inductrial standards (openDB, TLF, Liberty, etc.)

Micram's rich fund of models and tools established, proven and enhanced in numerous designs, allows instant integration into the appropriate design flow. For model generation, state-of-the-art 2D and 3D electromagnetic and thermal simulators are utilized.

As mentioned before - every design is unique- and so are Micram design environments. If you think your design has something special, contact us to make it unique!

High-performance ASICs are ahead of the market. Whether they are unique, groundbreaking or visionary, any of them is a milestone in our customer's roadmap which drives us today to invent for tomorrow's applications.

Besides tomorrow's technical challenges, also lead time, quality & reliability as well as flexible engineering change management are key requirements incorporated in Micram's design strategy.

For full custom designs, skill and experience of Micram's design engineers cover the whole range from high speed, high gain, high linearity, high precision, high I/O power, high noise performance, SoC, reliability and yield issues.

For designs incorporating standard functionalities, Micram's steadily evolving design IP, covering analog and digital general IP-cores, can be quickly adopted, tailored or mapped.

For higher integration levels our high precision standard cell library allows for digital design including synthesis, auto place & route and RC backannotation, with 10&nbs; Gb/s design proved accuracy.

According to the individual design, full analog, digital or mixed signal Design Flows with special tailored Design Tools are used.

These Design Flows allow customer interaction for verification, modification and co-design at any level. MICRAM design methodology and infrastructure supports also on-site customer models.

For high functionality/system level designs, preParE, Micram's proprietary cell library design tool, allows the customer himself to perform rapid and cost efficient design at cell and macro level with all timing relevant information including layout parasitics.

Micram's product development process is structured and the progress is monitored and documented in accordance to Micram´s internal quality assurance policy. In order to comply to customer requirements we also adopt other quality and engineering guidelines (e.g. ISO   9000, ECSS etc.).

Driven by the ongoing progress in semiconductor and ASIC development, microelectronic packaging has become of major importance for the performance of the chip assembly unit.

Electrical effects due to package parasitics and properties such as noise immunity, cross talk, ground bounce, stability, reflections, mismatch, signal damping, ringing dispersion, but also thermal, mechanical and reliability issues are vital opponents in the obtain performance game. In order to win the match, package selection, design and modelling shall take place in conjunction with the ASIC design. This enables the designers of both, package and ASIC, to match corresponding properties for best performance.

In spite of those technical challenges, package type and technology as well as related assembly and test shall not be oversized in order to support competitive product pricing.

Package design is only one part of Micram's comprehensive services around assembly, which provide turnkey solutions beginning from package selection up to product delivery. For more detailed informations on the benefits of Micram's assembly services and solutions, please click here.

Although test is performed after the wafer run, test development starts already at the concept level of the ASIC design. There, the adequate test strategy is determined and further on considered throughout the entire design process.

In contrast to usual standard test strategies, well known from the CMOS world, the design for testability (DFT) of high performance ASICs requires a lot more attention and skills by the designer.Key objective is a design which keeps the high performance of the ASIC while maintaining all requirements expected from the test point of view.

Micram engineers are used to perform this challenging task. It is a part of Micram's standard design methodology which also involves the expertise and capability of the dedicated test facilities. This strategy insures hard- and software compatibility between design and test with minimum effort and components required (e.g. on the loadboard). As a result, MICRAM design strategy minimizes overall testing time and cost.

Micram doesn't stop at thinking about the test in terms of functionality. Also, test and measurement of at-speed performance, characterization, and root cause of error analysis are part of our Design&Engineering services. In order to speed up the time consuming phase from first silicon to production release, these services can be performed inhouse by using Micram's unique Rapid!Prototyping as well as Test&Measurement services.

MICRAM services provide customized test and measurement solutions on wafer level. Depending on the wafer status, services are performed in-house or by dedicated industrial partners.

Throughout the engineering phase detailed investigations as well as low volume functionality and at-speed tests are quickly carried out as a part of our in-house service. Detailed information is provided in the wafer level section of Test&Measurement services.

For high volume production, Micram supplies wafer test via industrial partners, either in conjunction with foundry and assembly or as a standalone service. Benefits of Micram wafer test are:

• test development and establishment,
• failure analysis and corrective action plan,
• yield assessment and improvement strategy,
• scheduling and monitoring throughout entire test,
• harmonized design, test and assembly requirements.

MICRAM test strategies like

• low speed tester with plain interfacing loadboard,
• low speed tester with at-speed BIST functionality,
• low speed tester with speed translating (upgrading) loadboard circuitry,
• low/high speed tester with at-speed capability and membrane card,

are individually tailored to our customers' requirements and follow the objective to offer the best solution in terms of test cost, test coverage, and performance monitoring.

Micram wafer test services are available in conjunction with any Micram turnkey ASIC development as well as with Rapid!Prototyping services. For support of separate complementary wafer test service, please contact your Micram sales representative.

Also read our article:
"Low Volume Wafer and Module Level Test Implementation at MICRAM"

Getting product units of high-performance ASIC dies is a lot more than just wrapping some package around. Plenty of services are inseparably related to this crucial task, being the reason why Micram prefers understanding "Assembly" as "Services around Assembly", rather than just the packaging process.

Micram's comprehensive assembly (packaging) services provide unmatched, one-stop turnkey solutions for package selection, design, assembly and test. The main objective is to offer performance sustaining, cost-effective package solutions by maximizing the synergy between ASIC and package as a whole and connected system.

The essence of Micram assembly services at a glance:

• Package Selection
  No matter whether off-the-shelf standard package or custom design of a technology leading multi GHz range FC-BGA, MICRAM engineers determine the comercially and technically best choice out of the vast variety of suppliers and their packaging solutions.
• Package Modeling
  Using comprehensive off-the-shelf and our own simulation tools, package design is modelled, considered, optimized and approved in conjunction with the ASIC design. Model and parameters can be derived and validated on the fly by complementary Rapid!Prototyping and Test&Measurement services.
• Package & ASIC Design
  We understand the package as a part of the ASIC. Our design methodology considers the package as well as the succeeding board interconnects as an extension of physical on-chip interfaces given by I/O cells, wiring, pads, thermals, and semiconductor substrate already during ASIC design. As a result, high performance is obtained not only for the chip but for the whole unit in the application.
• Wafer Level Service
  We take care of any wafer level service from the foundry service to the assembly. This also includes reliability aspects due to wafer treatment during processing.
• Wafer Level Test
  We supply and schedule wafer level test in conjunction with wafer level services and assembly. This yields on time delivery and services with matching technical properties. E.g. wafer level test properties must not degrade reliability of succeeding processing.
• Assembly
  We provide a variety of assembly services with numerous packaging technologies. Services range from standard wire bond package assembly to high speed high pin count flip chip laminate assemblies operating at data rates above 40 Gb/s.Assembly services include also provision of blind built options and right-the-first-time samples during the engineering phase to prove the concept.
• Package Level Test
  We take care of the final chip assembly test. As a benefit, yield is monitored and assessed and if necessary improved by exercising RMA procedures.
• Characterisation & Validation
  Micram Rapid!Prototyping and Test&Measurement services characterize, deembed and validate ASIC and package performance by provision of interfacing, fixturing and evaluation boards as well as complementary measurement services. This provides a clear picture of the unit's real-life performance and yields confirmed data of the product.
• Reliability Test
  In order to guarantee performance throughout the lifetime of the ASIC, quality and fit of design material and manufacture has to be approved. Micram takes care of the ASIC's life, by sending the units to IC bootcamps where they are running through heat, cold, humidity and pressure in burn-in systems for environmental tests. As a result, product quality can be assessed and obtained throughout the lifetime.
• Material Management
  As a part of Micram Supply Chain Management services, turnkey material and inventory management including wafer/die bank as well as scheduled delivery based on customer forecasts are available at discretion of our customer.

No matter whether detailed investigations on engineering samples or final high volume module test of the packaged chip assembly - Micram provides the adequate solution for any challenge. Throughout the engineering phase until production release of the module, there are various kinds of tasks to cope with. Some examples are:

• package evaluation (impact of package on performance),
• characterization of the module (performance under various conditions),
• functionality & performance test in the application (system level evaluation),
• root cause of error analysis.

These engineering tasks are carried out as a part of our in-house service which yields quick results especially in conjunction with the complementary Rapid!Prototyping and Measurement services. Detailed information on this is provided in the Test&Measurement section.

For high volume production, Micram supplies module test via industrial partners, either in conjunction with foundry and assembly or as a standalone service. Benefits of Micram module test are:

• high synergy level with wafer level test thanks to common test development and establishment
• failure analysis and corrective action plan,
• yield assessment and improvement strategy,
• scheduling and monitoring throughout entire test,
• harmonized design, test and assembly requirements,
• reliability tests and qualification.

Needless to say that all services are individually tailored to our customers' requirements and follow the objective to offer the best solution in terms of test cost, test coverage, and performance monitoring.

Micram module test services are available in conjunction with any Micram turnkey ASIC development as well as with Rapid!Prototyping services. For support of separate complementary module test service, contact your Micram sales representative.

Further information can be found in our article:
"Low Volume Wafer and Module Level Test Implementation at Micram"