State of the art Latch-up Testing and Evaluation
Your success is often the result of innovations that can push the envelope of design and process technologies, but Latch-up (LU) issues are showstoppers at test or in the field.
When an IC device is designed and manufactured, there are unintended parasitic transistors and diodes which are invariably created. When the device is operating normally, these parasitic components do not have any influence on the way the circuit functions. It is when these parasitic components become unexpectedly activated that the device begins to operate in a manner which was not intended and can cause serious performance and reliability issues. Latch-up is a phenomenon in which the power supply rails become shorted together through a low impedance path due to these parasitic components. It can be triggered when applying a current stimulus to an Input, Output, or I/O pin; or when applying an over-voltage stimulus to a power supply pin.
At Sage Analytical Lab, we utilize the top of the line Thermo-Scientific MK.4 Latch-Up test system to provide the necessary stimulus to test your device. These systems can accommodate up to 2304 pins and up to 8 independent power supply voltages. Proper setup of the device is essential when performing Latch-up testing. With these systems, we can perform a vectored setup should you device require it in order to get it into the low-current stable state necessary to perform Latch-up testing on it. We have a vast library of sockets which can accept almost any type of package. Testing is performed to the latest JESD78 specification and the customer can request the ambient test temperature to range from 25°C to 150°C.
We are passionate about Latch-up testing. The Sage Quest, our efficient pre-test evaluation assures rapid LU setup and repeatable results.
With over 20 years of circuit design and hands-on Latch-up testing, we are your resource for Latch-up knowledge, test and analysis.