Behind this Door: Take a Tour of Two Intel Assembly Test Technology Development Factories

Summary

The video script offers a behind-the-scenes look at Intel's Assembly Test Technology Development Group (ATTD) in Oregon, showcasing the complex process of computer chip manufacturing. It features massive testing tools like the sort module and probe card, which check for defects and measure performance. Chips are rigorously tested for quality and reliability, undergoing temperature and stress tests. After passing tests, they're sent to Arizona for packaging and further quality checks, including system tests simulating real-world conditions. The video highlights Intel's advanced packaging technologies like EMIB and Foveros, emphasizing the company's commitment to innovation and quality in chip production.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Manufacturing a computer chip is an extremely complex process involving thousands of engineers and billions of microscopic transistors.
• 🏭 The production facilities are massive, comparable to the size of four American football fields.
• 🔍 Chips undergo rigorous testing for temperature, stress, performance, and quality before they are used in devices.
• 🛠️ Intel's Assembly Test Technology Development Group (ATTD) is responsible for developing and researching the latest testing equipment and processes.
• 🚚 The sort module, a large piece of testing equipment, is composed of 20 individual test cells and weighs about 1,000 pounds each.
• 🔩 Test cells are sometimes moved with a custom lifter mechanism that floats on air, preventing damage to the factory floor.
• 📍 The probe card is a critical tool that connects the chip's integrated circuits to test equipment using micrometer-sized needles.
• 🔌 After testing in Oregon, good chips are sent to Arizona for packaging, which involves assembling them between a heat spreader and a substrate.
• 🔄 Advanced packaging inventions like EMIB and Foveros allow Intel to interconnect multiple chips on a single package.
• 🌡️ High density burn-in modules are used to test chip performance at extreme temperatures, from 110°C to -40°C.
• 💻 The final step is system testing, where chips are socketed to a motherboard to simulate real-world conditions and ensure compatibility with different operating systems.

Q & A

What is the complexity level of making a computer chip?

Making a computer chip is considered one of the most complicated processes in the world.

How many engineers are typically involved in the chip-making process?

It takes thousands of engineers to make a computer chip.

What kind of facilities are required for chip manufacturing?

Chip manufacturing requires factories the size of four American football fields, equipped with hundreds of multi-million dollar tools.

How many microscopic switches, called transistors, are involved in a chip?

Billions of microscopic switches called transistors are involved in a chip.

What types of tests does a chip undergo before it is used in a device?

A chip undergoes temperature, stress, performance, and quality tests before it is used in a device.

What is Intel's Assembly Test Technology Development Group (ATTD)?

ATTD is a part of Intel's manufacturing division where engineers research and develop the latest testing equipment and processes.

What is a sort module and how big is it?

A sort module is a large testing tool, the size of a small school bus, made up of 20 individual test cells.

What does a probe card do in the chip testing process?

A probe card physically touches the chip to connect the integrated circuits inside to the test equipment, measuring the electricity for reliability and defect analysis.

How many probing needles might be required for some products?

Some products may require as many as 20,000 probing needles in an area of just a few square centimeters.

What happens to good chips after they leave Oregon?

Good chips are sent to Arizona to be assembled between a heat spreader and a substrate, which protects and connects them electronically to a computing device's circuit board.

What is the high density burn-in module and what does it do?

The high density burn-in module is a massive tester that checks the speed and performance of the chips at extreme temperatures, from 110 Celsius to as low as -40 degrees Celsius.

What is the final step in the test flow for chips?

The final step in the test flow is system test, where each packaged chip gets socketed to a motherboard to simulate real-world customer conditions.