Our Exclusive Process
Ridgetop Group, in collaboration with The Aerospace Corporation, provides a specialized approach to wafer-level reliability testing and analysis: Device Optimization through Materials Characterization™. This technique combines Ridgetop’s outstanding electrical test capabilities with the world-class materials characterization and technical expertise available at The Aerospace Corporation to solve the most difficult problems in device manufacturing and testing.
Device testing is a complex endeavor driven by the necessity to answer two key questions:
- Will the device perform or degrade as expected under use conditions?
- What is the root cause of problem, and how it can be addressed?
A typical development process involves a sequence of fabrication, testing, modified fabrication, and subsequent retesting:
What Materials Characterization Can Provide
The Device Optimization through Materials Characterization approach utilizes a unique, predictive materials characterization methodology, which combines physical, electrical, and modeling methods to obtain comprehensive answers. This approach identifies the complex inherent material features and physical processes affecting electrical test data, providing a reliable assessment of device performance over time. Additionally, Materials Characterization can furnish insights into use conditions that may extend a device’s lifetime. This not only provides more exacting and expedient testing, but can inform pathways for device/system fabrication improvements.
Schematic of the electron transport via defects in the multilayer transistor gate stack.
Materials Characterization benefits include:
- Furnishing performance and reliability evaluation under application-specific use conditions
- Establish range of use conditions that can extend a device’s lifetime
- Providing feedback to fabrication
Ensuring Success on Your Timeline
Market timing is integral to the success of any product and we understand how critical this is to our clients’ success. This approach distinguishes itself by delivering accurate and meaningful solutions to these highly specialized problems. Our comprehensive understanding of the complex physics behind device properties enables us to deliver direct, tailored answers and practical solutions to our customers. We can provide an expedited and streamlined process for developing and/or qualifying devices via our highly effective, customized testing methodology.
Learn more about what The Aerospace Corporation and our other affiliates can do for you.
Ridgetop is certified as category 1A under the Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) as part of the Trusted Supplier Program. Ridgetop has history of designing analog and mixed signal ICs for demanding applications in space satellites that are subjected to extreme temperatures and radiation. Our designs have utilized bulk CMOS, CMOS-SOI, and SiGe at process geometries down to 28 nm channel lengths. Radiation hardness is also a concern, and Ridgetop has addressed those requirements as well. A recent Ridgetop design was delivered to ON Semiconductor for the U.S. Air Force STELLAR Star Tracker.
Under contract to NASA, Ridgetop designed an effective 3-axis wireless acceleration and temperature sensor for use in a helicopter gearbox system. The initial implementation was designed to detect wear and damage in the helicopter gearbox. This innovative smart sensor design was later commercialized under the Sentinel Motion product line, and is packaged as an Internet-of-Things (IoT) smart sensor, RotoSense™.