Managing high IC yields with short cycle times

Abstract

High IC yields are the key to low product costs, essential for profitable pursuit of high volume GaAs IC markets for consumer applications. Short product development cycle times are essential for getting entry into such markets. Technology has been moving at a fast pace and product life cycles are getting shorter. Short development cycle times are needed not only to match the market window but also to assure reasonably long product life cycles. Short manufacturing cycle times not only help reduce development cycle times but also provide protection against potential inventory scrap due to short product life cycle times. Ideally, one would like to have them all-high yields, short development cycle times and short manufacturing cycle times. In a perfect world (and sometimes in the real world also), it might be possible to attain all.