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Manufacturing Test Solutions for SSDS

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Keysight Technologies

Manufacturing Test Solutions for SSDS

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Manufacturing Test Solutions FOR SSDS

A new system performs both ICT and boundary scan in high-volume settings. by Jun Balangue

A solid state drive or disk is a data storage device that func-tions like the traditional hard disk drives and is used on tablet PCs, laptops, servers and network storage for cloud comput-ing. The SSD has no moving mechanical parts. Instead, it makes use of NAND flash devices to store data. SSDs are the preferred storage where space and battery life pose con-straints, commonly tablets and notebook PCs. SSDs are also used in server and network storage, mainly due to their reli-ability, durability and speed.

Sizes and types of SSDs can be classified according to their market applications:

Enterprise SSD: Targets network server as well as compa-nies that provide and maintain cloud computing applications.

SSD HDD: Targets laptop and desktop PC as direct replace-ment for traditional hard disks.Tablets/notebook

PC SSD: The smallest type of SSD; targets tablet and smaller/slimmer notebooks.

Just like any memory storage device, SSD reliability and qual-ity is very important, as it holds important functions, whether for consumer or commercial applications. Any hardware failure means data loss for the end-user, or even more cata-strophic consequences if used in commercial applications. To ensure that SSDs have the required quality level, they are sub-ject to a series of tests in the manufacturing process before the devices are shipped to the end-user or integrated into devices such as servers, laptops, tablets and other devices.The first important test in the manufacturing process is structural test. This ensures that components are correctly placed and that there are no manufacturing failures, such as solder shorts and open pins on components.

Enterprise and hard disk drive SSD.

Both enterprise SSD and the HDD SSD models can use in-circuit test (ICT) since the PCB real estate still permits placement of testpoints. In-circuit testers are the most commonly deployed test systems used to capture structural failure during manufacturing. Here are typical tests that will be performed during ICT:

  • Shorts and opens testing: Unpowered testing of solder shorts or opens.
  • Analog device testing: Unpowered testing of resistors, capacitors, inductors, and transistors.
  • Digital powered test: Powered testing of digital devices.
  • Analog powered test: Powered testing of voltage regulators.
  • Boundary scan-powered shorts test: Testing for shorts between boundary scan pins and nearby non-boundary scan pins with testpoints.
  • Boundary scan interconnect and buswire test: Boundary scan test for interconnect pins between boundary scan devices.
  • Boundary scan connect test: Boundary scan test for pins not connected to any device and that have testpoints.
  • Silicon Nail: Novel interconnect test between boundary scan device and non-boundary scan device.
  • Cover-Extend: Novel interconnect test between bound-ary scan devices and non-boundary scan device using vectorless technology.

Integration of benchtop boundary scan tools can also help to increase test coverage and throughput with the following tests:

  • Boundary scan interconnect and buswire test.
  • Boundary scan pull-up/pull-down resistor: Testing of pull-up/pull-down resistors connected to boundary scan pins.
  • Autobank for NAND Flash or DDR devices: Parallel testing of NAND flash or DDR devices.
  • Cover-Extend.

Full ICT test is normally not implemented until the high-volume manufacturing test stage. In the initial prototype and new product introduction (NPI) phases, using a benchtop boundary scan tool offers some advantages:

  • Manufacturing test is enabled and fine-tuning can be performed at the earliest possible stage of product development.
  • Significant cost savings on development and debug of the boundary scan test for volume manufacturing test, as the test developed on PC boundary scan tool can be executed at the ICT manufacturing test stage, if inte-grated into ICT.
  • Integration of PC boundary scan tool in ICT during volume manufacturing will shorten development time, hence improving time-to-market.

Not all SSDs are testable using ICT. Due to consumer demands for smaller, faster and longer bat-tery life devices, the size of every component in electronics devices is also shrinking, including the printed circuit board.

Tablet/Notebook SSD.

The smallest SSD form factor currently available in the market is the M.2 SSD , which supports the mSATA and PCIe interfaces normally used on tab-let and notebook PCs due to their size and speed. FIGURE 2 shows the block diagram of an M.2 SSD, which con-sists of the NAND controller and NAND flash device.

The key manufacturing test chal-lenges faced by tablet/notebook SSDs and smaller-sized HDD SSDs are that testpoints are limited, and very often these are available only for some critical nodes such as power and boundary scan pins. For this type of SSD, the boundary scan tool system is the only solution possible for manufacturing test.

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