Chip lifecycle / Space lifecycle / Silicon Validation & Characterisation

Silicon Validation & Characterisation

Bringing up first silicon, validating function and performance across temperature and voltage, characterising the analog parameters that radiation will shift, and building engineering models so customers can start their own board and system work.

Where this stage sits

This stage with its neighbours. Each row is a discipline active here, shaded by how mature its work is by the end of each stage.

Stage

^A06 Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out

^A07 Silicon Validation & CharacterisationYou are here

^A08 Radiation Testing: Total Dose, Single Events & Displacement Damage

Product, assurance and supply milestones

EMEngineering models

Chip and radiation milestones

FITR2Fault injection sign-off TOTape-out FSFirst silicon SVSilicon validated RRRadiation test readiness RCRadiation characterised

Product and customer program management^A

0.5

0.8

Product assurance and quality^A

0.8

Export control and trade compliance^A

0.8

1.0

Radiation effects engineering^A

0.8

1.0^A

Hardened digital design^D

Freeze

Analog and mixed-signal hardening^A

Freeze

Physical design and radiation sign-off^A

1.0

Test and screening programs^A

0.8

1.0

Package and assembly^A

0.8

Silicon validation and characterisation^A

Qualification and screening^A

0.3

0.5

0.8

Long-term supply and obsolescence^A

0.5

0.8

Key0.0Planned0.3Early draft0.5Draft0.8Feature complete1.0CompleteFreezeFrozenFaded block: still at the step shown before it, Held below Complete or Maintained under change control once complete or frozenFreeze or sign-off pointMilestone for one item; the rest of the work carries onMilestone gateTRTechnical readiness review (TR): a gate that checks the technology is ready before the next commitment.You are here: Silicon Validation & CharacterisationAI impactDisruption (red)Augmentation (blue)Opportunity (green)How AI is changing the workWhat the steps mean What the codes mean

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Stages

Product, assurance and supply milestones

Engineering models (EM)

Chip and radiation milestones

Fault injection sign-off (FI) (technical readiness review TR2)
Tape-out (TO)
First silicon (FS)
Silicon validated (SV)
Radiation test readiness (RR)
Radiation characterised (RC)

Disciplines

Product and customer program management^A
- Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out: maturity 0.5, Draft. Program tracked against the plan through design and tape-out, with engineering model allocation and lead customers lined up.
- Silicon Validation & Characterisation: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Engineering models with customers and the preliminary datasheet out; design-in under way while radiation and qualification results come in.
- Radiation Testing: Total Dose, Single Events & Displacement Damage: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Engineering models with customers and the preliminary datasheet out; design-in under way while radiation and qualification results come in.
Product assurance and quality^A
- Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Design release reviewed for tape-out with parts, materials and processes confirmed; first-part nonconformances and radiation tests then reviewed and witnessed.
- Silicon Validation & Characterisation: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Design release reviewed for tape-out with parts, materials and processes confirmed; first-part nonconformances and radiation tests then reviewed and witnessed.
- Radiation Testing: Total Dose, Single Events & Displacement Damage: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Design release reviewed for tape-out with parts, materials and processes confirmed; first-part nonconformances and radiation tests then reviewed and witnessed.
Export control and trade compliance^A
- Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Classification updated for the taped-out design, and licences or authorisations in place for engineering model shipments.
- Silicon Validation & Characterisation: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Classification updated for the taped-out design, and licences or authorisations in place for engineering model shipments.
- Radiation Testing: Total Dose, Single Events & Displacement Damage: maturity 1.0, Complete. Licences and authorisations in place for customers designing the part in; shipments then checked lot by lot and records kept to the end of supply.
Radiation effects engineering^A
- Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Predictions updated on the frozen design and the fault injection results, with the hardness assurance plan ready for test.
- Silicon Validation & Characterisation: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Predictions updated on the frozen design and the fault injection results, with the hardness assurance plan ready for test.
- Radiation Testing: Total Dose, Single Events & Displacement Damage: maturity 1.0, Complete. Measured radiation response analysed against the predictions, with the hardness assurance report and the final single-event rate prediction agreed.^A
Hardened digital design^D
- Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out: maturity Freeze, Frozen. Design released in the tape-out database; a change now means a respin and new radiation evidence.
Analog and mixed-signal hardening^A
- Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out: maturity Freeze, Frozen. Analog design released in the tape-out database; silicon results are correlated against it, and a change means a respin.
- Silicon Validation & Characterisation: maturity Freeze, Frozen. Analog design released in the tape-out database; silicon results are correlated against it, and a change means a respin.
Physical design and radiation sign-off^A
- Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out: maturity 1.0, Complete. Physical and radiation sign-off passed, and the tape-out database released.; Physical sign-off
Test and screening programs^A
- Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Test patterns generated on the signed-off design and the first test program written for tape-out.
- Silicon Validation & Characterisation: maturity 1.0, Complete. Test program proven on first silicon; the screening and burn-in programs and hardware are then completed for the approved flow.
- Radiation Testing: Total Dose, Single Events & Displacement Damage: maturity 1.0, Complete. Test program proven on first silicon; the screening and burn-in programs and hardware are then completed for the approved flow.
Package and assembly^A
- Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Package assembly drawings released with the tape-out, and first parts assembled to them for validation and radiation testing.
- Silicon Validation & Characterisation: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Package assembly drawings released with the tape-out, and first parts assembled to them for validation and radiation testing.
- Radiation Testing: Total Dose, Single Events & Displacement Damage: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Package assembly drawings released with the tape-out, and first parts assembled to them for validation and radiation testing.
Silicon validation and characterisation^A
- Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Boards, scripts and the bench ready for first silicon, waiting for parts.
- Silicon Validation & Characterisation: maturity 1.0, Complete. First silicon brought up and validated across temperature and voltage, with characterisation done and the errata known.
Radiation testing^A
- Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out: maturity 0.5, Draft. Radiation test plan drafted, and test boards and fixtures designed, at tape-out.
- Silicon Validation & Characterisation: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Test plan, boards and fixtures nearly final, with beam time booked and validated parts on the way.
- Radiation Testing: Total Dose, Single Events & Displacement Damage: maturity 1.0, Complete. Total dose, single-event and displacement damage campaigns run, with the test reports issued.
Qualification and screening^A
- Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Screening flow drafted from the procurement specification at tape-out, with the burn-in and life test approach outlined.
- Silicon Validation & Characterisation: maturity 0.5, Draft. Screening and lot acceptance approach worked out on first silicon, with burn-in and life test boards being built.
- Radiation Testing: Total Dose, Single Events & Displacement Damage: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Screening flow updated with the radiation results, including radiation lot acceptance.
Long-term supply and obsolescence^A
- Radiation-aware Sign-off & Tape-out: maturity 0.5, Draft. Die and wafer bank strategy drafted with the tape-out, with flight wafer lots planned.
- Silicon Validation & Characterisation: maturity 0.5, Draft. Die and wafer bank strategy drafted with the tape-out, with flight wafer lots planned.
- Radiation Testing: Total Dose, Single Events & Displacement Damage: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Supply plan nearly final with the radiation and screening results: which lots to bank and how they are traced.

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