1. Purpose and scope
Test hardware is the physical link between the tester and the part, and it often sets the earliest date first silicon can be tested. Probe cards need final pad or bump data and have long lead times; load boards for high pin count, high speed parts need careful layout and analysis; sockets and handler kits must suit the package and the temperatures in the plan. A fault in the hardware looks like a fault in the silicon, which is why hardware is checked out on the tester before silicon arrives.
This stage covers design, analysis, fabrication, inspection and checkout of the first hardware sets, and the order of production sets against the capacity plan. It ends when the hardware is ready: built, inspected and checked on the tester, with every resource and path working or a known, waived limitation.
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