AMD chip yields even better at Chartered than at AMD!

[Del Cecchi]

Yep, "Focused Ion Beam". Kinda like a small soldering station. Now
imagine drilling down from the back side of the chip to solder your
wires
into the rats nest. Can't do it from the front, there might be ten
layers
of wires you'd piss off there! It is amazing stuff, though I'm not
sure
for how much longer.

One of us is confused. I thought FIB was done from the top. So you had
to be a little lucky to get accessibility. They do some kind of optical
emission debugging from the back. Or so I thought.

Anyway, cutting and adding submicron wires boggles my mind.

del cecchi

 

[Keith]

One of us is confused. I thought FIB was done from the top. So you had
to be a little lucky to get accessibility.

When I said "can't" I meant that it's not always possible at the
high-end. I thought it amazing when I saw someone drill
through the back. I don't think it's a regular thing though. It may have
even been a demonstration. It's been a few years.

They do some kind of optical emission debugging from the back. Or so I thought.

That too, but that's more like attach an oscilloscope than changing
circuits.

Anyway, cutting and adding submicron wires boggles my mind.

Mine too. All the magic the FA people do is amazing.