Adaptive test method on production system-level testing (SLT) to optimize test cost, resources and defect parts per million (DPPM)

As monolithic SOCs keep adding more and more IPs, the resultant test cost to augment overall coverage to be within committed outgoing defect parts per million (DPPM) becomes a challenge. The reliance on system-level testing (SLT) for additional coverage to keep outgoing DPPM within acceptable level is now becoming a norm. The challenge is always on how to keep SLT within a minimal test time budget to keep test cost low. This paper explains how an adaptive test method was successfully implemented on a SLT platform which intelligently applies different test contents per part based on its DPPM risk tag.