Packaging and testing: after the chip leaves the wafer
A chip finished on the wafer is not ready to use. It has to be cut out, packaged, connected to the outside and tested one by one. This stage is called packaging and testing, and it usually happens at a different kind of plant.
What is chip packaging, and why does a finished chip still need a package?
Packaging puts a finished chip in a case that protects it, connects its tiny pads to pins or solder balls, and carries heat away. The steps, in plain English.
How are chips tested, and how is wafer sort (CP) different from final test (FT)?
Chips are usually tested twice: wafer sort (CP) before the wafer is cut, and final test (FT) after packaging. What each one checks and why both are needed.
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- Chip fab jargon in plain English: MO, Hold, Q-time, OCAP and the rest, one plain sentence each
- fab24hr in the classroom: 20- and 40-minute lesson plans, one chapter of the main story per lesson, discussion questions, devices and privacy
- About and press kit: trailer, gameplay clips, descriptions and key facts