Aehr Test Systems

Aehr Test Systems, Inc. ("Aehr Test," "Aehr," or "we") was incorporated in the state of California on May 25, 1977 and is headquartered in Fremont, California. We are a leading provider of test solutions for testing, burning-in, and stabilizing semiconductor devices in wafer level, singulated die, and package level, and have installed thousands of systems worldwide. Mission critical applications are driving increased quality, reliability, safety, and security needs of semiconductors. The applications include artificial intelligence ("AI"), High Performance Compute ("HPC") data centers, E-mobility (electric vehicles), electric vehicle charging infrastructure, solar and wind power, data and telecommunications infrastructure, and solid-state memory storage. The trend is driving additional test requirements, incremental capacity needs, and new opportunities for Aehr Test products and solutions. We have developed and introduced several innovative products including the FOX-P TM family of test and burn-in systems and FOX WaferPak TM Aligner, FOX WaferPak Contactor, FOX DiePak Carrier and FOX DiePak Loader. The FOX-XP and FOX-NP systems are full wafer contact and singulated die/module test and burn-in systems that can test, burn-in, and stabilize a wide range of devices such as leading-edge silicon carbide-based and gallium nitride power semiconductors, 2D and 3D sensors used in mobile phones, tablets, and other computing devices, memory semiconductors, processors, microcontrollers, systems-on-a-chip, and photonics and integrated optical devices used in AI. The FOX-CP system is a low-cost single-wafer compact test solution for logic, memory and photonic devices and the newest addition to the FOX-P product family. The FOX WaferPak Contactor contains a unique full wafer contactor capable of testing wafers up to 300mm that enables integrated circuits ("ICs"), manufacturers to perform test, burn-in, and stabilization of full wafers on the FOX-P systems. The FOX DiePak Carrier allows testing, burn-in, and stabilization of singulated bare die and modules up to 1,024 devices in parallel per DiePak on the FOX-NP and FOX-XP systems up to nine DiePaks at a time. The introduction of the High Power FOX-XP in connection with the Sonoma Ultra high-power package level reliability/burn-in test solutions and Sonoma Ultra Automated Loader and Unloader enable Aehr the unique ability to deliver wafer level test and burn-in and package level burn-in for AI accelerators, GPUs, and HPC processors. The combination positions us well within the rapidly growing AI market as a turn-key provider of reliability and testing that span from engineering to high volume production. In combination with Sonoma, Tahoe and Echo package level burn-in systems, we provide a full range of solutions for semiconductor devices.

Semiconductor manufacturing is a complex, multi-step process, and defects or weaknesses that may result in the failure of a semiconductor device may be introduced at any process step. Failures may occur immediately or at any time during the operating life of the device, sometimes after several months of normal use. Semiconductor manufacturers rely on testing and reliability screening to identify and eliminate defects that occur during the manufacturing process.

Testing and reliability screenings involve multiple steps. The first set of tests is typically performed by semiconductor device manufacturers before the processed semiconductor wafer is cut into individual die, in order to avoid the cost of packaging defective die. This "wafer probe" testing can be performed on one or many die at a time, including testing the entire wafer at once. Most leading-edge microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, memory ICs, sensors, power and optical devices (such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, or VCSELs) then undergo an extensive reliability screening and stress testing procedure known as burn-in or cycling, depending on the application. This can either be done at the wafer level, before the die are packaged, or at the package level, after the die are packaged. The burn-in process screens for early failures by operating the device at elevated voltages and temperatures, at up to 150 degrees Celsius (302 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher. Depending upon the application, the burn-in times can range anywhere from minutes to hours or even days. A typical burn-in system can process thousands of devices simultaneously. After burn-in, the devices undergo a final test process using automatic test equipment, or testers. For example, this cycling process screens silicon carbide semiconductor devices used in electric vehicle engine controller inverters and their corresponding on-board battery chargers for failure to meet current power loss and leakage specifications, as well as endurance requirements.

The Company’s semiconductor test and reliability qualification solutions address multiple test and burn-in markets including Artificial Intelligence devices for Large Language Models ("LLMs") and Inference, Silicon Carbide ("SiC") and Gallium Nitride ("GaN") devices for power semiconductors, electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, solar and wind power, silicon photonics for data center infrastructure, Co-Package Optics (CPO) and worldwide 5G infrastructure, 2D/3D sensors for consumer electronics and automotive applications, and the data storage and memory markets.