VRGY Verigy Ltd. (MM)

Verigy (NASDAQ:VRGY), a premier semiconductor test company, today introduced the V93000 Consumer Mixed Signal test solution for performing both wafer sort and final test across a broad range of highly integrated consumer devices. Semiconductor designers and high-volume manufacturers are constantly striving to strike a balance between the breadth of performance requirements and the need for effective and economical test. This is especially true for price-sensitive consumer mixed signal devices common in applications such as ODD (optical display devices), DVD, DTV (digital TV) and STB (set-top boxes); these devices are becoming increasingly integrated to include ePMIC (embedded power management IC) and embedded flash memory. Using the most advanced test methods to ensure the highest accuracy and test quality, the Consumer Mixed Signal solution achieves high single-site and multi-site throughput in both wafer sort and final test of these highly integrated devices. �Consumer demand for mobility and multipurpose devices that integrate audio, video, data and telephony services are sweeping through consumer electronics and shaping the broader semiconductor marketplace,� said Pascal Ronde, vice president of sales, service and support, Verigy. �At the same time, prices for the SoCs that deliver this convergence are dropping 30-40% per year. As a direct consequence of both exploding unit sales and plummeting prices for such devices, manufacturers have no choice but to respond with more multi-site test and ever-lower cost-of-test. It is the growing need of our customers in this business that compelled Verigy to develop the Consumer Mixed Signal solution.� Higher levels of accuracy and DC capabilities in the test system are required to meet the digital test requirements plus the side-by-side testing of performance analog and power management IP cores. The need to ensure "known good die" driven by new system-in-package (SiP) and multi-chip packaged (MCP) packaging techniques, requires performance test at wafer probe. With new failure mechanisms created by manufacturing at nanometer geometries, the imperative to improve yield is fundamental to recovering the investment in multi-billion-dollar fabs. Cost-effective wafer-level testing has become increasingly important to catch failures earlier in the manufacturing cycle and improve yield. Advanced Hardware Maximizes Scalability Verigy incorporates the industry's highest functionality per square centimeter onto single slot cards inserted into the V93000 test head, for smaller tester footprint and lower cost. The Consumer Mixed Signal solution is comprised of the following modular cards: MB AV8 card � Multi-Band Audio-Video �a generation ahead in analog� � for economic flexibility through scalable number of cores and performance ranges. This provides very high utilization through broad application coverage, such as professional audio; baseband IQ; broadband communications; High Definition and Standard Definition TV, STB, DTV and DVD (BluRay and HD-DVD). Pin Scale 400 � scalability covers majority of test pins for consumer IC and wafer sort, and majority of interfaces used for consumer ICs, with 100 Mbps entry level scalable to 533+ Mbps per pin, and 224 MVectors per pin. DC Scale VI32 � flexibility to address multiple applications (eFLASH, ePMIC, precision voltage reference) with a single card, scalable from 16 to 32 channels, and pattern-triggered per channel for highest throughput. DC Scale DPS32 � 32 channels per card for higher multi-site, with multiple power domains and fast synchronous triggering for improved repeatability and highest throughput. More information can be found at www.verigy.com/go/ConsumerMXS. Pricing and Availability The Consumer Mixed Signal solution starts at USD $549,000, and is available now. About the Verigy V93000 The Verigy V93000 provides a scalable platform architecture for testing SoCs, system-in-packages (SIPs) and high-speed memory devices. The V93000, now with more than 1,500 systems installed worldwide, meets the industry�s demanding performance and cost challenges, whether for at-speed engineering characterization or high-volume production. The test system provides massive multi-site capabilities, with data rates up to 12.8 Gbps and supports a full range of digital, mixed-signal and RF applications. It provides low cost-of-test for wireless applications such as cellular, WLAN, WiMax, and UWB. About Verigy Verigy designs, develops, manufactures, sells and services advanced test systems and solutions for the memory and system-on-chip segments of the semiconductor industry. Verigy�s scalable platform systems are used by leading semiconductor companies worldwide in design validation, characterization, and high volume manufacturing test. Formerly part of Agilent Technologies, the company began doing business as Verigy on June 1, 2006, and completed its initial public offering on June 13, 2006. Information about Verigy can be found at www.verigy.com.