Pre-silicon validation at Intel’s Malaysia facility happens earlier than the chip’s design and functionalities are finalised. This course of includes operating checks in a digital setting underneath varied situations and use instances to make sure that all elements of the chip adjust to the design.

A robotic mechanically separates chips from a wafer (Image credit score: Intel)

From wafers to chips

Intel is without doubt one of the few firms that’s concerned in each step of chip making. This begins by changing sand into silicon wafers (carried out by a associate firm) after which etching the design utilizing the newest lithography course of (which varies from chip to chip). After etching is full, these 300mm (typical measurement of a round wafer) wafers are shipped from fabrication crops to Intel’s die prep and kind operations amenities, such because the one in Kulim, Malaysia. This is a post-silicon course of.

The die is then separated into particular person chips utilizing varied strategies like grinding, laser scribing, and mechanical slicing. These chips are positioned right into a switch medium and mechanically checked for defects and sorted utilizing a customized in-house module weighing 1000 kilos.

Various kinds of chips that Intel manufactures at its Malaysia facility (Image credit score: Intel)

Assembly and testing

These particular person chips are then despatched to places like Intel Penang Assembly and Test (PGAT), the place they’re mounted onto PCB substrates and hooked up to warmth spreaders. While it’d sound easy, these steps require extremely exact equipment, and every process takes place in a clear room. During our go to to PGAT, we had been required to put on full-body fits.

Once a person chip (resembling an Intel Core or Intel Xeon) is hooked up to a PCB substrate (which requires millimeter precision), a lid, often known as thermal interface materials, is hooked up to the processor to guard the silicon and guarantee environment friendly warmth dissipation.

Inspection earlier than the attachment of thermal interface materials (Image credit score: Intel)

Next, the processors bear a burn-in check, which includes testing them underneath excessive temperatures and voltages. This helps Intel display screen out faulty chips. During this check, every chip undergoes a sequence of predefined checks to make sure the performance of all {the electrical} traces (the golden yellow contact factors on a processor).

As the ultimate a part of this process, Intel performs a PPV (Platform, Performance, and Validation) check that simulates end-user situations on varied platforms and working programs. Every Intel chip available on the market undergoes these rigorous manufacturing processes.

After guaranteeing that every particular person chip features in keeping with specs, they’re both shipped to OEMs or clients with business packaging.

Analysing a chip for the reason for failure (Image credit score: Intel)

Beyond manufacturing

For an organization like Intel, understanding what went flawed is as essential as designing a completely working chip. This is why the corporate has a devoted failure evaluation lab. Insights gained from this lab are included into future merchandise to boost their high quality. At the failure evaluation lab, Intel conducts each harmful and non-destructive testing.

The creator is in Malaysia on the invite of Intel India