Q-Star Test serves its customers with solutions that help them to built better products at lower costs, to enrich their knowledge and to support their engineering activities.  The Q-Star Test solutions aim at Test Time reduction, IC Quality improvement (addressing 0ppm quality targets and requirements), IC Reliability improvement (allowing to achieve 0DPM reliability fall-out requirements) and for fast and accurate failure analysis. Q-Star Test helps the IC industry to implement Design-For-Test (DFT) strategies and provides cost effective solutions to optimize the test process, to reduce test time and costs, to improve test data quality, to improve productivity and to improve the overall product quality.

To achieve these goals Q-Star Test is active in three main areas:

• Test and DFT consulting and training services,
• High performance and intelligent current (IDDX, ISSX) measurement solutions and
• Custom engineering services.

In cooperation with our partners we offer a total solution package consisting of test program optimization, test program engineering & conversion and current test (IDDX, ISSX) application support. We assist you in achieving the required test coverage and lowering your test costs based on our unique high performance supply current test solutions. We offer you the right solution to test your high performance DSM ICs as well as your low power semiconductor devices.

Q-Star Test’s DFT consulting and training services aim to bridge the still existing gap between Design and Test and to avoid costly redesign cycles due to lacking test requirements by providing designers a better insight in the test process and test requirements and to support the implementation of a proper DFT strategy as part of the design flow. Considering testability already from the start of the design cycle, avoids costly redesign cycles addressing test and verification limitations and further allows to reduce the overall product costs by providing test optimization means once product verification has been done. See the “Consulting Services” section for more details.

Q-Star Test’s measurement products fulfill the measurement needs in different market segments: telecommunication, consumer, computer, medical, automotive, etc. Q-Star Test’ standard measurement products are focussed on making current measurements fast, accurate and reliably. They support Standard as well as Advanced current measurement and test strategies, such as various forms of Delta IDDQ, Current Ratios, Relative IDDQ, transient current testing (IDDT) and Analog supply current measurements. Our add-on solutions are ATE independent. We are also offering IDDX solutions for deep-sub micron and nanotechnologies. See the “Product Overview” section for more details

Q-Star Test’s engineering services address the various aspect of test program and test engineering as well as the development of dedicated electronic modules and systems, and based on the know-how for the development of highly reliable and high-performance measurement modules. See the “Engineering Services” section for more details.

Current and future products and services are based on a close follow up of the needs of the test market, the enhancement of the capabilities of the existing monitor products, the development of new monitor products, the development of ATE-specific monitor products and the cooperation with other test related companies for the development of new products, embedding Q-Star Test's technology and products. Our research is focussing on the development of test and measurement hardware as well as supporting software.

Explore the Technology pages for more background information and go to the Product and Services section for more details on our products and services. With Q-Star Test, you get more than just technology.  Behind our solutions stands an experienced team who know your problems, needs and expectations.

Q-Star Test products are state-of-the-art and best-in-class measurement modules that enable high speed, high accurate, high resolution and highly repeatable current measurements. We have modules that are designed for add-on application (add-ons to probe cards, interface boards, loadboards, dutboards, ...) and that are test system independent, but we also have modules for ATE system integration and IP blocks for IC integration (so called built-in current monitors).

From a measurement perspective Q-Star Test has monitor products for On-chip current measurements of Quiescent, Transient, and Analog Supply Currents, for Power and Ground connection verification, for “Plug-and-Play” Interface board (Loadboard – DUT board - Probe card) applications, for Submicron, Deep submicron and Nanotechnology application and for ATE integration.

The Q-Star Test Products are further divided in  “active” and “obsolete” products. “Obsolete” products are products that are maintained to support existing customers but for which no further developments or improvements are planned. “Active” products are products that are actively supported and for which further developments are done and further improvements are planned.

Measurement Modules for Interface board Application.

These are plug-and-play Single chip based or small advanced measurement modules that are designed to be connected to the interface board (Loadboard, DUT board or probe card) that links the device under test with the test system. Modules are available that are to be inserted into the supply path as well as modules that are designed to be inserted into the ground path. These modules are test system (ATE) independent, extend and enhance the functionality and capabilities of existing ATE and are offering a low-cost test technology entry point. Solutions are available for submicron, Deep submicron (DSM) and Nanotechnology application.

Our plug-and-play add-on measurement modules provide an easy way to implement a supply-current (IDDQ, ICCQ, IDDT, ICCT) or a ground-current (ISSQ) test strategy in an existing production environment. They support standard as well as advanced supply or ground current test approaches such as delta-IDDQ, current ratio’s, etc., and support features such as adaptive limit setting, window comparison, vector related reference setting and many more.

Q-Star Test has modules for ultra-low current (pA - nA) measurements, for ‘standard’ current measurements and a dedicated line of wide range ultrahigh resolution monitor modules for DSM, Nanotechnology and high leakage applications.

Visit the “Add-On Modules” product page for more info. Read more >>

Measurement modules for ATE Integration.

These are monitor modules or monitor IP blocks to be integrated into the ATE or other test equipment.

Visit the “ATE Modules” product page for more info.  Read more >>

Built-in Current Monitors

These are IP building blocks intended to be integrated on the same silicon with the circuit to test

Visit the “Built-In” current monitor page for more info.  Read more >>

For more information, contact us or request a Quote.
Product highlights and datasheets can also be downloaded from our information download page.

Contact us to help you selecting the right product for the your application. We will be happy to support you with this quest. In addition this page provides access to checklists that are designed to help you selecting the right product for the target application. Datasheets of our products can be obtained from the information download page. Although we are trying to keep this page to-date as much as possible, the information provided might not be the latest information available and is supplied as if. To obtain the latest information post a simple information request using our Information request page or, contact us by phone or send an e-mail to info@qstar.be .

Product Selection Tools:

Contact us for more Information or to request a Quote.  For more >>

Q-Star Test’ consulting services are based on a thorough knowledge of its founder Dr. H. Manhaeve and his Team on IC design and electronic product design, design flows, IC and product test, Test preparation, Design-for-Test (DFT) techniques, application and implementation, supply current based test approaches as well as on IC defect behavior, modeling and detection. Both consulting as well as training services are offered in this context. Q-Star Test’s DFT consulting and training services aim to bridge the still existing gap between Design and Test and to avoid costly redesign cycles due to lacking test requirements by providing designers a better insight in the test process and test requirements and to support the implementation of a proper DFT strategy as part of the design flow. Considering testability already from the start of the design cycle, avoids costly redesign cycles addressing test and verification limitations and further allows to reduce the overall product costs by providing test optimization means once product verification has been done.

We offer Consulting and Training services on the following main themes:

• Test and Design for Test.
• Design for test (DFT) methodologies and implementation.
• Test strategy improvement.
• Hardware - software co-design and the aspect of Test and Design for Test
• Supply-current-based DFT methodologies and techniques.
• Supply-current test application and measurement strategies.
• Achieving 0ppm quality and Reliability.

With a focus on training this translates to training courses on topics such as (but not limited to):

• Introduction to Test for Designers
• What is test all about, fault models and test pattern generation
• Design for Test (DFT) methodologies and their application (BIST, SCAN, Boundary SCAN, ...)
• IDDX DFT, test and implementation strategies

With a focus on consulting this translates to consulting services for the design team on topics such as (but not limited to):

• Test background, Fault models & (Iddq) Test pattern generation
• Iddx related and general design and design for test techniques
• Supply current test based test pattern generation optimization
• Use and application of Built-in current monitors
• Hardware - Software codesign test aspects.

and towards the the Test engineering & production testing teams this translates to topics such as (but not limited to):

• Test optimization and Test strategy improvement
• Supply current test strategies & implementation
• Use of IDDQ monitor modules
• IDDX based test optimization

Contact us for more Information, to discuss your needs and/or to request a Quote.  For more >>

Q-Star Test’s engineering services address two main themes, namely “Test Engineering” and “Electronic Engineering”.

Test Engineering.

Our Test Engineering services (partly provided in cooperation with our partners) address the various aspects of test program development, test program conversion, test program optimization, test preparation and test application and execution.

Electronic Engineering

Our Electronic Engineering services and solutions (based on the know-how for the development of highly reliable and high-performance measurement modules) are related to design and development of electronic circuits and systems, with a focus on test and measurement applications, address both hardware and (embedded) software development and range from design over prototype development, validation and verification, to small series production.

Contact us for more information or a quote.  For more >>