Testing the Chips

Each chip is tested to assess functionality and to see how fast it can store or retrieve information. Chip speed (or access time) is measured in nanoseconds (a billionth, 1/1,000,000,000th of a second). The precision demands are so great that as many as half the chips are found to be defective. A drop of ink is deposited on defective chips.

Burning In

This burn-in oven runs performance tests on every chip simulating actual usage conditions. Each chip is tested by feeding information to the chip and querying for the information to ensure the chip is receiving, storing, and sending the correct data.

Scanning

All chips are scanned, using optics or lasers, to discover any bent, missing, or incorrectly formed leads.