Seminar Information
Title: Demystifying Product and Test Engineering in the Semiconductor Industry
Time： 2:00-3:00pm，Dec.19, 2012（Wednesday）
Location：Room 401, Building of School of Microelectronics, SJTU
Speaker: Benjamin K. Sarpong
Technical Talent Development Manager, Senior Member Technical Staff
Texas Instruments Inc, Dallas, TX
Host: Prof. Fu Yuzhuo
Abstract:
The product and test engineering functions in the semiconductor industry work in concert during the new product development process (NPD). Both of these critical engineering roles are typically derived from electrical engineering (EE) graduates. These roles are complementary and closely coordinate their activities to yield a successful product. The test engineering (TE) role is primarily focused on the following activities:
-Understands the product data sheet of a given product.
-Defines the test methodology for all specified parameters.
-Develops software to operate the Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) to test a given product.
-Designs hardware to test device ( Handler Interface Boards)
Whilst the Product Engineering role focuses general on the following:
-Clear understanding of the entire semiconductor development flow and processes.
-Is conversant with semiconductor fabrication flows and factory process flows.
-Exhibits strong project manager aptitude
-Understands and performs product qualification to assure long term product reliability and quality.
-Strong understanding of engineering statistics and economics
The skill sets developed by Product and Test Engineers affords these individuals multiple opportunities to explore other disciplines.
Biography:
Benjamin is a 13 year TI veteran. He is currently a Technical Talent Development Manager in the TI Staffing & Development Team. Ben was previously a Systems & Applications Engineer in Battery Management Solutions (BMS) working on Automotive Battery management Solutions. This position has allowed Ben to expand his skills in customer relationships building and broaden his technical know-how on battery systems. Ben also served as the Engineering Operations Manager for the US Servo Business Unit within HVAL’s Storage Products Group (SPG) where he managed a group of Product, Test & Characterization Engineers. In May 2010, Ben was awarded an MBA Degree from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, Austin. He also holds a BSEE and MSEE degrees from The University of Virginia. Ben is a co-sponsor of the Texas Instruments – Analog Africa University Relations Program where he is working with Universities in Ghana, W. Africa and US Graduate Programs (Texas A&M University) to enhance the Mixed-Signal Design talent. Ben is a Senior Member of Technical Staff at Texas Instruments, Inc, holds a patent and several TI Manufacturer Incentive Awards. He has also authored articles on battery management systems.
