About Product and Test Engineering (in chip company)

[Kholdstare]

I want to know how prospective is the field of PTE (Product and Test Engineering) compared to IC Design Engineers? What good may lie in future in this field?

Also, how much digital/logic related work vs. analog work is done in PTE?

Thank You

 

[phyzguy]

I worked in the IC field for many years. Given the continued growth of electronics, there should be good job prospects in both IC design and PTE for some time. I no longer work in the field, but my friends who do tell me the job prospects today are good. PTE typically includes both analog and digital aspects. As on-chip integration increases, more and more chips have both analog and digital content, so it would be good to be comfortable with both.

 

[Kholdstare]

thanks phyzguy. But what I want to know is the nature of work in PTE. Like whether they use analog knowledge to design test circuits, connect chip and test them etc. OR whether they write digital testbenches in verilog, use programming skills, work in logic/abstract domain.

Actually, I'm weak in digital/logic design/test domain. :D So, I want to avoid digital work. ;)

 

[phyzguy]

My experience was that much of the work was writing test programs and analyzing test results in order to improve chip yields. I'm not sure you can do electronics these days and 'avoid digital work'. Maybe there are still some pure analog chips, but I think it's a niche. Anyone else Have an opinion?

 

[oneitusatu]

i did have an internship in PTE and just like @phyzguy said, basically your job is to improve chip yields,
beside you're going to familiar with writing test programs,you will get new knowledge in testing concept, and you'll get a lot of analog things there,