Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano SystemsNews
On track for growth, with excellence: Testing expert Ralf Arnold brings solid track record to European Test and Reliability Center
Ralf Arnold, a proven expert in his field with years of testing experience, joined Europe’s new cutting-edge center for microelectronics in April of this year. He has a degree in engineering and some 40 years of specialist and leadership experience in executive management positions in test engineering for semiconductor innovations from global enterprises and in the academic sector. In his new role as Chief Scientist Test- and Design-for-Test-Concept (DFT), he will be instrumental in shaping the subject-specific and technological direction of the European Test and Reliability Center (ETRC) at Fraunhofer ENAS, advancing test roadmaps and helping to prioritize forward-looking topics. We caught up with him as he starts out in his new role. In this interview, Ralf Arnold shares exclusive insight into his extensive industry expertise, acknowledges the people who have inspired him and shows how orchestrating state-of-the-art testing strategies can help to achieve superior quality and the very highest standards for semiconductor chips in Europe.
Testing has been a constant theme in your professional career: You have almost 40 years of expertise in developing test solutions for innovation in semiconductors, 30 of it spent working for semiconductor manufacturer Infineon. You hold 14 patents in the field of testing and have been a part of many projects as a test engineer and more than 60 in the role of testing and DFT concept specialist. What do you personally find so fascinating about this subject?
Testing has definitely been a constant theme in my professional career right from the start. Not long after I finished my degree in telecommunications, in the late 1980s, I had the unique opportunity to participate in developing a research lab for semiconductor tests at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, where I worked on innovative testing methods.
Back then, just like today, it’s always a very special moment when a new semiconductor chip is developed and needs to be tested to ensure it is free of errors as it makes its way toward worldwide use. The excitement in the air when it is put into operation for the first time, the challenge of deciding which tests to perform to really put it through its paces and the tension and nervousness as everyone involved waits to see whether it works as planned – all that is a fresh adventure every time around, drawing the whole team in.
And that’s exactly what always drove me during my time at Infineon as well – the curiosity and the excitement, not only of being a part of the action from the start when a new product is developed but also being part of technological breakthroughs for generations to come.
From digital and mixed-signal components to SRAM (static random-access memory) and ROM (read-only memory) modules and beyond to high-speed and power components, I’ve had the opportunity to develop testing and DFT concepts as well as cutting-edge testing methods for semiconductors across many successful and complex projects for all these kinds of modules and assemblies in the course of my career, thereby testing the performance, quality and functionality of new chips.
This lays the foundations for the very highest levels of reliability and security in many areas of our daily lives. Anywhere from 60 to 90 microcontrollers are installed in a single car these days, for example. These semiconductor components act like the nerve centers in present-day vehicles, controlling a wide range of processes, from emergency braking and lane keeping assistance features to triggering airbags and unlocking doors. Even a tiny defect in a single one of these components can have a big impact on the system as a whole, creating risks to vehicle occupants, pedestrians and other road users. That’s exactly why it is so crucial to identify these potential risks early on and ensure that chips function perfectly. This helps ensure rigorous quality, absolute reliability and the utmost in safety and security, which in turn forms the foundation for full trust in technology, right in line with the ETRC motto, “Innovation needs trust.”
All this makes me even happier to be a part of the ETRC with my skillset and to be working on exactly these factors relating to state-of-the-art technologies so we can further strengthen trust in innovation.
What tasks will you be taking on in your new role at the ETRC to boost this level of credibility for microelectronics, and what are you looking forward to from here?
Thanks to my personal experience and decades of professional practice, I know firsthand what the industry needs in the area of semiconductor testing and reliability assessments. This industry insight is key to shaping the further development and expansion of the ETRC with an eye to the future. Our goal is to develop new testing strategies and reliability routines for semiconductor technologies that meet the increasingly stringent global requirements that apply to state-of-the-art microelectronics. Making them more rugged, highly efficient and failsafe and extending their lifespans is central to what we do.
We plan to focus especially on innovative testing approaches to allow us to uncover completely new error mechanisms going forward that have previously gone unidentified using established procedures and testing methods. The goal here is to provide even better support to safety-critical sectors like the automotive industry in particular, making the future of driving even safer. One aspect of this that I think is especially exciting is thinking now about the road ahead and working now on forward-looking topics and research that might not become important until years from now.
I also feel it’s important to pick up on new developments in the field of testing early on by engaging in dialogue at international conferences and then harness those ideas for the ETRC. Whether we participate as speakers or part of a scientific program committee, conferences, symposia and other events always provide valuable food for thought and fresh viewpoints. I plan to continue to actively pursue all this going forward and to bring the best ideas from around the industry in to strengthen our work at the ETRC.
Through all our activities, we at the ETRC are making a crucial contribution in various ways, strengthening the future viability of Chemnitz as an industry hub, bolstering Saxony’s own role as a significant high-tech region and raising the profile of European excellence in microelectronics. I’m really excited to be a part of that vision.
Are there any interpersonal contacts you’re especially looking forward to?
First and foremost, I’m looking forward to working with my ETRC colleagues. I really value the chance to connect with many new contacts and also reconnect with longstanding companions and esteemed experts from around the industry and once again form a powerful and impactful team. I have longstanding professional ties founded on mutual trust with Prof. Harald Kuhn and Prof. Ulrich Heinkel, head of the chair in Circuit and System Design at Chemnitz University of Technology.
I’m also delighted to be reconnecting with my mentor, Prof. Werner Wolz, here in Chemnitz. He is serving these days in the role of Honorary Professor for “Basics of Test and Test-Friendly Design” at Chemnitz University of Technology. More than 30 years ago, he paved the way for me to get into the field of testing. I really learned a lot from him, and I’m still very grateful for that to this day. He showed me that growth and innovation emerge when we take the initiative and leave the beaten path. The only way to truly grow and expand our perspective to see new things, and thus progress, is by taking the plunge into the unknown.
When you’re not working on new testing strategies for innovation in semiconductors, where might you be found on a free afternoon, and where do you personally get fresh motivation each and every day?
I have a soft spot for classic American cars. I love going to classic car meetups with my 1966 Ford Mustang and driving around the countryside in my 2007 Ford Mustang. I also enjoy travel and discovering new places, whether that’s in the U.S., Europe or Asia. It’s a nice change of pace from my everyday life, and it’s where I get inspiration for new projects and upcoming challenges, professional and personal.
Thank you for speaking with us. We hope you get off to a great start in your new role and enjoy every success.
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