Aehr Test Systems Announces Approximately $6 Million in Sonoma Orders
Aehr Test Systems has announced approximately $6 million in follow-on production orders supporting package-level burn-in of a hyperscale customer's next-generation AI processor.
Aehr Test Systems (NASDAQ:AEHR) has announced approximately $6 million in follow-on production orders from its lead hyperscale customer for package-level burn-in of a next-generation AI processor. The processor is intended for data center training and inference applications, with deliveries scheduled over the next six months.
#Orders to support second Sonoma processor programme
The order covers additional Sonoma™ high-power package-level test and burn-in systems, fully turnkey burn-in modules, device-specific sockets and production software enhancements.
The equipment and consumables will be installed at one of the customer’s outsourced semiconductor assembly and test partners in Taiwan. Aehr said this is the customer’s second AI processor programme to use the Sonoma platform for production burn-in.
The additional capacity is being added ahead of an expected production ramp for the second AI device in calendar 2027. Aehr said the customer has indicated that the second processor is expected ultimately to reach production volumes exceeding those of the first processor introduced to production burn-in on Sonoma.
#First processor already in high-volume production
Aehr said the customer’s first processor using Sonoma is already in high-volume production. The company said volumes are expected to continue ramping significantly as further Sonoma system capacity is deployed over the next several months.
Chief Executive Officer Gayn Erickson said the new orders extend the relationship from qualification and initial production equipment to additional systems, consumables and software for the anticipated production ramp. Erickson also said Aehr believes there is potential for significant additional demand for Sonoma systems and device-specific consumables as volumes increase.
The next-generation processor requires separate thermal control across different areas of each package during production burn-in. Aehr said Sonoma can manage these thermal zones independently while supplying the high current needed to electrically stress the processor.
The platform also supports separate electrical test vectors and monitoring for multiple devices or functional elements within a multi-chip package. Aehr said these capabilities address packages that combine compute die, high-bandwidth memory and interface components with varying power and thermal characteristics.
Erickson said some increasingly complex AI processors cannot be adequately managed through whole-package temperature control alone. He said Sonoma is designed to handle multiple thermal zones and electrical test functions within these packages.
Aehr said it is in detailed discussions with the customer about reliability qualification and production burn-in requirements for future generations of higher-power, larger AI devices. The discussions cover both the Sonoma package-level burn-in platform and the FOX-XP™ wafer-level burn-in platform.
According to Erickson, wafer-level burn-in can be used to screen die before assembly, while package-level burn-in can test the completed device. He said customers may use either method or both at different stages of qualification and production, depending on their requirements.
Aehr Test Systems provides semiconductor testing, burn-in and stabilisation systems for wafer-level, singulated-die and package-level applications. Its products cover areas including artificial intelligence processors, data and telecommunications infrastructure, automotive and industrial systems, memory semiconductors and photonics.
Aehr Test Systems announced approximately $6 million in follow-on production orders from its lead hyperscale customer. The orders support package-level burn-in of the customer's next-generation AI processor for data centre training and inference applications.
The orders include additional Sonoma™ high-power package-level test and burn-in systems, fully turnkey burn-in modules, device-specific sockets and production software enhancements.
Aehr Test Systems said deliveries under the orders are scheduled over the next six months. The systems and consumables are to be deployed at one of the customer's outsourced semiconductor assembly and test partners in Taiwan.
The orders support the customer's second AI processor programme using Aehr Test Systems' Sonoma platform for production burn-in. Aehr said the orders expand capacity ahead of an expected production ramp for the second AI device in calendar 2027.
The customer has indicated that its second AI processor is expected ultimately to reach production volumes exceeding those of its first processor brought into production burn-in on the Sonoma platform. This is a customer indication reported by Aehr Test Systems.
Aehr Test Systems said the customer's first processor is already in high-volume production, with volumes expected to continue ramping significantly as additional Sonoma system capacity is deployed over the next several months.
Sonoma provides independently controlled thermal zones within each package and delivers the high current needed to electrically stress the processor. The platform also supports independent electrical test vectors and monitoring of multiple devices or functional elements within a multi-chip package.
Aehr Test Systems President and Chief Executive Officer Gayn Erickson said controlling a package as a whole is no longer sufficient for some applications as AI processors become more complex. He said Sonoma can independently manage multiple thermal zones and electrical test functions across packages with different power densities and thermal characteristics.
Aehr Test Systems provides test, burn-in and stabilisation solutions for semiconductor devices in wafer-level, singulated die and package-level form. Its products are used across applications including artificial intelligence processors, data and telecommunications infrastructure, automotive and industrial systems.
Aehr Test Systems shares trade on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol AEHR.
Aehr Test Systems said it is engaged in detailed discussions with the customer about reliability qualification and production burn-in requirements for future generations of higher-power, larger AI devices. The discussions cover both Aehr's Sonoma package-level burn-in and FOX-XP™ wafer-level burn-in platforms.
Aehr Test Systems said wafer-level burn-in can screen die before assembly, while package-level burn-in can stress and screen the completed device. According to Chief Executive Officer Gayn Erickson, customers may choose either approach or use both at different stages of qualification and production, depending on their requirements.
Chief Executive Officer Gayn Erickson said Aehr Test Systems believes there is potential for significant additional demand for Sonoma systems and device-specific consumables as volumes increase. The company also said it believes its ability to support both wafer-level and package-level burn-in positions it to support reliability strategies for future AI processors.