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SE Reports are available via http://se.wtb.tue.nl/sereports AbstractThe integration and test phase of complex manufacturing machines, like an ASML [1] lithographic manufacturing system, is expensive and time consuming. The tests that can be performed at a certain point in time during the integration phase depend on the modules that are integrated and therefore on the integration sequence. In this paper, we introduce a mathematical model to describe an overall integration and test sequencing problem and we propose an algorithm to solve this problem. The method is a combination of integration sequencing and test sequencing. Furthermore, we introduce several strategies that determine when test phases should start. With a case study within the development of a software release that is used to control a lithographic machine, we show that the described method and strategies can be used to solve real-life problems.

The complexity of semiconductor manufacturing equipment is growing. This growth results in a complexity increase of the integration and test phase of these systems. Simply adding more test resources is not possible anymore, because of the cost involved. A better design of an integration and test strategy can help to optimize this hectic phase. However, methods to design and evaluate integration and test strategies for multi‐disciplinary systems are hardly available. In this paper, we present a method to design and compare integration and test strategies. Following this method, an optimal integration and test strategy can be chosen from a set of possible strategies. A case has been performed where a system is integrated and tested using three different integration and test strategies: a time‐to‐market‐driven strategy, a quality‐driven strategy and a combined quality and time‐to‐market strategy.