binning

Binning is the process of sorting manufactured chips by tested performance characteristics (speed, power, features) into different product grades, maximizing revenue from the natural distribution of silicon quality. Binning parameters: (1) Speed grade—maximum operating frequency (e.g., 3.0 GHz, 3.5 GHz, 4.0 GHz bins); (2) Power/leakage—idle and active power consumption; (3) Feature bin—number of working cores, cache size, functional units; (4) Temperature rating—commercial (0-70°C), industrial (-40-85°C), automotive (-40-125°C). How binning works: (1) Wafer sort—probe test identifies functional die and preliminary performance; (2) Package and assemble—good die packaged; (3) Final test—comprehensive speed, power, functionality testing; (4) Bin assignment—each chip assigned to specific product SKU based on test results. Product SKU examples: (1) Highest bin—premium product, highest clock, all cores working, lowest leakage; (2) Mid bin—standard product, moderate clock; (3) Lower bin—value product, some cores disabled, lower clock; (4) Salvage bin—reduced feature set, still functional. CPU example: an 8-core design where 2 cores are defective becomes a 6-core product (e.g., AMD Ryzen 5 from Ryzen 7 die). GPU example: NVIDIA disables streaming multiprocessors to create product stack (RTX 4090 → 4080 → 4070 from same die). Revenue optimization: instead of discarding chips that don't meet top-bin specs, sell as lower-tier products. Yield and binning interaction: as yield improves, more chips qualify for highest bins—binning strategy adjusts accordingly. Dark silicon: intentionally designed spare cores/units anticipating binning. Binning is essential for maximizing revenue from each wafer and creating diverse product portfolios from a single chip design.