In semiconductor device fabrication, product binning is the process of sorting manufactured products based on tested levels of performance. Large variances in performance are condensed into a smaller number of marketed designations. This ensures coherency in the marketplace, with tiers of performance clearly indicated.

The immediate consequence of this practice is that, for liability reasons, products sold under a certain designation must meet that designation at a minimum. Individual products may actually be capable of somewhat higher performance than advertised. This practice is largely responsible for the ability to overclock computer hardware

Computer hardware

Personal computer hardware are component devices which are typically installed into or peripheral to a computer case to create a personal computer upon which system software is installed including a firmware interface such as a BIOS and an operating system which supports application software that...

.

Computer Industry

In the Computer Industry it is common practice for many manufacturers to bin products.

Background

Semiconductor manufacturing is an imprecise process, with some estimates as low as 30% for yields. Defects in manufacturing are not always fatal, however. In many cases, it is possible to salvage a part by trading off performance characteristics, such as by reducing its clock frequency or by disabling non-critical parts that are defective. Rather than simply discarding these products, their performance level can be marked down accordingly and sold at a lower price, fulfilling the needs of lower-end market segments.

This practice occurs throughout the semiconductor industry, including central processing unit

Central processing unit

The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...

s, computer memory

Computer memory

In computing, memory refers to the physical devices used to store programs or data on a temporary or permanent basis for use in a computer or other digital electronic device. The term primary memory is used for the information in physical systems which are fast In computing, memory refers to the...

, and graphics processors as well.

External links

• Philips Lumileds Luxeon product binning and labeling document: an example of a documented product binning structure