The probe system is suitable for meeting complex test and measurement specifications and achieve a high-efficiency for countering environmental noise experienced in conventional probe systems
FormFactor, a semiconductor test and measurement supplier, has introduced the CM300xi-ULN, a 300mm wafer probe system designed for highly accurate testing of flicker noise (1/f), random telegraph noise (RTN) and phase noise. These noise phenomena increasingly interfere with advanced analogue and digital IC technologies, whose power and performance gains come at a cost of reduced noise tolerance. This calls for careful device design and validation to counter internal noise sources using highly sensitive equipment. The CM300xi-ULN system eliminates over 97 per cent of the environmental noise experienced in conventional probe systems to achieve ultra-low noise measurement.
Low noise probing
The CM300xi-ULN system helps achieve four significant industry landmarks in the arena of on-wafer noise testing, including:
- Automated probing to achieve -190dB spectral noise to make highly accurate noise measurements of new, high-performance devices (typical, dBVrms/√Hz, 1kHz to 1MHz, with prober and thermal system enabled)
- Integrated test cell power management which eliminates ground-loop induced noise and provides fully managed and filtered AC power for both probe system and instruments
- Fully autonomous flicker noise thermal testing on 30um pads for up to 4x faster testing than previous generation systems
- Customer site surveys and “low noise” installation verification to significantly reduce setup costs and tool deployment time
“The new CM300xi-ULN with Contact Intelligence fundamentally transforms the lab flicker noise measurement for leading-edge technology nodes below seven nanometers,” said Claus Dietrich, VP and GM of the Systems Business Unit at FormFactor. “It is now possible to deploy high-throughput, low-frequency flicker noise testing, for either semi-automated or fully autonomous probing with multi-DUT layouts for complete hands-free 24/7 operation. With the CM300xi-ULN taking the complexity out of low noise test cell optimization, test engineers need only to power on and begin testing.”
