Cascade Microtech Semiconductor Device Test and Measurement

Cascade Microtech is a worldwide leader in precision contact, electrical measurement and test of integrated circuits (ICs), optical devices and other small structures. For technology businesses and scientific institutions that need to evaluate small structures, Cascade Microtech delivers access to electrical data from wafers, ICs, IC packages, circuit boards and modules, MEMS, 3D TSV, LED devices and more.

Cascade Microtech’s leading-edge stations, probes, probe cards and integrated systems deliver precision accuracy and superior performance both in the lab and during production manufacturing of high-speed and high-density semiconductor chips.

Probe systems, engineering probes and production probe cards

Whether you need a cost-effective manual station for probing 150mm wafers or a semi-automatic thermal station to probe 200mm or 300mm wafers, Cascade Microtech offers a complete line of high-performance solutions for on-wafer probing, circuit boards and modules, vertical probe cards, MEMS, electro-optic devices and more. Probe stations are available with accessories such as thermal control systems, special cables, calibration software, and industry-leading probes that help position, calibrate, and characterize devices under test. Cascade Microtech pioneered the first 1-femtoamp measurement, and offers systems that probe up to 220GHz with extremely low leakage and low contact resistance.

RF, DC and multi-contact wedge probes

Cascade Microtech created the first microwave probe in 1983 that enabled the first on-wafer 18GHz measurements and accelerated the commercialization of gallium arsenide chips.

The company’s line of RF probes is designed to meet the challenges of high-frequency probing and ensures low and stable contact resistance on aluminum pads.

Cascade Microtech’s durable, high-performance multi-contact wedge probes streamline RFIC engineering test, and their power device probes provide a complete on-wafer solution for over-temperature, low-contact resistance measurements of power semiconductors up to 60A and 3,000V.

Cascade Microtech’s DC probes deliver highly accurate measurements for advanced on-wafer process, device characterization and reliability testing, and offer superior guarding and shielding over-temperature to resolve the performance limitations of non-coaxial and standard coaxial probes.

Probe cards for multi-die testing and RF wireless

Pyramid Probe® cards are rugged, robust and well-suited for the rigors of high-performance production wafer sort. Industry-leading signal integrity and mechanical alignment capabilities make these probe cards the perfect fit for multi-die testing as well as for RF wireless, high-speed digital in SiPs, SoCs, and leading-edge DC and RF parametric testing.

Cascade Microtech has developed patented clean-room processes for depositing, lithographic patterning, etching and plating probe structures on flexible substrates that are similar to the processes used in making semiconductor chips. These processes have allowed the company to develop Pyramid Probe cores with high-frequency electrical connections and probe tips that are close together to address narrow pitch requirements. These processes have also enabled Cascade Microtech to develop a proprietary MicroScrub® probe tip design, which improves probe contact while minimizing bond pad damage during touch-downs.

Engineering and production testing for digital signal processors and telecommunication chips

Each of the 20 largest semiconductor manufacturers in the world is one of Cascade Microtech’s more than 800 customers. They use the company’s products to perform engineering and production test of a wide variety of devices, including digital signal processors, telecommunications chips, advanced memory chips, microprocessors, microcontrollers, graphics processors and application-specific integrated circuits. Precision measurement capability enables semiconductor companies around the world to keep up with Moore’s Law and to deliver their products to market faster and cheaper.