Development of millimeter-wave technology for non-contact automated testers of CMOS wafers

平板电脑、智能手机和其他产品的集成电路(IC)在发货前使用自动测量仪器进行测试，以验证IC的性能。本项目的目的是开发用于自动测试仪的探针卡的非接触式探头方法，以表征半导体代工厂中的IC。电路测试和验证通常是通过将“探针卡”与晶片进行物理接触来完成的，典型的探针卡可能有数千个精致的接触尖端。单个牌尖的损坏将使整张牌变得毫无用处，因为牌尖是不可修复或不可更换的。建议的非接触探测方法将依赖于使用感应线圈在探针卡和被测晶片之间发送和接收测试信号的电磁(EM)耦合。信号频率将在高毫米波到亚毫米波的频谱区域，其中电磁波的自由空间波长很小。

Integrated circuits (ICs) for tablet computers, smartphones and other products are tested using automated measurement instruments to verify the performance of the ICs before shipment. The purpose of this project is to develop non-contact probing methods for probe cards used in automated testers to characterize the ICs in semiconductor foundries. Circuit test and verification is normally done by bringing a 'probe card' into physical contact with the wafer and a typical probe card can have thousands of delicate contact tips. Damage to a single tip will render the entire card useless because tips are not fixable or replaceable. The proposed non-contact probing method will rely on electromagnetic (EM) coupling using inductive coils to send and receive test signals between the probe card and the wafer under test. The signaling frequency will be in the high-millimeter wave to submillimeter wave region of the spectrum where the free-space wavelength of the EM waves is small.