Wafer prober (probe station)

01

Match the wafer size, automation, stage accuracy and speed

SEMISHARE's A-series fully automatic probers handle 6 and 8 inch wafers (A8) or 8 and 12 inch wafers (A12S, A12W), with thicknesses from 75–200 µm on a Bernoulli arm to 2,000 µm on a ceramic vacuum arm and die sizes from 200 µm to 100,000 µm. Chuck XY repeatability is ±1 µm (A8) or ±0.5 µm (A12S, A12W), absolute accuracy ±2 µm or ±1 µm, resolution 0.1 µm or 0.05 µm (A12W) and maximum speed 240 or 500 mm/s; Z travel is 40–80 mm with ±1 µm repeatability, and theta rotation ±5° to ±10°. [1]

Index times for an XY step with 0.5 mm Z movement are listed at ≤280, ≤320 and ≤370 ms for 1, 5 and 10 mm steps on the A8, and ≤185, ≤235 and ≤250 ms on the 12-inch models. SEMISHARE describes the series for WAT and CP testing of SoC, logic, memory and power chips, with overall probing accuracy of ±2 µm with a screw structure or ±1.5 µm with linear motors. [1]

MPI describes its TS3000 as an entry-level 300 mm automated probe station and the TS3000-IFE as a 300 mm automated station for product engineering with an ice-free environment, for engineering, failure analysis, design validation, wafer level reliability, silicon photonics and RF and mmW applications. [2]

FormFactor's CM300xi shows how one 300 mm platform spans manual and fully automatic use: with its material handling unit it handles up to 50 wafers of 200 or 300 mm from SEMI-standard cassettes for unattended testing, alongside manual loading. An optional ReAlign feature adds two cameras — a downward-looking platen camera for the pads and an upward-looking chuck camera for the probe tips — for off-axis probe-to-pad alignment where vertical or Pyramid probe cards block the view from above, and optional VeloxPro test-executive software is SEMI E95-compliant. FormFactor lists DC, AC and RF/microwave characterisation, 1/f noise, wafer-level reliability, failure analysis and design debug as applications. [3]

Give the supplier the wafer sizes and thicknesses, die size, test type (CP, WAT, engineering, failure analysis, RF), automation level and wafer loading, probe card or probe positioner interface, accuracy and index time targets, chuck temperature range, leakage and noise limits, tester docking, available utilities (power, vacuum, CDA) and floor space.

02

Check chuck temperature, leakage, utilities, size and weight

SEMISHARE lists a chuck temperature control range of −50 °C to 200 °C, optionally −60 °C to 300 °C, with 0.1 °C control accuracy and leakage current as low as the fA level, for round-the-clock on-wafer testing including RF, power and noise tests. MPI lists a maximum temperature range of −60 °C to +300 °C for the TS3000 platform. [1] [2]

Site requirements for the SEMISHARE probers are AC 220 V 50/60 Hz at 16 A, vacuum below −75 kPa and clean dry air at 0.6–0.8 MPa; footprints are 1124 × 1158 × 955 mm (A8), 1982 × 2013 × 1543 mm (A12S) and 1575 × 1475 × 1385 mm (A12W), with weights of 1,200, 2,000 and 1,750 kg. [1]

FormFactor offers the CM300xi from non-thermal and hot-only to a full thermal range of −60 °C to +300 °C in an EMI-shielded, light-tight and moisture-free chamber, lists clean dry air consumption of 300 l/min for its thermal system, and states that thermally induced drift can be re-aligned automatically for 30 µm pads from −40 °C to 150 °C, with the effective range depending on pad size, probe card holder and probe card. [3]

Editorial note: check floor loading and vibration at the installation site against the stated weight before ordering a 12-inch automatic prober, and size the clean-dry-air supply for the thermal system as well as the stage: 300 l/min is 18 m³/h. [1] [3]

03

Check back-side contact, noise and heat for discrete and power wafers

Plum Five's comparison table for its PCP-series wafer probers covers points that matter for discrete and power devices. It lists two platforms: 100–200 mm wafers over a 200 mm probing area in a 1,200 × 860 mm footprint, and 200–300 mm wafers over 300 mm in 1,615 × 1,000 mm, both with a linear-motor XY stage of 1 µm repeat accuracy. The PCP-102WS, for double-sided wafers, measures on-resistance (RDS(on)) through a Kelvin connection on the wafer back. Options include a 50–150 °C hot chuck with 25 °C ± 0.3 °C control and a quick loader that halves load and unload time. A ceramic-blade clamp supports large-current and high-voltage probing; chuck-surface noise is given as more than −80 dB (30 kHz–30 MHz reference), and a non-magnetic option gives 0.04 mT at the chuck. Plum Five states MTBF above 5,000 hours. [4]

Editorial calculation: the 300 mm platform's footprint is about 1.6 m² (1.615 × 1.0), against about 2.3 m² for SEMISHARE's A12W at 1,575 × 1,475 mm. [4] [1]

Ask each supplier for back-side Kelvin contact, chuck and clamp current and voltage ratings, chuck noise with its test method, residual magnetic field and hot-chuck stability.

04

Trace the parts of a wafer prober

This is a functional reference built from the sources cited; it is not one maker's design.

05

Fill the specification fields with values for your test

A wafer prober selection needs values for your wafers and test plan. The table explains each field, gives published values where a reviewed source states them, and says what to obtain from the supplier.

06

Send the wafer, test and site data together

Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.

Wafers: [sizes; thickness; die size]
Test: [CP, WAT, engineering, FA, RF]
Automation: [manual, semi, full; loading]
Accuracy: [repeatability; index time]
Thermal: [range; accuracy]
Electrical: [leakage; noise; tester docking]
Site: [power; vacuum; CDA; floor space and loading]
Volume: [quantity]

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