VSL Introduces Autonomous On-Wafer Measurements with New Automated Probing System

VSL Introduces Autonomous On-Wafer Measurements with New Automated Probing System

VSL now operates a fully autonomous on-wafer measurement system, a major milestone for chip calibrations. In on-wafer measurements, electrical properties are measured directly on the chip, before it is even packaged. As modern electronic components are manufactured at the nanoscale, they have become too small to measure manually. To address this, VSL has developed a probing system: a highly accurate robotic arm that uses RF probes to make contact with the chip and is controlled by software.

Until now, those measurements were highly dependent on the user operating the system. That is not exactly ideal, because every measurement should be performed precisely in the same, reproducible way. In recent years, we have therefore worked in a multidisciplinary team to fully automate the probing system. The software now independently controls all steps of the measurement according to established protocols without operator intervention.

For customers, this means that on-wafer calibrations are carried out fully autonomously
and in a consistent, identical way every time, so on chip devices can be reliably compared. Measurement accuracy remains stable and in line with accreditation requirements. In the coming months, VSL will continue developing a traceable high frequency (HF) calibration service for on-wafer components, enabling industry to keep relying on consistent and internationally traceable measurement results.