5G and 6G Communications — from Lab to Fab
The rollout of 5G marks the beginning of a technology revolution that is changing the connected world. With a 100x speed increase compared to 4G network and latencies as low as 1 ms, 5G opens up a new world of possibilities for anything connected to the internet. Technologies like autonomous driving, virtual reality and the internet of things will transform communication, manufacturing and logistics by giving industries the opportunity to utilize high volumes of data.
Leading stakeholders are already developing the next 6G standard, which will go even higher in frequencies, for peak data rates of up to 1,000 Gbps, lower latencies of 0.1 ms, higher connection density (devices/km²), and overcome other constraints of 5G.
With our long history as technology leaders in the high-frequency test and measurement market, FormFactor plays a fundamental role in enabling the development and production of next generation RF, millimeter-wave and terahertz technologies for 5G and 6G from lab to fab.
Research / Development |
High Volume Engineering |
Niche Production |
High Volume Manufacturing |
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5G and 6G Devices | ||||
RF/mmW | ||||
mm-Wave Load-Pull | ||||
THz |
- 5G and 6G Devices
- Research / Development
- High Volume Engineering
- Niche Production
- High Volume Manufacturing
- RF/mmW
- Research / Development
- High Volume Engineering
- Niche Production
- High Volume Manufacturing
- mm-Wave Load-Pull
- Research / Development
- High Volume Engineering
- Niche Production
- High Volume Manufacturing
- THz
- Research / Development
- High Volume Engineering
- Niche Production
- High Volume Manufacturing
What's New
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On-Demand Workshop: Continuous S-Parameter Measurements to 500 GHz
In his presentation, FormFactor's Gavin Fisher shows measurements of the same device type with the same pitch from 200 MHz to 500 GHz, and optimization methods for the measurements and related calibration to achieve one continuous clean result.
Published in Blog
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New Video – Load-Pull with CM300xi, Infinity Probes, and Focus Microwaves DELTA Tuners
The video features our CM300xi probe station and Infinity Probes with seamlessly integrated new 1.8 to 40 GHz DELTA tuners from Focus Microwaves. The solution provides best-in-class measurements for load-pull applications of 5G, WiFi-6 and other Microwave devices.
Published in Blog
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On-Demand Workshop: Autonomous RF Measurement Assistant – Improving Accuracy and Time to Market with True Hands-free RF Calibration and Measurements over Multiple Temperatures
New generations of 5G devices can have dozens of RF channels operating at high frequency, creating a need for a greater on wafer test volume.
Published in Blog
5G and 6G Devices
The 5G deployment ramp is well underway in multiple countries around the world, with the potential to connect not just billions of mobile phones – but also tens of billions of IoT devices, including wearables, smart cities, vehicle to everything (V2X), industrial automation, and more, with a wide variety of speed and data volume requirements.
6G deployment may still be a decade away, but exploration has already begun in earnest. Researchers are investigating materials and structures capable of delivering very high data rates by utilizing broader bandwidths at higher frequencies from tens of GHz into the THz regime. FormFactor’s probe systems and probes are already at work supporting this next wave of innovation in high-frequency communication.
Engineers developing 5G/6G are looking at phased arrays and may have >60 radio frequencies to handle in the same device. A key test challenge for 5G/6G devices is covering a broad spectrum of higher frequencies while maintaining high throughput.
For production testing, we’ve responded with an expanded Pyramid portfolio to enable sub-6 GHz to 80+ GHz testing in multi-site configurations for the lowest cost of test, while also utilizing membrane probe technology for ultra-low inductance and superior signal integrity.
Our deep engineering expertise includes RF simulation, high-performance probing, calibration and general performance diagnosis. Our latest automation features and thermal capabilities provide the most flexible and highest-throughput tools available for bringing RF and mmW devices from concept to launch.
Learn more about RF/mmW and 5GRadio Frequency / Millimeter-Wave
Applications in the RF/mmW regime (up to about 300 GHz) continue to grow, including: 5G, 6G, WiFi/WiGig, automotive radar, virtual reality, security scanners, and even medicine.
FormFactor has long been the industry leader for RF/mmW probing solutions in the lab, continuously innovating powerful analytical probe systems, high performance probes, and calibration substrates/software. As producers of the world’s first probe card capable of 80+ GHz, we continue to offer the industry’s broadest and most proven production probe cards for high-frequency applications. With this unmatched portfolio, we are uniquely situated to empower our customers’ success at all points in the RF/mmW device product lifecycle from initial development to high-volume production.
Learn more about RF/mmW and 5GMillimeter-Wave Load-Pull
A fundamental requirement of 5G devices is maximizing their performance by optimizing power and/or efficiency of the contained amplifiers and transistors. This is done by measuring the performance characteristics of the device under test at different impedances that are systematically changed using load-pull tuners.
FormFactor has partnered with Maury Microwave, Focus Microwaves and Keysight Technologies to deliver fully integrated solutions for accurate on-wafer mm-Wave load-pull measurements.
Learn more about mm-Wave load-pullTerahertz
Research into new materials and semiconductor technology is pushing existing test frequency boundaries to the terahertz (THz) extremes. THz frequencies will be utilized by new applications for materials research, wider communication bandwidths, medical imaging, military and aerospace, and other emerging technologies.
Learn more about terahertz