A recent article in EPSNews – 2017 IC Growth Doubled: DRAM and NAND Prices Surge – cites research from IC Insights that DRAM bit volume is expected to increase by 30 percent this year from already historically strong levels, with DRAM content growth continuing in cost-sensitive mobile and data center applications. Additionally, rapidly-growing automotive applications with their extreme technical and quality requirements bring challenges to wafer probing, with the demand for test temperatures as low as -40C and as high as 160C. Our new SmartMatrix 1500XP advanced memory probe card builds on our proven Matrix architecture and addresses both the cost and technical challenges with advanced DRAM.

High performance and short delivery times for SmartMatrix 1500XP mean optimization and faster time-to-market for today’s DRAM memory devices. Here are five features that help deliver these benefits:

  1. Higher parallelism, higher efficiency and lower cost of DRAM test
  • Increase throughput by using ATRE to achieve more than 1500 DUTs simultaneously on a single touchdown
  • Increase test speed from 100 MHz to 200 MHz without compromising signal fidelity
  1. Robust 3D MEMS spring with superior tip position and performance
  • Scalable 3D MEMS MicroSpring® technology enables flexible pad layout with superior contact performance
  • Enables contact pad geometry shrinkage aligning with technology node transition
  • Excellent current carrying capacity with large 3D spring cross section
  1. Superior thermal performance and design flexibility
  • Full wafer contactor substrate with various CTE optimized for single- and dual-temperature designs
  • Single-temperature design significantly reduces pre-heating/soak time to more than 50%
  • FormFactor 3D MEMS MicroSpring® with post-on-wafer technology enables 160C testing for automotive requirements
  1. Excellent production uptime
  • Consistently achieve greater than 95 percent uptime in mass production environments
  1. Ease of use and serviceability
  • Real-time planarity adjustment and optimization capability with probe card on the test cell
  • On-site single spring repair and probe head replacement capability reduces time loss for service events and improves equipment efficiency

We strive to deliver superior probe card solutions using the latest technology on SmartMatrix 1500XP series enabling high parallelism and high pin count beyond 100,000 probes per card. Terminated TRE, high-Impedance DUTLet technology, and the robust 3D MEMS spring extend the SmartMatrix product platform to address probing at ultra-high temperature up to 160C and test speed to 200 MHz for increased throughput and test coverage without increasing the overall cost of test.

For more information, visit our website or download the technical brief – Extending Test Parallelism on DRAM Wafer Sort.