As silicon photonics (SiPh) continue to transform AI and high-performance computing (HPC), the need for cutting-edge, scalable testing solutions has never been greater. FormFactor and Advantest are at the forefront of this change, announcing a groundbreaking new partnership to accelerate production for silicon photonics and co-packaged optics. This new collaboration blends FormFactor’s precision measurement technology with Advantest’s industry-leading automated test equipment (ATE), creating a unified solution to meet the demands of high-volume manufacturing.


Why Silicon Photonics?

Data centers and AI-driven applications demand exceptional bandwidth and efficient power use. Traditional electrical data transmission struggles to keep pace, and silicon photonics is emerging as a critical enabler of this new era, allowing optical signals to carry data faster, over longer distances, and with lower power requirements. This shift is driving explosive growth in demand for silicon photonics components, especially in sectors reliant on high-speed data processing like cloud computing, telecommunications, and machine learning.


The Solution: FormFactor and Advantest’s High-Throughput Test Cell

To meet this demand, FormFactor and Advantest have co-developed a highly automated, wafer-level test cell that dramatically enhances throughput, precision, and reliability for testing SiPh devices. Here’s what makes this test cell stand out:

  • Nano-Precision Photonic Alignment: Featuring the world’s fastest nine-axis photonic alignment, this system delivers significantly higher throughput compared to competing solutions, enabling manufacturers to meet growing market demand without sacrificing accuracy.
  • Seamless Integration: FormFactor’s Velox™ probe station control software and OptoVue™ optical alignment system are seamlessly integrated with Advantest’s V93000 platform. This combination ensures efficient wafer-level testing, maximizing uptime and enabling optical measurements directly in the production environment.
  • Advanced Thermal Range Testing: With FormFactor’s Apollo probe architecture and Pharos™ technology, the test cell supports temperature ranges from 25°C to 125°C, offering unmatched precision in real-world testing conditions.

This powerful collaboration addresses a critical challenge in silicon photonics: opto-electrical testing at high volume, with pinpoint accuracy. By shortening test cycles, the new solution is primed to support manufacturers as they scale their silicon photonics products from the lab to full-scale production.

The Bigger Picture: AI and HPC Revolution

The FormFactor-Advantest partnership aligns with broader technological shifts. AI and HPC systems continue to evolve, pushing data processing requirements to unprecedented levels. To support this growth, the new test system integrates essential optical and electrical testing capabilities, bringing together lasers, power meters, and optical signal control for robust performance in demanding manufacturing environments. With over 100 leading silicon photonics manufacturers already using FormFactor’s solutions and more than 13,000 installations of Advantest’s V93000 platform worldwide, this partnership is positioned to serve as the backbone of next-generation data infrastructure.

Looking Forward

FormFactor and Advantest’s commitment to advancing silicon photonics testing technology will enable the rapid scaling of devices needed for tomorrow’s data center and AI demands. This partnership is more than a strategic alignment; it’s a step toward building an ecosystem that keeps pace with innovation while ensuring reliability at every level of production.

To request a demonstration of the system or its components, visit the companies’ websites at www.formfactor.com or www.advantest.com.