March 21, 2025
Cryogenic systems operate at temperatures below -150°C (-238°F), often near absolute zero. At these extreme temperatures, materials behave in ways they wouldn’t at room temperature, like superconductors, which can conduct electricity without resistance.
From quantum computing to semiconductor testing, extreme precision is more important than ever. That’s where cryogenic systems come in. By reaching temperatures close to absolute zero, these systems unlock new possibilities, whether it’s stabilizing qubits in a quantum computer or testing next-generation semiconductor devices.
In this post, we’ll break down how cryogenic technology works, where it’s making an impact, and how FormFactor is helping engineers push the boundaries of modern tech.
The Science Behind Cryogenic Systems
Cryogenic systems operate at temperatures below -150°C (-238°F), often near absolute zero. At these extreme temperatures, materials behave in ways they wouldn’t at room temperature, like superconductors, which can conduct electricity without resistance.
To maintain these ultra-low temperatures, engineers rely on liquid helium or closed-cycle refrigeration. But it’s not just about getting cold, precision matters. Even tiny temperature fluctuations can throw off test results, making stability a key challenge in cryogenic research and semiconductor testing.
How Cryogenic Technology is Changing Industries
Quantum Computing & Superconducting Devices
Quantum computers need cryogenic temperatures to keep qubits stable. These ultra-sensitive quantum bits are easily disrupted by heat, which is why testing them requires an extremely cold environment.
Semiconductor Device Testing
As chips get smaller and more powerful, testing them at cryogenic temperatures is becoming essential. Engineers use cryogenic wafer probing to analyze how transistors behave under extreme conditions, helping optimize designs for quantum computing, quantum sensing, and high performance computing.
Aerospace & Deep-Space Technologies
Space is naturally a cryogenic environment, which means satellites and spacecraft components need to be tested at extreme cold temperatures before launch. Cryogenic testing ensures these components hold up in real-world space conditions.
The 3 Biggest Challenges in Cryogenic Testing (And How FormFactor Solves Them)
1) Scaling for the Future
Quantum computing and AI are advancing rapidly, but for these technologies to reach commercial viability, they must scale—just like the semiconductor industry has. In semiconductor manufacturing, high-volume testing ensures new devices meet rigorous performance and reliability standards before mass production. Quantum computing needs a similar approach.
FormFactor’s modular cryogenic solutions bridge this gap, enabling researchers to move beyond one-off experiments toward scalable, repeatable testing processes. By integrating advanced cryogenic wafer probing, automated measurement systems, and low-noise signal acquisition, our technology lays the foundation for high-throughput quantum device validation. This is critical for accelerating the transition from research labs to real-world applications, ensuring that qubits, superconducting circuits, and cryogenic semiconductors can be manufactured at scale with the same precision and efficiency as traditional chips.
As quantum technology matures, the need for high-volume cryogenic testing will only grow. FormFactor is committed to delivering the tools needed to push quantum computing beyond the experimental stage and into widespread adoption.
2) Keeping Temperatures Stable and Vibration-Free
Maintaining a stable cryogenic environment is a major challenge, small temperature fluctuations or vibrations can disrupt sensitive measurements, impacting quantum computing and advanced semiconductor testing. The key is delivering high cooling power without introducing excess vibration or increasing costs, a balance that few cryogenic systems achieve effectively.
FormFactor’s cryogenic solutions are designed with active vibration isolation and precision temperature regulation, ensuring ultra-stable test conditions even at sub-10K temperatures. Unlike traditional cooling systems that may introduce mechanical disturbances, our approach minimizes vibrations while maximizing cooling efficiency. This is critical for applications like quantum computing, where qubits require extreme stability to maintain coherence.
Beyond performance, our advanced manufacturing practices lead to higher reliability, reducing the need for frequent service or maintenance. This means fewer disruptions, lower total cost of ownership, and greater uptime for researchers and engineers pushing the limits of cryogenic technology. By integrating best-in-class cryogenic cooling with robust, low-maintenance designs, FormFactor helps customers achieve the precision and efficiency needed for next-generation device testing.
3) Minimizing Signal Noise
One of the biggest challenges in scaling quantum computing is electrical connectivity, how do you route hundreds or even thousands of RF signals into a cryogenic system without overwhelming the fridge, degrading signal integrity, or driving up costs? Traditional cabling solutions introduce heat, take up space, and create signal losses that limit scalability.
To tackle this, FormFactor has partnered with Delft Circuits, a leader in high-density RF superconducting flex circuits. Their Cri/oFlex® technology allows for significantly more RF connections in a cryogenic system while maintaining low thermal load and exceptional signal integrity. These superconducting flex circuits replace bulky coaxial cables, reducing heat dissipation and enabling a more compact, cost-effective cryogenic setup.
By integrating Delft Circuits’ technology with FormFactor’s advanced cryogenic test platforms, we’re helping quantum researchers and engineers scale their testing environments efficiently. This innovation is a key step toward achieving high-volume quantum device testing, an essential milestone for bringing quantum computing from the lab into commercial production.
The Future of Cryogenic Systems
Cryogenic technology is becoming more critical as industries continue to push the limits of computing, materials science, and aerospace engineering. Innovations in closed-cycle refrigeration, superconducting qubits, and ultra-precise testing will help shape the next wave of technological breakthroughs.
At FormFactor, we’re proud to lead the way in cryogenic testing, providing the tools engineers need to explore what’s possible at the lowest temperatures.