Aerospace and Defense —
from Lab to Fab

From the cockpit to engine controls, modern aircraft use a wide range of ICs to ensure operation and safety. Semiconductor devices are used in navigation, communications and even in cabin environment control. With the upgrade of many aircraft, the use of ICs is growing at a rapid rate. Similar to the automotive industry, aircraft manufacturers demand zero-defect products and redundant systems to ensure absolute safety. In addition, test conditions are more extreme, ranging from -40°C to 160°C. The need for test and measurement in the development and production of semiconductor devices for aircraft is amplified by the demand for zero-defect products across a range of temperatures.

High-performance thermal imaging is widely used today in surveillance/security, night vision, remote sensing, military threat and target detection, body heat analysis, and more. IR cameras with the best resolution and sensitivity use FPAs (focal plane arrays) based on cryogenically-cooled IR sensors.

FormFactor’s field-proven cryogenic wafer probe systems provide the required environment to test IR sensors prior to packaging.

Numerous technologies, such as radar and satellite communications, require the generation of signals that range into the millimeter-wave (mmW) region and beyond into the terahertz (THz) range. In response, researchers are actively developing radio frequency (RF) circuitry implemented at the chip level.

Millimeter-wave radar can “see through” adverse weather conditions for air defense and target tracking, airplane and missile guidance, aircraft collision warning and obstacle detection systems. Satellite services that rely on THz frequencies are essential for surveillance, military communication, geospatial mapping and weather forecasting.

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 millimeter-wave and terahertz technologies.