Final tests are an important part of the supply chain for electronic components and are firmly established for ICs - for integrated photonic circuits (PICs), the test eco-system is still under construction. RoodMicrotec uses the opto-electronic UFO probe card from Jenoptik.
View of the test deviceWithan increasing demand for photonic solutions in the semiconductor sector, the requirements for corresponding eco-systems for opto-electronic components are growing. Not only semiconductor manufacturers with their own supply chain have to rethink. In addition to the existing test infrastructure for electronic components, infrastructures for photonic component testing are also required. Test houses that offer services such as wafer-level tests for fabless manufacturers are faced with the challenge of expanding or redesigning their test solutions in the direction of photonic integrated circuits (PICs).
In addition to the established tests for ICs, RoodMicrotec now also offers customers from the semiconductor industry a test service for the new type of PIC testing at wafer level. Jenoptik provides the technology platform required for this with the UFO Probe Card. Jenoptik is thus supporting Roodmicrotec in setting up the corresponding test structure.
The solution enables the testing of electrical and optical components with just one probe card - and this in parallel, not one after the other as with previous solutions. This means that wafer-level tests can be implemented more quickly and throughput can be significantly increased. As a plug & play solution, the hybrid probe card can be integrated directly into existing standard IC wafer probers from RoodMicrotec without much adaptation effort. The existing infrastructure can be used directly, which simplifies the conversion of test procedures from the classic test card for electrical components to the probe card within the production process.
The solution does not require active alignment of the optical interfaces per chip. This reduces the test time and costs for a single chip. In addition, several chips can be tested in parallel. In this way, good and bad components can be distinguished in the course of PIC wafer-level tests in much less time and the overall yield can be significantly improved, as only functioning chips are transferred to further production processes. Customers benefit from fewer rejects and therefore reduced costs.
"As an innovative technology platform, the probe card offers the necessary flexibility and scalability. This enables test service providers like us to react quickly and easily to the new challenges on the market," says Jan de Koning Gans, Managing Director of RoodMicrotec GmbH.
"We are pleased to have a strong and experienced partner for test services at our side in RoodMicrotec, who as a supply chain specialist and service provider for the semiconductor industry has access to a wide range of applications. It is important for Jenoptik to recognize the different needs of end customers in order to drive forward corresponding further developments at an early stage," says Tobias Gnausch, Product Manager in Jenoptik's Light & Optics division.
For the future, both companies are planning to create standardizations for PIC testing at wafer level in order to become even more efficient and cost-effective. With the jointly created solutions, our customers can take the step towards the future and increasingly rely on photonic solutions.-dir/vti-
Jenoptik and the Light & Optics division
Jenoptik is a global technology group, active in the three photonics-based divisions Light & Optics, Light & Production and Light & Safety. Jenoptik also offers optical measurement and production systems for the quality control of lenses, objective lenses and camera modules under the Trioptics brand. The mechatronics business is combined under the Vincorion brand. Key markets include the semiconductor industry, medical technology, automotive and mechanical engineering, transportation, aviation as well as security and defense technology. Jenoptik employs around 4,400 people worldwide and is headquartered in Jena (Germany).
The Light & Optics division is a globally active OEM provider of system solutions and products based on photonic technologies. The company combines comprehensive expertise in optics, laser technology, digital image processing, optoelectronics and software. The division's customers include leading plant and machine manufacturers as well as equipment manufacturers in areas such as semiconductors, laser material processing, medical technology and life science, industrial automation, automotive & mobility, security and scientific institutes.
RoodMicrotec
The provider of semiconductor components and quality services offers full turnkey ASIC services for highly complex microchips that are fully tailored to the specific applications of individual customers. In cooperation with strong partners, RoodMicrotec manages the entire development and production flow of ASICs in the desired quantity, from small quantities up to several million pieces per year. The turnkey solution includes project management, wafer test, assembly, final test, qualification, logistics and failure analysis. All services meet the industry and quality requirements of the high-reliability, aerospace, automotive, healthcare and industrial sectors. The company is headquartered in Deventer, the Netherlands, with operational units in Nördlingen and Stuttgart, Germany.
www.jenoptic.com,
