Filtronic Solid State Purchases Electroglas Probers for Testing On Thin Wafers
Probers handle GaAs and ultrathin wafers at manufacturer of devices used in cellular telephones and other microwave applications
San Jose, CA. Electroglas, Inc. (Nasdaq:EGLS), a leading supplier of essential process management tools for the semiconductor industry, today announces the purchase of its 4090f and specialized 4090(mu) probers for fragile and very thin wafers by Filtronic Solid State, a leading manufacturer of microwave and millimeter-wave radio-frequency devices.
Many semiconductor devices for very high-speed computing and for microwave communications, including cellular telephone equipment, are fabricated in gallium arsenide (GaAs). Such devices are expensive, in part because GaAs wafers are especially brittle and prone to fractures during handling, which diminishes yield. Silicon ICs for like applications often are thinned to less than 150-micron thickness to help dissipate heat and reduce packaged height. At such thicknesses, silicon wafers bow and warp, making them difficult to transport, handle and probe with conventional equipment. The recently introduced 4090f wafer prober and the 4090(mu) wafer prober with thin-wafer handling option enable the safe testing of those sensitive products.
The 4090f employs film-based frames to hold fragile wafers throughout handling and probing. The prober accepts the film frames in cassettes, extracts and transfers them to the probe chuck with a special electromagnetic arm, secures them on the chuck using electromagnetic grippers, precisely steps them for wafer probing, then returns them to the cassette, without damage to the wafer. In addition, the use of film frames allows probing to take place after wafers have been sawed to insure delivery of known-good die in cases where extremely fragile die could be damaged during wafer dicing.
"The 4090f prober allows our customers to easily test wafers that might have been difficult or impossible to test before," commented Tim Boyle, Electroglas VP and Chief Technology Officer. "The unique handling and probing capabilities are letting semiconductor manufacturers re-think their whole backend process and test flow," he added. Backlapped wafers that remain strong enough to be held at their edges inside a cassette but sag, warp and flex can be safely handled and tested by 4090(mu) probers adapted for them. The 4090(mu) prober enhanced for thin wafers incorporates the Electroglas Smart Mapping system to compensate for droop and irregularities in the profiles of wafers within a cassette. That system automatically adjusts the height of the wafer transfer arm to the correct position for extracting and returning each wafer regardless of the deformation. Several more innovations accompanying Smart Mapping insure the safe handling of thin, warped wafers. The modified 4090(mu) also accepts standard wafers, with no changes in settings required.
"Electroglas provides excellent solutions for manipulating fragile wafers during testing. We have purchased several 4090f and 4090(mu) probers for our operations in the United Kingdom and Santa Clara, California," said Mark Echeagaray, Senior ATE Test Engineer in the Device Products Group of Filtronic Solid State.
For more information about the 4090f and 4090(mu) probers contact Electroglas sales at 408/528-3000 or any Electroglas office worldwide.
About Electroglas, Inc.
Electroglas delivers essential tools for process management designed to enhance semiconductor companies profitability. The company s wafer probers, inspection systems and software solutions server as data collection, management and analysis tools that semiconductor manufacturers depend upon to improve their productivity and process control by optimizing sort-floor efficiency. Electroglas has been a leading supplier of wafer probers for more than 40 years and has an installed base of more than 10,000 systems. The company s stock trades on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol "EGLS". The company s website is www.electroglas.com
About Filtronic Solid State
Filtronic Solid State is a vertically integrated manufacturer of microwave and millimeter-wave semiconductors, components and multifunction assemblies for operation at frequencies up to 140 GHz. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Filtronic plc. Its website is www.filtronicsolidstate.com.
Contact:
Electroglas, Inc.
Maria V. Apodaca, 408/528-3300
mapodaca@electroglas.com
or
KVO Public Relations
Ed Connolly, 650/919-2025
ed_connolly@kvo.com
Electroglas, Inc.
Maria V. Apodaca, 408/528-3300
mapodaca@electroglas.com
or
KVO Public Relations
Ed Connolly, 650/919-2025
ed_connolly@kvo.com
E-mail: ed_connolly@kvo.com
Web site: http://www.filtronicsolidstate.com
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