FormFactor

FormFactor, Inc. stands at the forefront of the semiconductor industry as a trusted leader, providing essential test and measurement technologies throughout the entire IC life cycle. From initial metrology and inspection to qualification and production test, the comprehensive solutions drive profitability by optimizing device performance and advancing yield knowledge for semiconductor companies worldwide.

FormFactor offers a range of technologically advanced products that are designed to meet the rigorous demands of the semiconductor industry. From DC to RF/mmWave/Terahertz, Power semiconductors, Quantum devices, Silicon Photonics and Cryogenic Devices, FormFactor empowers semiconductor manufacturers to push the boundaries of innovation, enhance yield, and accelerate time-to-market. With FormFactor’s advanced products, customers gain the necessary insights and confidence to make informed decisions, optimize their manufacturing processes, and drive the success of their semiconductor devices.

DC parametric measurements are critical to decision making at every stage of semiconductor product development and production, for virtually every device type and semiconductor technology. With crucial applications in advanced materials research, process characterization, device modeling, design debug, process monitoring, and production wafer sort, these measurements are essential across device types and technologies. FormFactor’s mission is to provide an electrically pristine environment for on-wafer measurements, eliminating environmental factors that corrupt test results. By ensuring accurate and repeatable measurements, uncertainties are reduced, and device qualification is accelerated, enabling the creation of precise models and design toolkits. Trustworthy DC parametric measurements (IV, CV, pulsed, and high-power) deliver competitive products to market faster.

Testing at radio frequency, millimeter wave and terahertz frequencies presents a significant challenge due to the increased insertion loss in the measurement channel. This results in reduced dynamic range, directivity, and less accurate calibrations when using traditional test setups. To overcome these barriers to wafer-level testing, FormFactor has formed strategic partnerships with other leading test technology providers. By leveraging the unique strengths of each contributor, FormFactor delivers robust and supportable solutions for optimized RF, mmWave and terahertz measurements, eliminating the need for further development. This approach reduces costs, saves time, and accelerates your products' time to market. FormFactor solutions help you overcome the challenges of testing at these high frequencies, ensuring accurate and reliable measurements while maximizing efficiency and productivity.

The growing need for energy efficiency in systems, cars, consumer appliances, portable electronics and Internet of Things connections continues to drive the evolution of power semiconductor devices. This has resulted in record demand year after year. To meet this demand, next-generation power devices are being rapidly developed. However, engineers face a significant challenge in testing these devices on-wafer rather than in-package. FormFactor is actively addressing this challenge by providing innovative solutions and expertise that enable engineers to test power semiconductor devices efficiently and accurately at the wafer level. This enables better device performance optimization, cost reduction, and faster time-to-market, while ensuring the delivery of high-quality, reliable, and cost-effective power devices that meet the demands of diverse applications.

The field of quantum computing holds immense potential for transformative advances in various fields of science and engineering. Extensive research efforts are underway worldwide to develop the necessary components to bring these revolutionary technologies out of the lab and into commercial production. While many of the test and measurement techniques are similar to those used for traditional semiconductors, they must now be performed under the demanding conditions of ultra-low temperatures. By addressing this critical aspect, researchers and engineers can ensure reliable evaluation and optimization of quantum devices, bringing us closer to the realization of practical quantum computing solutions with breakthrough potential.

The semiconductor industry is on the verge of a transformative shift with silicon photonics (SiPh), offering remarkable advances in speed, power efficiency and density. SiPh enables the integration of both logical and optical components on a single wafer. This allows optical devices such as lasers, waveguide structures, detectors, and multiplexers to coexist with traditional logic devices or be combined as separate integrated circuits. As SiPh technologies expand beyond data centers to applications in multiple industries, the cost of testing millions of devices becomes a critical factor in unlocking the full economic potential of SiPh. The test challenge shifts from ensuring accurate physical probe contact with wafer surface pads to accurately aligning optical fibers for light coupling without physical contact. By overcoming the inspection challenges and optimizing cost efficiency, SiPh can realize its full economic potential and revolutionize many applications beyond the data center.

The use of superconducting materials, along with novel materials and traditional semiconductors, on-wafer at cryogenic temperatures (below about 123K) has experienced a significant increase in recent years. Innovative sensors have been developed to exploit the unique properties of these materials at extremely low temperatures, enabling the detection of various physical phenomena such as infrared radiation, magnetic fields, X-rays, and more. These sensors have applications in a variety of fields, including healthcare, defense, industrial automation, and astronomy. FormFactor's state-of-the-art cryogenic and vacuum probe systems enable researchers and industry leaders to take advantage of the remarkable properties of on-wafer superconducting and novel materials at cryogenic temperatures. FormFactor's solutions ensure that these technologies can be effectively brought to market, driving advances in many fields and enabling breakthrough discoveries and innovations.