CHIP-BASED PROBER FOR HIGH FREQUENCY MEASUREMENTS AND METHODS OF MEASURING

• US 20110156730A1
• Filed: 03/04/2011
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Inventors: Pillai, Edward R., Breiland, Erik J., Pfeiffer, Ullrich R.
• Application Number:
  US13/040,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20110156730A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/750.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06772 High frequency probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2822 of microwave or radiofrequency circuits of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28

Abstract

A chip-based prober for measuring a device-under-test is provided. The prober includes a probe tip, a voltage and control connector, a chip carrier, and a programmable termination chip. The probe tip is configured to contact the device-under-test. The voltage and control connector is in electrical communication with the probe tip. The programmable termination chip has a plurality of terminations interconnected with the voltage and control connector and the chip carrier through controlled collapsed chip connections.

Claims

1. A circuit to reduce parasitics of programmable termination in a chip-based prober, comprising at least two biploar transistors in parallel.

2. The circuit as in claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to measure up to mmWave frequencies.

3. The circuit as in claim 1, further comprising a resistor.

4. The circuit as in claim 1, wherein one of said at least two bipolar transistors is scaled in size to provide a different on-resistance as compared to another of said at least two bipolar transistors.

5. The circuit as in claim 1, further comprising a programmable termination chip.

6. The circuit as in claim 5, wherein said programmable termination chip comprises a plurality of controlled collapsed chip connections.

7. The circuit as in claim 6, further comprising a voltage and control connector interconnected with said plurality of controlled collapsed chip connections.

8. The circuit as in claim 6, wherein said plurality of calibration standards are digitally selectable via said voltage and control connector.

9. The circuit as in claim 5, wherein said plurality of calibration standards are configured to calibrate and measure up to frequencies of about 110 GHz.

10. The circuit as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of calibration standards are configured to calibrate and measure up to millimeter-wave frequencies.