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FormFactor Expands MEMS Wafer Probe Capabilities in Leading-Edge Wire Bond Logic Applications With New Wafer Probe Contact Technology
| Source: FormFactor
LIVERMORE, CA--(Marketwire - December 1, 2009) - FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ : FORM ) today
introduced a new MEMS probing contact technology for its advanced probe
cards for wire bond logic and system-on-chip (SoC) wafer testing. The new
TrueScale Multi-Tier™ contact technology will support fully populated,
staggered pad layouts down to 25/50 microns in size, which are utilized in
leading-edge wire bond logic and SoC chip designs at 45-nm and below nodes.
By enabling reliable and accurate probing of these staggered pad layouts,
FormFactor is well-positioned to bring the enhanced capabilities of its
MEMS contact technology to the vast majority of wire bond logic and SoC
wafer test applications. These applications include wireless baseband and
digital media, such as mobile phones and MP3 players, as well as portable
gaming devices.
"Mobile communications and consumer processors are driving more
functionality into smaller and smaller form factors -- creating a critical
need for new test solutions that can support tight-pitch, staggered pad
layouts," stated Bruce Bolliger, vice president and general manager, SOC
Business Unit, at FormFactor. "Our new proprietary probe contact
technology brings MEMS contact reliability and electrical performance to
the leading-edge SoC test market. In addition, FormFactor has a roadmap to
extend our new contact technology to even smaller and more complex pad
layouts -- supporting aggressive SoC test roadmaps."
As the functionality and complexity of wire bond logic and SoC devices
continue to rise, the number of I/Os per device increases. With
semiconductor dimensions shrinking, more of these I/Os are being packed
into a smaller area. This higher pad density is driving the transition
from single-row to staggered pad layouts for most of today's advanced wire
bond logic and SoC designs.
Traditional vertical probe solutions that support staggered pad layouts
have difficulty scaling to the smaller dimensions required for advanced SoC
devices, while cantilever probe solutions require frequent cleaning and
maintenance to ensure proper alignment with the pads, which limits test
cell uptime and efficiency. In addition, vertical and cantilever probes
require greater contact force for stable contact, which increases the
likelihood of damaging the bond pad and circuit underneath -- resulting in
yield loss. FormFactor's new probe contact technology leverages the
company's leading expertise in MEMS to provide improved probe performance
and productivity for the most advanced wire bond logic and SoC test
applications.
Higher Performance and Productivity over Conventional Probing Technologies
Based on FormFactor's MicroSpring® MEMS contact technology, the new probe
contacts are highly scalable, enabling 25/50-micron pitch staggered pad
probing. This provides the ability to probe higher pad densities with
reliable x/y positioning, which enables IC manufacturers to increase the
pad count per die and support continued die shrinks. In addition, the
scalable contacts enable the production of higher pin-count probe cards
that can support x2 through x16 full logic sort testing and even higher
levels of test parallelism (x64, x128, x256) for embedded memory test
applications -- allowing IC manufacturers to increase their test throughput
with their existing capital equipment.
The new probe contacts are designed to scrub with optimized electrical
contact -- providing better test results and reducing false test failures,
which can improve yields. At the same time, the low force associated with
the MicroSpring design of the new probe contacts enables circuit-under-pad
(CUP) testing with no damage to the dielectric layer under the probe pad.
FormFactor's new probe contacts also require minimal maintenance with no
spring positioning adjustment. In addition, the new probe contacts are
designed to support millions of touchdowns -- providing significantly
greater probe card lifetime and test cell uptime versus cantilever and
vertical probe cards.
The new TrueScale Multi-Tier contact technology is now available on
FormFactor's complete line of TrueScale™ probe cards.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature
are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities
laws, including statements regarding our products and solutions, demand for
our products and future growth. These forward-looking statements are based
on current information and expectations that are inherently subject to
change and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or
results might differ materially from those in any forward-looking statement
due to various factors, including, but not limited to: the Company's
ability to support fully populated, staggered pad layouts down to 25/50
microns in size, to enhance capabilities of its MEMS contact technology to
the vast majority of wire bond logic and SoC wafer test applications, to
use its new contact technology to support SoC test roadmaps, to provide the
highest probe performance and productivity for the most advanced wire bond
logic and SoC test applications, to provide the ability to probe higher pad
densities with reliable x/y positioning enabling semiconductor chip
manufacturers to increase the pad count per die and support continued die
shrinks, to produce higher pin-count probe cards that can support x2
through x16 full logic sort testing and even higher levels of test
parallelism (x64, x128, x256+) for embedded memory test applications,
allowing IC manufacturers to increase their test throughput with their
existing capital equipment, to scrub with more optimized electrical contact
providing better test results and reducing false test failures, to enable
circuit-under-pad (CUP) testing with no damage to the dielectric layer
under the probe pad, and to implement the new contact technology to support
millions of touchdowns providing significantly greater probe card lifetime
and test cell uptime versus cantilever and vertical probe cards. Additional
information concerning factors that could cause actual events or results to
differ materially from those in any forward-looking statement is contained
in the company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 27, 2008 and
Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 26, 2009 as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and subsequent SEC filings.
Copies of the company's SEC filings are available at
http://investors.formfactor.com/edgar.cfm. The company assumes no
obligation to update the information in this press release, to revise any
forward-looking statements or to update the reasons actual results could
differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements.
About FormFactor
Founded in 1993, FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ : FORM ) is the leader in advanced
wafer probe cards, which are used by semiconductor manufacturers to
electrically test ICs. The company's wafer sort, burn-in and device
performance testing products move IC testing upstream from post-packaging
to the wafer level, enabling semiconductor manufacturers to lower their
overall production costs, improve yields, and bring next-generation devices
to market. FormFactor is headquartered in Livermore, California with
operations in Europe, Asia and North America. For more information, visit
the company's web site at www.formfactor.com.
FormFactor, MicroSpring, TrueScale, and TrueScale Multi-Tier are
trademarks or registered trademarks of FormFactor, Inc.