SUSS MicroTec recently delivered the world's first semiautomatic pressure chamber prober to their MEMUNITY partner DELTA (Danish Electronics Light and Acoustics). The PAP200 is the only prober available capable of testing in a controlled environment from vacuum up to 50 bar. The system, which was developed in collaboration with DELTA, will be used for testing devices such as pressure sensors for plane and truck tires as well as sensors which react to changes in hydraulic systems. These sensors need to detect small changes in pressure and must be able to withstand up to 30 bar without failing.
"We took up the challenge posed by DELTA to develop a system which is as versatile and easy to handle as a standard analytical system, yet can withstand the enormous pressure of up to 50 bar (which is like being 500 m below sea level)." explains Frank Michael Werner, Manager for MEMS Test Products at SUSS. He adds, "We devised a simple semiautomatic prober stage which can be pulled out for loading and for adjusting the manipulators. Once pushed in, the door is sealed and the wafer is tested automatically."
The test possibilities of the PAP200 are endless. If so desired, the chamber can be filled with a non-aggressive or toxic gas via special flanges in the walls. As it is equipped with a thermal chuck, it can perform tests from -40degreesC to +160degreesC. By using a vacuum pump and control system the chamber can also be evacuated down to a rough vacuum of 1 mbar. Humidity can also be controlled from 0% to 85% and the user can choose whether tests need to be performed in darkness or whether to add light as part of the test environment. Additionally it can be used to test special microsystems containing both pressure and inertial sensors when an acceleration chuck is used within the chamber. Such a microsystem would, for instance, only start transmitting the tire pressure value to the car's main computer when it detects that the car is moving. With special wafer frames the system is able also to test diced wafers on blue foil. Needless to say, the prober can also simply be used as a standard analytical prober without extra functions when desired.
Jens Branebjerg, MEMS Business Manager at DELTA explains why such a system is needed: "DELTA is a Test House which has recently specialized in serving the highly diverse MEMS industry, we therefore require test equipment which can be modified according to the demands placed on us. Because of legislation changes concerning commercial tires, we are seeing an increase in demand for test services for pressure sensors. Because these need to be as inexpensive as possible, wafer level testing which avoids the costly packaging of defective sensors is very attractive. We therefore needed a flexible system which can apply controlled pressure from vacuum up to 50 bar on dies at wafer level yet can also test other devices as and when necessary."
The PAP200 is available at DELTA for tests effective immediately.
SUSS MicroTec is a leading supplier of production, process and test technology for the semiconductor industry. SUSS maintains its leadership position with over 7,000 systems installed worldwide. SUSS products include coating developing systems, 1X full-field lithography (1XFFL) systems, substrate bonders, flip-chip bonders and probe systems.
DELTA is among Europe's leading international test, design, service, consulting and education organizations in the field of electronics, software technology, optics and acoustics.