High-temperature RF probe station for device characterization through 500 degree C and 50 GHz

• Published in: IEEE transactions on instrumentation and measurement Vol. 54; no. 1
• Main Authors: Schwartz, Z D, Downey, AN, Alterovitz, SA, Ponchak, GE
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2005
• Subjects: Active control; Devices; Frequency ranges; Heaters; Instrumentation; Networks; Silicon carbide; Stations
• DOI: 10.1109/TIM.2004.838137
• ISSN: 0018-9456

A high-temperature measurement system capable of performing on-wafer microwave testing of semiconductor devices has been developed. This high-temperature probe station can characterize active and passive devices and circuits at temperatures ranging from room temperature to above 500 degree C. The heating system uses a ceramic heater mounted on an insulating block of NASA Shuttle tile. The temperature is adjusted by a graphical computer interface and is controlled by the software-based feedback loop. The system is used with a vector network analyzer to measure scattering parameters over a frequency range from 1 to 50 GHz. The microwave probes, cables, and inspection microscope are all shielded to protect from heat damage. The high-temperature probe station has been successfully used to characterize gold transmission lines on silicon carbide at temperatures up to 540 degree C.