News - Component Test

Cascade Microtech introduces new Version of Probe Station Control Software

06 February 2015 - Cascade Microtech announced Velox 2.0, the latest version of probe station control software. Combining the ease of Nucleus with the power of ProberBench, Velox 2.0 delivers new levels of test and measurement efficiency to accelerate time to job completion.

It is expected that tens of billions of devices will be connected to the internet by 2020. Huge amounts of data will move through the ‘cloud,’ requiring leading-edge semiconductor technology to convert data into information. SEMI reports that the ‘Internet of Things’ will drive a proliferation of device types into the billions over the next two to three years. Semiconductor manufacturers will see requirements for flexibility in test setups to accommodate a wide variety of designs. Demands will grow for increased correlation of instrumentation and equipment that can only be achieved through higher levels of integration.

Cascade Microtech has developed a powerful new software platform for its probe stations that will support emerging demands of data processing, instrument integration, processing flexibility and higher levels of integration and automation. Velox 2.0 is a combination of the best attributes of its legacy probe station control platforms, Nucleus and ProberBench, and is backwards compatible with all current Cascade Microtech probe systems. Financial managers can be assured that their investment in Cascade Microtech probe systems will be protected for many years to come. Information technology (IT) managers will value the security offered by compatibility with Windows 7 and the alignment to the current Microsoft roadmap. With Velox 2.0 customers can anticipate future requirements in the lab with confidence, and maximize the investment in their probe systems.

"This latest release of Velox supports collaboration on critical projects, enabling several users to work on a single recipe and share wafer maps across multiple stations. A unified platform accelerates the time to data for process design kits, saving time for the designers and fab engineers," said Michael Burger, President and CEO, Cascade Microtech, Inc. "With Velox 2.0 we create an environment in which the prober platform is the common platform for the test executive – turning a probe system into the host for the test and measurement instrumentation. Velox 2.0 will deliver the fastest time to job completion for mixed-environment labs for the vast majority of our customers."

Wafer handling, alignment, temperature control, Z-profiling and stepping perform as a single automated test flow using the VeloxPro™ test automation software option. VeloxPro provides the user with a guided flow through the operation of the probe system, which assists inexperienced users. It is also an important feature in production-like environments where the test sequence can be set up by an engineer, and the operator is only required to start the test with a push of a button.

Velox 2.0 simplifies set up and execution of automated measurements using WaferSync™, an exclusive and unique two-way communication link between Velox and Keysight Technologies’ WaferPro Express automated on-wafer measurement software. WaferPro Express provides accurate and repeatable device and component characterization, making it easy to set up and run complex wafer-level test plans. By synchronizing wafer maps and coordinating sub-die information, customers can significantly reduce time to first measurement.

"Market requirements are constantly changing for our customers who design and manufacture semiconductor devices used in everything from the latest cell phones to power grids. Our software engineers are committed to anticipate future requirements while protecting our customers’ probe system capital investment," says Burger. "This latest evolution of our probe station control software – Velox 2.0 – combines all of the power and flexibility of two very popular legacy platforms to deliver productivity enhancements from the lab to the fab."

www.cascademicrotech.com/