Micromachined Probes for Measurement and Characterization of Terahertz Materials and Devices
Abstract
The objective of this program was twofold: (1) to design, prototype, and commercialize differential on-wafer probes for characterizing devices in the 140220 GHz and 220320 GHz bands, and (2) to engineer the geometry and material of the micro machined probe tip to enable robust, consistent, and low-resistance electrical contact to devices with various contact pad metallizations, including gold and aluminum. Although the differential probe measurement capability described above currently did not exist above W-band (75110 GHz) prior to this effort, it was widely recognized as a critical need for the future development of terahertz science and engineering. The primary technical goals of this phase II STTR program were: 1) to exploit the flexibility afforded by micromachining fabrication technology to design and fabricate robust probe architectures suitable for measuring broad classes of devices that have non-standard geometries ? with primary focus on two-terminal and differential-mode devices that are not readily amenable to coplanar waveguide media. The frequency bands selected for the differential probe development were WR-5.1 (140220 GHz) and WR-3.4(220320 GHz), corresponding to a region of the spectrum where there is significant current interest for engineering and scientific applications. 2) to apply lithographic processing and deposition techniques to realize engineered micro machined probe tips that retain their electrical and mechanical integrity over thousands of measurement cycles and consistently provide low resistance(below 100 mOhms) contacts to devices and test structures utilizing various metallization, such as gold and aluminum. 3) to evaluate and assess the robustness, reliability, and ultimate performance of differential on-wafer micro machined probes utilizing engineered contact tips.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 05, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1067212
Entities
People
- Robert Weikle