CM 210

A probe station is bench test equipment used to make temporary electrical contact to pads or other access points on a wafer or die. A manual probe station uses operator-controlled stage motion, microscope observation, and micropositioned probes to place contacts on the device under test for measurement and characterization. Probe stations are commonly used outside the main production line for device development, failure analysis, process characterization, and electrical verification.

The Signatone CM 210 uses a manual chuck XY stage with 205 mm x 205 mm travel. The Signatone CM 210 provides standard travel resolution of 14 μm per degree of knob rotation and fine travel resolution of 1.5 μm per degree of knob rotation. The Signatone CM 210 uses a precision leadscrew, carriage, and rails for chuck XY motion. The Signatone CM 210 uses a pneumatic chuck Z stage with 2.5 mm travel and ±1.0 μm repeatability. The Signatone CM 210 includes a manual theta stage with ±11° travel, accuracy below 1.0 μm measured at the edge of the 200 mm chuck, and repeatability below 1.5 μm. The Signatone CM 210 includes continuous platen lift for probe and DUT exchange and fine platen lift with a lock for setup.^[1][2]

The Signatone CM 210 has a manual linear microscope stage with 50 mm x 50 mm movement range, resolution below 2 μm, and 101 mm scope lift. The Signatone CM 210 has a 50 mm thick aluminum base. The Signatone CM 210 has a probe platen with dimensions of 580 mm by 637 mm by 12.7 mm. The Signatone CM 210 supports up to 10 DC or HV micropositioners, or mixed RF and DC configurations that include 2 RF plus 4 DC, 4 RF plus 2 DC, or 2 CAP plus 4 DC. The Signatone CM 210 can be upgraded to motorized joystick control or semi-automatic step-and-repeat control. The Signatone CM 210 can also be equipped with an optional roll-out loading stage, active vibration isolation table, and optional hot chuck system.^[1][2][8]

Probe stations are generally used after wafers or test structures have been fabricated and made accessible for electrical contact. Probe-station work commonly follows front-end or back-end process steps that create active devices, interconnect, and contact pads. Probe-station results often feed engineering decisions on process tuning, device behavior, reliability study, and readiness for later package-level evaluation.