LIVERMORE, Calif. – July 28, 2008 – FormFactor, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORM) today announced it has developed a new technology to enhance its advanced wafer probe cards and offer improved performance and productivity to its customers. The new technology, known as RapidSoak, is designed to reduce the time required for the probe card to reach thermal stability. FormFactor is making the RapidSoak technology feature available on its HarmonyTM architecture probe cards, which are used for full-wafer contact testing, and on its PH150XP probe cards. Both platforms are used to test memory devices on 200- and 300-mm wafers.

“As we reduce wafer test time with full-wafer contactors, soak time has a larger impact on test cell utilization,” stated Stefan Zschiegner, vice president of the DRAM product business unit at FormFactor. “With our RapidSoak technology, we can reduce soak time — in some test cell configurations very dramatically — adding productivity back to the test cell and increasing our customers’ throughput.”

Test temperature recalibration is necessary during probe card installation, wafer exchanges, lot changes and probe card maintenance. Depending on the device type, test times and manufacturing volume, these “soak” times can amount to hours of lost productivity each day. “RapidSoak technology is an example of FormFactor’s commitment to find innovative solutions to optimize productivity for our customers’ next generation devices,” added Zschiegner. “By improving test cell productivity, we can help our customers lower their cost of test, which is a fundamental driver of our engineering efforts.”

The RapidSoak feature is available now as an option on new FormFactor Harmony and PH150XP probe cards.