Earlier this year we published a post that highlighted six reasons why our probe systems service agreements make sense. We designed them to bring our customers simplicity and peace of mind when it comes to keeping equipment operating at optimum performance. One key benefit of our Platinum Level service agreements is the two days of onsite applications training that is included.

Our Applications Engineers are specialists in FormFactor probers, probes and measurement applications. They are available to provide advanced software and hardware training to optimize your probing process for usability, throughput and accuracy. They can also assist in the remote interfacing between the prober and the user’s test executive software.

In addition to the two days of onsite applications training provided with our Platinum service agreements, FormFactor provides applications training options that can be performed at the user’s location or at specific FormFactor sites. Standard training agendas are available, but agendas can also be customized for the user’s maximum benefit. Training is typically one to three days with a recommended audience of up to six people.

For a frame of reference, one training agenda might encompass advanced training on a prober for an RF application that uses WinCal RF calibration software. This training would cover:

Probe station essentials

  • Overview
  • Controls
  • Vision components: microscope, chuck, camera, contact view
  • Platen
  • Chuck
  • Thermal
  • Loading wafers
  • Probing fundamentals: positioner based or probe card
  • Best practices

Velox probe station control software

  • Overview
  • Navigation
  • Communication
  • Software interfaces: toolbar, wafer map, spectrum vision, control center
  • Software advanced: table view, remote communicator, error report tool, special tools
  • Hands on

RF probing

  • RF probe families and characteristics
  • Handling and mounting considerations
  • Planarizing probes
  • Overtravel and skate
  • Connecting probes to an instrument
  • RF measurement and calibration
  • S-parameters

As we slowly get back to normal operations, our Application Engineers are here and ready to help you get back up to full speed and enhance your measurement capabilities. We constantly strive to help our customers solve the advanced test challenges of the broader semiconductor industry. Our focus on customer partnership, innovation, agility and operational excellence allows us to consistently provide you with the best solutions to those challenges.