April 6, 2023
We’re excited to bring you a new field upgradeable feature for the CM300xi probe station – IceShield™. FormFactor’s IceShield solution is an alternative to a TopHat/TopChamber enclosure, providing an open environment for low-temperature RF probing.
We’re excited to bring you a new field upgradeable feature for the CM300xi probe station – IceShield™. FormFactor’s IceShield solution is an alternative to a TopHat/TopChamber enclosure, providing an open environment for low-temperature RF probing.
The “flat hat” solution operates at wide temperature range, including tests down to -60°C without a build-up of frost and condensation. Ideal for S-parameters and load-pull applications that do not require light tightness or EMI-shielding, the IceShield insert ensures minimized insertion loss for highly accurate and repeatable cold measurements. With this test data, engineers can evaluate device performance and reliability at low temperatures.
Some benefits of the IceShield solution:
With the CM300xi IceShield solution, users can easily perform cold measurements without a TopHat. The IceShield insert offers frost-free operation over an extended temperature range, from -60°C to +300°C. The solution is designed to create a laminar flow curtain to prevent ingress of moisture, allowing it to withstand high relative humidity.
The open IceShield environment allows for the shortest path between the probes and the test instrumentation, considerably reducing insertion loss and maximizing accuracy for S-parameters and load-pull application layers.
FormFactor’s IceShield and TopHat platen inserts are easy to swap for different test requirements. The IceShield solution is field upgradeable to existing CM300xi systems.
The IceShield kit includes four different cut-out shapes to provide flexibility with the application setup: square cutout for DC probing, cross cutout with RF East-West and RF/DC North-South probes setup, cross cutout with RF East-West and DCQ North-South probes setup, and an extended cutout on the x-axis for RF East-West setup.
The cutout shapes can be mixed and matched to perfectly fit application requirements, for example with a T-shape cutout. Up to 10 different combinations are possible. Customized cutouts are available upon request.
The CM300xi IceShield solution is compatible with a range of FormFactor probes and positioners, including RF coaxial ACP, Infinity and |Z| probes, Infinity Waveguide probes, multi-contact probes and DC probes.
For more information, visit our website or download the IceShield Overview.