The industry's first fully automated production tester, Etec's M/STeP-o, specifically targets wafer/die microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and micro-optoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS). Its users can test and characterize a wide range of MOEMS devices, including variable optical attenuators (VOAs), optical switches, optical cross connects (OXCs), and 2D and 3D micromirror arrays. M/STeP-o also provides optical, electrical, and mechanical testing in an integrated, turnkey system.
Users can characterize the displacement of the MEMS element as a function of applied stimulus (voltage/current). They also can measure in-plane and out-of-plane displacement in six degrees of freedom with nanometer resolution. Other typical functions include response time and resonance, as well as reflectivity and other surface characterization measurements.
M/STeP-o incorporates a high-performance wafer prober, a cassette-to-cassette wafer handler, a state-of-the-art optical head assembly, and a precision electrical stimulus/measurement package. An open-architecture software environment enables efficient product changeovers and easy operation. Data output formats include a wafer map and an SQL server database.
Additionally, M/STeP-o can test MOEMS wafers or die on film. Industry-standard automation permits straightforward integration into the production line. With it, MEMS device manufacturers are able to rapidly and cost-effectively deploy robust, high-volume production test solutions for current and future optical MEMS requirements.
The system supplies 4-, 8-, 16-, and 32-channel test-head modules that can be ganged for high-pin-count testing. M/STeP-o also features four bidirectional digital and two analog pins. One pin is available for peak-to-peak voltage device-under-test (DUT) programming.
M/STeP-o's parametric unit has four-quadrant voltage and current measurement capability and a force-voltage range of ±10 V at 16-bit resolution. There are four force-current ranges, at 16 bits, or 10 and 100 µA, as well as 1 and 100 mA. A digital pattern subsystem with 128 kbytes of memory depth features branching, looping, match-mode, and subroutine capabilities. Clock rates up to 50 MHz and DUT rates up to 25 MHz are possible.
The system is based on Windows NT. Pricing starts at about $550,000 and ranges up to about $1 million. Delivery is within 90 days.
Etec Inc., 83 Pine St., Peabody, MA 01960; (978) 535-7683; fax (978) 535-7003; www.etec-inc.com.