GigaTest Labs Engineering Services

GigaTest Labs Engineering Services

GigaTest Labs is an expert in High Bandwidth product development. We pioneered the use of RF techniques in Signal Integrity engineering, and have the experience and resources to handle the most challenging engineering problems. We have a state-of-the-art laboratory with the most recent measurement and probing equipment for high-frequency testing. We also have the latest versions of the Keysight's ADS software for RF and high-speed digital design, simulation and modeling, and CST Microwave Studio for 3D-EM simulation. Our engineering staff includes some of the industry's most well-respected names, and has over 130 man-years of experience in high frequency and signal integrity engineering.

Whether your application is a Bluetooth package, OC-768 backplane, Infiniband connector or DDR module, GigaTest can help you measure, model, simulate or troubleshoot it. We can even help you design it.

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Sockets and Contactors

Today's semiconductor testers are capable of testing components at, or close to the operation speed of the devices. With speeds of these devices at 10 GB/s, soon to be 40 GB/s, this has raised the performance requirements for test interfaces like sockets and contactors. In particular, these test interfaces must have very low parasitics and impedance discontinuities, in order to allow proper testing of high-speed devices, with minimal degradation of performance.

Proper evaluation of these interconnect structures requires accurate measurement of very small impedances over large frequency ranges: a perfect application for GigaTest's characterization methodology. At GigaTest, we prefer to use micro-probing, to obtain a high-bandwidth, low-parasitic measurement on interconnects. By using the calibration capability of the VNA, in conjunction with precise fixturing designed specifically for probing sockets, we obtain very accurate S-parameter measurements that can be used to evaluate the performance of sockets and contactors, as well as other test interfaces like probe cards, space transformers, and DUT boards.

The industry has recognized our expertise in this area, and the "GigaTest Report" has become a de-facto standard for evaluating the performance of sockets and contactors. This report includes the measured, calibrated S-parameter data, as well as the extracted model for the contactor leads, which is obtained by optimizing an equivalent RLC model, in order to quantify the parasitics of the socket and contactor leads. The report explicitly lists key performance criteria like self and mutual inductance and bandwidth of the component.

Package Modeling

The electrical performance of semiconductor packages is critical to high bandwidth system design. With semiconductor device frequencies, pin-count, density and cost ALL increasing, the accurate measurement and modeling of the package can be a powerful tool to help designers understand and improve the performance of their devices and systems.

GigaTest has been performing package measurements and modeling for years, and our characterization methodology has been used and proven on many different kinds of packages from low-pin count RF SOT packages to standard wire-bonded BT BGAs, and state-of-the-art ceramic flip-chip packages.

We start with very accurate S-parameter measurements, obtained by calibrating and probing with microwave bandwidth probes and a vector network analyzer. These measurements are accurate up to 50 GHz, and can be used to verify simulations or validate the customer's own measurements. Or we can use the measured data to extract an accurate model of the packages lines, suitable for simulating its performance.

This extraction process is performed in a frequency-domain simulation tool that can accept the measured S-parameters and has optimization capability for "matching" the simulated performance of an equivalent model with this measured data.

This is usually a SPICE model made up of RLC components or can be a "distributed transmission line" model that accurately accounts for frequency-dependent effects like dielectric loss and skin-effect. The end result is a package model that can be integrated with the device to accurately predict the performance of a packaged component.

Device Modeling

High-frequency devices, including transistors, diodes, and passives can be measured and modeled at GigaTest. We utilize wafer probing along with customized software to measure and extract small signal models for these devices. The device modeling system includes a Keysight VNA, wafer probe station, DC parameter analyzer and ADS, which allows model extraction for the industry's most popular device models.

We also maintain the capability for measuring S-parameters and Ft on transistor devices. These measurements can be taken over temperature, in addition to bias and frequency.

Validation

Design validation of components intended for specific, high-speed specifications, can be helpful for getting products to market quickly. With a good, reputable measurement lab providing validation services, new designs can be quickly, and accurately verified against the specification. GigaTest is currently a validation provider for Intel® QuickPath and JEDEC input capacitance (JEP 147).

We also work with standards committees on other specifications. Our expertise and methodologies can be used to create measurement and validation procedures for other high-speed signaling standards.

GigaTest Labs Engineering Services