Comparison of thick-and thin-film technology using wafer probes

In this paper, a newly-designed thick-film low-cost probe for on-wafer S-parameter measurements is described and compared with a thin-film version. Test results show that the thick-film probe compares well with the thin-film version and that it can be used in measurements at up to 18GHz with little loss in performance. In addition to describing the thick-film probe, this paper describes the materials and fabrication aspects which influence high-frequency thick-film behaviour.