Probe Positioner and Probe Tip Calibration for Traceable On-Wafer Measurement

This paper presents a loaded-probe positioner calibration and evaluation of the ratio between Z-coordinate of the positioner and probe skating distance. The accuracy of the loaded-probe positioner in the in-plane direction was validated by comparing length measurements of two lines between a calibrated optical microscope and accurate probe positioning at both edges of the lines. Furthermore, the accuracy of the probe positioner in the vertical direction was also validated using a calibrated step master. The calibration results showed that the accuracy of the probe positioner was within the accuracy limits of the precision probing technique. The ratio of Z-coordinate to probe skating distance varied with the probe skating distance and probe models. The skating distance directly contributed to the distance between probes. The impact of the ratio on the evaluation of a 2-mm transmission line was investigated at 300 GHz band.