Grenoble, France, June 15, 2021 – Hprobe, a provider of semiconductor Automated Test Equipment (ATE) for magnetic devices, today announced the demonstration of a new 3D magnetic generator design resulting in magnetic field accuracy of less than 5µT (5 microteslas) for wafer level probing of 3D angular magnetic sensors. Operating with automated wafer probing stations and external electrical testers, this major breakthrough offers significant throughput performance for testing advanced 3D magnetometers. The system presents high flexibility and compatibility with existing end-user platforms and high-volume manufacturing requirements. It is the latest evolution in Hprobe’s unique patented 3D magnetic field generator technology for single and multi-site testing at wafer level, under a magnetic field.
“With this new achievement, we enable the implementation of new test strategies to improve test efficiency, allowing validation of more accurate sensor products,” explains Siamak Salimy, CTO and co-founder of Hprobe. “Reaching 5µT thanks to Hprobe’s know-how and unique 3D magnetic field generator is only the beginning, and not at all the end of the capabilities of our technology.”
Advanced magnetic sensors are used for various automotive, consumer and industrial applications to extract positioning, angular, strength and direction information. They sense physical parameters using a magnetic field and transmit electrical responses for further processing. To validate these sensors for end applications, they must be tested under extremely demanding and accurate 3D magnetic fields.
Hprobe’s new 3D magnetic generator design can be integrated into the company’s existing equipment, which consists of a test head with a robotized 3D magnetic generator. It also includes a field calibration and monitoring system. It is built for interfacing with a currently available electrical tester or provided with a full tester as a turnkey solution. It comes with dedicated software for customers to implement their own tests and to generate custom 3D magnetic field patterns. A wide range of field configurations are available.
About Hprobe: Founded in March 2017 and based in Grenoble (France), Hprobe is a spin-off company of SPINTEC (one of the leading spintronics research laboratories worldwide). The company designs, manufactures, and markets equipment for wafer-level testing of magnetic devices in the semiconductor industry, which serves consumer, communication, industrial and automotive customers.