Smiths Interconnect’s New Volta Product Pushes Testing Technology Boundaries

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Smiths Interconnect announces the release of the Volta Series probe heads optimized for wafer level chip scale package testing. As phones and smart devices get more powerful, so do the integrated chips that support them. Volta is used for testing the chips (while I in their wafer form) that are behind everything from Bluetooth and power management to digital display controllers. Volta helps customers deliver higher quality products by ensuring the chips in them​ ​are​ ​up​ ​to​ ​specification,​ ​and​ ​perform​ ​as​ ​they​ ​should.   

Volta​ ​is​ ​the​ ​result​ ​of​ ​Smiths​ ​Interconnect’s​ ​close​ ​collaboration​ ​with​ ​customers,​ ​and​ ​has​ ​been​ ​designed​ ​to significantly​ ​outperform​ ​the​ ​competition​ ​in​ ​durability​ ​and​ ​performance.​ ​It​ ​uses​ ​innovative,​ ​world-class electrical​ ​contact​ ​technologies​ ​and​ ​proprietary​ ​engineered​ ​materials​ ​to​ ​achieve​ ​improved​ ​performance​ ​and production​ ​efficiency.   

In​ ​the​ ​Volta​ ​Series​ ​spring​ ​probe​ ​contacts​ ​are​ ​used​ ​in​ ​place​ ​of​ ​cantilever​ ​and​ ​traditional​ ​vertical​ ​probe​ ​card  technologies.​ ​As​ ​part​ ​of​ ​Smiths​ ​Interconnect’s​ ​complete​ ​line​ ​of​ ​semiconductor​ ​test​ ​products,​ ​the​ ​Volta​ ​Series  offers​ ​a​ ​number​ ​of​ ​differentiating​ ​benefits:  

• The​ ​design​ ​itself​ ​ensures​ ​an​ ​extremely​ ​short​ ​signal​ ​path​ ​enabling​ ​low​ ​and​ ​stable​ ​contact​ ​resistance,​ ​high  current​ ​carrying​ ​capacity​ ​and​ ​longer​ ​life​ ​cycle.  
• Proprietary​ ​engineered​ ​plastic​ ​and​ ​machined​ ​ceramic​ ​materials​ ​used​ ​in​ ​the​ ​product​ ​make​ ​for​ ​improved  planarity​ ​that​ ​allows​ ​increased​ ​test​ ​parallelism.  
• The​ ​housing​ ​allows​ ​for​ ​easy​ ​maintenance,​ ​quick​ ​installation​ ​and​ ​field​ ​repair​ ​potential​ ​that​ ​all​ ​add​ ​up​ ​to  reduced​ ​cost​ ​of​ ​ownership.  
• The​ ​state-of-the-art​ ​Volta​ ​Manual​ ​Actuator​ ​(Lid)​ ​design​ ​allows​ ​sorted​ ​die​ ​tests​ ​at​ ​all​ ​sites​ ​simultaneously  as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​eliminates​ ​the​ ​possibility​ ​of​ ​die​ ​cracking​ ​even​ ​after​ ​repetitive​ ​tests,​ ​enabling​ ​probe​ ​card bring-ups​ ​prior​ ​to​ ​the​ ​wafer​ ​availability.    

“The​ ​semiconductor​ ​packaging​ ​industry​ ​is​ ​evolving​ ​quickly​ ​to​ ​accommodate​ ​complex​ ​functional​ ​integration​ ​of ICs​ ​for​ ​higher​ ​performance​ ​in​ ​smaller​ ​form​ ​factors,”​ ​said​ ​Jeff​ ​Dick,​ ​Marketing​ ​Vice​ ​President​ ​at​ ​Smiths Interconnect.​ ​“The​ ​technical​ ​challenges​ ​and​ ​increases​ ​in​ ​packaging​ ​costs​ ​are​ ​fueling​ ​the​ ​growth​ ​of​ ​Wafer​ ​Level Packages​ ​and​ ​Known​ ​Good​ ​Dies.​ ​Smiths​ ​Interconnect’s​ ​Volta​ ​Series​ ​addresses​ ​these​ ​trends​ ​with​ ​a  cost-effective,​ ​high-performance​ ​option​ ​specifically​ ​designed​ ​to​ ​meet​ ​customers’​ ​needs.”  

About​ ​Smiths​ ​Interconnect 

Smiths​ ​Interconnect​​ ​is​ ​a​ ​leading​ ​provider​ ​of​ ​technically​ ​differentiated​ ​electronic​ ​components,​ ​subsystems, microwave​ ​and​ ​radio​ ​frequency​ ​products​ ​that​ ​connect,​ ​protect​ ​and​ ​control​ ​critical​ ​applications​ ​in​ ​the commercial​ ​aviation,​ ​defense,​ ​space,​ ​medical,​ ​rail,​ ​semiconductor​ ​test,​ ​and​ ​industrial​ ​markets.​ ​Smiths  Interconnect​ ​is​ ​synonymous​ ​with​ ​exceptional​ ​performance​ ​whenever​ ​a​ ​technologically​ ​advanced,​ ​high​ ​quality  solution​ ​is​ ​required​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​reliability​ ​and​ ​safety. Smiths​ ​Interconnect​ ​is​ ​part​ ​of​ ​​Smiths​ ​Group​,​ ​a​ ​global​ ​leader​ ​in​ ​applying​ ​advanced​ ​technologies​ ​for​ ​markets​ ​in threat​ ​and​ ​contraband​ ​detection,​ ​energy,​ ​medical​ ​devices,​ ​communications​ ​and​ ​engineered​ ​components. Smiths​ ​Group​ ​employs​ ​approximately​ ​22,000​ ​people​ ​in​ ​more​ ​than​ ​50​ ​countries.