TOKYO-- Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) has delivered a new wafer-level Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) Tester, the TEMEON, to a leading MEMS device manufacturer located in Japan. The system enables manufacturers to stimulate a MEMS device and accurately isolate and validate the electrical and mechanical functionality at the wafer level prior to packaging.

With this new product, TEL offers two improvements in advanced MEMS testing technology. The first breakthrough improvement is in the area of fault coverage. In today's MEMS test arena, manufacturers are only able to test electrical functionality at the wafer level. With the TEMEON, customers may now test the important mechanical structures of the MEMS device as well as the electrical performance. This capability offers the additional benefit of increased fault coverage, which minimizes package waste that previously would not have been captured at the wafer level.

Optimization of the test setup and the testing process is also a breakthrough enhancement. TEL has implemented a revolutionary low force contact methodology at the wafer level. This low force process eliminates any adverse effects to wafer yield due to strain applied to MEMS structures that may alter the performance, thereby resulting in maximized wafer sort yields.

MEMS devices are typically manufactured using standard, low-cost semiconductor process technologies, such as photolithography or etching. Proven and standardized technology allows devices to be manufactured at low cost with small features, low power consumption and unique functionality that is difficult to obtain in standard electromechanical systems. These factors are fueling high market growth in consumer segments, such as handheld devices and automotive products. The TEMEON in conjunction with the company's low force contact methodology provides the best Cost of Ownership and technology to address the test requirements of this growth market.