An Automated W-Band On-Wafer Noise Figure Measurement System

This paper presents an automated W-band on-wafer noise figure measurement system. This measurement system utilizes W-band on-wafer probes for MMIC testing. W-band testing procedures, which formerly required assembling transitions and MMIC chips in waveguide test fixtures, have been greatly simplified. Hundreds of W-band monolithic low noise amplifiers have been tested on this measurement system for both noise figure and associated gain. The results are consistent with the in-fixture test data. This is the first demonstration of on-wafer noise figure test of MMIC at W-band frequency.