On-Wafer S-Parameter and Waveform Measurements

Rapid and accurate on-wafer measurements are essential to the affordable manufacture of large volumes of monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs). The purposes of this paper are to compare published on-wafer scattering (S) parameter and waveform measurement methods, identify those that are most useful for particular applications, and discuss probable future directions. Methods discussed include all-electronic measurements with coplanar waveguide (CPW) and magnetic proximity probes as well as combination electronic and optical techniques using picosecond pulsed lasers.