Next-Generation Tester For High-Power Chips

The tester for high-power chips using Silicon Carbide and Gallium Nitride offers efficient testing with high voltage, current capacity, and parallelism.

The Microtest Group, a European manufacturer of test systems for chips on packages and silicon wafers, have launched the VIP ULTRA tester. It is the latest version of Microtest’s VIP Extended product line, designed for testing Wide Band Gap (WBG) devices made from compound semiconductors like Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN). These materials are widely used in power electronics due to their ability to handle high currents and voltages efficiently.

The demand for WBG-based devices is increasing in industries such as automotive and industrial electronics, particularly in electric and hybrid vehicles, solar inverters, 5G infrastructure, and data centers. These technologies must support the growing computational requirements of AI and ML applications.

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The company has developed the VIP ULTRA to offer enhanced operational flexibility for power electronics testing in industrial applications. The tester supports multiple configurations, with voltage capabilities of 1.7KV or 4KV and current capacities up to 250A.

It is the only test platform available that provides a complete suite of tools for DC and energy stress testing with high parallelism—32 channels in the 1.7KV configuration and 16 in the 4KV configuration. These capabilities make it particularly effective for testing high-power chips at the silicon wafer level, ensuring proper functionality before chip dicing and integration.

“With VIP ULTRA, we are driving innovation in high-power device testing with a more efficient and market-advantageous test platform. An increasing number of applications, from the automotive sector to data centers, require electronic devices capable of efficiently handling high power levels. This demand also drives test platforms to evolve, supporting higher voltages while maximizing production capacity. Numerous private and governmental entities are investing in new factories, facilities, and research centers to develop new materials and technologies that address emerging industrial applications,” said Emiliano Consani, Head of the ATE Business Unit at Microtest Group.