Customized ULTRAMIC^® Heater Delivers High Watt Density Solution for Chip Testing

Application

An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that provides semiconductor backend services conducts chip testing for consumer and industrial product applications. The manufacturer has a product testing line with chip testing machines operating at a temperature range between 60 to 130ºC (140 to 266ºF).

Problem

The manufacturer needed a solution for their customized integrated circuit (IC) chip testing module and was unable to identify a heater option to meet their exact requirement for a small heater in a high watt density that could cycle quickly. Traditional solutions that employ small diameter cartridge heaters inside of machined housings can exhibit poor thermal uniformity and a short life span. These solutions also yield a slower heat up and cool down time, and are more difficult to integrate due to thicker machined housings and multiple sets of terminations.

Solution

Watlow® solved the OEM's specific heater need by customizing an ULTRAMIC^® advanced ceramic heater to match the requirements of the chip testing machine. Watlow's ULTRAMIC heaters are constructed with aluminum nitride (AIN), enabling a high watt density, fast response heater design in a small package. The heaters were machined to a specific geometry to allow easy integration with the customer's device. Bonded Type K thermocouples ensured tight process control.