Achieving a 75 GHz Test Socket

For over half a century the semiconductor industry has been governed by a commonly known principle described as Moore’s Law. This law predicts that through technological advancement, a doubling of the number of transistors per integrated circuit (IC) will occur within a given geometric area at regular 18-24 month intervals. The realization of this doubling effect over time has resulted in an ever-widening range of semiconductor devices exhibiting increases in functionality and processing speed combined with an increased demand for power and effective thermal management. This doubling effect has also driven a matching rapid evolution in IC package types and I/O interface configurations. Typical ICs are tested using sockets and the current testing needs exceed 70GHz performance.

This article will describe an IC socket contact technology that can reach 75 GHz performance without compromising other electrical and mechanical requirements of typical IC applications.