Austin, TX-- TEL (Tokyo Electron Ltd.) has released a new wafer prober for research and development applications in vacuum environments. Temporarily named the VP-6, TEL's new system is specifically designed for MEMS (micro electrical mechanical structures) and other devices for which high vacuum wafer testing is required.

Because of shrinking sizes, the number of devices requiring a vacuum environment today is increasing, thereby creating the need for testing/probing in vacuum conditions. Structures have in fact become so small, that atmospheric pressure may cause poor performance in the devices.

Tokyo Electron AT, Ltd completed a customer beta during 1Q/2003 and is now evaluating the system design for a mass-production wafer prober.

TEL manufactures a full line of wafer probers for 100mm to 300mm wafers, Wafer Dicing Frame probing and Wafer Level Reliability and testing equipment.