Accelerate Semiconductor Innovation

Choose your IC design workflow based on the type of device you are building, the physics you need to model, and the measurements you will need to correlate after silicon returns. The goal is to connect design intent, simulation results, layout-aware analysis, and eventual lab validation.

For radio frequency (RF), microwave, high-speed digital physical-layer, circuit, electromagnetic (EM), and multi-technology simulation, start with Advanced Design System (ADS).

For RF integrated circuit (RFIC), monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC), RF module, microwave circuit, antenna, packaging, printed circuit board (PCB), EM-circuit, and electro-thermal co-simulation workflows, explore RF and Microwave Circuit Design.

For photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design, simulation, and validation, explore Photonic IC Design.

For imaging, illumination, automotive lighting, free-space photonics, and photonic device design, explore Optical Design.

For superconducting quantum chip design with circuit simulation, EM modeling, quantum parameter extraction, and layout-aware analysis, explore Quantum Electronics Design.

For power converter and inverter design with circuit, EM, electro-thermal, parasitic, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) aware simulation workflows, explore Power Electronics Design.

Wafer-level characterization typically requires a probe station or wafer prober, probe tips or probe cards, low-leakage cabling, precision source and measurement instruments, and software to automate measurements across multiple devices, sites, or wafers. A typical setup may include:

• A wafer prober or probe station to contact devices and test structures on the wafer
• Probe cards, probe tips, and guarded cabling for reliable low-level measurements
• A parameter analyzer or source measure units (SMUs) for current-voltage (IV) characterization

• Capacitance-voltage (CV) measurement capability for junctions, gate structures, varactors, and model extraction
• Pulsed IV capability to evaluate fast behavior while reducing self-heating or trapping effects
• Vector network analyzers (VNAs) for RF and microwave scattering parameter (S-parameter) measurements
• Software to automate wafer-level measurement plans, prober movement, instrument control, and data collection

For device characterization, explore the Semiconductor Device Parameter Analyzer, which supports IV, CV, and fast pulsed IV measurements.

For compact modeling and device model extraction, explore Device Modeling IC-CAP.

For automated wafer-level measurements, explore Device Modeling WaferPro and on-wafer measurements using IC-CAP WaferPro.

You should automate semiconductor parametric testing when manual probing, setup, data collection, and wafer-map review become too slow or inconsistent for the number of devices, wafer sites, temperatures, wafers, or lots you need to test. A strong automated parametric test workflow should support:

• Test plan creation and reuse
• Instrument setup and measurement sequencing
• Wafer prober control and site stepping
• IV, CV, pulsed, frequency, or RF measurements
• Wafer maps, distributions, and trend data
• Parametric limit checking and outlier identification
• Data export for modeling, process control, and yield analysis

For research and development (R&D), device characterization, and compact modeling, explore Device Modeling WaferPro, which performs automated wafer-level measurements and provides instrument and wafer prober drivers.

For wafer acceptance test (WAT), process control monitoring (PCM), and production-oriented parametric test, explore the Parallel Parametric Test System.

For silicon photonics wafer-level production test, explore the Silicon Photonics Wafer Test System, which supports WAT or PCM workflows with a fully automated wafer prober.

Leakage and low-current measurements are highly sensitive to the full measurement path. At femtoampere (fA), picoampere (pA), or low nanoampere (nA) levels, error can come from the device under test, probe card, fixture, cabling, switching matrix, grounding, humidity, contamination, settling time, or environmental noise. To improve leakage measurement confidence

• Use guarded triaxial cabling where appropriate
• Minimize leakage paths through fixtures, probe cards, connectors, and switch matrices
• Keep the measurement environment clean, dry, and stable
• Allow sufficient settling time after voltage steps
• Use shielding and proper grounding to reduce external noise pickup
• Use Kelvin connections for low-resistance measurements
• Use open, short, and known-reference checks to separate setup leakage from device leakage
• Avoid routing ultra-low current signals through unsuitable switches or cabling

For semiconductor device characterization, explore the Semiconductor Device Parameter Analyzer.

For ultra-low current and high-resistance measurements, explore Femto / Picoammeters and Electrometers.

For automated low-leakage switching in IV and CV measurement systems, explore the Low-Leakage Switch Mainframe.

PIC validation should be organized around the optical and electro-optical behavior you need to prove. A complete workflow may include passive optical measurements, direct current (DC) responsivity, wavelength sweeps, polarization-dependent behavior, RF bandwidth, electrical-to-optical (E/O) response, optical-to-electrical (O/E) response, and wafer-level production monitoring. Recommended PIC validation workflows include:

• Passive optical validation for insertion loss, wavelength response, return loss, and polarization-dependent loss
• DC electro-optical validation for modulators, photodetectors, heaters, tuning structures, and bias-dependent behavior
• High-speed E/O and O/E validation for bandwidth, S-parameters, and frequency response
• Wafer-level photonic test for WAT, PCM, and production monitoring
• Automated optical and electrical test that coordinates lasers, optical power meters, polarization control, SMUs, VNAs, and wafer probers

Yes, these workflows can support integration with existing lab instruments and software, depending on your instrument models, drivers, prober, software environment, and test architecture. Keysight photonic test workflows are built around coordinated instrument control, measurement automation, and repeatable data collection.

For silicon photonics wafer and RF test workflows, explore Integrated Photonics Test Products.

For optical measurement automation and wavelength or polarization dependence testing, explore Photonic Application Suite (PAS).

For silicon photonics WAT or PCM with a fully automated wafer prober, explore the Silicon Photonics Wafer Test System.

For calibrated O/E and E/O component characterization, explore Lightwave Component Analyzers (LCAs).