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SkyWater Establishes Cryogenic Lab, Utilizes FormFactor’s Leading Tool for RTS Noise Detection in Read-Out Integrated Circuit Applications
Public-private partnerships support SkyWater’s leading-edge domestic capabilities and advancement of ROIC technology BLOOMINGTON, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
About this update from Skywater Technology, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\nPublic-private partnerships support SkyWater’s leading-edge domestic capabilities and advancement of ROIC technology\n\n BLOOMINGTON, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nSkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT), the trusted technology realization partner, today announced it has established a new cryogenic lab to characterize random telegraph signal (RTS) noise for read-out integrated circuits (ROICs). Mitigating RTS noise is crucial to improving the image quality and performance for ROIC customers in various applications such as night vision, military surveillance, and industrial and automotive thermal imaging.\n\nSkyWater’s cryo lab utilizes FormFactor’s leading cryogenic probe system that enables precise on-wafer measurements in extreme environments. SkyWater partnered with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Arizona State University’s electrical engineering teams to develop test chips which are used to determine how much RTS noise exists for various transistor types and temperatures. From these measurements, enhancements are made for improved imaging.\n\nFor ROIC customers, it is crucial to minimize RTS noise as it becomes a limiting factor to image sensor performance. SkyWater’s cryo lab detects and measures noise which enables mitigation efforts for RTS effects. The new cryogenic noise characterization capabilities at SkyWater further enhance the company’s ability to streamline process and product development for advanced imaging systems in both defense and specialty industrial applications.\n\nFormFactor’s high-performance probes are optimized for testing of cooled infrared sensors and cutting-edge technologies that operate at cryogenic temperatures, making it possible to collect accurate data across a comprehensive range of application environments. FormFactor’s cryogenic probe system acts as a freezer, bringing down the sample environment to extremely cold temperatures and utilizes a state of the art E4727B Advanced Low-Frequency Noise Analyzer (A-LFNA) system from Keysight Technologies to measure the noise. Furthermore, FormFactor’s Advanced Cryogenic Lab, which launched in 2022, played a crucial role in test development by providing early access to a cryogenic wafer prober while SkyWater’s cryo lab was being prepared.\n\n“The FormFactor cryogenic probe system, with the ability to measure at the wafer level down to seven K...