0522 Mw Keysight Broadband Vna Promo 628e9981986c4

170-GHz/220-GHz Broadband VNA Built for On-Wafer Characterization

May 26, 2022

Keysight's VNA solution, developed in collaboration with three other companies, efficiently characterizes on-wafer devices and circuits, speeding deployment of 5G/6G MMICs.

David Maliniak

Related To: Microwaves & RF

This article is part of TechXchange: 5G Test and Measurement

The Overview

Keysight Technologies has teamed with FormFactor, Dominion MicroProbes (DMPI), and Virginia Diodes to create a 170-GHz/220-GHz broadband vector-network-analysis (VNA) package that shortens design and verification cycles for 5G and emerging 6G applications.

Who Needs It & Why?

This jointly developed VNA solution performs on-wafer characterization of mmWave components under various conditions and is said to offer advanced dynamic range, high output power, and maximum stability. With it, designers can efficiently characterize on-wafer devices and circuits, enabling the creation of highly accurate process design kits (PDKs) used to design IC models that shorten the design and verification cycle. It also enables rapid deployment of devices for the emerging 5G and 6G MMICs.

Under the Hood

The fully integrated solution comprises:

Keysight's N5291A 125-GHz broadband VNA, a single-sweep instrument with compact frequency extenders that delivers accurate leveled power.
DMPI/FormFactor T-Wave GSG Dual band probes, which provide wafer-level electrical measurement on FormFactor wafer-probing solutions of millimeter-wave (mmWave) devices and materials up to 1.1 THz.
VDI's specially designed sub-THz frequency extenders, which enable Keysight's N5291A VNAs to perform highly accurate measurement of on-wafer devices under test from 900 Hz to 170 GHz or 220 GHz in a single, continuous frequency sweep.

Read more articles in TechXchange: 5G Test and Measurement

About the Author

David Maliniak | Executive Editor, Microwaves & RF

I am Executive Editor of Microwaves & RF, an all-digital publication that broadly covers all aspects of wireless communications. More particularly, we're keeping a close eye on technologies in the consumer-oriented 5G, 6G, IoT, M2M, and V2X markets, in which much of the wireless market's growth will occur in this decade and beyond. I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, developers, and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

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About me:

In his long career in the B2B electronics-industry media, David Maliniak has held editorial roles as both generalist and specialist. As Components Editor and, later, as Editor in Chief of EE Product News, David gained breadth of experience in covering the industry at large. In serving as EDA/Test and Measurement Technology Editor at Electronic Design, he developed deep insight into those complex areas of technology. Most recently, David worked in technical marketing communications at Teledyne LeCroy, leaving to rejoin the EOEM B2B publishing world in January 2020. David earned a B.A. in journalism at New York University.