Micromachined Probes for Submillimeter-Wave On-Wafer Measurements—Part I: Mechanical Design and Characterization

Abstract

The mechanical design and characterization of a micromachined on-wafer probe scalable to submillimeter-wave frequencies is presented. The design consists of a silicon micromachined probe with a ground-signal-ground configuration on a 15 μm thick silicon substrate. This micromachined chip is housed in a metal waveguide block that provides mechanical support for the probe and enables coupling to a waveguide flange. Load-cell measurements of the probe show a DC contact resistance below 0.07 Ω with an applied force of 1 mN. A companion paper presents the electromagnetic design and calibrated on-wafer measurements at 500 to 750 GHz.