A 0–40 GHz On-Wafer Probe With Replaceable Micromachined Silicon Tip

This work reports on a new approach to realizing RF on-wafer probes with contact tips that can be replaced or exchanged readily by the user. The probe design is based on a micromachined silicon tip that is aligned and clamped to a primary transmission line and probe housing using integrated tabs. The probe is characterized over the 0-40 GHz range and shows RF performance that is comparable to that achieved with commercially-available probes with...