XEFORM®
Every semiconductor produced today is individually tested before leaving the fab. Electrical spring contacts physically interface with each chip to power it up and verify functionality. As chips continue to miniaturize, probe pins must do the same. Conventional probe manufacturing methods — stamping individual springs, plating, and manual assembly — are now approaching their physical and economic limits.
Xtalic’s XEFORM® is designed for a next- generation approach: contacts are fabricated directly on a silicon wafer using semiconductor-style lithography (LIGA) with photolithographic precision. This approach requires no individual handling or assembly, just wafer-scale manufacturing of hundreds of contacts simultaneously.
XEFORM enables miniaturization by combining the mechanical spring performance of high- strength alloys with the electrical conductivity required for reliable chip test.
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Nanocrystalline grain structure: 10–20 nm grain size drives yield strength to 1.5–2.0 GPa while maintaining a 130 GPa elastic modulus
Industry-leading elastic stored energy: Yield/modulus ratio of 1.1–1.5%, outperforming Cu-Be alloys (1.0%) — the key figure of merit for spring contact design
Gold grain boundary segregation: Au concentrates at grain boundaries, preserving ~10 µΩ·cm conductivity and preventing grain growth at elevated temperature
Two alloy compositions:
- Ni-1.2 at% Au: 1.5 GPa yield strength, 1.15% elastic stored energy; optimal balance of strength, conductivity, and ductility
- Ni-3.0 at% Au: 2.0 GPa yield strength, 1.54% elastic stored energy; trading some ductility for maximum strength in demanding geometries
2× the fatigue life of Cu-Be: Fatigue limit exceeding 1 GPa, confirmed at over one million cantilever bend cycles with no cracking
Thick electroform capability: Crack-free, void-free deposits to 400 µm in a single electroforming step
Process-ready deposit characteristics: Slightly tensile, low-stress plating produces dense, uniform deposits with consistent Au distribution batch to batch
Unmatched spring performance: High yield strength and optimal elastic modulus deliver consistent contact force across millions of test cycles
Next-generation miniaturization: Enables LIGA-based electroforming at pitches unreachable by conventional stamping or machining
Near-nickel conductivity: Carries chip test current without excessive heat, maintaining signal integrity throughout testing
Enhanced Reliability: Thermally stable to 400°C, preserving mechanical and electrical properties under continuous use
Precious metal compatible: Accepts gold and noble metal top coats for extended low contact resistance over probe life
Lower total cost of ownership: Wafer-scale manufacturing eliminates the labor and yield losses of individual contact assembly
Transform Your Products With XEFORM
Wafer-scale electroforming: plates directly on silicon or PCB substrates with no individual handling required
Plating thickness: 0.1 µm to 400 µm
Production format: rack plating
Consistent alloy uniformity: stable, uniform Au distribution across plated parts, compatible for complex geometries
Application engineering support: pilot-scale sampling, process optimization, and on-site production support available
Semiconductor Test
- LIGA-electroformed probe cards
- High-temperature test environments
- Long-service probe fixtures
Electrical Connectors
- Spring contact beams
- Connector interfaces
- Reinforcement coating over lower-cost substrates
Advanced Electromechanical
- MEMS and precision spring elements
- Quantum compute electrical contacts
REACH compliant: no significantly hazardous materials, simplifying regulatory compliance globally
Additive process efficiency: material deposited only where needed, generating less waste than stamping or machining
Extended service life: fatigue resistance and thermal stability reduce probe replacement frequency and material consumption
Cyanide-free chemistry: low hazard bath composition supports ESG and sustainability commitments
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