Used TEL Precio octo™ 6/8-inch Fully Automated Wafer Prober

The TEL Precio octo™ is a fully automated wafer prober designed for 150mm and 200mm (6/8-inch) wafers. It is engineered specifically for high-volume production lines, where ultra-high-speed indexing and rapid wafer swapping are leveraged to achieve maximum throughput.

Core Value Proposition: Reducing Test Costs Through Speed

The design philosophy is straightforward: by utilizing ultra-high-speed indexing and high-speed wafer exchange, the system significantly minimizes idle time between probing movements and wafer transitions, thereby lowering test costs and enhancing Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). This distinguishes it from the Precio XL—which targets the broader 200/300mm platform—by focusing not on larger wafer sizes, but on pushing the throughput limits for 6/8-inch production lines.

Key Specifications

The system supports 150mm/200mm wafers, with an XY probing accuracy of ±2.0 μm and a Z-axis accuracy of ±5.0 μm. Unlike the linear motor architecture found in the Precio XL, the Precio octo utilizes a ball-screw-based motion platform. This choice aligns with its speed-prioritized positioning: for the typical precision requirements of 6/8-inch production lines, a ball-screw system offers superior advantages in terms of cost and maintainability.

Stability and Optional Features

The Precio octo features structural reinforcements and enhancements to key optical components, designed to suppress vibrations and maintain probing stability during high-speed operation. A notable optional feature is TELPADS™-I—an ultra-high-speed automated probe-mark inspection system—which assesses the condition of the probe card and ensures the quality of probe marks, playing a vital role in maintaining consistent contact during high-volume testing.

Selection Guidance

The ideal application for the Precio octo is clear: it is best suited for production lines that process 6-inch or 8-inch wafers, where the primary bottleneck in the testing phase is throughput rather than a requirement for extreme, ultra-high precision. If a production line has transitioned to 12-inch wafers, or if the devices under test require sub-micron XY precision, then the Precio XL or Prexa series would be the appropriate choices. The value of the "octo" system does not lie in leading any single metric on a specification sheet; rather, it excels by pushing "speed" to the absolute limit for the 200mm wafer segment, all within a mature, proven platform.