Cascade Microtech

What Cascade Microtech does

Cascade Microtech, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, was historically a worldwide leader in the precision electrical measurement and test of advanced semiconductor devices, specializing in on-wafer probing solutions. Following its 2017 acquisition by FormFactor, Inc., the company now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary and retained brand within the larger public FormFactor organization, with the legacy Cascade RMA service continuing to support the installed base. The company's core product portfolio includes analytical probe stations covering 150mm, 200mm, and 300mm wafer formats; MEMS-based probes; probe cards for DRAM, Flash, foundry/logic, parametric, optical, and RF applications; and quantum cryogenic systems including the IQ3000 4K wafer prober and dilution refrigerators. Differentiated technologies include proprietary MEMS probes rated for over one million contact cycles, Contact Intelligence software for autonomous probe contact optimization, and the InfinityXF probe platform offering true DC-250 GHz broadband performance developed in collaboration with Keysight.

The business serves semiconductor manufacturers (IDMs, foundries, and fabless companies) for high-volume production test, semiconductor R&D laboratories for device characterization, and emerging verticals including quantum computing, AI processors, 5G/6G communications, automotive power semiconductors, and aerospace/defense. Key application areas span DC parametric test, RF/mmW and 5G, terahertz, silicon photonics, VCSEL/MicroLED, advanced packaging, and cryogenic device testing. The customer base is enterprise-grade, with a hybrid segmentation approach targeting both use-case applications (semiconductor R&D, high-volume manufacturing) and verticals (computing/data centers, automotive).

Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of probe systems, probes, probe cards, and quantum cryogenic equipment, supplemented by service revenue from the legacy Cascade RMA program. Distribution operates via an enterprise field sales motion with a direct global sales force, regional sales representatives, and contact offices across the Americas and EMEA. Marketing relies on technical content (papers, case studies, webinars, the COMPASS users conference, and industry trade engagement) targeting R&D and manufacturing engineers. Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed; the enterprise model implies custom configuration-based pricing tied to system complexity, volume, and customer requirements.

Name

Cascade Microtech

Legal name

FormFactor Inc.

Website

https://cmicro.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cascade Microtech, now a FormFactor subsidiary, designs and manufactures precision probe stations, MEMS probes, probe cards, and cryogenic test systems for on-wafer semiconductor characterization in R&D and high-volume manufacturing. It serves IDMs, foundries, fabless firms, and research institutions globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semiconductor Test and Measurement Equipment

NAICS

Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Test, Probe & Burn-In Equipment (Wafer Sort/Final Test) (HDAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches) (IMAGAFAC), Calibration, Characterization & Test Instrumentation (Cryo/RF) (HDAGABAM)

Keywords

• Semiconductor test equipment
• Wafer probe stations
• Probe cards
• Cryogenic test systems
• RF mmWave probing

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaverton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of probe systems, probes, probe cards, quantum cryogenic equipment, and accessories to semiconductor manufacturers and research institutions

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cascade Microtech, operating as a retained brand within FormFactor Inc., designs and manufactures precision electrical measurement and test equipment for advanced semiconductor devices. Its offerings include probe stations for 150mm, 200mm, and 300mm wafers, RF and DC probes, MEMS-based probe cards for DRAM, Flash, foundry/logic, parametric, optical, and RF applications, and quantum cryogenic test systems spanning chip-scale to wafer-level probing. The Cascade RMA service continues to support legacy Cascade Microtech probe systems under FormFactor.

Product overview

Cascade Microtech, now part of FormFactor Inc., operates primarily through FormFactor's product portfolio following the 2017 acquisition. The company offers a comprehensive suite of semiconductor test and measurement solutions including probe systems, probes, probe cards, and quantum cryogenic systems. The legacy Cascade RMA service continues to support existing Cascade Microtech probe systems. The current FormFactor product line encompasses 150mm, 200mm, and 300mm modular probe systems, RF and DC probes, DRAM and Flash probe cards, and cryogenic testing solutions spanning from chip-scale to wafer-level probing systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cascade RMA: Return Merchandise Authorization service for Cascade probe stations

Products and services

• Probe Systems Modular analytical probe stations for on-wafer testing in semiconductor R&D and high-volume manufacturing, available in 150mm, 200mm, and 300mm wafer formats with options for autonomous, power, cryogenic, vacuum/pressure, and IMS-K integrated configurations.
• Probes Broad portfolio of probes including single/dual channel RF, single/dual broadband coaxial, banded waveguide, cryo/vacuum/high-temperature, signal integrity, specialty, mixed signal RF and DC, RF multicontact, DC multicontact, high performance DC, DC parametric, DC power, VNA calibration tools, substrates, and software, including the InfinityXF probe with DC-250 GHz broadband performance.
• Probe Cards MEMS-based probe cards spanning DRAM, Flash, foundry & logic, parametric, optical, and RF test applications for high-volume semiconductor manufacturing.
• Quantum Cryogenic Systems Quantum cryogenic test systems including wafer/multi-chip systems, chip-scale systems, cryostats, dilution refrigerators, and additional products, plus cryogenic test services for quantum computing and cryogenic device applications.
• Cascade RMA Service Return Merchandise Authorization service for Cascade probe systems, providing repair and replacement support for legacy Cascade Microtech probe systems under FormFactor's service umbrella.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• KeysightcoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration on InfinityXF probe and IMS-K integrated measurement systems. Keysight provides measurement instrumentation integrated with FormFactor probe systems. The InfinityXF is powered by FormFactor and Keysight collaboration, offering true DC-250 GHz broadband performance.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Bruker Corporation: Scientific instruments and test/measurement provider with a growing semiconductor and quantum characterization portfolio; partial overlap in cryogenic, RF, and low-noise measurement use cases adjacent to Cascade's quantum test business.
• Rohde & Schwarz: Test and measurement vendor for RF/microwave and mmWave semiconductor test; an emerging competitor in high-frequency wafer-level and over-the-air test that intersects with Cascade's RF and mmWave probe applications.

Broad incumbents

• Tokyo Electron (TEL): Major Japanese semiconductor equipment manufacturer; broad incumbent whose deposition, etch, and track systems are sold into the same fabs that purchase Cascade probe systems and cryogenic test tools.
• Advantest Corporation: Global leader in semiconductor automatic test equipment (ATE) and a broad incumbent in wafer sort and final test; competes with Cascade in test-cell economics and probe card adjacencies for memory and logic.
• Teradyne Inc. Major ATE vendor serving the same IDM, foundry, and fabless customers as Cascade, with overlapping exposure to SOC, memory, and analog test; competes in system-level and wafer-level test spending allocations.
• KLA Corporation: Dominant incumbent in semiconductor process control and inspection; adjacent to Cascade in wafer-level metrology and increasingly overlapping in advanced packaging and yield-related test.

Direct peers

• FormFactor Inc. The publicly traded parent of Cascade Microtech; operates the same probe systems, probes, probe cards, and cryogenic product lines, making it the most direct comparable and the entity in which Cascade is now embedded.
• Keysight Technologies: Core technology partner of Cascade/FormFactor on the InfinityXF and IMS-K systems, while also competing in RF/mmWave measurement instrumentation; comparable in the bench- and system-level T&M category and in mmWave/THz test.
• Onto Innovation Inc. Provides macro defect inspection, metrology, and optical/CD metrology for semiconductor manufacturing, with overlapping customers in advanced packaging, RF, and memory where Cascade also sells probes and test systems.
• Cohu Inc. Direct peer in semiconductor test handlers, interface boards, and probe cards; competes head-to-head with Cascade/FormFactor in memory test and in contactor/probe consumables for high-volume manufacturing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cascade-microtech
• Xx.com/cascademicro
• Facebookfacebook.com/CascadeMicrotech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cascade Microtech