The Microtest Group launched the new VIP ULTRA tester at the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) 2025, which ran from 16-20 March in Atlanta, Georgia.
VIP ULTRA is the new generation of Microtest's long-standing VIP Extended product and is the Automated Test Equipment (ATE) designed for testing Wide Band Gap (WBG) devices made using compound semiconductors such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) which have proven to perform better in power electronics that require effective handling of high currents and voltages.
The devices made from WGB materials are gaining popularity thanks to their greater energy efficiency in the automotive and industrial sectors, especially for the development of technology for electric and hybrid vehicles, solar inverters, 5G infrastructure, and data centres, the latter of which is becoming increasingly important to support the computing demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications.
Microtest has designed and developed the VIP ULTRA, a tester with enhanced operational flexibility, in response to the ever-increasing use of power electronics in the industrial sector.
The VIP ULTRA offers a variety of configurations, with resources capable of reaching voltages of 1.7KV (VIP ULTRA HV 1.7KV) or 4KV (VIP ULTRA HV 4KV) and currents up to 250A. According to Microtest, it stands as the only test platform on the market that can guarantee a complete set of tools for performing DC (Direct Current) and energy stress tests with extremely high parallelism (32 in the 1.7KV configuration and 16 with the 4KV).
These innovative features make it particularly suitable for testing smart and high-power chips carried out at the silicon wafer level to ensure proper functionality of integrated devices before the cutting operation (chip dicing) required to isolate and subsequently assemble the integrated component itself.
“With VIP ULTRA, we are driving innovation in high-power device testing with a more efficient and market-advantageous test platform. An increasing number of applications, from the automotive sector to data centers, require electronic devices capable of efficiently handling high power levels," said Emiliano Consani, Head of the ATE Business Unit, Microtest Group. "This demand also drives test platforms to evolve, supporting higher voltages while maximising production capacity. Numerous private and governmental entities are investing in new factories, facilities, and research centres to develop new materials and technologies that address emerging industrial applications.
"While silicon was the dominant semiconductor a decade ago, it is now widely recognised that its combination with carbon enhances its suitability for modern market demands. With its extensive and solid expertise in the field, Microtest aims to meet the evolving market needs with its new VIP ULTRA tester. Microtest, with its long-standing expertise in the industry, is committed to addressing the challenges of a rapidly evolving market with the new VIP ULTRA tester."
