NEWS/RELEASE
TANAKA PRECIOUS METAL TECHNOLOGIES Announces TK-SR Rhodium Material for Use in Probe Pins
The world’s first rhodium material to simultaneously offer high strength, elasticity hardness, and electrical conductivity
Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 12, 2025 – TANAKA PRECIOUS METAL TECHNOLOGIES Co., Ltd., an industrial precious metals organization, has announced the development of TK-SR, a rhodium (Rh) material for probe pins used in probe cards during the front-end processes of semiconductor package manufacturing. This first of its kind product will be exhibited on display at Booth 506 and panel displays at SWTest Asia 2025 from November 20 to November 21 in Fukuoka, Japan.
TANAKA manufactures and supplies various precious metal probe pin materials for the inspection equipment used in the front- and back-end processes of semiconductor manufacturing. Using its proprietary processing technologies, TANAKA is the first company in the world to successfully develop a rhodium probe pin material that simultaneously offers high strength, elasticity, hardness, and electrical conductivity that will extend the lifespans of probe cards and lower their costs.
TK-SR is available in widths as narrow as 18μm, enabling precision inspection for today’s increasingly compact narrow-pitch semiconductor packages. TANAKA plans to ship twice as many of these products as conventional products by 2030.
Probe cards play a critical role in current-carrying tests on silicon wafers during front-end semiconductor processes, using thousands or sometimes tens of thousands of precision probe pins. These pins endure extremely light loads applied hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of times. If a single probe pin bends or breaks, it must be replaced, and in some cases, the entire probe card. That’s why durability is essential. TANAKA’s high-strength, high-elastic limit TK-SR significantly reduces the risk of deformation and breakage, minimizing replacement frequency and improving overall reliability.
TK-SR Product Performance (reference values)
Comparison of TK-SR and Convention Rh Wire Properties
Exhibition Details
■ Exhibition Name: SWTest Asia 2025
■ Dates and Times: November 20 to November 21, 2025, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
■ Location: Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk (Fukuoka, Japan)
■ Website: https://www.swtestasia.org/
■ Exhibitor: TANAKA PRECIOUS METAL TECHNOLOGIES Co., Ltd.
■ Booth No.: 506
■ Panel Contents: TK-SR (wire) rhodium material for probe pins, TK-FS (wire, plate), TK-SK (wire), palladium alloy material for probe pins, TK-101 (plate) copper and silver alloy material for probe pins, and plating solution for probe pins (various types)
To learn more about TANAKA’s probe pin offerings and contributions to the semiconductor market, visit:
https://tanaka-preciousmetals.com/en/products/detail/probe-pins/