Keithley Instruments, Inc. (NYSE: KEI), a world leader in advanced electrical test instruments and systems, has created an interactive applications overview that provides instruction and insight into a variety of semiconductor measurement applications that require ultra-fast I-V measurements. The new overview, titled "Ultra-Fast I-V Applications," can be viewed online at
http://www.keithley.info/ultrafastIV.
Ultra-fast I-V sourcing and measurement have become increasingly critical capabilities for many semiconductor technologies. Using pulsed I-V signals to characterize devices rather than DC signals makes it possible to study or eliminate the effects of self-heating (joule heating) or to minimize current drifting in measurements due to trapped charge.
The applications overview includes sections on integrated high speed sourcing and measurement; a discussion of voltage, current, and timing parameter ranges; a description of the built-in interactive software provided in Keithley’s ultra-fast I-V test solution; and a detailed discussion of ultra-fast I-V applications. Built-in links provide easy navigation, and many of the schematics and other diagrams enlarge automatically when scrolled over to allow easier reading.
· Ultra-fast I-V testing is appropriate for a growing range of semiconductor test applications, including:
· CMOS device characterization (charge pumping, self-heating, and charge trapping)
· NBTI and PBTI characterization, modeling, and monitoring
· Testing non-volatile memory devices such as PCRAMs
· Testing of compound semiconductor devices and materials (laser diodes and thermal impedance measurements), and
· Characterization of nanotechnology, MEMs devices, and solar cells.
About Keithley Instruments, Inc.
With more than 60 years of measurement expertise, Keithley Instruments has become a world leader in advanced electrical test instruments and systems. Our customers are scientists and engineers in the worldwide electronics industry involved with advanced materials research, semiconductor device development and fabrication, and the production of end products such as portable wireless devices. The value we provide them is a combination of products for their critical measurement needs and a rich understanding of their applications to improve the quality of their products and reduce their cost of test.