Semiconductor device analyzer
Staff -- Test & Measurement World, 6/1/2005
Agilent Technologies' Model B1500A, a Windows-based, expandable parametric-characterization analyzer for semiconductors, integrates CV and IV measurements into a single instrument that can handle 65-nm lithographies and beyond. The modular instrument has a 10-slot configuration and supports Agilent's new EasyExpert software, providing a "top down" approach to device characterization.
The EasyExpert software supplies a library of device application tests that the user selects based on the type of measurement required. After the user makes a few simple selections, such as identifying the technology by classification and selecting the appropriate device type, the software selects the appropriate settings, makes the measurements, analyzes the data, and displays it graphically.
Because this single instrument handles both IV and CV measurements, engineers need not switch between incompatible connectors, which can be difficult and trouble-prone, especially when using positioners on wafer probers. The B1500A's 10-slot configuration supports high-resolution, medium power, and high-power source-measurement units.
A multi-frequency capacitance measurement unit is also available, and a 4.2-A ground unit is included with the B1500A mainframe. An atto-sense and switch unit (ASU) is also available to provide measurement resolution at 100 aA and 500 nV.
Base price: $45,000. Availability: August 2005. Agilent Technologies, www.agilent.com.
