Agilent Technologies 4156b User manual

User’s Guide
Volume 2
Measurement and Analysis
Agilent 4155B Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer
Agilent 4156B Precision Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer
Agilent Part No. 04156-90200
Printed in Japan May 2000
Edition 5
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2 Agilent 4155B/4156B User’s Guide Vol.2, Edition 5
Legal Notice
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.
Copyright © 1997, 2000 Agilent Technologies
This document contains information which is protected by copyright. All rights are
reserved. Reproduction, adaptation, or translation without prior written permission
is prohibited, except as allowed under the copyright laws.
•Product Warranty
Agilent Technologies warrants Agilent Technologies hardware, accessories and
supplies against defects in materials and workmanship for the period of one year
from the warranty start date specified below. If Agilent Technologies receives
notice of such defects during the warranty period, Agilent Technologies will, at
its option, either repair or replace products which prove to be defective.
Replacement products may be either new or like-new.
Warranty service of this product will be performed at Agilent Technologies.
Buyer shall prepay shipping charges to Agilent Technologies and Agilent
Technologies shall pay shipping charges to return the product to Buyer.
However, Buyer shall pay all shipping charges, duties, and taxes for products
returned to Agilent Technologies from another country.
Agilent Technologies does not warrant that the operation of Agilent
Technologies products will be uninterrupted or error free. If Agilent
Technologies is unable, within a reasonable time, to repair or replace any
product to a condition as warranted, customer will be entitled to a refund of the
purchase price upon prompt return of the product.
The Agilent Technologies products may contain remanufactured parts
equivalent to new in performance or may have been subject to incidental use.
The warranty period begins on the date of delivery or on the date of installation
if installed by Agilent Technologies. If customer schedules or delays Agilent
Technologies installation more than 30 days after delivery, warranty begins on
the 31st day from delivery.
Warranty does not apply to defects resulting from (a) improper or inadequate
maintenance or calibration, (b) software, interfacing, parts or supplies not
supplied by Agilent Technologies, (c) unauthorized modification or misuse, (d)
operation outside of the published environmental specifications for the product,
or (e) improper site preparation or maintenance.

Agilent 4155B/4156B User’s Guide Vol.2, Edition 5 3
To the extent allowed by local law, the above warranties are exclusive and no
other warranty or condition, whether written or oral, is expressed or implied and
Agilent Technologies specifically disclaims any implied warranties or
conditions of merchantability, satisfactory quality, and fitness for a particular
purpose.
Agilent Technologies will be liable for damage to tangible property per incident
up to the greater of $300,000 or the actual amount paid for the product that is the
subject of the claim, and for damages for bodily injury or death, to the extent
that all such damages are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to
have been directly caused by a defective Agilent Technologies product.
To the extent allowed by local law, the remedies in this warranty statement are
customer’s sole and exclusive remedies. Expect as indicated above, in no event
will Agilent Technologies or its suppliers be liable for loss of date or for direct,
special, incidental, consequential (including lost profit or date), or other damage,
whether based in contract, tort, or otherwise.
For consumer transactions in Australia and New Zealand: the warranty terms
contained in this statement, except to the extent lawfully permitted, do not
exclude, restrict or modify and are in addition to the mandatory statutory rights
applicable to the sale of this product to you.
•Assistance
Product maintenance agreements and other customer assistance agreements are
available for Agilent Technologies products.
For any assistance, contact your nearest Agilent Technologies Sales Office.
•Certification
Agilent Technologies, Inc. certifies that this product met its published
specifications at the time of shipment from the factory. Agilent Technologies
further certifies that its calibration measurements are traceable to the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to the extent allowed by the
Institute’s calibration facility, and to the calibration facilities of other
International Standards Organization members.

4 Agilent 4155B/4156B User’s Guide Vol.2, Edition 5
•Safety Summary
The following general safety precautions must be observed during all phases of
operation, service, and repair of this instrument. Failure to comply with these
precautions or with specific warnings elsewhere in this manual may impair the
protections provided by the equipment. In addition, it violates safety standards
of design, manufacture, and intended use of the instrument. Agilent
Technologies, Inc. assumes no liability for customer’s failure to comply with
these requirements.
NOTE Agilent 4155B/4156B/41501B comply with INSTALLATION CATEGORY II for
mains input and INSTALLATION CATEGORY I for measurement input terminals,
and POLLUTION DEGREE 2 defined in IEC 1010-1.
Agilent 4155B/4156B/41501B are INDOOR USE products.
NOTE LEDs in Agilent 4155B/4156B/41501B are Class 1 in accordance with IEC 825-1.
CLASS 1 LED PRODUCT.
•GROUND THE INSTRUMENT
This is Safety Class I instrument. To minimize shock hazard, the instrument
chassis and cabinet must be connected to an electrical ground. The power
terminal and the power cable must meet International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) safety standards.
•DO NOT OPERATE IN AN EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERE
Do not operate the instrument in the presence of flammable gases or fumes.
Operation of any electrical instrument in such an environment constitutes a
definite safety hazard.
•KEEP AWAY FROM LIVE CIRCUITS
Operation personnel must not remove instrument covers. Component
replacement and internal adjustments must be made by qualified
maintenance personnel. Do not replace components with power cable
connected. Under certain conditions, dangerous voltages may exist even
with the power cable removed. To avoid injuries, always disconnect power
and discharge circuits before touching them.
•DO NOT SERVICE OR ADJUST ALONE
Do not attempt internal service or adjustment unless another person, capable
of rendering first aid and resuscitation, is present.

Agilent 4155B/4156B User’s Guide Vol.2, Edition 5 5
•DO NOT SUBSTITUTE PARTS OR MODIFY INSTRUMENT
Because of the danger of introducing additional hazards, do not install
substitute parts or perform any unauthorized modification to the instrument.
Return the instrument to a Agilent Technologies Sales and Service Office for
services and repair to ensure that safety features are maintained.
•DANGEROUS PROCEDURE WARNINGS
Warnings, such as example below, precede potentially dangerous procedures
throughout this manual. Instructions contained in the warnings must be
followed.
WARNING Dangerous Voltage, capable of causing death, are present in this instrument.
Use extreme caution when handling, testing, and adjusting.
•Safety Symbols
The general definitions of safety symbols used on equipment or in manuals are
listed below.
Instruction manual symbol: the product will be marked with this symbol when it
is necessary for the user to refer to the instruction manual in order to protect
against damage to the instrument.
Indicates dangerous voltage and potential for electrical shock. Do not touch
terminals that have this symbol when insrument is on.
Protective conductor terminal. For protection against electrical shock in case of
a fault. Used with field wiring terminals to indicate the terminal which must be
connected to ground before operating equipment.
Frame or chassis terminal. A connection to the frame (chassis) of the equipment
which normally includes all exposed metal structures.
Indicates earth (ground) terminal.
Alternating current.
Direct current.
ON (Supply).

6 Agilent 4155B/4156B User’s Guide Vol.2, Edition 5
OFF (Supply).
STANDBY (Supply).
Means INSTALLATION CATEGORY I. Measurement terminals on the rear
panel comply with INSTALLATION CATEGORY I.
WARNING The warning sign denotes a hazard. It calls attention to a procedure, practice,
condition or the like, which, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in
injury or death to personal.
CAUTION The caution sign denotes a hazard. It calls attention to an operating procedure,
practice, condition or the like, which, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could
result in damage to or destruction of part or all of the product.
•Herstellerbescheinigung
GEÄUSCHEMISSION
Lpa < 70 dB
am Arbeitsplatz
normaler Betrieb
nach DIN 45635 T. 19
•Manufacturer’s Declaration
ACOUSTIC NOISE EMISSION
Lpa < 70dB
operator position
normal operation
per ISO 7779
CAT 1

Agilent 4155B/4156B User’s Guide Vol.2, Edition 5 7
Printing History
Edition 1: August 1997
Edition 2: September 1997
Edition 3: October 1998
Edition 4: January 2000
Edition 5: May 2000

8 Agilent 4155B/4156B User’s Guide Vol.2, Edition 5
In This Manual
This manual provides information for all parts and functions of Agilent
4155B/4156B, and consists of the following chapters:
•Measurement Units
This chapter provides information about the measurement units.
•Measurement Mode
This chapter provides information about sweep and sampling measurements.
•Measurement Functions
This chapter provides information about the measurement functions.
•Making a Measurement
This chapter describes how to perform measurements.
•Analyzing Measurement Results
This chapter describes how to analyze measurement results manually and
automatically.
•Screen Organization
This chapter provides information about each user interface that is displayed on
the instrument screen.
•Data Variable and Analysis Function
This chapter provides information about data variables and analysis functions.
•If You Have A Problem
This chapter provides problem-solving information that you may encounter.
Text Conventions
The following text conventions are used in this manual:
Screen Text Represents text that appears on screen of the 4155B/4156B.
Italic Refers to a related document, or is used for emphasis.

Contents
Agilent 4155B/4156B User’s Guide Vol.2, Edition 5 Contents - 1
1. Measurement Units
Ground Unit (GNDU) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Source/Monitor Unit (SMU) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Voltage Source Unit (VSU) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Voltage Monitor Unit (VMU) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Pulse Generator Unit (PGU) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
2. Measurement Mode
Sweep Measurement Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Basic Sweep Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Subordinate Sweep Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Synchronous Sweep Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Pulse Sweep Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Sampling Measurement Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Available Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Sampling Interval and Measurement Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Sampling Measurement Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Sampling Completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Source Output Sequence and Time Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Linear Sampling Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Thinned-out Sampling Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-27
Logarithmic Sampling Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
3. Measurement Functions
Stress Force Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Stress Output Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Stress Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Stress Force Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Stress Stop Function at Abnormal Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10

Contents - 2 Agilent 4155B/4156B User’s Guide Vol.2, Edition 5
Contents
Knob Sweep Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Available units and functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Normal Sweep and Knob Sweep Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Features of Knob Sweep Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
KNOB SWEEP screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Y-AXIS ASSIGN Softkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
SETUP COPY Softkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
DISPLAY SETUP Softkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
VAR1 SETUP Softkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
VAR2 SETUP Softkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
CONST SETUP Softkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Analysis of the Knob Sweep Measurement Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Standby Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Standby Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Standby State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Available Units and Output Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Output Values of non-Standby Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Output Sequence of Standby Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
When Getting Setup File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Operation States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Idle State. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Measurement State. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Stress Force State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Standby State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Changing among Operation States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Output Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Sequential Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Simultaneous Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Trigger Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Trigger Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41