Keysight B2900A User manual

Keysight Technologies
Making Field Effect Transistor
Characterization Using SMU
B2900A Precision Source/Measure Unit
Demo Guide

The Keysight’s B2900A Series Precision Source/Measure Unit (SMU) is a compact and
cost-effective bench-top SMU with the capability to output and measure both voltage
and current. The B2900A SMU enables you to make a wide range of current versus
voltage (IV) measurements more accurately and quickly than ever before. In addition, the
B2900A SMU comes with an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) and free PC-based
application software that make it easy for you to begin making productive measurements
immediately. In general, Field effect transistor (FET) characterization requires applying
different voltages and currents under either constant or swept conditions to the
transistor terminals. The B2902A and B2912A have two SMU channels, with each
channel possessing accurate IV measurement capabilities as well as the ability to supply
either constant or swept voltage/current. This makes the B2902A and B2912A excellent
choices for accurate IV characterization of FETs.
This demonstration guide shows how easily you can make undertake FET
characterization using the B2900A SMU.
Introduction
Required Instrument and Accessories
All of the accessories required to perform the demos described in this demonstration guide
are provided as a low current demo kit that is included with some of Keysight B2902A/12A
demo units except for a eld effect transistor.
B2902A/12A 2Ch SMU
N1294A-001 Banana-to-Triax Adapter x2
N1295A Test Fixture
Field Effect Transistor16494A-001 Triax cable x4

03 | Keysight | Making Field Effect Transistor Characterization Using SMU – Demo Guide
Measurement Concept
An IV characteristics measurement of a field effect transistor is made based on the
following:
– Sourcing voltage from two channels to activate a transistor.
– The two channels work simultaneously to make measurements.
– The limit value feature prevents the instrument from sourcing too much even if the
Source value is increased.
– Stepping voltages from start voltage to stop voltage to make current measurements
at each voltage step.
– Voltage steps are sourced from internal voltage sources.
– Current measurements are made by internal current meters.
– Complicated measurements can be easily configured using Intuitive Graphical User
Interface (GUI).
– The current-voltage curve can be easily seen by changing View mode.
1.0E-13
1.0E-11
1.0E-09
1.0E-07
1.0E-05
1.0E-03
1.0E-01
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Drain Current [A]
Gate Voltage [V]
FET Id-Vg Characteristics
Drain Current
Figure 1. FET Id-Vg Characteristics
Figure 2. Connection diagram
A-
-
V
High Force
Gate
Ch1 A
-
-
V
Ch2
FET
Low Force
Drain
Source
Ch1
Source Mode
Start Value
Stop Value
Points
Current Limit
: Gate
: Voltage
: 0 V
: 2 V
: 101
: 1 uA
Ch2
Source Mode
Start Value
Stop Value
Points
Current Limit
: Drain
: Voltage
: 2 V
: 2 V
: 101
: 100 mA
DUT : FET

04 | Keysight | Making Field Effect Transistor Characterization Using SMU – Demo Guide
Setup
1. Put the device on the device socket in the fixture
(The FET Source, Gate and Drain are connected to 1, 2 and 3 respectively. If device has a
substrate terminal, it is connected to 4.).
2. Put the N1294A-001 on the Ch 1 output terminals of the B2900A SMU.
3. Put the N1294A-001 on the Ch 2 output terminals of the B2900A SMU.
4. Connect the N1294A-001 Ch 1 Low terminal to the fixture terminal 1 with a triaxial cable.
5. Connect the N1294A-001 Ch 1 High terminal to the fixture terminal 2 with a triaxial cable.
6. Connect the N1294A-001 Ch 2 Low terminal to the fixture terminal 4 with a triaxial cable.
7. Connect the N1294A-001 Ch 2 High terminal to the fixture terminal 3 with a triaxial cable.
8. Connect terminals 1to 4on the fixture with a black Pin-Plug Cable.
9. Close the fixture cover.
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
4
3
Triaxial Cable
Low Force
High Force
Low Force
High Force
Ch1
Ch2
N1294A-001 Triaxial Cable
2
9
6
7
4
5
3
8
Close the fixture cover
1
Source
Drain
Gate
Make sure that the connection between the output terminals and the N1294A-001 Banana to
Triax Adaptor is secure, because a loose connection can affect the measurement results.
There is no space between the adaptor
and the output terminals
There is some space between the adaptor
and the output terminals
Proper connection Improper connection
LooseOK

05 | Keysight | Making Field Effect Transistor Characterization Using SMU – Demo Guide
Demonstration
1. Change View mode to Channel 1 Single View
1) Press repeatedly until the Channel 1
Single View is displayed.
2. Configure the Channel 1 condition to source and measure
1) Press to edit the Source function, and then select to set the Source function to
Voltage source.
2) Press to edit the Source value, and then enter 0 V to set the Source value to 0 V.
3) Press to edit the Limit value, and then enter 1 µAto set the Limit value to 1 µA.
4) Press to configure the Measurement parameter, and then select to set the
Measurement parameter to Current.
LAB: Make Field Effect Transistor Characterization using SMU
Objective
This demo explains how to make a
voltage sweep measurement synchro-
nously using 2 channels to make a field
effect transistor IV characterization
Procedure
1. Change the View mode to the
Channel 1 Single View.
2. Configure the Channel 1 condition
to source and measure.
3. Change the View mode to the
Channel 2 Single View.
4. Configure the Channel 2 condition
to source and measure.
5. Change the View mode to Graph
View.
6. Perform the measurement.
7. View the measurement result
graph.
(Optional)
8. Configure the measurement
speed.
9. Configure the measurement range
operation.
10. Configure the measurement trigger
delay time.
11. View the list of measurement
results.

06 | Keysight | Making Field Effect Transistor Characterization Using SMU – Demo Guide
5) Press to change the keys shown in Assist keys, and then press to show
Sweep Sub-Panel.
6) Press , then press to turn on Single Linear Sweep Mode. After turning on
Single Linear Sweep Mode, you can see Source Shape which shows the single linear
sweep mode.
7) Rotate to select Channel 1 Sweep Parameters and set them up as below.
(Start: 0 V, Stop: 2 V, Points: 101, Step: 20 mV)
3. Change the View mode to the Channel 2 Single View
1) Press repeatedly until the Channel 2
Single View is displayed.

07 | Keysight | Making Field Effect Transistor Characterization Using SMU – Demo Guide
4. Configure the Channel 2 condition to source and measure
1) Press to edit the Source function then select to set the Source function
to Voltage source.
2) Press to edit the Source value, and then enter 0 V to set the Source value to 0 V.
3) Press to edit the Limit value, and then enter 100 mA to set the Limit value to 100 mA.
4) Press to configure the Measurement parameter, and then select to set the
Measurement parameter to Current.
5) Rotate and press to edit the Channel 2 sweep parameters

08 | Keysight | Making Field Effect Transistor Characterization Using SMU – Demo Guide
6) Then press to turn on the Single Linear Sweep Mode. After turning on the
Single Linear Sweep Mode, you can see the Source Shape which shows single linear
sweep mode.
7) Rotate to select the Channel 2 Sweep Parameters and set them up as below.
(Start: 2 V, Stop: 2 V, Points: 101, Step: 0 mV)
5. Change the View mode to Graph View
1) Press repeatedly until Graph View is displayed.
2) Rotate and press to edit the X-axis data type.
3) Press , and then select to set the X-axis data type to Channel 1 voltage.

09 | Keysight | Making Field Effect Transistor Characterization Using SMU – Demo Guide
6. Perform the measurement
1) Press Ch1 and Ch2 to turn on both Channel Output relays.
2) Press to perform a sweep measurement.
(The status information will show during the measurement.)
7. View the measurement result graph
1) Press to adjust the scale of the graph after finishing the measurement. Now
you can see the measurement result on the GUI of the B2900A SMU as below.
2) To change the Graph scaling of the Y-axis from LINEAR to LOG, rotate and
press to select the Y-axis scaling.
3) To change the Graph scale value of the Y-axis, rotate and press to modify the
Y-axis scale value.

10 | Keysight | Making Field Effect Transistor Characterization Using SMU – Demo Guide
8. (Optional) Configure the measurement speed
In the default setting, the instrument selects the appropriate measurement speed
and range automatically to get the fine accuracy. However, you can also specify these
parameters on the GUI of the B2902/12A to meet a variety of the requirement to the
measurement conditions.
For example, let’s try to change the measurement speed to NORMAL to make a mea-
surement more carefully. If you select NORMAL, the aperture time is set to 1 PLC. Here,
PLC stands for power line cycle and the specified number of power line cycles is used
per a measurement.
1) Press repeatedly until the Channel 2
Single View is displayed.
2) Press to edit the Measurement speed, and then select to set it to
NORMAL. (If you can’t see in Assist keys, press to change the keys shown
in Assist keys.)