Many semiconductor and electronic device tests involve sourcing a voltage and measuring a current as quickly as possible. Overall test time is a function of charge time, measure time, and discharge time, as well as the time to setup and process the test.

When a typical test program executes from a PC controller, it continually communicates back and forth with the test instrumentation. This communication time, whether it is over GPIB, LAN, USB, or some other protocol, is often one of the largest contributors to slower test times. Embedded test scripts minimize this communication time by storing and then executing entire test programs directly from the instrument’s non-volatile memory. All setup, decision-making, and data storage is now done from inside the instrument itself, independent of the PC.

Traditional power supplies can only source voltage or current and cannot sink. But, a four-quadrant SMU instrument can source and sink both voltage and current, while simultaneously measuring voltage, current, or resistance. The SMU instrument’s four-quadrant operation speeds up the discharge time by automatically using sink mode to quickly absorb all the charge from the device under test (DUT) and cabling. In addition, by tightly integrating this source and measure capability into one instrument, the need for a separate digital multimeter (DMM) and power supply is eliminated. This improves test times, simplifies overall test system design, and increases usability.

By using embedded test scripts, Keithley’s Test Script Processor (TSP®) technology enables dramatic improvements in overall test throughput. For example, a typical three-point diode test runs over 60% faster using embedded test scripts compared to traditional programming techniques.

Join us to learn about, what is a SMU and TSP. Experience the speed and power of the Keithley SMU and TSP, helping you in the new world of Industrial 4.0.

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