Software improves characterisation performance

Keithley Instruments has upgraded the software for its Model 4200-SCS semiconductor characterisation system.

Keithley Instruments has upgraded the software for its Model 4200-SCS semiconductor characterisation system.

The new software, KTE Interactive v4.3, was developed by Keithley in response to application needs discovered at many semiconductor fabs around the world.

Version 4.3 allows faster data collection and analysis, greater data plotting precision, expanded support for legacy test program code, enhanced external control, and new user test libraries for C-V measurements.

With its other features, these new capabilities give device designers and process engineers more tools than any other semiconductor characterisation package available today.

These tools include the Keithley Interactive Test Environment (KITE) module, a point-and-click interface that allows users to create comprehensive wafer test sequences without programming.

With v4.3, users can customise measurement integration time over the GPIB to optimise the tradeoff between data collection speed and accuracy in the presence of noise.

GPIB speed is further enhanced by a command parser that is now 10% faster when using external PC control.

Improved A/D zeroing increases measurement throughput by another 10%, on average.

With external computer control, precision has been enhanced by data formats that support the full 7-digit resolution of the Model 4200-SCS source-measure units (SMUs) over their full range, including the expanded range with an optional pre-amp.

Furthermore, the user can now increase the number of data points in a sweep from 1024 to 4096.

Analysis precision has been enhanced with numeric as well as scientific data formatting in plotting functions.

Printout resolution also is much higher to match printer resolution instead of computer screen resolution.

The user can now create a single ASCII file that contains data from all the tests in a project, which is useful for exporting data to external analysis engines and databases.

A run-only mode protects user projects and test definitions from accidental changes as an operator executes tests, project sequences, and data storage.

A special operating mode allows existing legacy test program code to run on the Model 4200-SCS with few or no modifications, while taking advantage of 4200-SCS features that may not have been supported by older systems.

Furthermore, new user test libraries expand C-V measurement capabilities with the Keithley Model 595 quasistatic C-V meter, Model 590 C-V analyser, and the Model 82 simultaneous C-V system.

For a limited time, KTE Interactive v4.3 is available at no charge to existing Model 4200-SCS customers by visiting the Keithley website.

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