Advanced semiconductor devices are making it more difficult to validate and qualify devices as they migrate toward smaller sizes and ever-lower signal levels, especially difficult with devices built using nanoscale materials.
On that front, Lake Shore Cryotronics recently introduced a test instrument optimized for characterizing nanoscale and other low-power semiconductor devices. The SMU-10 Source Measure Unit (SMU) enables users to easily source and measure signals that would otherwise be drowned out by electrical noise.
The SMU-10, the latest module addition to the MeasureReady M81-SSM synchronous source measure system, can handle samples with exceptionally low source noise and high measurement sensitivity, featuring both DC and AC capabilities and an integrated lock-in. Testing multi-terminal devices in a cryogenic probe station, the M81-SSM with SMU-10 modules apply voltage or current to the device under test (DUT) and measure the corresponding current or voltage.
The SMU’s topology reduces the number of probe arms by half, significantly minimizing thermal impact, with set compliance limits to protect the DUT from accidental overloads.
The M81-SSM’s advanced resistance mode handles phase shifts caused by parasitic capacitance for more accurate resistance measurements,. This substantially reduces errors and improves measurement accuracy.
To test high-current devices, the device's Sense-HI and Sense-LO leads enable 4-wire measurements for voltage monitoring while sourcing currents. MeasureSync technology enables more exact timing coordination for AC or DC measurements across multiple SMU-10 modules, eliminating data-misalignment errors.
