Pulsed I-V characterization, wherein voltages and currents are applied for a very short time and at a limited duty cycle, is another common way to measure I-V curves. Pulsed I-V measurements can reduce test times and allow for MOSFET characterization without exceeding its safe operating area or causing the device to self-heat and parameters to shift.
Two pulsed I-V channels are typically used to measure these MOSFET I-V curves with one channel connected to the gate and the other to the drain. The ground of each channel is connected to the MOSFET source pin.
To construct the transistor curves, the gate channel first applies voltage to the gate, then the drain channel sweeps VDS through a range of values, measuring the resulting current at each point. Next, the gate channel applies a different voltage to the gate and the process repeats, constructing the next MOSFET I-V curve in the set.
Keithley’s SMU instruments simplify this process with built-in pulsed and DC sweeps, including linear staircase, logarithmic staircase, and custom sweeps (Figure 3). Sweeps coupled with other throughput enhancements like built-in limit inspection, digital I/O, and a component handling interface are ideal for high-speed, non-stop production environments. All sweep configurations can be programmed for single-event or continuous operation.