M9614 and M9615A PXIe 5-Channel Precision Source/Measure Units

Introduction

The Keysight M9614A and M9615A are PXIe five-channel precision source / measure units (SMUs). They support accurate measurement up to 30 V / 500 mA with resolution down to 6 μV / 10 pA. While a PXIe SMU improves channel density compared with a benchtop SMU, the M9614A and M9615A enable higher channel density in the same footprint. They also provide a wider output range than a conventional PXIe four-channel SMU at a lower cost per channel. Pulsed and sampling capabilities allow the M9614A and M9615A to perform a variety of measurements, from DC to pulsed measurements, with pulse width down to 100 μs at a sampling rate of 500 kSa/s. Their seamless current measurement ranging function reduces test duration by eliminating the time it takes to change the range and expands the dynamic range to cover four measurement ranges. These capabilities make the M9614A and M9615A suitable for applications that require high channel density, such as semiconductor reliability testing and integrated circuit (IC) tests.

Overview

The M9614A and M9615A are suitable for a variety of applications that require multiple precision voltage or current sources, such as semiconductor reliability and IC testing. They enable higher channel scalability and density at a lower cost than conventional SMUs.

Best fit for high-channel-density applications — higher channel scalability and density at lower cost

Semiconductor process shrink makes device reliability testing more important than ever. As a result, the number of test items increases. Channel scalability is critical to increase the number of devices measured simultaneously and reduce test time, but benchtop SMUs cannot meet the requirements from a footprint perspective. In IC testing, as circuits become more highly integrated, circuit evaluation requires a larger number of precision power supplies. For those applications, channel density, test speed, and cost are becoming significant challenges for conventional SMUs.

A PXIe SMU improves channel density in the same footprint compared with a benchtop SMU, especially for applications requiring numerous SMU channels. In addition, the M9614A and M9615A provide fivechannels-per-slot higher density at a lower cost per channel than conventional PXIe four-channel SMUs. That density improves the cost and space efficiency per channel and makes the M9614A and M9615A the best fit for high-channel-density applications.

Broader application coverage from a single module

Highly integrated circuit evaluations require multiple models of precision power supplies, depending on the requirements of the applications and circuit elements, because of the limited output range of conventional PXIe four-channel SMUs. The M9614A and M9615A enable accurate and flexible I/V measurements from DC to pulsed. They also enable the use of a single model for a variety of applications and circuit elements.

The M9614A and M9615A have five SMU channels in a single-slot PXIe module (Figure 1). Each channel has the capability of wide output range up to 30 V / 500 mA with resolution down to 6 μV / 10 pA, pulsed measurement capability with pulse width down to 100 μs, and high maximum sampling rate up to 500 kSa/s per channel.

The M9614A and M9615A have multiple ranges, enabling them to measure the different operating states of a device or circuit. The seamless current measurement ranging function expands the dynamic range. Select either of two ranging groups according to the characteristics of your device or circuit to cover four ranges in a measurement concurrently. This capability enables the M9614A and M9615A to evaluate static characteristics of the devices in both off and on states precisely. Users can capture the dynamic behavior of circuits, such as standby / sleep / active states, with a wide dynamic range from nA to sub-A or from pA to mA, depending on the selected ranging group.

The PX0107A Low Noise Filter Adapter for M9614/15 reduces the voltage source noise of the M9614A and M9615A to 25 μVrms in the frequency range of 10 Hz – 20 MHz, while still allowing it to source up to 30 V and 150 mA. It enables the M9614A and M9615A to evaluate noise sensitive devices and circuits such as quantum computing and many types of analog and RF ICs.