Electrical Characterisation Facilities

Agilent E5270B Modular Semiconductor Parameter Analyser 

The system has 2 high-resolution source-measure units (SMUs) for low noise current and voltage measurements (10 fA, 0.5 µV)  and 2 Atto-level SMUs with external sense/switch  units for ultra-precise measurements (0.1 fA, 0.5 µV) . Each SMU can be configured either as a voltage source / current measurement  or current source / voltage measurement unit for two-, three- or or four-terminal measurements. The analyser is  interfaced to a PC for automatic data acquisition.

HP 4156A Semiconductor Parameter Analyser 

The system has 4 low-noise source-measure units (SMUs) for low noise current (10  fA) and voltage (< 100 µV) measurements. The analyser can be programmed locally or interfaced to a PC for automatic data acquisition.

Wentworth PML-8000 Probe Station 

Allows devices to be quickly contacted at room temperature using micropositioners for two-probe or four-probe measurements using the parameter analysers.  High resolution optical microscope (up to 100 x) for inspection and probe positioning. 

A cryogenic probe station incorporating a liquid helium flow cryostat system and four independent probe manipulators allows die-level probing and electrical characerisation of devices at temperatures from 400 K (127 °C) to 4.2 K (-269 °C) with temperature control of < 0.1 K. Devices can be probed across a substrate area ~ 20 mm x 40 mm.

A permanent magnet-based variable flux source (Multi-Mag) allows magnetic fields in the range 0-1 tesla to be applied parallel or perpendicular to the plane of the device.

Since multiple devices fabricated on the same substrate can be probed, this enables characterisation of a statistically significant number of devices from a single process run, thereby allowing clear insights into the mechansims underlying charge injection and transport in nanoelectronics devices and also reliable assessement of the reproducibility of the electrical characteristics.

A liquid helium bath cryostat system allows devices to be electrically characterised at temperatures from 400 K (127 °C) to 3 K (- 270 °C) with temperature control of 0.1 K (ITC-503 temperature controller). 

A permanent magnet-based variable flux source (Multi-Mag) allows magnetic fields in the range 0-1 tesla to be applied parallel or perpendicular to the plane of the device.

Micromanipulator Probe Station with Dedicated Field Configurable Assembly System

Multiplexor system allowing up to 64 on-chip electrodes to be individually addressed simultaneously via a computer-controlled probe card inteface. Assembly experiments may be monitored in situ and digitally recorded  using a colour video camera mounted on the probe station microscope.