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Product Briefing Outline: Keithley Instruments has made a variety of hardware, firmware, and software enhancements to its Model 4200-SCS Semiconductor Characterization System. The Keithley Test Environment Interactive (KTEI) V7.2 upgrade includes nine new solar cell test libraries, an expanded frequency range for the system’s Capacitance-Voltage (C-V) measurement capability, and support for the company’s new nine-slot Model 4200-SCS instrument chassis.

Problem: The new test libraries included in KTEI V7.2 expand the Model 4200-SCS’s capabilities for solar cell I-V, C-V, and resistivity testing applications, which are increasingly important, given the growing interest in and governmental support for alternative energy technologies. The software upgrade also supports Drive-Level Capacitance Profiling (DLCP), a new solar cell testing technique that was difficult to perform accurately using earlier test solutions. DLCP provides defect density information on thin film solar cells. Existing Model 4200-CVU Capacitance-Voltage Unit cards, which were introduced in November 2007, can be readily modified to support this testing technique.

Solution: The continuing growth in I-V, pulse, and C-V characterization applications has meant that Model 4200-SCS users who need exceptional testing flexibility and capabilities have been finding their mainframes somewhat crowded. To address this need, the V7.2 upgrade provides support for a nine-slot instrument chassis. Previously, the Model 4200-SCS had just eight slots to hold a growing array of source-measure units (SMUs), pulse generation and scope cards, and capacitance-voltage cards. Existing Model 4200-SCS systems can be upgraded to support nine slots; all new mainframes will have nine slots.

Applications: Solar cell testing.

Platform: In support of the V7.2 upgrade, Keithley has also introduced a new high performance triaxial cable kit for connecting the Model 4200-SCS to a prober, designed to simplify the process of switching between DC I-V, C-V, and pulse testing configurations. This new cable kit eliminates the need for recabling, as well as eliminating the measurement errors that often result from cabling errors.

Availability: Version 7.2 of KTEI is available at no cost to existing Model 4200-SCS users. However, there is a charge to calibrate the upgraded 4210-CVU and to upgrade existing Model 4200-SCS systems to support nine instruments.