Automation Software for Semiconductor Research Laboratories: Measurement System and Instrument Control Program (SeCLaS-IC)

Abstract

Metal–semiconductor (MS) contacts are main aspects of almost all electronic circuit elements. Thus, contact mechanism and its electrical properties to develop a faster and more reliable electronic device should be known. The electrical characterization of MS devices (in terms of temperature-dependent and/or independent current–voltage (I–V), capacitance–voltage (C–V) and capacitance–frequency (C–f) measurements) is applied frequently in methods for determining the electrical properties and how it works and what the possible applications are. We prepared a program for basic electrical measurements and parameter extraction from these measurements of MS contacts. It is important to prepare and use such a program for a research laboratory, because electrical measurements must be made quickly after the production process and users should be able to carry out this process easily. This work can be discussed in two separate sections. The first section consists of a measurement system, automated instrument control program and data acquisition program (SeCLaS-IC Semiconductors Laboratory Software—instrument control). The second section is data evaluation and basic electrical parameter extraction program (SeCLaS-PC Semiconductors Laboratory Software—parameter calculation). In this paper, we discussed temperature-dependent current–voltage (I–V–T), capacitance–voltage (C–V–T) and capacitance–frequency (C–V–f) measurement system and instrument control program. This system is comprised of controlling program, liquid nitrogen (LN2)-cooled handmade cryostat system, temperature measurement system, and Keysight B2912A Precision Source/Measure Unit (SMU) and Keysight E4980A Precision LCR Meter. All programs were developed using Keysight VEE Pro (Visual Engineering Environment) software (Formerly Agilent VEE Pro).