SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 18, 2011 – Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced the B2900A Series, its first line of compact benchtop source/measure units for testing of semiconductors, components and materials. These SMUs provide wide voltage/current ranges and superior performance at modest prices – and they provide an intuitive graphical interface with the industry’s first color displays. They excel at fast, simple current-versus-voltage (I-V curve) characterization of semiconductors, active/passive components and materials in research, development, manufacturing and education applications.
The series provides best-in-class voltage/current ranges and precision in a single instrument. For example, the voltage range is a broad ±210 V while current ranges are ±3 A DC and ±10.5 A pulsed. With the instruments in this series, sourcing is precise and measurements are accurate with minimum resolution of 100 nV and 10 fA. This level of performance is unprecedented in a benchtop SMU and is more typical of high-cost semiconductor device analyzers.
The intuitive user interface is presented on a 4.3-inch color LCD screen that supports graphical and numerical displays in single, dual, graph and roll views. By making it easy to quickly complete a variety of measurements and view the results on a color display, the B2900A Series performs interactive testing, debugging and characterization faster than conventional SMUs.
In automated testing, the B2900A Series complements excellent accuracy and repeatability with best-in-class measurement speed. These units also archive 12,500 readings per second (maximum sweep-operation reading rate, source/measure to GPIB), which is double the rate of competing SMUs. Under programmatic control the new SMUs support the SCPI command set, enabling basic compatibility with—and easy migration from—conventional SMUs.
“The innovative B2900A Series brings new levels of performance and convenience to engineers developing next-generation devices and products,” said Masaki Yamamoto, general manager of Agilent’s Hachioji Semiconductor Division. “These exciting new SMUs add fresh, cost-effective choices to a lineup that already includes our B1500 semiconductor device analyzer, the N6700 modular power system and the N6705 DC power analyzer.”
The B2900A Series consists of four models: the one-channel B2901A and B2911A and the two-channel B2902A and B2912A. These SMUs are further distinguished by capabilities such as the number of displayed digits, measurement resolution, minimum timing interval and supported view modes. This makes it easy for customers to select a combination of price and performance that fits their testing needs.
About Source/Measure Units I-V measurements can be complicated and confusing when performed with conventional standalone instruments such as voltage/current sources, voltage/current meters, switches and arbitrary waveform generators. An SMU integrates these capabilities, and more, into a single, compact instrument. Many Agilent SMUs, including the B2900A Series, can operate as a four-quadrant voltage/current source, an electrical load, a voltage/current meter, a pulse generator and an arbitrary waveform generator. These capabilities enable the instrument to perform a wide variety of DC and low-frequency AC measurements without changing connections or using additional equipment.
U.S. Pricing and Availability
The B2900A Series is now available worldwide, and the starting U.S. list price is $5,671. The four models have the following key characteristics:
- B2901A precision SMU: one channel, 100 fA resolution
- B2902A precision SMU: two channels, 100 fA resolution
- B2911A precision SMU: one channel, 10 fA resolution
- B2912A precision SMU: two channels, 10 fA resolution
More information about the B2900A Series is available online at
www.agilent.com/find/B2900A. High-resolution images are available at www.agilent.com/find/B2900A_images. An SMU backgrounder is available at www.agilent.com/find/B2900ASMU_backgrounder.
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in chemical analysis, life sciences, electronics and communications. The company’s 18,500 employees serve customers in more than 100 countries. Agilent had net revenues of $5.4 billion in fiscal 2010. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com.
