Simultaneous interface application development for an electrometer and a source meter using LabVIEW to study three terminals semiconducting device

Abstract

A transistor is an electrical device made of semiconductor material that is used for operations such as amplification and switching of electronic signals and electrical power. A transistor to be used effectively and perform it’s full functions as amplifiers and switches, it is important to know its characteristics, electrical properties and operational specifications, it needs to be adaptable to the circuit’s current/voltage limits and other operating conditions. There are many types of transistors, such as Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) and Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET), are used extensively in electrical circuits in applications for a diverse range of electrical devices. An electrometer is a device which is a measuring instrument with various applications and can be used to measure the current readings of a transistor subjected to different levels of input voltages. For the electrometer to function most efficiently, an application is made using LabVIEW software which allows for its remote access to accomplish functions such as conducting a voltage sweep (applying incremental voltages after short delays and recording the current). As the program is software controlled, it decreases the data acquisition time drastically and eliminates the factor of human error the source meter is used to apply different amount of voltages at the gate terminal of the transistor and the electrometer measures the different drain current values. Such a program, coupled with the electrometer and source-meter, promotes an efficient way of making a voltage sweep and displaying a graph of the input voltage and output current from the data obtained simultaneously. This enables us to characterize the transistors and the data can be used to identify whether the transistor can be used in a particular system or circuit.