September 3, 2014. Keysight Technologies Inc. has introduced the B2980A Series femto/picoammeters and electrometers, which the company calls the first graphical picoammeters and electrometers to confidently measure down to 0.01 fA and up to 10 petaohms (PΩ).
In recent years, research and development into new materials, such as nanomaterials, graphene, polymers, and dielectric materials, has increased significantly. While such materials are expected to be enablers for a wide-range of new applications, working with these new materials requires highly sensitive electronic measurement. However, making those measurements with a high degree of confidence is challenging. With its ability to make highly sensitive, low-current and high-resistance measurements, the B2980A Series is suited to address this challenge.
The B2980A Series meters offer a 2-pA to 20-mA operating range and an internal 1000-V source, as well as many innovative capabilities designed to optimize measurement confidence:
- A battery operation mode eliminates the effect of any AC power noise on measurements and enables detection of previously hidden signals.
- A time-domain view makes it easy to capture transient signal effects as well as select the desired measurement data.
- A real-time histogram display capability enables quick statistical analysis of measurement data—a capability previously only available on an external PC. Because the display is continuously updated on a real-time basis, users can quickly debug their measurement environment and setup. This eliminates any ambiguity between the measurement environment and setup and the measurement data.
- A Test Setup Integrity function and dedicated accessories ensure maximum measurement accuracy. In sensitive measurement applications, setting up the appropriate cabling and equipment connections can be difficult. Conventional picoammeters and electrometers fail to address issues related to test setup, such as external cabling. With the B2980A Series’ optional setup integrity checker function, users can now more easily isolate causes of noise.
“Evaluating new materials or characterizing advanced devices often requires highly sensitive electronic measurements,” said Masaki Yamamoto, general manager of Keysight’s Hachioji Semiconductor Test Division. “Engineers and researchers performing such sensitive measurements demand greater confidence in their measurement results. Our new B2980A Series femto/picoammeters and electrometers, with its best-in-class measurement performance and innovative functionalities, means engineers and researchers can trust their test results and improve their development speeds.”
Pricing starts at $6,200.