Advanced Semiconductor R&D and Test Open Laboratory Established

Sept. 28, 2021

Keysight Technologies and the National Central University Optical Sciences Center Establish Third-generation Semiconductor R&D and Test Open Laboratory

Alix Paultre

Related To: Keysight Technologies

Keysight Technologies and the National Central University Optical Sciences Center (NCUOSC) announced a collaboration to improve the design and test validation efficiency of gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) applications. GaN and SiC offer faster switching speeds, lower loss, and can withstand higher temperatures than Silicon with better voltage characteristics, which also increase the complexity of design and testing.

NCUOSC used Keysight's PD1500A Dynamic Power Device Analyzer/Double Pulse Tester (DPT) platform for a third-generation WBG semiconductor open laboratory for better developing and testing efficiency. The Keysight PD1500A DPT determines the key performance parameters, which match all standards, such as turn-on/off and switching characteristics, dynamic on-resistance, dynamic current and voltage, as well as reverse recovery, gate charge and device output characteristics.

"Keysight is happy to work with NCUOSC to help engineering teams characterize, understand, integrate, deploy and drive innovations for next-generation semiconductor technologies," said Thomas Goetzl, vice president and general manager of Keysight's Automotive and Energy Solutions business unit.

Keysight's PD1500A DPT intelligent functions, such as fully automatic parameter extraction software based on IEC and JEDEC standards, loop testing, voltage and current sweep testing, and automatic high temperature testing can help drive future innovations.

"Keysight's PD1500A DPT enables NCUOSC to reliably characterize wide-bandgap devices and effectively innovate GaN and SiC applications. Its safety protection, scalable and optional test fixtures deliver the flexibility we needed for future expansions," said Professor Yue-Ming Hsin, Director of NCUOSC. "In addition to the PD1500A, we also setup the Keysight B1505A/N1265A Power Device Analyzer/Curve Tracer to serve the complete and crucial characterizations of WBG semiconductors. It's our pleasure to collaborate with Keysight and contribute to the ecosystem of 5G/6G and electric vehicles."

About the Author

Alix Paultre | Editor-at-Large, Electronic Design

An Army veteran, Alix Paultre was a signals intelligence soldier on the East/West German border in the early ‘80s, and eventually wound up helping launch and run a publication on consumer electronics for the US military stationed in Europe. Alix first began in this industry in 1998 at Electronic Products magazine, and since then has worked for a variety of publications in the embedded electronic engineering space. Alix currently lives in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Also check out his YouTube watch-collecting channel, Talking Timepieces.