Agilent Technologies Introduces Industry's First Solution for Modeling Power Devices

07/01/2013

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) announced that its Integrated Circuits Characterization and Analysis Program (IC-CAP) software has been enhanced to provide full support for the B1505A Power Device Analyzer/Curve Tracer, including the instrument's new high-power, high-current source monitor unit modules.

This enhancement allows modeling engineers to measure high-power devices directly from the IC-CAP platform and execute model parameter extraction of advanced CMOS power device models such as the HiSIM_HV, the industry-standard high-voltage model developed by Hiroshima University. Together, the enhanced IC-CAP software and B1505A analyzer form the industry's first power device modeling solution and are able to accurately and efficiently model high-power devices from sub-pA up to 10 kV/1500 A.

Agilent also announced that EasyEXPERT software, which runs on the B1505A's embedded Windows 7 operating system, now supports MDM file conversion. MDM is a format used by IC-CAP and widely adopted by device modeling engineers to import and export data within the IC-CAP platform.

EasyEXPERT software supports efficient and repeatable device characterization with hundreds of ready-to-use application tests. With the new MDM file converter, engineers can now make measurements on the B1505A and then easily convert the data into MDM format for use in the IC-CAP simulation performed during device modeling. The ability to measure high-power devices directly from IC-CAP or by importing data measured via EasyEXPERT greatly increases the efficiency of the modeling flow.

"While new simulation models for power and wide-band-gap devices are now available, today's power device researchers and manufacturers have struggled with no viable high-power device modeling solution," said Masaki Yamamoto, general manager of Agilent's Hachioji Semiconductor Test Division. "Our enhanced IC-CAP and B1505A solution provides power device modeling engineers with the solution they require to model today's high-power devices. Finally, engineers have a solution that meets today's power device modeling requirements."

About IC-CAP Software

Agilent IC-CAP software is a device-modeling program that delivers powerful characterization and analysis capabilities for today's semiconductor modeling processes. Providing efficient and accurate extraction of active device and circuit model parameters, IC-CAP performs numerous modeling tasks, including instrument control, data acquisition, graphical analysis, simulation and optimization. It is used by semiconductor foundries and design houses to characterize foundry processes.

About the Agilent B1505A

The Agilent B1505A Power Device Analyzer/Curve Tracer is a single-box solution for power device evaluation. Its broad measurement range-from sub-pA to 10 kV/1500 A-enables precise µΩ on-resistance measurements. Additionally, its 10 µs fast pulse capability enables complete power device characterization. This allows evaluation of new power devices such as IGBT and wide-band-gap materials such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride. The B1505A also makes possible significant improvements in incoming inspection and failure analysis with its easy-to-use software environment.

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