Automated Test System for High-Power IBGT and MOSFET Transistors

Vardan Aleksanyan, Project Integration LLC

"The developed ATE system is an end product that can be used in various semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The accuracy of NI hardware used in our ATE system meets all customer requirements. We developed the ATE system software using the LabVIEW graphical programming environment and the customer can make easy modifications to solve any specific problems. "

- Vardan Aleksanyan, Project Integration LLC

The Challenge:

Designing an automated test system for functional and parametric control of static and dynamic parameters of high-power IGBT and MOSFET transistors.

The Solution:

Using LabVIEW software and the NI PXI platform to create an automated test system to measure the parameters of high-power IGBT and MOSFET transistors with an easy-to-use and intuitive user interface.

Author(s):

Norayr Harutyunyan - Find this author in the NI Developer Community
Vardan Aleksanyan - Find this author in the NI Developer Community
Vahan Sahakyan - Find this author in the NI Developer Community

 

Project Integration, provides design, implementation, installation, and service for modern industrial measurement and automated test systems. The company’s qualified engineers use NI graphical system design technologies to design, prototype, and deploy solutions in the fields of automated testing and production management. They also offer a comprehensive approach to customer requirements.

 

Features and Capability of the Implemented ATE System

Transistors are active components and used extensively in electronic circuits as amplifiers or switching devices. As amplifiers, they are used in high- and low-frequency stages, oscillators, modulators, detectors, and in any function-performing circuits. In digital circuits they are used as switches. It is fundamentally important to measure and test transistor parameters to ensure smooth performance.

 

We based the Test System for High-Power IBGT and MOSFET Transistors on the NI PXI platform and a third-party signal power amplifier. We also powered the system with software developed using the LabVIEW graphical programming environment. We significantly reduced the time needed to integrate the system with third-party equipment by using NI software and hardware platforms.

 

We designed our test system for:

  • Мeasuring static and dynamic parameters of high-power IGBT and MOSFET transistors
  • Measuring system self-test
  • Measuring system self-calibration

 

Measuring System Software

We designed the measuring system software to measure static and dynamic parameters of the following devices:

  • High-power IGBT transistors
  • High-power MOSFET transistors

 

 

The software allows us to:

  • Measure parameters of the DUTs
  • Set up parameters of the DUTs
  • Create, save, and load test configuration files containing information about test conditions and limits for each parameter
  • Set the measuring order of the selected parameters
  • Set the measuring mode (sequential, step by step, until first fail, until next fail, loop)
  • Represent measurement results in a graphical or tabular format
  • Make a statistical analysis of measurement results
  • Export the measurement results as a .csv file
  • Store the measurement results in a database
  • Perform self-test and self-calibration to verify the test system serviceability


 

 

 

 

List of NI Hardware

  • NI PXIe-1078 9-Slot 3U PXI Express Chassis With AC - Up to 1.75 GB/s
  • NI PXIe-8135 2.3 GHz Quad-Core PXI Express Controller
  • NI PXIe-2569 High-Density, General-Purpose SPST Relays
  • NI PXIe-5162 1.5 GHz, 5 GS/s, 10-Bit Oscilloscope/Digitizer
  • NI PXI-6259 16-Bit, 1 MS/s (Multichannel), 1.25 MS/s (1-Channel), 32 Analog Inputs
  • NI PXI-4071 PXI Digital Multimeter (DMM)
  • NI PXI-5402 20 MHz Arbitrary Function Generator
  • NI PXI-4110 Triple-Output Programmable DC Power Supply (x2)

 

Measuring Parameters

The developed ATE system measures the following parameters:

Static and dynamic parameters of high-power MOSFET transistors

  • Gate leakage current
  • Residual drain current
  • Initial drain current
  • Drain-source breakdown voltage
  • Threshold voltage
  • ON resistance
  • Differential transconductance
  • Input, output, and transfer capacitances
  • Gate charge, gate-source charge, gate-drain charge
  • Delay, rise, fall, discharge times

 

Static and dynamic parameters of high-power IGBT transistors

  • Collector-emitter breakdown voltage
  • Collector-emitter cutoff current
  • Gate-emitter leakage current
  • Collector-emitter saturation voltage
  • Gate-emitter threshold voltage
  • Input, output, and transfer capacitances
  • Gate charge, gate-emitter charge, gate-collector charge
  • Delay, rise, fall, discharge times
  • Turn-on and turn-off losses

 

Author Information:

Vardan Aleksanyan
Find this author in the NI Developer Community

Figure 1: Automated Test System Main GUI
Figure 2: IGBT Transistor Current Voltage Characteristic
Figure 3: Measurement Conditions Editor