Latest Test and Measurement News

Touchscreen Source Measure Unit Instrument offer 7 Ampere DC and Pulse Current

10 November 2014 – Keithley Instruments announced the Model 2460 SourceMeter Source Measure Unit (SMU) Instrument, the company’s latest benchtop SMU instrument with a capacitive touchscreen graphical user interface (GUI). The Model 2460 offers users higher power sourcing (up to 105V, 7A DC/7A pulse, 100W max.) with 0.012% basic measurement accuracy and 6½-digit resolution, making it ideal for high power, high precision I-V characterization of modern materials and high power devices.

Based on the company’s innovative Touch, Test, Invent design philosophy, the Model 2460’s GUI makes testing intuitive and minimizes the learning curve to help engineers and scientists learn faster, work smarter, and invent easier.

The Model 2460’s features give it the adaptability needed for use in a wide range of applications:

• Its flexible, four-quadrant voltage and current source/load coupled with precision voltage and current measurement capabilities make it suitable for research and development of modern high power semiconductor devices made of wide bandgap materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). These features also make it well suited for characterizing elements of power conversion and management systems, such as solar cells/panels, new materials, and power management devices for telecommunications, consumer electronics, automotive, and medical products.
• For electrochemistry applications, the Model 2460’s high current output supports galvanic cycling of rechargeable batteries; its four-quadrant source and sink design makes it suitable for cyclic voltammetry with electrochemical cells. Its built-in control and display features also make the Model 2460 useful for characterizing electrochemical deposition, corrosion, and electroplating.
• For characterizing optoelectronic devices like LEDs, OLEDs, HBLEDs, solid-state lighting, and laser diodes, the Model 2460’s 7A DC capability provides the high current needed for forward and reverse bias I-V characterization; the 7A pulse current capability minimizes device self-heating during leakage current testing.

The Model 2460 brings together the functionality of a power supply, true current source, 6½-digit multimeter, electronic load, and trigger controller in one tightly integrated, half-rack instrument, so it can integrate the capabilities of I‑V systems, curve tracers, and semiconductor analyzers at a fraction of their cost. In response to changes in the test and measurement market, including shrinking product design/development cycles, fewer personnel devoted exclusively to test engineering, and the growing number of instrument users who are relatively new to test, the Model 2460’s design incorporates ease-of-use features that ensure a faster “time-to-answer” than competitive solutions.

Pricing and Availability

Prices of the Model 2460 start at €6,470/£5,450; a version without a front panel designed for integration into automated systems is available from €6,220/£5,230. The Model 2460 is available for orders now with delivery starting on November 5, 2014.

www.keithley.com/