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US5905384A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method for testing semiconductor element

Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
•
Filing: 1997-01-06
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Granted: 1999-05-18
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Expires: 2017-01-06
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Abstract

Abstract An apparatus of testing a semiconductor element applies pulsed voltages synchronized with each other, respectively, to a gate and a drain of a semiconductor element being tested and measures current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages thus applied. The testing apparatus produces pulsed I-V characteristics considering the influences of self heating and surface energy levels of the semiconductor element and RF swing along a load line during large signal operation.

Inventors

  • 👤 Akira Inoue
  • 👤 Yasuharu Nakajima
  • 👤 Yukio Ohta
  • 👤 Hiroto Matsubayashi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 14:40
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R31/00; G01R31/26; G01R31/2607; G01R31/2621; G01R31/2625

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim 75 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to a gate and to a drain, respectively, of a semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and detecting a variation of a drain current flowing through the drain in response to a varying voltage applied to the gate of the semiconductor element, thereby measuring transconductance gm along a load line.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 75 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to a gate and to a drain, respectively, of a semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and detecting a variation of a drain current flowing through the drain in response to a varying voltage applied to the gate of the semiconductor element, thereby measuring transconductance gm along a load line.
Claim 3
Independent Claim 78 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to a gate and to a drain, respectively, of a semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and detecting a variation of a drain current flowing through the drain in response to a varying voltage applied to the gate of the semiconductor element, thereby measuring frequency dispersion of transconductance gm along a load line.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 78 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to a gate and to a drain, respectively, of a semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and detecting a variation of a drain current flowing through the drain in response to a varying voltage applied to the gate of the semiconductor element, thereby measuring frequency dispersion of transconductance gm along a load line.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 76 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to a gate and to a drain, respectively, of a semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and detecting a variation of a drain current flowing through the drain in response to a varying voltage applied to the drain of the semiconductor element, thereby measuring drain conductance gd along a load line.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 76 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to a gate and to a drain, respectively, of a semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and detecting a variation of a drain current flowing through the drain in response to a varying voltage applied to the drain of the semiconductor element, thereby measuring drain conductance gd along a load line.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 79 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to a gate and to a drain, respectively, of a semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and detecting a variation of a drain current flowing through the drain in response to a varying voltage applied to the drain of the semiconductor element, thereby measuring frequency dispersion of drain conductance gd along a load line.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 79 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to a gate and to a drain, respectively, of a semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and detecting a variation of a drain current flowing through the drain in response to a varying voltage applied to the drain of the semiconductor element, thereby measuring frequency dispersion of drain conductance gd along a load line.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 77 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: preparing a semiconductor element having a source, a gate, and a drain by connecting a load to the drain; applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to the gate and to the drain, respectively, of the semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and applying pulsed voltages having positive pulses and negative pulses that are alternately repeated at regular intervals.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 77 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: preparing a semiconductor element having a source, a gate, and a drain by connecting a load to the drain; applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to the gate and to the drain, respectively, of the semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and applying pulsed voltages having positive pulses and negative pulses that are alternately repeated at regular intervals.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 73 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: preparing a semiconductor element having a source, a gate, and drain by connecting a load to the drain; applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to the gate and to the drain, respectively, of the semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and applying pulsed voltages having positive pulses and negative pulses that are alternatingly repeated.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 73 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: preparing a semiconductor element having a source, a gate, and drain by connecting a load to the drain; applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to the gate and to the drain, respectively, of the semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and applying pulsed voltages having positive pulses and negative pulses that are alternatingly repeated.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 77 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: preparing a semiconductor element having a source, a gate, and a drain by connecting a load to the drain; applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to the gate and to the drain, respectively, of the semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and applying a pulse for discharging an electronic charge immediately before applying the pulsed voltages for measurement.
Claim 14
Independent Claim 77 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: preparing a semiconductor element having a source, a gate, and a drain by connecting a load to the drain; applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to the gate and to the drain, respectively, of the semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and applying a pulse for discharging an electronic charge immediately before applying the pulsed voltages for measurement.
Claim 15
Independent Claim 86 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: preparing a semiconductor element having a source, a gate, and a drain by connecting a load to the drain; applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to the gate and to the drain, respectively, of the semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and applying pulsed voltages having positive pulses and negative pulses produced immediately after respective positive pulses n (n≧1) times, the pulses being repeated at regular intervals.
Claim 16
Independent Claim 86 words
A method of testing a semiconductor element including: preparing a semiconductor element having a source, a gate, and a drain by connecting a load to the drain; applying pulsed voltages synchronized with each other to the gate and to the drain, respectively, of the semiconductor element; measuring a current flowing through the semiconductor element in response to the pulsed voltages; and applying pulsed voltages having positive pulses and negative pulses produced immediately after respective positive pulses n (n≧1) times, the pulses being repeated at regular intervals.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 32 words
The method of claim 8 including calculating drain conductance gd along a load line by sweeping a drain voltage Vd with a gate voltage Vg at respective points of the load line.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 32 words
The method of claim 8 further including calculating transconductance gm along a load line by sweeping a gate voltage Vg with a drain voltage Vd at respective points of the load line.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 8 including measuring I-V characteristics of the semiconductor element along a load line, using the pulsed voltages synchronized with each other.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 35 words
The method of claim 8 further including calculating resistance dependency of the maximum output power P max by sweeping resistance R of the load line and repeating measurement of I-V characteristics along the load line.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3943442A Cited
US4382229A Cited
JPS5828673A Cited
US4779041A Cited
US4896108A Cited
US5723983A Cited

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