Model 4200A-SCS Parameter Analyzer Reference Manual
Section 3: Source-measure hardware
4200A-901-01 Rev. C / February 2017
3-35
Sweep waveforms
There are three general sweep types: linear staircase, logarithmic staircase, and custom, as shown in
the following figure. The linear staircase sweep goes from the start level to the stop level in equal
linear steps. The logarithmic staircase sweep is similar, except it is done on a log scale with a
specified number of steps per decade. The custom sweep lets you construct your own sweep by
specifying the number of measure points and the source level at each point.
An SDM cycle is performed on each step (or point) of the sweep. One measurement is made at each
step (level). The time spent at each step depends on how the SDM cycle is configured for aspects
such as the sweep delay.
Typical applications for staircase sweeps include I-V curves for two-terminal and three-terminal
semiconductor devices, characterization of leakage versus voltage, and semiconductor breakdown.
Figure 72: Sweep waveforms
