Amendment 1 - Attachement 1 - Technical Specifications.pdf

"High Voltage Probe Station"

04/15/2024

Amendment 1: 4/24/24

BACKGROUND

A probe station is designed to allow researchers to apply voltage and current to very specific location on semiconductor devices. There are multiple existing probe stations at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), but none are capable of utilizing the recently acquired Keysight Power Device Analyzer (PDA) (Model B1505A). The Keysight PDA is an ultra high voltage / high current capable curve tracer. None of the existing probe stations at NREL can handle the voltage and current delivered by the B1505A.

This equipment will be used by multiple groups for Department of Energy (DOE) and non-DOE projects. Groups include but are not limited to the Material Science group, the Solar group, and the Advanced Power Electronics group.

OBJECTIVE

This equipment will immediately be used to characterize novel semiconductors being grown by the material science group. Gallium Oxide semiconductors have the advantage of being able to block very high voltages. Currently there is no probe station at NREL able to characterize these devices to their full potential.

SPECIFICATIONS:

REQUIRED CAPABILITIES

• Equipment must be capable of characterizing bare semiconductor devices under high voltage / high current conditions.

• The main reason for this purchase is to interface with the existing Keysight power device analyzer. The PDA, as it is right now, is capable of characterizing semiconductors with ultra-high precision, but only after the device has already been packaged. The probe station will allow NREL to perform the tests on the bare device, which negates any error in measurements that can be introduced from the packaging.

• Processing Equipment: The probe station must be capable of measuring Gallium Oxide, Silicon, Silicone Carbide, and Gallium nitride devices. It will be used to measure a variety of characteristics related to diodes and three-terminal devices such as metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor MOSFETS and insulated-gate bipolar transistors IGBTs.

• All electronics should be compatible with the Keysight B1505A Power Device Analyzer.

• The system should have probe manipulators capable of reaching up to 10 kV and capable of performing Direct Current (DC)/Pulse/Radiofrequency (RF) measurements.

• The tool should have a dark box or be an enclosed system.

• Samples under testing vary from 10 mm to 300 mm. The system should have at least a 300 mm probing stage. The stage should have approximately 100 mm X-Y travel distance in each direction. A motorized stage is preferable.

• The probing stage should have high voltage capability (for backside probing) and temperature capability. Voltage: 10 kV, Temperature: -100°C to 300°C. Any system with a larger temperature range is welcomed.

• The stage should have a vacuum chuck.

• The probe station should have an imaging system, including a display, camera, and microscope with multiple objective lenses: 5x, 10x, 20x, and 50x.

• Any semi-automated system/program that can help to reduce sample measurement time by facilitating easy alignment is welcomed.

• The system should come with a vibration-isolated table with optical breadboard.

TECHNICAL OR SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

• The equipment must be built to Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) standards and have the supporting documentation.

• Must be field inspected by an NRTL such as UL or CSA

• Space Requirements/ Limitations o The equipment must fit in the existing space next to the Keysight PDA.

Maximum dimensions for the equipment are: 48” x 48”

TIMELINE

• Delivery needed by September 30, 2024.