Technical Support

Another important aspect of technical support is answering questions.  This page gives you answers to the most frequently asked questions.  If you'd like your question answered here, just send the question to us by first clicking here.  We'll respond privately to your Email address, and if your question is of general interest, we'll post the question and answer here on the web site. Your name and company will not be used.

Question: What is the maximum compliance voltage for your EM instrumentation? 

Answer: On the DM600 instrument card the maximum is 16 volts.  As part of the test set up, the operator may set this to any level up to the 16 volt maximum.  This is the maximum amount of voltage the DUT's will see under open circuit, or increasing resistance conditions.  

With the DM500 instrument card the maximum compliance voltage is 24 volts. 

With the DM503 the maximum compliance voltage is 48 volts. 

With the DM504 the maximum compliance voltage is 12 volts.

With the DM505 the maximum compliance voltage is 6 volts.  

Question: What is maximum current level of the DM505 EM card?

Answer: 4 amps. 

Question: Does the DM510 detect Soft Failures?

Answer: No.  The DM610 Instrument card is our new product for oxide testing.  It provides a variety of operator-set soft failure modes.  It also provides multi-lead test capability, ramped interim tests used for SILC, and auxiliary biasing drivers.    

Question: What version of Windows should I be using?

Answer: Our entire PE9000 / SPC4000 Series Systems are now shipping with the Windows NT operating system. This provides a more stable operating environment and full networking capability. MIC develops software for NT only. For continued support, as well as stability and networking, MIC advises updating to Windows NT. The best and most convenient way is to order a preloaded, new, system controller for your system; updating time is minimized. MIC does not recommend that you try to do it yourself. Upgrading through Micro Instrument Company will cost just a few percentage points of the original system cost and keep your systems running in top condition. Please contact us about your needs.


Question: Why do my readings, between DUTs in the same LOT, have a Time Differential of Hours, when it is obvious that the devices have all be testing the same amount of time.

Answer: The time differential comes from the amount of time difference between a "scheduled disk write" and where, in the gap between them, that the part happened to be, when it went through a Failure Termination Level. Background: The DM50X Series Boards constantly monitors readings across the DUT. The user specifies a sample rate to store data in the P.C.'s memory, & a multiplier that specifies how often to log a data point to the P.C.'s hard drive. We will call this, the "scheduled disk write". Any user specified Termination Level, that is passed through, for the # of specified readings, will cause approximately the last 100 readings, or the contents of the memory buffer, if less, to be written to disk. For Example: The Setup Form has a Sample Interval of 15 Seconds & a Save Every Nth. (The Multiplier) of 1440. 15 x 1440 = 21600 seconds or 6 Hrs. A DUT reaches a failure termination level & Triggers the contents of the memory buffer, to be written to disk, while 15510 seconds past the last "scheduled disk write". The difference between it's next "scheduled disk write", or logging to disk, is now 21600 - 15510 = 6090 seconds. It then resumes the normal scheduled disk writes, but from where it was when it was interrupted & then got done with the "un-scheduled writing". It's time readings on the disk, are now staggered from the un-interrupted DUTs, in the same Lot, by 6090 seconds. Next a different DUT Triggers approximately 2089.5 seconds after the last scheduled logging to disk. Adding the prior DUT's offset of 6090 & this DUT's 2089.5 equals 8179.5 seconds, or 2.272 Hrs. This is the source of the amount of difference between these two DUTs. If the test is stopped again, with no further interruptions, the differential between the readings, logged to disk is within a few seconds of the figure given. The relationship between the 1st DUT & the 2nd DUT described are only a sampling. The cross relationships between all the parts in a given Lot can be very complex, at any given point in time, due to the number of termination levels, and where they might have occurred. This in no way effects the accuracy of the data, and is a minute point in the scheme of a long term test.

Question: How does the DM510A Instrument Card work and how do we sense voltage and current?

Answer: The DM510A Instrument Card sources a voltage, and measures leakage current on individual DUTs (devices under test, structures, etc.). Each DM510A card has five on-board supplies. During the "design" phase of the DUT fixturing card, the five supplies may be programmed to any of the DUTs providing five hard test groups per card. The maximum allowable leakage current is set by test parameters. When the leakage current through a DUT reaches the set maximum the test on that DUT is terminated. Prior to running the test, a shorts test is done. This pretest deletes shorted parts before the TDDB test starts. The maximum allowable leakage current for the shorts test is also a test setup parameter.

Question: On the EM test Setup form, what does Room Soak Time do?

Answer: Usually, you will bring your DUTs up to an elevated temperature and then apply stress current. If you want to apply stress current before elevating the temperature, you would enter a Room Soak Time in seconds. This is the time, in seconds, that constant current stress is applied before the temperature environment is switched to the run mode. The stress current remains on after initiating the temperature controller.


Question: What is the lowest possible constant current capability of the DM500 instrument card?

Answer: 0.5 mA.


Question: On the TCR Setup form, should I use Self Heat I or Temp Rise or neither?

Answer: This is a special power coefficient test the system can automatically run after completing a standard TCR test.  This test is not part of a standard TCR test so it should only be used if you intend to do a power coefficient test.  Use Self Heat I (Self Heat Current) or Temp Rise to follow the TCR test with a PCR test (Power Coefficient of Resistance). 

TCR tests plot the change in resistance as a function of temperature caused by external heating.  PCR tests plot the change in resistance as a function of temperature caused by joule heating and external heating. You can use joule heating to elevate the temperature of the structure by specifying Self Heat I in mA or by specifying Temp Rise in °C. In the latter case, which is most commonly used, the program extrapolates TCR data to find a stress current sufficient to increase the line temperature by the amount you specified.  After making the measurement, the chamber temperature is reduced to the next highest temperature in the TCR test, and the PCR test is repeated.  This continues until the PCR test is completed at the first programmed temperature in the TCR test setup. 

Question: Can one instrument card perform EM and TDDB tests simultaneously?

Answer: No.


Question: How does the extrusion monitor line on the DM500 Instrument Card work?

Answer: The extrusion monitor can be offset from the test structure +3V to maximum compliance. The test parameters set a maximum allowable extrusion current, or up to 10 monitoring levels, or both. When the leakage current in a DUT's extrusion monitoring lines reach the set maximum, or the last monitoring level, the test on that specific DUT is terminated.