As the power electronics industry increasingly transitions from conventional silicon devices to wide-bandgap (WBG) materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), the demand for highly accurate semiconductor characterization and materials analysis technologies continues to grow. Addressing these requirements, Tektronix is providing a comprehensive portfolio of precision measurement and semiconductor characterization solutions designed to accelerate research and development of next-generation wide-bandgap materials and power devices.
Wide-bandgap semiconductors are enabling significant improvements in switching frequency, power density, thermal performance, and conversion efficiency across electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, industrial automation equipment, and data center power infrastructure. However, the superior electrical characteristics and increasingly complex material structures associated with these devices also create new challenges in material characterization and device validation. Tektronix, together with its Keithley instrumentation portfolio, is developing advanced measurement technologies that help researchers and engineers understand the electrical properties of emerging semiconductor materials and optimize device performance.
The company's technology offerings include highly sensitive Source Measure Units (SMUs), semiconductor parameter analyzers, switching systems, and automated characterization platforms capable of performing precise electrical measurements over extremely wide dynamic ranges. These technologies support the development of power semiconductor materials including silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), gallium arsenide (GaAs), silicon-germanium (SiGe), indium phosphide (InP), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), cadmium telluride (CdTe), and numerous other compound semiconductor materials.
One of the fundamental characterization techniques supported by Tektronix is four-point probe resistivity measurement. In semiconductor materials, resistivity is strongly influenced by doping concentration and directly affects important device parameters such as series resistance, capacitance, and threshold voltage. Conventional two-probe measurements are susceptible to errors introduced by contact resistance and probe impedance. By employing a four-point measurement architecture, Tektronix solutions eliminate these error sources and provide highly accurate resistivity measurements that are critical for evaluating wafer quality and process consistency.
For small and irregularly shaped samples, the company supports the widely used van der Pauw resistivity technique. This four-wire measurement method enables highly accurate determination of sheet resistance and resistivity independent of sample geometry. By performing a series of measurements around the sample perimeter, researchers can derive material resistivity with exceptional precision, making the technique particularly valuable for advanced semiconductor wafers and thin-film materials.
Another key capability within Tektronix's portfolio is Hall effect characterization. Hall effect measurements provide insight into several critical material parameters, including carrier concentration, carrier mobility, Hall coefficient, conductivity type, magnetoresistance, and overall electrical conductivity. By applying magnetic fields and measuring Hall voltages with high sensitivity, researchers can evaluate the fundamental transport properties of semiconductor materials and optimize them for high-performance device applications.
These characterization technologies are increasingly important as researchers investigate not only established wide-bandgap materials such as SiC and GaN, but also next-generation materials including aluminum nitride (AlN), gallium oxide (Ga2O3), diamond, and advanced two-dimensional semiconductor structures. Such materials offer the potential for higher breakdown voltages, lower switching losses, elevated temperature capability, and greater power densities, enabling future generations of power electronic systems.
Supporting these measurement techniques are several specialized instrumentation platforms within the Keithley product family. The graphical 2400 Series SourceMeter® SMUs provide precision sourcing and measurement capabilities for nanostructured materials research and semiconductor device development. The 4200A-SCS Parameter Analyzer delivers an integrated environment for characterizing semiconductor materials, processes, and devices, while the 3700A System Switch/Multimeter platform enables high-channel-count automated measurements with 7½-digit precision.
Keithley 4200A-SCS Parameter Analyzer
Beyond materials research, the company's broader power semiconductor solutions support device characterization, I-V analysis, double-pulse testing, and validation of wide-bandgap power devices throughout the design and manufacturing process. These technologies enable engineers to optimize switching behavior, improve manufacturing yields, enhance reliability, and accelerate the commercialization of advanced power semiconductor technologies.
As electrification trends continue to reshape transportation, renewable energy, industrial automation, and high-performance computing, precise material characterization is becoming increasingly critical to unlocking the full potential of wide-bandgap semiconductors. Through its portfolio of high-sensitivity measurement technologies and semiconductor analysis platforms, Tektronix aims to provide researchers and device developers with the tools necessary to advance the next generation of high-efficiency power electronics.
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About Tektronix
Tektronix is a leading provider of test and measurement solutions serving the electronics, semiconductor, communications, aerospace, automotive, and industrial markets. The company offers oscilloscopes, source measure units, semiconductor parameter analyzers, switching systems, power analyzers, and automated test platforms that enable engineers and researchers to accelerate innovation and improve product performance.
