News

10 September 2010

 

Accel-RF adds RF fixture for characterizing compound semiconductor devices

Accel-RF Corp of San Diego, CA, USA, which produces turn-key RF reliability and performance characterization test systems for compound semiconductors, has added a new ‘Smart Fixture’ product-line for performance characterization of compound semiconductor devices.

The USB-controlled fixture, complete with either custom matching circuits or proprietary wide-bandwidth bias-tees, includes an embedded heater and integrated analog/digital control board for temperature setting and DC/RF pulsing setup. The fixture has a clamping system that allows electrical, mechanical and RF contact of the device-under-test without ‘hard mounting’ of the package and leads. The configuration can be used with several different thermal imaging systems, including micro-Raman spectroscopy, for channel-temperature measurement under active bias, temperature and RF stimulation.

The smart fixture allows users to manage the stimulus to their RF device on a bench-top setting to control the base-plate or channel-temperature, DC bias and RF signal to specific test conditions. “This opens an avenue to quickly characterize device performance on numerous levels,” says president & co-founder Roland Shaw. “These performance metrics can be for intrinsic reliability studies, performance degradation studies, or for parameter variation analysis,” he adds. “This off-the-shelf solution provides a standard fixture with the capability to adapt to as many as 11 different package types and allowing our customer to get on with the task of testing the device without the issue of developing a new fixture for each application.”

With the same footprint as the RF fixture in the Accel-RF Reliability Test System, the smart fixture can be used by technology developers, RF engineers and reliability engineers to characterize their devices in a thermally controlled, RF-friendly environment, the firm says. It also uses Accel-RF’s Lifetest Software for the graphical user interface and data analysis and presentation capability.

“With the Smart Fixture we offer a plug-n-play solution for testing performance characteristics of individual devices and technologies in a fast and accurate manner,” concludes Shaw.

See related items:

Accel-RF adds multi-channel solid-state power amplifier subsystems

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