vivkr
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Hi,
Is there a good method to measure the reverse leakage current of a junction diode. Ideally, I want a method which can give relatively quick results. Here are a couple of things I have in mind:
1. Make a test diode as large as possible on chip.
2. Try to do the tests at as high a temperature as reasonable.
3. Use a method with a small capacitor connected to the diode and taking up the leaking current to generate a ramp voltage. This voltage can be buffered and brought out to be measured instead of trying to directly measure leakage which would be sensitive to various other errors. The slope of the ramp gives the value of the leakage current.
Typically, one cannot get the diode to be large enough as to have more than 1 nA or so of reverse leakage current. In order to limit the test time (the idea is to finally use a method in automated part testing) to a reasonable duration (few milliseconds), the size of the diode needed would be collosal.
Any method which might work that give information about the leakage current relatively fast and with simple small structures? I am trying to see if I can get information on reverse leakage by looking at the forward I-V characteristics of the diode. Atleast as per the textbook diode equation, this should be possible. The problems might be due to other effects coming into play, and also the risk of causing latchup somewhere if I put a junction diode into forward conduction mode.
Any ideas would be very welcome.
Regards, Vivek
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