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Review of Scientific Instruments / Volume 83 / Issue 2 / ARTICLES / Electronics; Electromagnetic Technology; Microwaves

Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 024703 (2012); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3677331 (11 pages)

Generalized four-point characterization method using capacitive and ohmic contacts

Brian S. Kim1, Wang Zhou1, Yash D. Shah1, Chuanle Zhou1, N. Işık2, and M. Grayson1

1Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
2Walter Schottky Institut, Technische Universität München, Garching 85748, Germany

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(Received 20 July 2011; accepted 27 December 2011; published online 2 February 2012)

In this paper, a four-point characterization method is developed for samples that have either capacitive or ohmic contacts. When capacitive contacts are used, capacitive current- and voltage-dividers result in a capacitive scaling factor not present in four-point measurements with only ohmic contacts. From a circuit equivalent of the complete measurement system, one can determine both the measurement frequency band and capacitive scaling factor for various four-point characterization configurations. This technique is first demonstrated with a discrete element four-point test device and then with a capacitively and ohmically contacted Hall bar sample over a wide frequency range (1 Hz–100 kHz) using lock-in measurement techniques. In all the cases, data fit well to a circuit simulation of the entire measurement system, and best results are achieved with large area capacitive contacts and a high input-impedance preamplifier stage. An undesirable asymmetry offset in the measurement signal is described which can arise due to asymmetric voltage contacts.

© 2012 American Institute of Physics

Article Outline

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. CIRCUIT EQUIVALENT OF THE LOCK-IN MEASUREMENT SYSTEM
    1. Circuit equivalent modeling procedure
    2. Lock-in input
    3. Base system
    4. Calibrating connector capacitances
  3. FOUR-POINT TEST DEVICE WITH GENERALIZED CONTACT IMPEDANCE
    1. Four-point characterization setup for resistive and capacitive contacts
  4. FOUR-POINT CHARACTERIZATION OF TEST DEVICE
    1. Measurement frequency band and capacitive scaling factor
      1. Ω−Ω measurement
      2. Ω−κ measurement
      3. κ−Ω measurement
      4. κ−κ measurement
  5. FOUR-POINT CHARACTERIZATION OF HALL BAR SAMPLE
    1. Circuit equivalent of the Hall bar sample
    2. Capacitive contact characterization
    3. Four-point characterization results
    4. Limitations
      1. Sample resistance
      2. Capacitive contacts
      3. Capacitance of coaxial cables
      4. Measurement accuracy
  6. CONCLUSION

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KEYWORDS, PACS, and IPC

Keywords

capacitance measurement, circuit simulation, electric current measurement, equivalent circuits, measurement systems, ohmic contacts, preamplifiers, voltage dividers, voltage measurement

PACS

  • 84.37.+q

    Measurements in electric variables (including voltage, current, resistance, capacitance, inductance, impedance, and admittance, etc.)

  • 84.30.Le

    Amplifiers

International Patent Classification (IPC)

  • G01R19/00

    Arrangements for measuring currents or voltages or for indicating presence or sign thereof

  • G01R27/00

    Arrangements for measuring resistance, reactance, impedance, or electric characteristics derived therefrom

  • G01R27/26

    Measuring inductance or capacitance; Measuring quality factor, e.g. by using the resonance method; Measuring loss factor; Measuring dielectric constants

  • H03F

    Amplifiers

  • H03F3/181

    Low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio preamplifiers

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3677331

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0034-6748 (print)  
1089-7623 (online)

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Institute of Physics

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    V. Dolgopolov, C. Mazur, A. Zrenner, and F. Koch, J. Appl. Phys. 55, 4280 (1984)JAPIAU000055000012004280000001.


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