Model 6220 DC Current Source and Model 6221 AC and DC Current Source0 pages

6220
6221

DC Current Source
AC and DC Current Source

6220 and 6221
•t Source and sink (programmable
load) 100fA to 100mA

•t Built-in RS-232, GPIB, Trigger
Link, and digital I/O interfaces
•t Reconfigurable triax output
simplifies matching the
application’s guarding
requirements
•t Model 220 emulation mode
eliminates need to reprogram
existing applications
6221 Only
•t Source AC currents from 4pA
to 210mA peak to peak for AC
charac­ter­iza­tion of components
and materials. The 6221’s
10MHz output update rate
generates smooth sine waves
up to 100kHz
•t Built-in standard and arbitrary
waveform generators with
1mHz to 100kHz frequency
range. Applications include use
as a complex programmable
load or sensor signal and for
noise emulation
•t Programmable pulse widths
as short as 5µs, limiting power
dissipation in delicate com­
ponents. Supports pulsed I-V
measurements down to 50µs
when used with Model 2182A
Nanovoltmeter
•t Built-in Ethernet interface for
easy remote control without a
GPIB controller card

The Model 6220 DC Current Source and Model 6221 AC and DC Current Source combine ease of use
with exceptionally low current noise. Low current sourcing is critical to applications in test environments ranging from R&D to production, especially in the semiconductor, nanotechnology, and superconductor industries. High sourcing accuracy and built-in control functions make the Models 6220
and 6221 ideal for applications like Hall measurements, resistance measurements using delta mode,
pulsed measurements, and differential conductance measurements.
The need for precision, low current sourcing. Device testing and characterization for today’s very
small and power-efficient electronics requires sourcing low current levels, which demands the use of
a precision, low current source. Lower stimulus currents produce lower—and harder to measure—
voltages across the device. Combining the Model 6220 or 6221 with a Model 2182A Nanovoltmeter
makes it possible to address both of these challenges.
AC current source and current source waveform generator. The Model 6221 is the only low
current AC source on the market. Before its introduction, researchers and engineers were forced to
build their own AC current sources. This cost-effective source provides better accuracy, consistency,
reliability, and robustness than “home-made” solutions. The Model 6221 is also the only commercially
available current source waveform generator, which greatly simplifies creating and outputting complex waveforms.
Simple programming. Both current sources are fully programmable via the front panel controls or
from an external controller via RS-232 or GPIB interfaces; the Model 6221 also features an Ethernet
interface for remote control from anywhere there’s an Ethernet connection. Both instruments can
source DC currents from 100fA to 105mA; the Model 6221 can also source AC currents from 4pA to
210mA peak to peak. The output voltage compliance of either source can be set from 0.1V to 105V in
10mV steps. Voltage compliance (which limits
the amount of voltage applied when sourcing
APPLICATIONS
a current) is critical for applications in which
•t Nanotechnology
overvoltages could damage the device under
–t Differential conductance
test (DUT).
Drop-in replacement for the Model 220
­current source. These instruments build upon
Keithley’s popular Model 220 Programmable
Current Source; a Model 220 emulation mode
makes it easy to replace a Model 220 with a
Model 6220/6221 in an existing application without rewriting the control code.
Define and execute current ramps easily.
Both the Models 6220 and 6221 offer tools for
defining current ramps and stepping through
predefined sequences of up to 65,536 output
values using a trigger or a timer. Both sources
support linear, logarithmic, and custom sweeps.

–t Pulsed sourcing and resistance

•t Optoelectronics
–t Pulsed I-V
•t Replacement for AC resistance
bridges (when used with Model
2182A)
–t Measuring resistance with
low power
•t Replacement for lock-in
amplifiers (when used with
Model 2182A)
–t Measuring resistance with
low noise

1.888.KEITHLEY (U.S. only)
www.keithley.com
A Greater Measure of Confidence

LOW LEVEL MEASURE & SOURCE

•t 65000-point source memory
allows executing comprehensive
test current sweeps directly
from the current source

Precision low current sourcing

•t 1014W output impedance
ensures stable current sourcing
into variable loads