The Keysight B1500A Semiconductor Device Analyzer is an all-in-one instrument in the Precision Current-Voltage Analyzer Series, supporting current-voltage (IV), capacitance-voltage (CV), and pulsed/dynamic IV measurement in a single mainframe. It is designed for electrical characterization and evaluation of devices, materials, semiconductors, and active or passive components, combining measurement disciplines that traditionally required separate instruments. A modular architecture with ten available slots allows the configuration to grow or be upgraded as characterization needs change over time.

Through its furnished EasyEXPERT group+ application library, the B1500A addresses characterization of CMOS and bipolar transistors, discrete and nano devices, memory, and power devices, along with reliability tests such as NBTI/PBTI, charge pumping, electromigration, hot carrier injection, J-Ramp, and TDDB. Typical measurements include Id-Vg, Id-Vd, Vth, breakdown, Gummel plot, capacitance, and QSCV. The application tests are organized by device type, application, and technology so complex characterization can be set up and executed from ready-to-use templates.

ValueTronics stocks instruments like the B1500A in our own 20,000-square-foot secure warehouse at 1675 Cambridge Drive in Elgin, Illinois. Orders ship from inventory we physically hold and control. Every pre-owned unit is inspected and functionally verified in-house by our technicians before it leaves the building, while new units ship factory-sealed exactly as received from the manufacturer.

Brand Heritage

Keysight Technologies traces its test-and-measurement lineage to Hewlett-Packard, whose instrument business was spun off as Agilent Technologies in 1999. Agilent's electronic measurement division then became the independent Keysight Technologies in 2014, and the Keysight name on this analyzer reflects that most recent transition.

Compare Other Models in This Series

The B1500A is a single mainframe whose capability is defined by the plug-in modules installed in its ten slots. It supports a set of source/monitor units (SMUs) plus specialized capacitance, pulse-generation, and waveform modules that share the same EasyEXPERT group+ environment but differ in voltage, current, resolution, and timing performance. Rather than choosing between separate instruments, a buyer configures one analyzer to match the devices under test.

Standard factory packages range from an empty mainframe for custom builds to a medium-power SMU standard package, a high-resolution SMU package, a high-power package, and a basic flash memory cell package that combines SMUs with a pulse generator unit. Modules and packages can be added later as characterization needs change.

Each package and module configuration linked below is its own product page with pre-owned-matched pricing. Select the package or module that fits your application; condition and price are listed per item so you can confirm exactly what you are ordering.

Within the Precision Current-Voltage Analyzer Series, the B1500A supports C-V sweep, SPGU control, and oscilloscope view alongside IV sweep, sampling, tracer, and quick-test modes, and accepts up to ten plug-in module slots per mainframe.

The installed modules set the analyzer's limits. The high-power SMU reaches 200 V and 1 A with 10 fA/2 µV minimum resolution; the medium-power and high-resolution SMUs reach 100 V and 0.1 A, with the high-resolution unit resolving to 1 fA/0.5 µV; and the medium-current SMU delivers up to 30 V at 1 A pulsed (0.1 A DC) with pulse widths from 50 µs. The optional atto-sense and switch unit extends MPSMU or HRSMU resolution to 100 aA.

Capacitance, pulse, and waveform functions come from dedicated modules: the multi-frequency capacitance unit covers 1 kHz to 5 MHz, the high-voltage pulse generator outputs up to ±40 V, and the waveform generator/fast measurement unit samples at 200 MSa/s. The comparison table that follows summarizes the per-module voltage, current, resolution, and timing figures drawn from these specifications.

Additional differences in specifications beyond the few shown above are not listed here — see each model's full specifications below.

Accessories Supplied

• Triaxial cable 1.5 m or 3.0 m (2 ea, 16494A-001/002)

Product Core & Specifications

Important: Keysight is responsible for removing, installing, and replacing the B1500A modules. Contact your nearest Keysight office to install and calibrate the modules.

Important: The total power consumption of all SMU modules installed in the mainframe cannot exceed 84 W. Only one single-slot MFCMU can be installed per B1500A mainframe; up to five single-slot HV-SPGUs and up to five single-slot WGFMUs can be installed per mainframe.

Important: The B1500A mainframe requires plug-in source/monitor and measurement modules (HPSMU, MPSMU, HRSMU, MCSMU, MFCMU, HV-SPGU, WGFMU); these are ordered separately as standard packages or add-on packages (the B1500A-A00 is an empty package for custom solutions).

Important: Specifications are the standards against which the B1500A and its associated modules are tested. The supplemental characteristics described in the specifications are not warranted, but provide useful information about the functions and performance of the instrument.

Important: SMU voltage and current measurement accuracy can be affected by RF electromagnetic field strengths greater than 3 V/m in the 80 MHz to 1 GHz range, and by induced RF field noise greater than 3 Vrms in the 150 kHz to 80 MHz range; the extent depends on how the instrument is positioned and shielded.

Important: The maximum voltage between common and ground is limited to ≤ ±42 V.

Important: Calibration options B1500A-A6J (ANSI Z540) and B1500A-UK6 (commercial calibration certificate) are available ONLY at the initial shipment.

Recommended pairing: add the SMU CMU unify unit (SCUU, N1301A-100) and guard switch unit (GSWU, N1301A-200) to automate switching between IV and CV measurements per the datasheet's configuration.

About this Pre-Owned unit

This pre-owned unit is inspected and functionally verified in-house before it ships and is backed by our pre-owned warranty. To confirm its exact condition, firmware revision, installed options, or included accessories for your application before ordering, contact our Test Architects.

• Backed by a ValueTronics warranty.
• Functional verification included before shipment.
• Standard Calibration Upgrade Options: No Calibration Required, NIST Traceable, Z540.1 or ISO 17025 with Data, Z540.3 Guardbanding with Data.
• Note that unnecessary accessories may not be included (contact Test Architect to confirm).

ValueTronics supplies both new and used test and measurement equipment. New units ship factory-sealed, exactly as received from the manufacturer; every used unit is inspected and functionally verified in-house at our 20,000 sq ft secure facility in Elgin, Illinois before it ships. Our Test Architects can help you select the condition, calibration, and configuration that fit your application.

Please review the Manufacturer's Data Sheet to verify published specifications. Feedback on this webpage is always welcome — please reach out to your Test Architect at any time for questions or concerns. Thank you, we truly appreciate you being our customer.