Main Tasks of Vision

The Vision test environment will collect all of the data acquired in a test sequence and organize it in archived data structures along with the test sequence definitions and data analysis tools, so that the experiment can always be recalled or reproduced

These are Hardware Tasks that receive data from the tester. Measurement Tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Hysteresis – This Task measures sample polarization (µC/cm2) response to a Task-applied voltage profile. The profile is of user-specified maximum voltage and period (ms). (Period = 1000/frequency.) Profiles are normally standard bipolar (triangular) but may be monopolar, sinusoidal or user-specified.
  
  
• Small Signal Capacitance – This measurement captures the samples capacitance as a function of voltage. It measures the capacitance at each voltage step using a very small stimulus signal to eliminate polarization switching components of the sample response.
  
  
• PUND – A standard five-pulse ferroelectric sample characterization measurement that captures both switching (remanent + nonremanent) and non-switching (non-remanent) polarization (µC/cm2). Pulse width and voltage are under user control.
  
  
• Leakage – This Task captures the current through a sample induced by a steady-state, DC Bias voltage. Voltage and measurement duration are user-defined.
  
  
• Fatigue – This Task performs a series of stress/measure sequences. In the stress sequence the sample is submitted to a switching waveform. At the end of the waveform period, a PUND measurement is made to capture the sample's polarization response. Each subsequent stress period may have its duration increased to better serve a logarithmic analysis.
  
  
• Piezo-electric – This Task captures a sample's displacement as a function of voltage profile along with the sample's polarization response. An external displacement measurement instrument must be attached to the tester to make this measurement. This Task is purchase separately.
  
  
• Pyro-electric – This Task sets the sample to a series of temperature by performing GPIB control of an external thermal device. At each temperature it captures the sample's polarization response and/or small-signal capacitance. These are combined to calculate the pyroelectric coefficient.

These are Tasks that send signals to a tester through the driver. These also may communicate with other instruments attached to the tester or to the host computer. Hardware Tasks normally apply a voltage profile to the sample. Testers may apply voltages of up to ±10.0 Volts, ±100.0 Volts or ±200.0 Volts, depending on tester model. Voltages of up to ±10,000.0 Volts may be applied with the addition of an accessory High-Voltage Interface (HVI) and High Voltage Amplifier (HVA). Hardware Tasks include:

• Waveform – The Task applies a sine, square, triangle or user-defined voltage waveform to stress the sample. No data are acquired. The waveform is of user-defined voltage, frequency and duration.
  
  
• DC Bias – The Task applies a constant user-defined voltage to the sample for a user-defined duration.

These are Tasks that collect, operate on, store and plot data from one or more Measurement Tasks or other Filters. Filter categories include:

• Simple data collection and plotting.
  
  
• Mathematical Analysis – Combine two measured data vectors into one through addition, subtraction, multiplication or division or perform single vector manipulation on one or more input data vectors. Single vector operations include linear scaling and offset, integration and differentiation. FFT analysis is planned for release, soon.
  
  
• Averaging – Average multiple data vectors together to form a single vector, average one or more single vectors with itself over multiple iterations in a Branch Loop or perform statistical analysis on one or more single vectors. Statistical analysis includes maximum, minimum, mean and standard deviation.

These are Tasks that document and/or control the progress of an experiment.