KEI Keithley Instruments, Inc.

CLEVELAND, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Keithley Instruments, Inc. (NYSE: KEI), a world leader in advanced electrical test instruments and systems, will broadcast a free, webinar titled "Fundamentals of Bias Temperature Instability and State-of-the-Art Measurement Methods" on Thursday, December 16, 2010. This one-hour presentation is designed to help reliability engineers understand and implement state-of-the-art Bias Temperature Instability (BTI) measurements using ultra-fast I-V (current-voltage) methods. The online event also features an interactive question and answer session. To register, visit www.keithley.com/events/semconfs/webseminars.

The first segment of the webinar examines the current theory of positive and negative BTI (PBTI and NBTI) mechanisms in ultra-thin-film transistors. The second segment addresses the measurement challenges and defines the best methods for ultra-fast I-V measurements for capturing both degradation and recovery characteristics. Seminar participants will learn about:

• Current theories behind modeling NBTI and PBTI
• Challenges associated with characterizing BTI degradation and recovery
• State-of-the-art measurement techniques for modeling and process control
• Limitations in ultra-fast I-V methods, including Johnson noise
• Tips on characterizing measurement system performance

This webinar is intended for those responsible for performing semiconductor reliability characterization measurements; it will be particularly beneficial for students, technicians, engineers and lab managers who develop test systems and methodologies to address the needs of ultra-thin-film transistor reliability.

About the Presenters.

Chris Henderson is president and owner at Semitracks, Inc., a company that provides education and training to the semiconductor industry. Prior to becoming one of the founders of Semitracks, Henderson was a principal member of technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories and a senior reliability engineer at Honeywell.

Paul Meyer is senior staff technologist for Keithley Instruments' Semiconductor Measurements Group. Prior to joining Keithley, Meyer's career included designing semiconductor fab equipment, as well as equipment engineering in semiconductor fabs.

Registration Information.

"Fundamentals of Bias Temperature Instability and State-of-the-Art Measurement Methods" will be broadcast on Thursday, December 16 at 15:00 CET (9:00 a.m. EST) for the European audience and at 2:00 p.m. EST for the North American audience. The event is free to the public, but participants must register in advance at www.keithley.com/events/semconfs/webseminars. The seminar will also be archived on Keithley's website for those unable to attend the original broadcast.

For More Information.

For more information on Keithley or any of its test solutions, visit www.keithley.com or contact the company.

About Keithley Instruments, Inc.

With more than 60 years of measurement expertise, Keithley Instruments has become a world leader in advanced electrical test instruments and systems. Our customers are scientists and engineers in the worldwide electronics industry involved with advanced materials research, semiconductor device development and fabrication, and the production of end products such as portable wireless devices. The value we provide them is a combination of products for their critical measurement needs and a rich understanding of their applications to improve the quality of their products and reduce their cost of test.

Products and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

SOURCE Keithley Instruments, Inc.