Keysight / Agilent / HP 4280A 1MHz C Meter / C-V Plotter

The Keysight/Agilent/HP 4280A is a 1 MHz capacitance meter and C-V plotter engineered for precise component and material characterization. This instrument measures capacitance and conductance as functions of applied DC bias voltage or time, eliminating the need for multiple separate instruments. The integrated design combines a precision 1 MHz C-G meter, programmable DC bias source, and accurate timing control into a single platform compatible with both floating and grounded device testing.

Technical Specifications Measurement Capability

Capacitance (C), conductance (G), or simultaneous C-G measurement

Test signal frequency: 1 MHz

Test signal level: 10 mVrms or 30 mVrms (selectable)

Capacitance range: 0.001 pF to 1.900 nF across three ranges (10 pF, 100 pF, 1 nF)

Conductance range: 0.01 µS to 12.000 mS

Measurement accuracy: 0.1% basic (conditions: D < 0.05 for C-G/C-V/G-V modes; D < 0.01 for C/G/C-t/G-t modes; C counts ≥ 1/100 of range; 23°C ±5°C; 30-minute warm-up; zero/open calibration applied) Resolution

Standard display: 4½ digits

Capacitance (standard): 0.001 pF on most sensitive range

Capacitance (Option 001 High Resolution): 5½ digits; 1 fF resolution to 190 pF, 10 fF resolution to 1.2 nF

Conductance: 10 µS maximum resolution DC Bias Source

Range: 0 V to +100 V

Resolution: 1 mV on most sensitive range

Staircase sweep: programmable start, stop, step voltage, hold time, and step delay time (up-down or single direction)

Pulse bias capability for C-t measurements Measurement Modes

C Mode: constant DC bias voltage measurement

C-V Mode: stepped DC bias voltage sweep

C-t Mode: programmed time intervals following bias pulse application

Speed selection: Fast (~70 ms C or G only; ~150 ms C and G), Medium (~100 ms), Slow (~330 ms C or G only; ~520 ms C and G) Transient Measurements

Internal pulse generator: 10 ms resolution

External pulse generator compatibility (e.g., HP 8112A): 10 µs resolution

Measurement interval (td) settable range: 10 µs minimum

Key Features

Consolidated measurement platform eliminating multi-instrument test setups

Floating and grounded device support for diverse wafer probing configurations

Programmable staircase bias sweep with independent timing parameters

Multiple measurement speed modes optimizing between measurement time and noise rejection

High-resolution option for enhanced capacitance sensitivity

Typical Applications Semiconductor characterization, material property evaluation, capacitor testing, and device reliability assessment under varying DC bias conditions.