How to Evaluate IV Characteristics of LEDs

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Precision Source / Measure Unit
+ Precision Source / Measure Unit
Precision Source / Measure Unit
+ Precision Source / Measure Unit

Evaluating IV LED characteristics using a source / measure unit

Evaluating the current-voltage (IV) characteristics of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) requires the ability to output and measure both voltage and current. You can perform these measurements using a source / measure unit (SMU). A single-channel SMU is sufficient to test the basic IV parameters of an LED. Use two channels for optical tests, with one channel measuring photo diode current and the other driving the LED.

Protect your device by setting a limit on the voltage or current output and use pulsed measurements to prevent device self-heating from distorting measurement results. Also, consider implementing a 4-wire measurement scheme to overcome the voltage error caused by test lead residual resistance. Have one pair of leads forcing current and the other monitoring voltage to eliminate cable resistance effects by only measuring the voltage drop across the device-under-test. Four-wire measurements keep the voltage between sense points at the specified voltage, characterizing the device under specified measurement conditions.

LED IV characterization solution

LED IV characterization solution

Characterizing the IV properties of high energy-efficient LEDs requires extensive current and voltage measurement capabilities. The Keysight B2900 series precision source / measure unit (SMU) enables accurate, high resolution current versus voltage measurements. It delivers 6.5-digit sourcing and measurement resolution, along with source and measure resolution down to 10 fA and 100 nV. 
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