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This section provides an overview for curve tracers as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 9 curve tracer manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked curve tracer companies as of April, 2025: 1.Keysight Technologies, 2.ABI Electronics Ltd, 3.Value Tronics International, Inc..
Table of Contents
A curve tracer is a device that displays the relationship between the voltage applied to a semiconductor device and the current flowing through it.
It is called a curve tracer because it traces a graph (curve) of the voltage-current characteristic and displays it on a display. In semiconductor devices, the relationship between the applied voltage and the flowing current is non-linear and not proportional, like a resistor.
Therefore, measuring the voltage vs. current characteristics of semiconductors and electronic devices requires procedures such as changing the voltage, measuring the current value, and plotting the results on a sheet of paper. With a curve tracer, however, the voltage-current characteristic can be directly displayed on a display.
Curve tracers are used to measure the characteristics of semiconductor devices during development, to inspect devices in manufacturing departments, and to verify the operation of circuits using semiconductors. The main measurement targets are semiconductor devices such as diodes, bipolar transistors, and FETs.
In semiconductors, the voltage applied to the target device is gradually varied and the current flowing at that time is measured. On the other hand, the display of the curve tracer shows the voltage value on the X-axis and the current value on the Y-axis, thus depicting the relationship between the voltage and the current value as a graph.
Optional power supplies are available for high voltage application and high current flow, and the equipment is ready to accommodate a variety of devices.
If the measurement object is a diode, connect a power supply for driving the device between the anode and cathode, set the maximum and minimum applied voltage values Vmax and Vmin, and the power supply will automatically sweep the voltage between them at a frequency of 50Hz to 60Hz. It also measures the current value flowing through the diode at this time.
The horizontal sweep circuit of the CRT uses the voltage of the power supply for driving the semiconductor device as the input signal, while the vertical sweep circuit uses the current flowing through the diode as the input signal, so that the current characteristic (V-I characteristic) against the applied voltage is drawn on the CRT.
For bipolar transistor/FET measurements, a current/voltage source using a step generator is connected to the base/gate electrodes. The device drive power supply is connected between the emitter/source and collector/drain, and the maximum and minimum values of the applied voltage, Vmax and Vmin, are set.
For Bipolar Transistors
If the base current is varied stepwise with a step generator and the voltage between emitter and collector and collector current at that time is displayed on the CRT, the static characteristic curve of the transistor is drawn.
In the Case of FET
When the gate voltage is varied stepwise with a step generator, a static characteristic curve of a FET is drawn, showing the relationship between the voltage between source and drain and the drain current.
Curve tracers are designed based on the assumption that a CRT is used for the display. However, since CRTs are rarely produced anymore, the conventional type of curve tracer has disappeared.
Instead, a curve tracer that draws characteristic curves on a display by importing voltage-current characteristic data into a PC is now commercially available.
A curve tracer consists of a power supply for driving devices, a step generator for controlling transistor base current and FET gate voltage, a CRT and its horizontal sweep and vertical sweep circuits, etc.
Curve tracer is a very effective measuring instrument for understanding the basic characteristics of semiconductors, and was a basic measuring instrument utilized in all processes from research and development to product inspection, especially by device manufacturers. They are also used in user acceptance testing of semiconductor devices, and although several Japanese manufacturers used to produce them, all but a few have now withdrawn from the market.
On the other hand, curve tracers, which were developed for solar panel evaluation, are now being sold. In addition, semiconductor parameter analyzers have replaced curve tracers.
These are equipped with multiple voltage and current sources, and the voltage and current are controlled by a controller (PC) to measure the characteristics of semiconductors.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Keysight Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1939 and headquartered in Santa Rosa, California. Keysight is a global developer and manufacturer of electronic design and test solutions to communications, networking, aerospace, defense, and government, automotive, energy, semiconductor, electronic, and education industries. Keysight’s communications solutions group solutions include electronic design automation software; radio frequency and microwave test solutions, hardware and virtual network test platforms and software applications, as well as optical laser source solutions. Keysight’s electronic industrial solutions group offers various design tools and verification tools. Keysight offers product support, technical support, and training and consulting services. It sells its products through direct sales force, distributors, resellers, and manufacturer's representatives.
Interworld Highway, LLC, established in 2000 and headquartered in Long Branch, New Jersey, is an authorized distributor of major brands of educational and testing equipment. The company operates as an e-commerce business with two sites: TEquipment and Touchboards. Some of its offerings include test equipment such as multimeters and ground testers, as well as HVAC instruments such as leak detectors and vacuum pumps. Its products are used in various applications, including electrical testing and research purposes.
Yokogawa Test & Measurement Corporation was founded in Japan in 1954. Yokogawa currently serves a wide array of industries including the aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, semiconductor and telecommunications industries with both hardware and software solutions. Among Yokogawa’s suite of products are oscilloscopes, voltage probes, power analyzers and meters, data acquisition tools, optical test equipment, a wide variety of handled meters, calibrators, and testers; analog instruments, and manometers.
ABI Electronics Ltd., founded in 1985 with headquarters in the USA, is an electronics manufacturer of electronic test and measurement equipment. The company's product line includes universal diagnostic system devices for PCBs, software testing devices, counterfeit device detection equipment, and PLD (Programmable Logic Device) configuration and testing equipment. ABI Electronics serves the energy, machinery, maintenance, manufacturing, and transportation markets. The company has clients that include Collins Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Samsung, Honeywell, and Continental.
Artifex Engineering GmbH & Co. KG, a company established in 2001 and based in Emden, Niedersachsen, is a manufacturer and supplier of measuring instruments and optical components. Its specialization is manufacturing measuring instruments such as optical power meters, trans-impedance amplifiers, integrating spheres, and pulsed laser diode drivers. It also manufactures optical components, including beamsplitters, optical filters and lenses, polarization optics, laser lighthouses, and composite optics. The company has obtained ISO 9001:2015 certification. Its manufactured products are utilized for industrial and metrological industries across Germany and the UK.
Scientific Test, Inc., an American company founded in 1981 and headquartered in Wylie, Texas, is a manufacturer and supplier of semiconductor test equipment. The company’s product portfolio includes curve tracers, test adapters, and programmable scanners. These products are used in various applications, including consumer electronics manufacturing, transportation, and the aerospace and defense industries. The company exports globally to various countries, including Taiwan, China, and Singapore. Some of its partners include IWATSU Test Instruments, Signatone, and PMK.
Value Tronics International Inc., founded in 1992 and based in Elgin, Illinois, is a distributor of a wide range of equipment, such as signal generators, power supplies, and spectrum analyzers. The company stocks over 8,000 products, including used and new equipment from over 300 manufacturers like Berkeley Varitronics, Compression Techniques, and Delta Elektronika. It also buys obsolete and unused testing and lab equipment, which includes meters, oscilloscopes, and data loggers. The company provides financing options that allow customers to pay for purchases later. It also has a loyalty program where customers earn a 2% credit after a purchase.
Ranking as of April 2025
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keysight Technologies |
23.4%
|
| 2 | ABI Electronics Ltd |
18.7%
|
| 3 | Value Tronics International, Inc. |
14.8%
|
| 4 | Scientific Test, Inc. |
12.4%
|
| 5 | Yokogawa Test & Measurement Corporation |
9.6%
|
| 6 | Test Equipment Center, Inc. |
8.6%
|
| 7 | Interworld Highway, LLC |
6.7%
|
| 8 | Artifex Engineering GmbH & Co. KG |
3.3%
|
| 9 | Iwasaki Tsushinki Co., Ltd. |
2.4%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the curve tracer page as of April 2025. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
United States of America
|
2 | 33.3% |
|
Japan
|
2 | 33.3% |
|
United Kingdom
|
1 | 16.7% |
|
Germany
|
1 | 16.7% |
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