Keithley 6514

Keithley Electrometers for Ultra-High Resistance/Ultra-Low Current Measurements

Choose from three sensitive options for precision high resistance and low current measurements. The 5½-digit Model 6514 and Model 6517B Electrometers offer 1fA sensitivity, >200TΩ input impedance on voltage measurements, and charge measurements down to 10fC. The 6½-digit Model 6430 Sub-Femtoamp Remote SourceMeter SMU Instrument can measure current with 1aA sensitivity. Its low noise and drift performance make it ideal for research on single electron devices, highly resistive nanowires and nanotubes, polymers, and electrochemical applications.

The Model 6514 Electrometer combines flexible interfacing capabilities with current sensitivity, charge measurement capabilities, resolution, and speed that are equal or superior to our earlier electrometers. The Model 6514’s built-in IEEE-488, RS-232, and digital I/O interfaces make it simple to configure fully automated, high speed systems for low-level testing.

The 5½-digit Model 6514 is designed for applications that demand fast, yet precise measurements of low currents, voltages from high resistance sources, charges, or high resistances. The Model 6514’s exceptional measurement performance comes at an affordable price. While its cost is comparable with that of many high end DMMs, the Model 6514 offers far greater current sensitivity and significantly lower voltage burden (as low as 20μV) than other instruments can provide.

R&D on a Budget
The Model 6514 offers the flexibility and sensitivity needed for a wide array of experiments, providing better data far faster than older electrometer designs. Applications include measuring currents from light detectors and other sensors, beam experiments, and measuring resistances using a current source. In addition to use by researchers in areas such as physics, optics, and materials science, the Model 6514’s affordable price makes it an attractive alternative to high end DMMs for low current measurement applications, such as testing resistance and leakage current in switches, relays, and other components. For more information on how the Model 6514 does this, refer to the section titled “Low Voltage Burden.”
The Model 6514 builds on the features and capabilities of the Keithley electrometers that preceded it. For example, like those instruments, a built-in constant current source simplifies measuring resistance. Two analog outputs—a 2V output and a preamp output—are available for recording data with stripchart recorders.