Keithley 6517B/E Digital-Multimeter, DMM, 6517B/E Data Sheet

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www.keithley.com

1.888.KEITHLEY 

(U.S. only)

A Greater Measure of Confidence

•

Measures resistances up

to 10

16

W

•

1fa–20ma current measurement

range

•

<20µV burden voltage on

lowest current ranges

•

200T

W input impedance

•

<3fa bias current

•

up to 425 rdgs/s

•

0.75fa p-p noise

•

built-in ±1kV voltage source

•

unique voltage reversal

method for high resistance

measurements

•

optional plug-in scanner cards

Keithley’s 5½-digit Model 6517B Electrometer/High 

Resistance Meter offers accuracy and sensitivity speci-

fications unmatched by any other meter of this type . It 

also offers a variety of features that simplify measur ing 

high resistances and the resistivity of insulating materi-

als . With reading rates of up to 425 read ings/second, the 

Model 6517B is also significantly faster than competitive 

electrometers, so it offers a quick, easy way to measure 

low-level currents .

Exceptional Performance specifications
The half-rack-sized Model 6517B has a special low current 

input amplifier with an input bias current of <3fA with 

just 0 .75fA p-p (peak-to-peak) noise and <20µV burden 

voltage on the lowest range . The input impedance for 

voltage and resistance measurements is 200T

W for near-

ideal circuit loading . These speci fi  ca tions ensure the accuracy and sensitivity needed for accurate 

low current and high imped ance volt age, resistance, and charge measure ments in areas of re search 

such as physics, optics, nanotechnology, and materials science . A built-in ±1kV voltage source with 

sweep capability simplifies performing leak age, break down, and resis tance testing, as well as volume 

(

W-cm) and surface resistivity (W/square) mea sure ments on insulating materials . 

Wide Measurement ranges
The Model 6517B offers full autoranging over the full span of ranges on current, resistance, voltage, 

and  charge  mea  sure ments:
• Current measurements from 1fA to 20mA
• Voltage measurements from 10µV to 200V
• Resistance measurements from 50

W to 10

16

W

• Charge measurements from 10fC to 2µC

Improved High resistivity Measurements
Many test applications require measuring high levels of resistivity (surface or volume) of materials . 

The conventional method of making these measurements is to apply a sufficiently large voltage to 

a sample, measure the current that flows through the sample, then calculate the resistance using 

Ohm’s Law (R=V/I) . While high resistance materials and devices produce very small currents that are 

difficult to measure accurately, Keithley’s electrometers and picoammeters are used successfully for 

such measurements .

Even with high quality instrumentation, inherent background currents in the material 

can make these measurements difficult to perform accurately . Insulating materials, 

polymers, and plastics typically exhibit background currents due to piezoelectric effects, 

capacitive elements charged by static electricity, and polarization effects . These back-

ground currents are often equal to or greater than the current stimulated by the applied 

voltage . In these cases, the result is often unstable, providing inaccurate resistance or 

resistivity readings or even erroneous negative values . Keithley’s Model 6517B is designed 

to solve these problems and provides consistent, repeatable, and accurate measurements 

for a wide variety of materials and components, especially when used in combination 

with the Model 8009 Resistivity Test Fixture .

alternating Polarity Method
The Model 6517B uses the Alternating Polarity method, which virtually eliminates the 

effect of any background currents in the sample . First and second order drifts of the 

background currents are also canceled out . The Alternating Polarity method applies a 

voltage of positive polarity, then the current is measured after a specified delay (Measure 

Time) . Next, the polarity is reversed and the current measured again, using the same 

delay . This process is repeated continuously, and the resistance is calculated based on a 

weighted average of the four most recent current measurements . This method typically 

6517b

Electrometer/High Resistance Meter

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